Who has what? I'm looking for a carbine, Marlin I think. Any favorites?

I guess it boils down to how much you wanna spend. I've got a couple stainless Rossi lever guns in 357 and 44 mag. They have both been good farm rifles, and didn't break the bank. Although, they are getting more and more expensive. The last one ran over $500 out the door. Good luck!

Pretty much how much you want to spend and what you want to use it for. I have two Uberti 24" sporting rifles, one in .357 and one in .45 Long Colt. I love shooting both but the .357 is a lot of fun with either .357 or .38 special ammo. I have been looking around for an older Marlin in .357.

Love my Rossi 92 .357 with 24" SS Oct. barrel. Half the price of the alternatives, and after a few hours of unskilled gunsmithing by my husband and I to address a few well documented tweaks, has been an absolute joy to shoot.

Love my Rossi Model 92, fun to shoot and didn't break the bank

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SWCA #2817

I have had the new Winchester 1886 45.70 a 1892 in 44 mag both great rifles around $1000 I didn't want to take them out of the safe for fear of something happening to them so I sold them. A Marlin 1894 in 30.30 another great rifle around $750 and the LSI Puma model 92 in 44 mag great gun around $400 when I got mine. Liked the Puma so much I sold the Marlin. The Puma is light fast handling accurate and I don't worry about it getting bump around in the truck or out in the field.

I have Marlin 1894 Cowboy Limited in 357 mag and 44 mag. Fun shooters. For best accuracy the 357 likes 38 +P velocities with a larger bullet (158gn) over full magnum velocities.

I have quite a few lever guns, but both of my 357s are Rossis

I have one 20" and a ranch hand. I have the same pair in 45LC.
My only Winchester is a 45LC, then I have a few Marlins in 41 Magnum, 45 LC and 45-70
There are also a few 22LR Henrys and a Browning in .308

One of my 45LC Marlins has been converted to a takedown version.

I really prefer the 92s over the modern 94s.

Then there are the pump rifles, I am going to thread my 45LC stainless one for a supressor

Nice rifles! Since I reload 357 it just makes sense to have a like rifle for the grand sons to shoot. Y'all have me thinking that there are indeed nice options other than an older Marlin. Thank you!

I've had a Browning B-92 in .357 for a few years now and really like it.

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Living a dream - S&WCA #2364

Yep, I have a B92 in .357. Not to be overlooked. I put a Skinner Sights rear peep sight on it, and another one on my Henry Golden Boy. Nice sights.
My Marlin 39A Original Golden already had a target peep sight on it.
Sorry, I just can't get into the buckhorn sights.

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Fight socialism. Never stop.

I have a Henry Big Boy Steel in 357. The action was slick from the factory and the wood is very nice. The rifle is more accurate that I am. I couldn't be happier with it.

Your only choices, new, are Winchester, Uberti, Henry and Rossi. I have the Rossi M92 and love it.

Old Marlins are good, but whatever you do, do not buy a new Marlin in .357 - they haven't produced a functional one yet since they fired everybody and moved the factory after Marlin was sold off. There was a recent article somewhere where the 'Marlin' folks admitted they wouldn't be able to produce a functional .357 lever gun until 2017 or so. They claim that the machine tools were worn down and that the operators had rigged the setting to get them to work right. ...um, yea...

Edit: the link for the article is below. They indicated 'end of 2015' for the .357. It never happened and I wouldn't want one of the first ones to come from a completely new process anyway.

Marlin 1894 Rifle Review - Guns & Ammo

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But then, what do I know?

I have a stainless Rossi 16" that I really enjoy. I plugged the flimsy safety and may at some point grab a steel follower for the mag tube from the same vendor. The plastic one hasn't given me any trouble tho.

These carbines are quite pleasant to shoot in 38/357. Being a lefty, I've always been drawn to lever guns. The short barrel, Henry steel gun (in 357) is in my LGS right now. I've been sorely tempted.

Mine is a Winchester Trapper. 16" Barrel. .357. Forget the imported copies and get the real deal.

I have an older model of the Marlin 1894 Cowboy Limited in .357. It's built "heck for stout" and is a good shooter. If you can find one that someone is willing to part with, you'll be getting yourself a well-made firearm.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

I like my Henry reasonably priced, accurate, smooth action

I have an Uberti Henry in 44-40 too, very clunky, but always lots of fun!



