Gents,

If you could be so kind, I need the outside barrel diameter of a .356, .307 and .444 Big Bore 94. If possible, I would like the diameter just forward of the fore end and at the muzzle. Thanks muchly!

I checked measurements like this before but didn't write them down. If I recall the BB's are all nearly the same except for the 375 which I no longer own. Believe it is smaller than the rest. Made the following measurements with dial calipers tonight.

Forearm Muzzle
307 .764 .709
356 .763 .703
444 .756 .708

I know you didn't ask about the 375 caliber, but here it is just for reference. bartmasterson, you are correct, it is considerably smaller than the rest.

.652" at forearm
.598" at muzzle

So how much trouble would it be to install a .356 or .444 barrel on a top eject .375? Doable, or a bridge too far?

Doable, you need to cut a new extractor slot on the AE barrels.

Would the larger barrel diameter pose a large proglem with the existing forend and barrel bands?

Here's a visual comparison. All four BB's, from left 307, 356, 375, and 444.

Try again...

Don't know for sure, but you may need a bigger mag tube for the .444, and whatever changes to the receiver that would entail, etc.

RSY

So how much trouble would it be to install a .356 or .444 barrel on a top eject .375? Doable, or a bridge too far?


The rim of the cartridge is no problem, one thing I would like to mention you have a very high pressure capable firearm in the BB 94 as such if you want a high performance big bore, why not combine the two, a .375 and .444 a .375JDJ same bbl as the .375 and rechambered to the .444 case necked to .375 I would think would get you a mean BB94.

Swany,
I have often considered doing just that to my 375, but can't bring myself to alter it. If I could find a "beater" 375 Big Bore that wouldn't be depreciated by such a conversion I would seriously look into it. I found a rather neglected one a while back on the used rack at a local shop but the $400 price tag seemed way too high for the condition of the gun.

I'm not positive, but I think a loaded .375 JDJ round is too long to operate through the 94 action.

Haven't check the OAL of the 375 JDJ but did send email to SSK once asking about the feasibility of converting a Marlin for this cartridge. JD himself responded that he'd never tried it but thought he should someday.

Haven't check the OAL of the 375 JDJ but did send email to SSK once asking about the feasibility of converting a Marlin for this cartridge. JD himself responded that he'd never tried it but thought he should someday.

I looked it up last night (but didn't write it down...DUH!) and the loaded, overall length of the .375 JDJ is over 3"...way too long for a 94 action.

Right after the .375 Winchester came out, I designed (on paper) a .375 cartridge based upon the .444 case that would work through the 94 action. I called it the .375 ALP (Alaska Lever Power). It pre-dated the .356 Winchester, but it looks amazingly like a .356 necked up to .375 caliber. I never had reamers made or a rifle built, but on paper, it looked like it would have given me 2,500fps with a Hornady 220 grain flat nose. But, once again, this was all on paper. I might have to dig the drawings out, dust them off and see what I can do with it using one of these new-fangled confusers :D .

You're right...it is longer. I don't find the max OAL listed but this picture illustrates it's length relative to a 444 Marlin. Looking at the picture it's conceivable that a shorter, blunter bullet than the one shown might be able to work through a modified 94 or 336 action. I don't know the limits on those action lengths as a custom affair.

Someone replying from the SSK website did respond to my question as stated, whether it was JD Jones or not I'll never know. Whatever the case there are lever actions that probably could be made to fit, like maybe the 1886, and maybe that was what the SSK responder was talking about. Of course the original poster here was talking about the model 94 action.