444 Marlin

Fire Arm

Barrel

Twist
 

Optics

Distance      

Shots

: Marlin model 444

: 24 inches

: 1:38 inches
  (micro-groove)

: 8 X

: 50 yards

: 10

Click for detailed 444 Marlin Tech drawing
Click on figure to access ANSI
technical cartridge drawing
Somewhere between the 30-06's 2400 ft-lbs of muzzle energy and the 35 Whelen's 2900 ft-lbs, ten more than the 45-70's 2500 ft-lbs, but for .429" diameter bullets - the 444 Marlin. Introduced by Marlin in June 1964, in a model 336 lever gun, specially designated the model 444 - offering 700 fps over and 2.5 times the muzzle energy of the 44 Rem Mag, offering twice plus the 30-30 or 35 Rem, on par with the 348 Win, and viable for any North American game. Noting that Winchester had discontinued their 348 and the model 71 lever in 1958, until then the most powerful lever gun available. Marlin bested itself in 1972 by offering its model 1895 in 45-70 Government.

The 444 Marlin is literally a 44 Rem Mag lengthened by .940", or 30 grains of capacity (Ackley in vol 2 refers to 444 as shortened 30-06, with a rim and necked up to .429") Because handgun bullets tend to have lesser sectional densities and such lower ballistic coefficients, and the 444 is nominally used to shoot handgun bullets, the 444 is a short to medium distance hunting cartridge - beyond 200 yards bullet drop becomes unacceptable. Also because .429" handgun bullets are designed to expand and operate in the 800-1400 fps range, when one hits the target at greater than 2000 fps, they tend to overexpand and fragment, generating huge surface wounds, and little penetration. The use of nonexpanding bullets resolves this problem. Maximum operating pressure is 44000 CUP or 42000 psi, respectively 4000 CUP and 6000 psi above the 44Rem Mag.

© Copyright Gregory J Mushial 1997-2000