I have an early production 22" blue model.
I had a few little feeding glitches early on. It seemed like the magazine follower was hanging up in the magazine tube. I cleaned everything and the little glitch went away. I would pull the lever down and it took a moment for the round to jump out onto the lifter. It happened just often enough I didnt feel real comfortable hunting with it away from my property.
The rifle and cartridge are a very accurate tubular magazine lever action package. I am talking three shot groups at 100 yards in the 1 inch bracket with many groups in the three quarter inch bracket. using factory ammunition and a Burris 2-7x Timberline scope. I have posted about this before but will say that the handloader has his work cut out to beat the factory ammunition. The ammunition is very consistent.
Marlin did a good job setting up the rifle at the factory. The vertical lock bolt matches the slot in the sliding bolt very accurately. The magazine tube has some play and does not bind the barrel as the rifle heats up. The forend is equipped with nylon sliders to prevent binding on the barrel. The trigger was not perfect but was better than average at 4.5 pounds. A little tweak on the trigger spring where it acts on the safety and I was happy.
I got the rifle before there was published load data. I loaded the.308 Marlin Express to 307 Winchester starting velocities and work up to mid range. I was happy until the pressure tested load data became available and I had to back off a bit.
I am still pushing the 170 grain bullets over 2,500 fps in both the 20" .307 Winchester and the 22" .308 Marlin Express.
I WAS pushing the 130 grain Speer Hot Core to 2,800 fps with no indications of high pressure but the pressure tested load data brought me back into reality. The .308 Marlin Express, sad to say, is Not a 52,000 CUP cartridge.
I have chronogrophed several different lots of the 160 grain FTX factory loads at 2,600 fps and just a bit over.
With published load data the 22" barrel .308 Marlin Express has a rough 50- to 100 fps advantage over the 20" barrel .30-30AI loaded to high pressure - depending on the bullet weight
I don't know how well you like your BLR but the Marlin built .308ME's are, arguably, the Best of the Modern Tubular magazine lever guns..
