For some reason, I've got a hankering for a lever action rifle chambered in 45 acp.  

Has anyone ever made one?

Could someone rechamber/rework a Marlin 1894 in 45 Long Colt to shoot 45 acp?  

Would being rimless create a problem?



I'd love to have a 45 caliber lever action rifle with about 20 rounds in the tube!

Quoted: For some reason, I've got a hankering for a lever action rifle chambered in 45 acp.   Has anyone ever made one? Could someone rechamber/rework a Marlin 1894 in 45 Long Colt to shoot 45 acp?   Would being rimless create a problem? Yes, lever guns prefer rimmed cartridges. I'd love to have a 45 caliber lever action rifle with about 20 rounds in the tube!

I was thinking about the same thing the other day. a hi cap 45acp lever gun. I would buy one in a heart beat.

Yes, there was an article long ago in American Rifleman about a guy who made one in .45ACP.  I have the aritcle around here somewhere and I'll try to dig it up, but that might take a while with the amount of reference material around here.

Anyway, it's been done successfully, but remember that you have to either reload, or use soft-points of some kind because of the tubular mag.  Mil-surp FMJ could be dangerous, but since there really isn't much in the way of cheap .45ACP, it doesn't matter too much nowdays.

It was less work than I thought it would be, but it's pretty much a custom job.  It would certainly cost more than a Marlin carbine.

I'll see if I can find the article.

i asked a similar question about a 9mm lever gun a while back and got the same answer.  

just get a marlin in 357.

I remember the article in American Rifleman early 80s.

If anyone can come up with the American Rifleman article, I would appreciate it.

i saw one over 20 years ago that was marked montgomory ward never seen another or been able vto find anything on it but i know what i saw

Found it! July 1983 edition of the Armiecan Rifleman.  

The guy started off with a Marlin .44 mag Model 1894.  He goes into pretty good detail about how the conversion was done.  It sounded like alot of work.

Any good gunsmiths out there that want a challenge?????

I've always wanted one in 45acp and another in 10mm.

Would .45 Auto-Rim work in a .45 Colt lever gun?

Quoted: Would .45 Auto-Rim work in a .45 Colt lever gun?

No, the headspace is all wrong and completely different between the two.  The 45 Auto Rim has a rim that's as thick as the moon clip and the portion of the rimless case behind that added together. It's easily over two times as thick as the .45Colt rim.  Since the rifle headspaces on the rim, the .45 Marlin is designed to lock-up with a cartridge that has the rim thickness of the .45 Colt.  Since the rim of the .45 Auto Rim is WAY thicker, the rifle would never lock up or even close.

Quoted: Quoted: Would .45 Auto-Rim work in a .45 Colt lever gun? No, the headspace is all wrong and completely different between the two.  The 45 Auto Rim has a rim that's as thick as the moon clip and the portion of the rimless case behind that added together. It's easily over two times as thick as the .45Colt rim.  Since the rifle headspaces on the rim, the .45 Marlin is designed to lock-up with a cartridge that has the rim thickness of the .45 Colt.  Since the rim of the .45 Auto Rim is WAY thicker, the rifle would never lock up or even close.

There I go with that thinkin' again.

Oh well.

So in the interest of pure stupidity, what if one were to a trim a .45 Colt case back to the point where it had .45 ACP case volume and loaded it with .45 ACP loads? Don't see much point besides having a high-capacity assualt lever gun , but this thread has my brain 'tickin (which as we've already seen may not be a good thing).

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Would .45 Auto-Rim work in a .45 Colt lever gun? No, the headspace is all wrong and completely different between the two.  The 45 Auto Rim has a rim that's as thick as the moon clip and the portion of the rimless case behind that added together. It's easily over two times as thick as the .45Colt rim.  Since the rifle headspaces on the rim, the .45 Marlin is designed to lock-up with a cartridge that has the rim thickness of the .45 Colt.  Since the rim of the .45 Auto Rim is WAY thicker, the rifle would never lock up or even close. There I go with that thinkin' again. Oh well. So in the interest of pure stupidity, what if one were to a trim a .45 Colt case back to the point where it had .45 ACP case volume and loaded it with .45 ACP loads? Don't see much point besides having a high-capacity assualt lever gun , but this thread has my brain 'tickin (which as we've already seen may not be a good thing).

I don't see why that wouldn't work.  The .357 chambered rifles will function and fire .38 spec. as will the .44 mag shoot .44 spec.  I also knew a guy who rechambered his .45 colt Winchester 94 to .454 Casul(?sp) and it still shot .45Colt.  Trimming the 45 Colt case makes plenty of sense in that there's so much empty case space you wouldn't loose much in the way of performance, and might actually gain some better consistancy in ballistics.  

Start out lower than .45ACP though and work up.  Lossing the case volume will result in higher pressures reached earlier than the .45Colt, and the difference in 45 Colt vs 45ACP brass may be a factor as well.  Also for the simple fact that it's a wildcat and you should therefore work up the loads accordingly.  Shouldn't be any problem though, and I think you could handload some excellent rounds.  No reason not to do it really.