I have a hankering for a 357Mag Lever action. I have a Marlin 1894 Cowboy in 44 Mag, so the Marlin would be my first choice. I shoot a lot of 357 handgun so this would just be a plinker. I do not do Cowboy shooting competition.

But They are a bit pricey and I can't find a one, new or used. Plus my gun "budget" is severely limited.

Anyone have experience with the "other" brands?

I saw a Rossi (I know, I know) stainless at the shop and it really is not that bad looking or fit and finish.

What about the Chaparral brand?

Puma? (I think those are expensive also)
Henry?

Thanks

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Still Running Against the Wind

I got a Hartford brand stainless last year and I like it. I think the same rifle has been made under various names.

I have owned and used Browing 92, Rossi 92, (older Model) and the Marlin, Both 94 Carbine and the Cowboy.

The Browning and the early Rossi were fine. I didn't care at all for the new Rossi or Puma. Winchesters 94 is poorly thought out, as it took a rifle cartridge firearm and converted it to pistol cartridge. They should have re-introduced the 92, but at last, Browning picked up the dropped ball. Now Browning and Winchester are under the same corporate umbrella.

My favorite to date is the Marlin, easy take down for cleaning fewer moving parts and a stronger action than the 94 design.

Just my opinion, and it won't buy ya much!

I've used the various forms of 1866/1873/1894 as rendered by Uberti and Rossi. Both perform very well and are available in a variety by other importers under different labels.



I had an early Rossi 1894 clone in 45LC (pre-warning, pre-safety) that was indestructible and worked with anything I fed it. Granted, it handled like an agricultural implement, but in the 7 years I shot over ten thousand rounds though it, never one glitch and never a mechanical failure. Then I sold it for more than in cost when I bought it.

I shoot SASS and see lots of 38/357 lever guns pushed to incredible performance levels for speed of operation.

Marlin is hard to beat, which is why they are so pricey.

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

I have a Marlin that I am very pleased with, but have handled and shot a Rossi that belongs to a friend. It is nice, handles well, shoots good.

See if you can find a store that will put a Marlin on layaway for you, Gander Mountain will special order and put on layaway one for you, with three months to pay.

Just to ask, what did they want for that Rossi?

They had a price decrease last month, and I picked up a brand new stainless .357 for $420. plus tax. The dealer told me that Rossi had a big price decrease on their rifles- he had a shelf full of them.

I don't think you can go wrong with the prices on them right now...they are much cheaper than those of a Marlin or high-as-a-cat's-back Winchester that's been collecting dust somewhere.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

It was $479 for the stainless carbine. I can get it for less as he is my go to guy. Usually just over what it cost him.

Only thing i really did not like was the flimsy looking top mounted safety. Looks like it would break off real easy.

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Still Running Against the Wind

I once had a shotout original 92 rebored to .357 mag, had it reblued, and new wood. Looked like new. This was close to 40 years ago, and selling it remains one of my worst gun tradeing decisions. In fact, if you can belive this I once done the same to a shotout winchester 73, had that one converted to .38 special!

I think that safety device doesn't look so hot either, but I can live with it since the price was right to say the least.
I've been tempted to remove it and replace the firing pin with one for the older ones. Then, I'll just have a hole up there.

The one good thing about the 92 that the Winchester 94 doesn't do so readily is chamber .38 Specials too. The 94's sometimes do, sometimes don't.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

I got a Rossi stainless .357 carbine years ago (pre-safety), and it has been a great gun. I got it at the time because I just didn't have the money for a Winchester back then, and because it was a great looking rifle. I've never had a feed issue with it, and it shoots great. Fit and finish is very nice. In fact, any time I have brought it to a range, I have people come up to me because of the grain of the stock, and just because of an overall interest in the rifle...

I also have a Winchester Trails End .357 with octagon barrel. It's a beautiful gun, but it's still NIB, so I can't speak to how it shoots. Winchester's are my favorite lever actions, but I also really like my Marlins. You really can't beat Marlins for a shooter-gun, very smooth actions, and well made/rugged...

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NRA Life Member

I have an 1894cp marlin in .357. There have been a few for sale over the last several months on a local gun board. The last one went for $350. I wish I had seen that one... So, you may be able to find one if you can hold out a while. They just did a special run of 18" stainless .357 magnums for Davidsons.

