magazine tube replacement

[cactus joe]

I have a old marlin 94 in .38-40 probably manufactured in the mid 1920's. I would like to change out the beat up mag tube. My question is instead of only limiting my search to tubes that hold .38-40 rounds can i also include .44-40 tubes? I'm not sure but aren't the rounds pretty much the same size?

[Coffinmaker]

  Cactus Joe   

Yes.

[greyhawk]

Dont know what Marlin did but we used to use a piece of old electrical conduit to replace winchester tubes (still have my dolly/thingy under the lathe that I used to expand the conduit to correct size) ----

these days a piece of 16mm chinese curtain rod from the homemaker store is exactemo fit for the mag tube rings on a winchester - takes all the 44 size rounds (winchester 30/30 group was same size tube although they a little smaller rim size) 

18mm tube from the same store is same exactemo fit for the 1876 uberti (45/75)

This stuff is thinner wall but perfect OD -- cheap --and it works.

[cactus joe]

Looks even expanding my search for a mag in .44-40 is coming up empty. Thought there would be more available.

[greyhawk]

Looks even expanding my search for a mag in .44-40 is coming up empty. Thought there would be more available.

check my reply 2# above

[cactus joe]

check my reply 2# above

Thanks greyhawk i read your post also i think brownells has one. I'm kind of wanting a used one to sort of match my barrel's look. A new nicely blued mag tube next to a 100 year old barrel wouldn't look right. The one on my gun now has most all the bluing off it and has turned yellowish/brown. Nothing i can't live with, but if i can find a used one in decent shape i'd go for it.