Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers Someone enlighten me, please.

Here in Indiana, we now allow the use of a center fire rifle that is chambered in cartages under a certain length such as a 500 or 460s&w. I was hopeing this would prompt Marlin to produce a lever action in 460 S&W. But several people informed me the pressures generated by both the 460 and 500 S&W are greater than the Marlin can safely handel.

That struck me as not making sence seeing as a Marlin can handel a factory load in 45/70 sold by Buffalo Bore ammunition company and judging from the advertized velocities of their 45/70 loads (a 350grn bullet at 2000fps) I can not immagine a smaller capacity case like the 460 or 500S&W could produce higher pressuers.

What am I missing?

But yes they can. The Marlin 1895 action (like the 45-70, 444, and 450 Marlin) are rated to 40,000 PSI. The early 45-70 loadings, and the current Remington Factory 405 grn 45-70 only generates about 27000 PSI. So the Marlin is overbuilt to a point. I do not know what the pressure is of the 460 or 500 S&W but many moderen chamberings are capible of 50,000 PSI and better.I am sure Marlin has looked into the possibility of chambering rifles in these but if the market share is not viable then they are in business to make a profit. R&D on a new design just to chamber for two revolver catridges would most likely be cost prohibitive based on potential market

Marlin chambered the 336 for .307 Winchester and .356 Winchester in the '80s. Both are 50,000 plus cartridges. There's a gunsmith in Missouri that frequently rechambers 336s in .35 Remington to .358 Winchester (also a 50,000 plus cartridge)or .356 Winchester with no problems.

Loads for the 460 S&W Magnum and 500 S&W Magnum typically run up to 61,000 PSI and 58,000 PSI, respectively. The head diameters of the 460 S&W Magnum and 500 S&W Magnum are .478" and .530", respectively. Hence, these cartridges not only operate at higher pressures than the 307, 356 and 358 Winchesters they also have a much larger cross-sectional area inside the case interfacing the bolt. So, both the 460 S&W Magnum and 500 S&W Magnum will exert more bolt thrust than the 307, 356 and 358 Winchesters at the same pressure and much more at what they could be loaded to. The safe operating pressure of the Marlin 1895 45-70 is approximately 42,732 PSI and the 45-70 has a head diameter of .505".

So no, a Marlin lever action rifle is not suitable for conversion to the 460 S&W Magnum or 500 S&W Magnum. That would explain the beefed up receiver of the Marlin clone Wild West Guns 04 in 500 S&W.

In addition, Marlin abandoned a 480 Ruger offering on the 1895 frame as the 48,000 PSI, .504" head diameter cartridge proved to be too much for that rifle action.

Yep. We tend to forget that one of the true beauties of cartridges like the 45-70 is to deliver superb performance at relatively low pressures.

Thanks to all for educating me on a subject I should have known better as a reloader. Pressure.

Well I guess I have to settle for a T/C in 460s&w, but that costs waaaay more than a XTR in 45/70. In the words of Crusty the Clown "Oh Crap!"

I can't even pretend to understand that crazy law. But, couldn't you use a Marlin 1894 in 41 or 44 Magnum?

Good hunting!

YOu could also get a Handi rifle . I would prefer the marlin 44 carbine myself

You might look into getting a Puma which is a Winchester M92 clone. They come in .44 Mag, .454 Casull and .480 Ruger among other calibers.