And I have a 92 Winchester that was made in 1892 as a rifle in 44-40 that was rebarreled at some point in .44 Magnum and reconfigured into a carbine, I shoot .44 Specials out of it and it is a greats shooter!

Wanted a .357 Mag companion for two .357 Ruger Vaqueros
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So picked up this pre cross bolt Marlin "Micro Groove" a while back
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Fealt more like a 22 loaded with 38 special and .357 really made no sense when 30-30 is more powerful and the rifle cost about half as much....

Eventually sold it and bought this Ruger .44 Mag carbine instead..****ger needs to build a SS version in .357 Magnum .
IIRC they make a SS bolt action 357 but it just isnt the same IMO

I've shown this photo before, but it's begging to be shown yet again!

I've always had a thing for combos of firearms, be it .22/centerfire, or rifle/handgun. This is one of my favorites, and would be among the last to go.

I traded a Walther P-38 (P-1) that I had bought for $275 straight across for this little carbine. My first move was to install a Williams 5D and a Lyman ivory bead. Oh yeah, and I bought a plug from Steve for that useless safety on the top. Thankfully, the receiver sight covers the whole thing.

The Rossi may be a copy of a Winchester, but it's still a John Browning design. It's hard to beat that regardless of the maker. Mine is smoother than my Marlin 1894 .44 Mag, and works just like you'd expect. It'll shoot 2" groups at 50 yards with my preferred load of a Hornady 158 gr. XTP with IMR 4227. Amazingly enough, that Model 19 likes that load also.

And it's extremely handy with the 16" barrel!

So, I highly recommend at least taking a look at the Rossi. Of course there are other good choices. Picking out the one that's right for you is loads of fun, and you might wind up with a couple!

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Winchester '92 (made by Miroku) in .357. Beautiful carbine, buttery smooth action, seems to hit the bullseye like magic, has fed every magnum and special I've ever tried with zero problems.
Unfortunately, pistol caliber carbines, other than .44 magnums, are scarce around these parts for some reason (bought the '92 almost a year ago and the shop hasn't had another one in stock since), so the only thing I can compare it to is a Puma '92 in .45 Colt that I had back about 20 years ago. The Winchester is light years ahead of that old Puma in terms of fit/finish, accuracy, and smoothness of function. I understand the newer Pumas are better than the one I had, however.

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Ban lunatics and criminals

Before I bought one, I read some shooters had trouble shooting 38 Special from a .357 lever rifle. I bought an Uberti Commanchero 1873 from Taylor's and found I can shoot 38 Special flawlessly using a 158 gr RNFP hard cast bullet. 5.9 gr AA #5 gives me ~1100 fps. I let a friend shoot it, and he remarked it was like shooting a .22 on steroids. It's very accurate, pleasant and economical to shoot if you reload and buy cast bullets in bulk..
I bought the most expensive version of the Uberti 1873, which is absolutely gorgeous, but you can get a less fancy version for about $1K. The fit, finish and function are superb.
Having a toggle bolt, I'm not sure I want to shoot full house 357 from it. For stronger stuff than 38 +P, I'd look for a 1892 or newer action with a stronger bolt.

I only load lswc 158 gr

Lots of options for these lever actions. I'm looking at a marlin 1894 but these other choices are tempting. Nothing else to do but buy 2 I guess.

I have a Winchester 94 AE in .357 mag with a scout rifle mounted red dot scope, and I am very pleased with it.

I load 38+P lead for my revolvers. 586-4, 66-2 and a 66-4. Will a COL of 1.61 feed any of the mentioned rifles?

The Marlins are fine little rifles -- but I sold mine and bought Rossi's. There was nothing wrong you could put your finger on with the Marlins, but the '92 just feels better to me.

