Bottle-Neck vs Straight-Wall Cartridges

Tequila767 · Post by **Tequila767** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:31 am

Do bottle-neck cartridges, in general, feed more reliably than straight-wall cartridges in lever guns? I've read in several places that they do. Examples given were the 38-40, 44-40, and 30-30.

Post by **Old Savage** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:47 am

Depends on the rifle.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:27 am

1st, Welcome to the Forum. 2nd, to use a well worn homily, "that depends". I believe, and hold to this opinion, is that bullet shape is usually more important than whether the case is straight or a BN. It will also vary according to the style of feed, the toggle link actions (Henry, '66, '73 or '76) with their straight in push is somewhat pickier than say a '92 or '94 (Marlin or Winchester). The '73 is more prone to hang up with a semi- or full wadcutter than whether the case is straight or BN. The width of the meplat on bullets fed from the angled lifters of actions such as the '86, '92, or '94 Winchesters along with the Marlins can cause problems feeding as the bullet can jam into the top of the chamber with the case bottom wedged on the chamber mouth.

If you're wonderin' about any particular combination, you might just ask, with all the levernuts around here, someone's probably encountered all possible permutations.

homefront · Post by **homefront** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:56 am

Welcome aboard, and great first post!

I have 2 Marlin 94's, a .357, and a .41 mag. The .357 feeds anything; the .41 will not feed SWC's (semi-wadcutters), only RNFP's (round-nosed flat-points).
All depends on the particular rifle. I could probably do something to remedy the .41 - I just haven't taken time to monkey with it.
My .38-55 has alway cycled smoothly.
Was there a particular cartridge or rifle you were considering?

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:30 am

Not sure - I've never had a problem with either feeding, and straightwall cartridges are a heck of a lot easier to reload!

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:37 am

Welcome friend, my 30/30 94 feeds perfect with normal bullets but will hang up with 110 Speer HP and some round nose that have to be seated deep in the case. They tend to wedge as Griff says, the bullet digs in somewhere in the chamber and the bolt pushes the rear of the case to the opposite. Usually just easing off the lever allows the cartridge to line up again. I don't recall it happening in the Marlin I had with the same loads.
Nath.

John Y Cannuck · Post by **John Y Cannuck** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 7:07 am

Differences in individual rifles play a role as well. I have one '94 in 30-30 that will with some regularity feed an empty case from mag to chamber. The other one jams in every conceivable manner if I try it.
I think that the 30-30 in the '94 Winchester in it's standard configuration is the most trouble free of all the lever guns I own. The 1886 in 45-70 runs a very close second. The rest have their foibles.

Swampman · Post by **Swampman** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 7:15 am

There aren't a lot of straight walled rifle cartridges. The .44-40 and .38-40 are so much trouble to reload, I wouldn't want a gun chambered in either. I agree that bullet shape is the major factor.

As I understand it, the .44-40 and .38-40 were designed to function well with blackpowder. The taper kept the powder fouling from hanging the rifle up.

Leverdude · Post by **Leverdude** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 7:46 am

In a very broad general way I'll say yes, a bottleneck gives trouble less than a straight or tapered case. All 3 you listed are bottlenecks & all 3 were designed specifically for lever guns. If theyre reliable with anything I think it should be them.

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 8:46 am

I shoot and have shot quite a few different old straight-walled calibers. Most feed just fine. I have encountered feeding problems with certain bullets in my 45-70 and my 44-40. The solution was to use a different bullet. Once I find a bullet that feeds perfectly through my action (I'm talking cast bullets here), then that becomes my permanent bullet. I'm slowly accumulating moulds for these and about to start my own casting.

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 9:13 am

I haven't had any feeding problems in my Winchester Model 94 .30-30s or in my Marlin .444 Marlins. That goes for my pre-64 Model 94s and my post-64 Model 94s and also for my pre-safety .444 Marlin (1979) and cross-bolt safety .444 Marlin (2005). I use only jacketed bullets in my 94s and mostly use jacketed bullets in my .444s with the exception of Beartooth's 290gr LFNGC bullets. I use a heavy crimp on all my handloaded bullets and feel that that helps them slide/pass over the lip of the chamber when feeding.

shawn_c992001 · Post by **shawn_c992001** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 9:30 am

I must be one of the lucky ones or I must not shoot as much as some of the others, but I've never had a hang-up, and I have a pretty wide variety of leverguns, 2 94 Winnies one is AE, a 336 in 35 Rem., 1894CL in 32-20, 1895 45-70, and a 95 Win. 30-40 Krag which likes 170gr flat point cast bullets very much.

Lefty Dude · Post by **Lefty Dude** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 10:55 am

Swampman wrote:There aren't a lot of straight walled rifle cartridges. The .44-40 and .38-40 are so much trouble to reload, I wouldn't want a gun chambered in either. I agree that bullet shape is the major factor.

As I understand it, the .44-40 and .38-40 were designed to function well with blackpowder. The taper kept the powder fouling from hanging the rifle up.

I reload 44-40 on my dillon and have no trouble at all. And yes they do feed easier than a straight wall case. I can run my 92 44-40 faster than my Marlin 94CB 44mag/spec. The clock say's so.

I might buckle a case maybe one in a thousand.

By your negative attitude you are missing the best cartridge's ever, the 44-40, 38-40 & the 32-20.

Tequila767 · Post by **Tequila767** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 12:40 pm

I've gotten many similar replies on other forums. A few say, yes, bottle-necks are more reliable--generally. And many say straight-walls are just as reliable. But one thing I've noticed-- I've never gotten a reply that says that bottle-neck cartridges feed less reliably than straight-wall cartridiges.

Tequila767