It should not have a problem shooting 38 specials unless something is wrong mechanically. I never shoot 38 specials in my two 357's. If you shoot enough of those short rounds in that chamber you can get it carbon build up. When you then try to shoot .357 out of it you may have some issues. I would suggest cleaning it after every use.

 

1894s are supposed to shoot .38s. I have on that will reliably feed any .357 including HBWCs seat flush with the case mouth. It will not feed .38s reliably. I am told this is an individual rifle type of feature. I love my 1894 and will never sell it.

 

can someone tell me if the 1894 cowboy is the same as the cowboy competition?

 

Even though I can, I never shoot 38's in my 1894C. And reloading makes shooting 357's cost effective...

 

Mine loves .38’s. Swc, jacketed, rn lead. Good accuracy and no recoil. Found out this weekend it hates hard cast .357 swc loads. 12” groups. Same ammo does 2” at 25yds in my blackhawk. It really likes jacketed .357’s and soft lead .38’s.

 

I’ve shot a couple thousand .38 Special through my Henry .357, and as long as I clean it after every outing, it still chambers .357 magnums fine. Where you might run into trouble, is if you run a couple hundred “dirty powder” .38 Specials, and then load .357 Magnums afterward without cleaning. The only case head separation I ever had happened that way. The carbon and grit gripped the case in the chamber and caused the case head to stretch.

 

I have shot various brands of .357s and .38s. The only ones that I have had a issue with, so far, was Magtech .357s. The casings were difficult to eject.

 

My new Marlin 1894C feeds and shoots both 38 special and .357mag well and accurately. I am very happy with the rifle. I use a boresnake after each session and a very thorough cleaning every couple sessions.

 

357 still feeds more reliably. If you are not already a 38 Specl shooter then just stick with 357 and down load it. That way you only have to deal with one length. Same for 44 mag versus 44 Specl.---I just use 44mag in my lever gun and down load if I want a softer load.

 

357 still feeds more reliably. If you are not already a 38 Specl shooter then just stick with 357 and down load it. That way you only have to deal with one length. Same for 44 mag versus 44 Specl.---I just use 44mag in my lever gun and down load if I want a softer load.

I will agree. A lot of .357 magnum rifles will only feed .38 special that is close in overall length to .357 specs. i.e. close to 158 gr or larger bullets, and preferably round nose. Some will feed .38 special better than others, and some almost not at all. It kinda depends on the brand and individual characteristics of the gun.

Hand loading always gives the option of loading .38 special loads in .357 magnum brass without the worry of feed issues.

 

I reload 158 gr. RNFP bullets in .38 and have no feeding issues. I used to reload 158 gr. SWC's, and had the occasional hangups. I think bullet profile might have a bigger influence than .38 vs. .357

 

My 1894c loads and shoots 38 special very well. But it's an individual thing with different rifles----and different 38 special ammo.

The 1894c is made to cycle .357 mag. Depending upon the OAL of the 38 special, and/or the configuration of the bullet, it may feed 38 special also.

Longer bullet noses, like the 158gr lead round nose, will probably cycle better than 125 gr HPs, due the OAL and the length/shape of the bullet.

Bottom line is the closer your 38 special OAL is to a 357 magnum, the more likely it will cycle dependably. If yours doesn't feed 38 special, look to your ammo before blaming the rifle.

If you want the best reliability, down load 357 mag cases and ammo to 38 special levels. Trail Boss is good for this.

 

My 1894c loads and shoots 38 special very well. But it's an individual thing with different rifles----and different 38 special ammo.

The 1894c is made to cycle .357 mag. Depending upon the OAL of the 38 special, and/or the configuration of the bullet, it may feed 38 special also.

Longer bullet noses, like the 158gr lead round nose, will probably cycle better than 125 gr HPs, due the OAL and the length/shape of the bullet.

Bottom line is the closer your 38 special OAL is to a 357 magnum, the more likely it will cycle dependably. If yours doesn't feed 38 special, look to your ammo before blaming the rifle.

If you want the best reliability, down load 357 mag cases and ammo to 38 special levels. Trail Boss is good for this.

Loading heavy-for-caliber in 38 SPCL will definitely improve cycling. Try 180 or 200 grain cast at 800-900 fps [emoji1783]

 

Rossi's can be finicky as to whether it prefers 357 or 38, if you get lucky it will do both.

 

The 1894cbc is chambered in 38sp, instead of 357 mag.

 

The dreaded marlin jamb will show up sooner using 38spl. Mine feed both fine from new but eventually the marlin jamb would see it lock up solid with 38spl. Still feed 357 fine but after replaced the parts and a few modifications to prevent it developing again it was back to feeding 38spl fine.

 

What did you replace and modify

 

mine shoots 38 well but it fowls the barrel. 357 ammo is reasonably price i stick with that.

 

You can cold bend the carrier nose upwards .010" - .020" with a vise and two round screwdrivers to restore the lost timing. Round the carrier snail with a stone to remove that sharp edge. Test fire to make sure the repair worked. Save $65 or $75 instead of buying a new carrier. Go below to the Gunsmithing thread and find "Tweaking The 1894 Carrier". The author tells how to do it. I used a feeler gauge, more exact than the ruler he used. Both rifles I repaired fed better than new. Absolutely no complaints.

 

Rob, thanks for posting pics, I’d read about that fix but just couldn’t picture it. A couple-3 years ago I had to replace the original carrier on my ‘79 1894C, it had the rocker instead of the newer-style button. It was really worn.
R/Griff

 

Rob, thanks for posting pics, I’d read about that fix but just couldn’t picture it. A couple-3 years ago I had to replace the original carrier on my ‘79 1894C, it had the rocker instead of the newer-style button. It was really worn.
R/Griff

Another gunsmithing tip, Griff. To remove carrier, take out bolt and ejector. Remove carrier screw. Turn rifle upside down and shake. The carrier will be in the bolt opening. Turn it 90 degrees on its lengthwise axis with a needlenose pliers and lift out. No need to disassemble action completely. Reassemble in reverse order after cold bending the carrier. Squirt some oil into the action, and done.

 

How did you know I did it the hard way? Lmao, thanks!