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Pisgah

I can't say anything about .357's but... I bought an Marlin 1894 .44 in 1972 used for $105. Right away I myself installed a Williams peep sight, Redfield front post, removed and plugged the 3/8" dovetail that the factory rear sight left. After developing handloads it shot 2 1/2" groups from sandbags at 100 yds. You will not find a Loading Manuel that lists loads like Lyman had back then. The gun liked them hot! I took a lot of deer with that gun and then another gun looked better for big game, so the sweet little Marlin sat. 15 years ago, having a little better cash flow, I sent it off to Doug Turnbull to get cleaned up a bit. It still shot good but it looked like it was some civil war surplus thing. It came back looking better than a Los Vegas showgirls legs. I can't get it to shoot as well now, it may be my eyes. But it is coming out of the safe and going to Maine this fall for Bear.
One thing you can count on is that a carbine in .357 will handle loads that you will want to keep out of grandpas old S&W M27!


old 1911 fan

Bought my marlin 357 magnum for $160 bucks and stuck a Lyman All American 6x for load developement. Was able to consistently keep all shots on a 4" target. Best these eyes can do. The 357 shows spekling on the receiver and some flitz cleaned it up but still there. The 44 magnum Marlin I got for $240 and again it was used. Call that one thumper as it kicks at both ends. Have had a lot of fun with both and both are the pre lock versions. Frank

I was going to mention this myself, but thought I might get my man-card revoked. After all, it's just a .44 Mag, not a .45-70.

But the older I get the less I like recoil, and when loaded for bear, those little rifles thump!

I have the Henry Big Boy in 44 mag also comes in 357 mag. Great lever gun. I bought a safe queen for $600. I think the retail is a bit under $750. I bought it to complement my 29's. Excellent action, smooth and very quick form the factory. Shoots 44 special very well. Needless to say it's not a safe queen any more.With the long heavy hex barrel the back talk's not to bad even with my heavy hunting loads. Bang Bang!!

Shoot, Shoot, Shoot and then Shoot some more.

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Do most of you use the same rounds in revolver and rifle? How simple is that!

I have a Winchester Trapper (94)....(Had a Rossi 20" .357 in the 80s)....w/ a Skinner barrel rear peep sight..........

Both were/are good guns ......but at the time felt I was "stepping up" with the Winchester and wanted the shorter 16" barrel.

Both have been replaced as my "Utility gun" at the cabin by a Ruger 77/357.... stainless/polymer stock/ 5rd detachable mags...... bolt gun in .357 with a 1-3 Weaver shotgun scope and Skinner rear barrel (peep) sight as back up.

The rifles tend to be loaded with 158gr soft point .357s while my S&W 3" 66 or 3" 60-10...... tend to be loaded with +P.38s ....... with one or two speed loaders ...... the "Ammo Wallet" on the RZR tends to have a mix of .38 and .357s for the rifle.

But too your point same ammo will work in either gun......which is the whole point of the pistol caliber carbine.

Many comments have been written that the .357 come "close to 30/30 power" out of a 16 inch barrel.

The older I get (66) the more I like simple. I'm determined to find an older Marlin to pass on to my son, or maybe a Browning 92. But, I see the value in the Rossi/Henry. And I certainly see the value in using the same load for all of my 357's. Y'all have been fantastic, thank you.

I'm happy with so many commenting on how much they like their Rossi. I have a TB Ruger 77/357 that I love. Would like a lever brother myself and the Rossi are more "marriage friendly" ☺

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Just hanging with my dogs

I have a Marlin 1894 from the 70's and a Winchester 1894 from the 80's, both in 38/357. They are both excellent rifles, but I prefer the Marlin.

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Ash

Since your a reloader, you might be tweaking your handgun loads, just because you can.

I only shoot factory jacketed, and my Rossi eats whatever I feed it, but seems to feed well-crimped rounds the smoothest so that's all I buy now. I enjoy the .357 Federal 158gr JSP the most so far. Very fast and accurate.

If you get a Rossi and are needing reloading data, Rossi Rifleman forum founder, Ranch Dog, can set you up with OAL or anything else.

This Rossi has been a barrel of fun. Everyone in my family loves plinking with it loaded with light 38 special loads. A full power 357 load would be a formidable deer cartridge I'd think. It's light, fast, and accurate.

I have a 94 Marlin in 44 mag. I believe the marlin is the better quality rifle, but for fun, you won't go wrong with either one.

Me too, had one about a year. It's like a 22 on steroids.

Got my eye on one of the new steel models Henry came out with. At around $700, it's a great gun for carry compared to the heavier Yellow Boy versions with the octagonal barrels. Only issue I have is that they decided to put a padded butt cushion on the steel model, rather than stick with the curved model 92 style metal butt plate. Otherwise, the wood quality, fit and finish are beautiful. Some don't care for the tube fed magazine.

