COAL for 147gr .38 spl in rifle

[dcdornac]

 I am trying mostly by trial to attain a working COAL for my Marlin 1894CB. It is a longer profile bullet made by Moulton Lead of VT just for Marlins and is 147 gr without a cannelure. I suspect 1.510 to be about right. Shooting under 4.4gr of Unique. Any help or experience out there? Thanks!

[PJ Hardtack]

dc

Make up a few dummy rds without primers or powder. They will either feed or they won't. It ain't rocket science.

[Johnny McCrae]

Make up a few dummy rds without primers or powder. They will either feed or they won't. It ain't rocket science.

This is good advice.

I've been using this specific round since November of 2007 for my 1866 Uberti. Using mostly Winchester .38 Special Brass I use a COAL of 1.555". So far I've loaded over 8000 rounds like this with no problems.

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[buckshot dan]

my rossi 92 does't like any round less than 1.526 so i've been loading the 147 moultons at 1.55 oal

[Fairshake]

The first thing is that you can't go on what works in a 66 or 92 for loading ammo for a Marlin. Each rifle is different and have their own preference.
For the owner of the 66; all toggle bolt guns have a built in bullet gauge. You turn the rifle upside down to where you are looking at the brass bottom of the cartridge carrier. Lever the rifle down to where the carrier moves into the receiver by about 1/2 inch. Drop in the cartridge and if it fits with a little room at the front of the carrier then it will run in that rifle.
The 92 is well known for being very particular about it's OAL. Just ask Steve Young aka Nate Kiowa Jones who is known as the 92 GURU.
The best way to load for any gun is to have that gun with you at the loading bench and load a few rounds with out primer or powder and try them in the gun.
A old standard that I still use when loading my 45 ACP( I DON'T SHOOT WILD BUNCH!!!) is to remove the barrel from the gun and try the rounds at the bench. Saves a lot of cussing at the firing line. Take Care Fairshake.