Rossis are sort of hit and miss on quality and performance.
I've had two of the older (pre-safety) Rossi 92 rifles.
The first was a standard 20" rifle. It worked perfectly, but was extremely finicky about ammo. Shot excellent groups with 158gr JHPs in full power magnum loads. Unfortunately any other ammo shot more like patterns. I got rid of it.

The second is a 16" Trapper type. Shoots very well with just about any ammo including .38 Specials. However, I had to do some serious tweaking in the feed system to get it to work right. Now that its fixed, I'm very happy with it.

I have the Marlin 1894C in .357. Great compact little gun. Very simple, uncomplicated, accurate, rugged, light, and compact......oh, did I say compact?

I made a mistake when I bought this browning 92 .44 mag many years ago. The mistake was The gunshop also had a identical one in .357 mag. I should have bought both. I see I paid $276.80 in january 87. The .357 was the same price.

I have a Rossi 92. This one is unusal in that it is one of the ones that Interarms imported in the late 70s with a floral engraved receiver. I put a Redfield receiver sight on it. It is suprisingly accurate.

I guess they are all gone already. Probably gone before they even hit the stores?
GalleryofGuns.com - Gun Genie

I bought a Puma because I couldn't find a Marlin in stainless. I am not fond of the little saftey switch but it shoots, handles, and looks great. I am well pleased and would buy it again.

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"Give me Liberty..."

I'm picking up a Marlin 1894c this eve, along with a NIB 442 no-lock and a well-used pre 17.
Next up will be a Marlin 1894 in 44 mag. I love lever actions.

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Sure you did

I'm a big levergun fanatic, and in 357 I own:

Browning B92 20"
Marlin 1894C 18"
Marlin 1894CB 24" Octagon

I really like the fit and finish of the Browning B92, a clone of the Winchester 92 but with some internal changes. The way it goes 'snick-snick' when the lever is cycled is a real joy, IMO.

That said, the 357 levergun that gets the workout is the 1894CB with its long octagonal tube. The mass of barrel hanging out there really makes for some stable shooting. I can hit claybirds on edge on the 100 yd berm, and 20 oz plastic soda bottles on the 200 yd berm all day with it and its factory semi-buckhorn sight. Other shooters at the local range are flat blown away when I hit that stuff at that distance offhand without a scope, and a with a rifle shooting a PISTOL cartridge, to boot.

I wouldn't sell any of the three.

Noah

I think the Rossi and Puma are both made by the same company (offshoot of Taurus. Brazil Tech or something) but the Pumas is more $$

I would prefer the Marlin if i can find one, Here is a not so good photo or my 44 mag Cowboy. The line on the butt is from a Limb Saver slip on "condom"

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Still Running Against the Wind

I have a EMF Model 1892 saddle ring carbine with color case hardened finish and 20 inch barrel and a Winchester Model 94 carbine with 16 inch barrel, both in .357 magnum.

The EMF is a higher quality finished rifle made by Rossi and has excellent fit and finish and shoots great. Feeds .38 Specials flawlessly and is like shooting a .22 LR on steriods, yet stoking it with .357's gives it a significantly more bang for the buck. The action of a typical model 1892 is silky smooth compared to any model 94 and I have been very impressed with the EMF's operation, and I love the color case hardened finish. I don't necessarily like the bolt safety, but it's not been problematic at all and I know of several people who have had a gunsmith remove it on theirs and plug the hole.

Although I like the EMF 1892 better, I don't have a single complaint about my Winchester 94. I have had no problems whatsoever with it feeding .38 Specials, and my 12 year old son has taken two whitetail deer with it using magnums.

Rossi lever actions were first brought in by Interarms in Alexandria VA.
When Interarms went out of business back, *I think* in the early to mid 1990's, some of it's people formed Legacy Sports which is headquartered in Reno NV.

Legacy imported, distributed and repaired the Rossi lever action rifles and sold them under their registered trademark name of Puma until last year (2009) when the importation was taken over by Rossi/Braztech International, which is a division of Taurus USA.

As of last year, Legacy Sports has been importing an Italian clone of the 1892 rifle/carbine made my Armi Chiappa in Italy and now puts the Puma name on it. It is a much, much nicer rifle in the fit and finish department and has a more historically accurate appearance, but is it worth $900?!?!



For a bit more, you can get this nice pistol version...but not in .357.