I've got the Marlin 1894CS (pre-2001). Love it . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Have any of you Rossi 92 owners in 357 Magnum noticed that they are MUCH more accurate with loads featuring lighter bullets? I have a 1904 20 inch Octogon barreled Winchester 92 re-barreled by Winchester in 357 Magnum that I've managed to shoot 5/8 inch to 3/4 inch groups with at 50 yards using a rear tang peep sight. I also 20 inch round barreled Rossi that I have equipped with a 4 power Weaver Scout scope and it just wont shoot 158 grain loads worth a hoot, at 50 yards group sizes run about 1 3/4 to 2 inches. Last time I had the Rossi out I grabbed a box loaded with 140 grain Hornady XTP's and that Rossi suddenly started shooting a lot more accurately, almost matching what I've seen with the Winchester. Now I'm thinking about ordering a few boxes of 125 grain XTP's and seeing how they shoot in the Rossi. Just curious if anyone else has noticed the Rossi's seem more accurate with light bullet loads.

I wanted a lever action Marlin in .357 Magnum for many years to scratch my "Rifleman" itch. I was lucky and found one, new in the box, unfired, with the original box, and documents for sale locally. I bought it just before the prices went crazy for the princely sum of $500.00. It shoots great - unfortunately, it has the safety, but I'm not complaining about my good luck. I own more revolvers chambered in .38 Special / .357Magnum than any other firearms, and I really appreciate the logic of the old-timers who liked to carry one caliber to feed both handgun and long gun.

Regards,

Dave

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Henry .357 mag. It is my favorite lever gun in my collection. ImageUploadedByTapatalk1458495669.801490.jpg
I love these rifles. So here is the latest edition. .22 golden boy.

Have had a Rossi 16" .357 for a couple of years now. Fun to hunt with, feels like a toy.
IMO, it's like a 'kit gun', ie., it has potential, but needs a little work to smooth up and gain a little refinement.
Pic is a little buck taken with the Rossi. Barnes 140 gr. all-copper HP. 75 yds., DRT.

Also have a Win. M94 Trapper in .45 Colt. Another great close-in hunting tool, but really, the cartridge deserves to be housed in a M92 action. The M94 is just not a pistol caliber platform. Outsized and odd, IMO.

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

I've had a couple of Marlin 1894s, but in .44. Great guns and I would imagine their .357s are too.
A couple of friends have Rossi 92s. They love them and I have never heard anything other than praise about them.
I think the Rossi's are less expensive, so far. But if they are true to their reviews, that may not last long.

Had a Rossi in 44-40. Good shooter but dented brass terribly. Wife has a Marlin Cowboy in 357. I have a Uberti 1873 in 45 Colt. I also have a 92 Winchester in 38-40. Also had a 94 Marlin in 44 mag. Except for the Rossi denting brass, all were stout and reliable. All are/were pretty accurate.

Of course, none compare with my 1936 Model 71 Deluxe or my Re-issue 71 Deluxe!

This comes up here a fair amount - here are some other threads (there are many more than this) may have posts that are of interest:

357. lever action

.357 Lever Action Suggestions

.357 Magnum Carbines

Myself, I like the 92 action a lot, so I've got one of the Rossis that were imported by Navy Arms - upgraded wood and no safety - great guns. I have one friend who had lifter issues with a recently purchased new Rossi, but that's the only issue I've ever heard of with one. Mine will feed hardcast SWCs all day, every day (in either .38 or .357 cases). My best group is right at 1" at 50 yards, and a bit under 3" at 100 yards.



Regardless of what you go with, you'll enjoy the .357 levergun. It hits hard on target while being very light on the shoulder. And I'm in no way exaggerating when I tell you that, from my gun, the .38+P FBI Load feels like shooting .22 LR from my Remington 597. (My shooting buddies have shot these guns side by side and agree.) I feel that the .357 lever carbine is an underappreciated gem.

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Now go make God proud...

Well, I'm back from shooting my revolvers so I'm back to searching rifles. A bunch of fine feedback and great rifles!

It appears that as long as I stay away from new Marlins I can't go wrong.

I would love to see what Turnbull did with your gun.

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

The Henry 357 runs a few dollars more, but has better fit and finish than most and fewer customer complaints.