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[Dakota Dan from OZ]

Been looking for Marlin Cowboy in 44-40 for a while,they are very rare downunder and Marlin have not made them for a few years. While at our Nationals this month I found a gun dealer with a 44-40 Marlin Cowboy barrel, New I now have that and I already own a Cowboy in 44 Mag so with the help of a gunsmith I am going do a barrel transplant.

Will keep you all posted.

Dakota

[Texas Tall]

It's going to cost ya a Zillion to get that done Dakota so ya better sell me that '66 in .38spl so you'll have the dollars to pay for it.........LOL

See ya .....................TT.

[Dakota Dan from OZ]

It's going to cost ya a Zillion to get that done Dakota so ya better sell me that '66 in .38spl so you'll have the dollars to pay for it.........LOL

See ya .....................TT.

          

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[Stump Water]

Yes Dr. Franken-Marlin...  keep us posted on your creation?

Or is it Dr. Marlinstein?

[fourfingersofdeath]

I have a 66 in 44/40. Not much good about the cartridge, but like warts, they grow on you. I'm eyeing off a nickle plated mint ASM colt clone in 44WCF, if it was a blue one I would have bought it already. Mick.

Funny, I have backed and filled and tried all sorts of levers, the 1894 has never pressed my buttons so far.
Mick.

Will a 44/40 reamer clean up a 44Mag chamber? (I know the bore size is a bit different)  I'm a long way from home and haven't got my reference books with me.

[Be-A-triss Bandit]

Barrel swap is easy.  It's the accourtements that make it feed and extract that may be hard.  I'd swap 45 Colt parts if I could find them or rebarrel a 45 Colt to begin with.
Naaah, I'd reallly just get a Winchester, but it would be fun to do a conversion.
BB

[Dakota Dan from OZ]

We bought a 44 Mag Marlin Cowboy that has been rechamberd from 44 Mag to 44-40 using the 44 Mag barrel and it seems to work OK with all the 44 Mag running gear.

Dakota

[Be-A-triss Bandit]

Thanks for that info Dakota.  A pard paid to have that done and he was charged for an extracter and such for a 45.  He was also told only a specialist could do it without messing up the neck.  I bonked him on the head for not letting me take a reamer to it.  $250 vice a $28 reamer rental and an hour of my time.  Maybe a little more if I had to clean up the neck/throat.  What we don't know costs us sometimes.  Next time someone asks I'll know you did it.
Do you handload .429/.430 bullets or are 44-40 bullets happy in the bore?  How about your sizing dies and case life?
BB

[Dakota Dan from OZ]

Finally got to leave the gun with a gunsmith, said he could do it and have it back to me in a couple of weeks.Only problem is he lives 1500kms away from me,but we should be able to get it back to a shoot in Broken Hill in June and then home to me.

Dakota 

[Dakota Dan from OZ]

Got a call from the gunsmith,and the job has been done all he has to do is test fire it to make sure that it works OK and then he will send it back. should have back here next week he said he pack it on a wagon train from Adelaide to Broken Hill and then have it loaded on another train from there to Sydney and I will get to pick it up at a shoot on Sunday the 17th.

Dakota 

[Marshal J.D.Lightning]

Dakota,

Don't forget the PICTURES when you get it 

I'm thinking we should change your name to "Mr Marlin"   

I'm glad it has worked out for you, so we'll see you give it a workout soon then !!!!

Take care, shoot straight & have fun with those cowboy guns.

Lightning

[Levi Nitehawk]

Dakota, I have a bunch of 44 Mag empties, 2 coffee cans full if you can reneck them and use them for your 44-40's.  I don't know if that is possible.  If you want them I will send them to you.

Levi 

[Stump Water]

So... the transplant was a success!

How long before you're certain that the receiver won't "reject" the barrel?   

[Dakota Dan from OZ]

So... the transplant was a success!

How long before you're certain that the receiver won't "reject" the barrel?   

Won't know if it is a success until I have it in my hands and put plenty of rounds through it,and it will be on anti rejection medication for the rest of it's life.   

Dakota 
 

[Dakota Dan from OZ]

Well I had up at the range today and put 50 rounds through it and it works great.I am very happy I had the transplant done. 

Dakota 
 

[Dakota Dan from OZ]

Shot the match with it on Sunday.Yee Haw. It never missed a beat, I did shoot smokeless with it so the next test is to fire it up with some BLACKPOWDER.

Dakota 
 

[Dakota Dan from OZ]

Been looking for Marlin Cowboy in 44-40 for a while,they are very rare downunder and Marlin have not made them for a few years. While at our Nationals this month I found a gun dealer with a 44-40 Marlin Cowboy barrel, New I now have that and I already own a Cowboy in 44 Mag so with the help of a gunsmith I am going do a barrel transplant.

Will keep you all posted.

Dakota

Yes Dr. Franken-Marlin...  keep us posted on your creation?

Or is it Dr. Marlinstein?

It's working great put over 1,000 rounds through it with no problems,Sunday I am going to run blackpowder in it and hope to use it for our upcoming Blackpowder Championships in November.

Dakota 

[Levi Nitehawk]

That is great Dakota, wish I could be there to see it.

Levi

[Dakota Dan from OZ]

It's working great put over 1,000 rounds through it with no problems,Sunday I am going to run blackpowder in it and hope to use it for our upcoming Blackpowder Championships in November.

Dakota 

Shoot 6 stages and the Marlin worked great,just finished cleanin it and can't wait for the blackpowder shoot in November.

Dakota   

[Camille Eonich]

YAY!!!