Because Legacy owns the trademark of "Puma" they can place it on anything they want. For instance, they have a a version of the PPSh .22 semi-automatic carbine made by Pietta in Italy with the Puma trademark on it:





Forjas Taurus of Brazil is now (recently?) the official licensee of the Rossi name and trademark, as I was told, and now oversees the Rossi rifles, and brings them in under their own trademark now.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

Know anything about the Chaparral Arms rifles? All I can see from this limited web site is they are made in Italy

Chaparral Arms Co. - Old West Guns - Old West Firearms - Western Guns

Sold through CDNN

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Still Running Against the Wind

I have a Marlin 1894C, pre cross bolt safety. Excellent. IIRC Marlin recently switched from their MicroGroove rifling to Ballard to accomodate the CAS shooters and their use of lead bullets.

I picked up a nice Marlin 94 w/o safety a few years ago. One of my favorites. Shoots both .38 and .357 equally well. Had sling swivels on it and a Williams FP site; both those are still on the Marlin. Makes a nice companion to my SW M66 and the wife's SW M67.

I bought this Puma '92 .357 carbine at a gun show about 3 years ago, just as a "fun gun." It really is fun to shoot, and can double as an urban defense rifle without attracting the attention that modern black rifles do. Very accurate and easy to manipulate. Carries 10 shots. Although I dislike the goofy "safety lever" on top of the breechblock and would rather not have it, I just set it on "fire" and forget about it. The sling swivel mounts seem out of place on a 19th Century design, but maybe someday they will come in handy. I like it; it functions perfectly.

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Well if you "Set it and Forget it" then it would be a RONCO by Ron Popeil.

Isn't the Puma essentially the same as the Rossi

You know, like buying a American car with parts from Japan and assembled in Mexico.

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Still Running Against the Wind

The tang reads "PUMA M92 IMPORTED BY/LSI ALEXANDRIA VA"

I think it is the same as the Rossi.

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I have one of the Miroku manufactured Winchester 1892 rifles. If you can find one for a reasonable price, ie under $600.00, grab it. They're great shooting rifles.

I have a Puma XP tube feed magazine, and side gate loadable. The top says Puma 92 imported by LSI Reno NV. And under the lever it says A. Rossi S.A. made in Brazil. It goes boom.

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My Mother likes me.

I'm so confused So many names, same rifle. I should just keep searching for a Marlin, have to match the 44 mag, be like two different shoes.

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Still Running Against the Wind

I picked up my Marlin 1894c last evening, 38/357. I was actually looking for a 44 mag version and ran into it.


MARLIN 1894C 357 MAGNUM : Lever Action at GunBroker.com

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Sure you did

Is there a serial number cut-off for when they went to the traditional rifling for those of us who shoot cast bullets in 357?

Very nice. I know you will enjoy it. The 44 is very "stout' with full magnums. I put a slip on limb saver for those.

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Still Running Against the Wind

OCD1 ...there were some 10 guys in the shop last eve. A couple were asking "where'd ya get that?"..."been lookin for awhile". Like I said I was shopping for a 44 and ran into this one. The price was fair, I thought, and I have not seen too many around for any price, Marlin that is.

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Sure you did

So I am new here and have been looking for a 357 lever, Seems like the Rossi is more available and in stainless. So bottomn line is the Rossi a shooter? I want to shoot 38 and 357.
Thanks

I know that this thread is about lever guns, but I'm curious if anyone here has any experience about the Timberwollf pump action rifles from about 25 years ago? They were made in .357 and .44 Magnum calibers by IMI and geared towards the police and security guard market if memory serves me correctly. I always wanted one, and I think they've become kind of rare lately. Anyone have any information on these rifles?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Dave

Welcome to the forum!

The Rossi will shoot 38 and 357 and yes they are more available than the Marlin and stainless.

So folks, how good do they shoot???

I am still on the fence about get one.

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Still Running Against the Wind

If you can wait till my new scanner arrives to today(hopefully), I will scan in some targets that I shot with a Marlin .357 Cowboy with Ballard rifling....If you are not convinced, try some of this data:

20 grs. H110, WSRM Primer, with 125 gr. Remington Golden Sabre Bullets, 10 Rounds at 25 Yards, open sights off hand.
Group measures: 1/2" x 1".

CAUTION DO NOT USE THAT IN A HANDGUN!

I know the Marlin Shoots. We be talking about if the Rossi Shoots. I have the 44 mag Marlin Cowboy it's more accurate than I can shoot,

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Still Running Against the Wind

Sorry I have no data for the new Rossi's or Puma's.