Marlin Firearms Forum banner

Value of my JM 444?

Tags
jm 444
8K views 51 replies 23 participants last post by  rpatten 
Indiana or Ohio, one or maybe both allowing straight walled pistol cartridges to be used for deer hunting? Just a guess.
I'll never understand how those states consider the 444 to be a straight walled PISTOL cartridge.......

I think the person that wrote those regs didn't realize the 444 was created as a RIFLE cartridge..............

No matter to me, I don't live or hunt in those states, but I can see a lot of issues in the field by the way those regs might be interpreted by LEO's...........

Maybe not, though..........Regs are Regs...........

Tom
 
The "pistol" has always been added by people not reading every word of the regs. It has never said "pistol cartridge". In years past when we could only use handguns for our center fire option, it read " pistols that fire a straight walled cartridge" therefore a 444 chambered T/C pistol was 100% legal, and the reason I bought a barrel....right before they announced the proposed changes, that have since passed. So to summarize, it is NOT, and WAS NOT "pistol" cartridges, it IS, and WAS "straight walled" cartridges.
J Pipes,

Thank you...........That explains it very well.........Now I can unterstand the added "Grey Matter" in what i've read re: "Pistol" cartridges in Indiana and Ohio........

Thanks Again,

Tom
 
if their is a demand, how come Marlin is not taking advantage of the market and making money.... I agree with you, 45-70's are everywhere....Good rifles, but everywhere...
I would speculate their are two reasons for the 444 not being in production now...........

First, FGI has all the trouble they can handle just building passable 30-30's..........

Secondly, and this is the "real" reason, IMO............The 444 is the MOST difficult Marlin to get to load smoothly. The Mag Tube Cartridge Clearance Bulge is MUCH different, and LESS forgiving than the 45-70 Bulge.
There is/was only ONE small company in CT that could produce that Mag tube reliabably. They did it with Hard Hydraulic Tooling and a Soft Eurathane plug......Other vendors have tried and failed.

I think the ability to get working, reliable mag tubes in quantities, along with what FGI perceives as the 444 Market demand, with regard to the 45-70's are the reasons the 444 is not being made.

When Marlin North Haven closed, I was working on a Hydraulic Forming Fixture with a heating element, that would form the bulge on a heated 444 tube......... I was about 85% successful, and making changes to the tool, when that activity came to a halt, as things having to do with the closure became more important...........

As the closure got closer, I was told to stop all work , and disgard the whole project to concentrate on other things. and I'm sure all drawings records and details were lost...........

I don't know if that one little CT company maintained a working relationship with Remington. At the time, Remington was pretty arrogant, and took the position they had their own string of NY vendors and didn't really need most of the CT Vendors.

Remington was only interested in things that got rifles "out the door"..........NOT in any uncompleted tools or projects.

Thats my perception re: the lack of new 444's ............but don't blame it all on me!

Tom
 
Flat Top,

Yes, escentially, I agree with your thinking..........

Re: 444 values...........Based on the available 444's on the used market, I think it is somewhat a seller's market, particularly if the seller has a very good one or a unique one............

Older 444T's will continue to bring good prices due to the earlier workmanship. And 444 Outfitters will be very scarce and hard to find.

Like you and others, I have a 444, and mine is quite unique with lettered provanance...........I really don't see myself selling it too soon.

I suspect 444 Brass will become harder to find just like 35Rem or 218 Bee, but then............Most owners seem to find what they need, and secure a good quantitiyof components in the process.

I'm planning to hunt at least some with my 444 again this coming year with std 240Gr Handloads............unless I get distracted...:hmmmm:..... by a Model 375 that has become a Safe Queen,or the 336ER which has become so reliable in VT..........

Its (MY444) is just a heavier gun now, and I like a lighter carry in VT now ........


Tom
 
FT... I can shoot four 444's at the same time AND hit all four pigs I was aiming at:tee:

:hmmmm:...........Hummmm,...........I'm gonna' give that some thought.............:hmmmm:............If I wuz younger, I'd hang by my hair and shoot Pigs!.........But then I'd be in trouble, if sumpthin' failed...........:shot:......aside from the hair!

I'm bored now and its showing...........:ahhhhh:

RooterPig, As the old saying goes.............I wuz as good ONCE, as I ever wuz...........:vollkommenauf:............

Its raining here, so I've been working on a project in the cellar...............Now I need a Safari Grade cup of Coffee.......

Tom
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top