Any .357 lever gun guys out there?

[twodog max]

I am a lever gun enthusiast. I have and regularly shoot many of them. Any flat nose or hollow point ammo is fine. I personally hesitate to use any round nose ammo in a lever gun but factory 30/30 ammo many 150 grain loads are round nose are offered so I guess at that recoil level it is OK and I have shot a lot of them no problem. I do not use round nose ammo in my 45/70 rifles. At that recoil level IMO tube detonation is a possibility. If you will look long enough you will find example of tube detonation in lever guns at that level or in any with pointed bullets. The exception here are Hornaday FTX bullets designed for tube magazines.
In a 357 or 38 round nose should be OK but it is so easy to not use them. Reportedly some experience feeding problems with semiwadcutter designs. I don't know as I never use them in a rifle. I have had some flat points with a rather large meplat feed a little roughly.
My 2 cents worth.

 

[Dieseltech56]

I have 4 357 lever actions, 3 Rossi 92s and one marlin 1894 CST. It's amazing how mild shooting a 357 is out of a rifle.

 

[LostintheOzone]

I'm glad someone found a 357 Win 92. They seem to be about a scarce as goat saddles. Have fun.

 

[GypsmJim]

just bought a new Winchester 1892 short rifle in .357..beautiful rifle, I'm planning on a 6gr. unique/158 rnfp for tube guns...ammo is hard enough to find, the web has me scared to use my soft points! or .38+P hollow points for that matter...any thoughts or experience to get me safely started

That load and bullet have been my go-to for 20 years.

Winchester 94 Trapper and its a tack driver.....

 

[Ethang]

My Rossi 357 is the funnest rifle I own and would be the last I got rid of. Zero 158 SP's and a over max load of Lil'gun shoot wonderfully even with the buckhorn sights. I had great luck with the Federal 158 SP's also, I am just too cheap to keep buying them. Round nose 38's not only feed well but are stupid fun to shoot. This reminds me I need to get to the range and shoot it some more.

 

[Skeet 028]

I happen to have a bit of an oddity in 357 Lever guns. Only one I've ever seen to be honest. A Win 94 XTR full length rifle. Never measured the bbl...either 22 or 24 inch full length magazine tube. It shoots most everything well. I don't worry about any normal 38 or 357 loads as most all are round or flat nosed. I too have some of those Winchester pointy supposedly armor piercing rounds(not so much) and no I would not use them in a mag tube fed rifle. In fact shot a couple in the rifle and to be honest they were not the most accurate either....but again pretty old ammo. My Winchester is very acceptably accurate. If it was chambered in 357 Max. It would be a GREAT deer rifle good for a couple hundred yards in my opinion....hmmm lets see...the action IS long enough!

 

[Trooperdan]

more worried about the bullet setting off another round in the magazine tube......

The meplat of the shown bullet is larger than a primer, therefore as the primer is ( or should be!) slightly below flush, there cannot be any contact with the primer. Internet horse pucky danger!

 

[stan v]

My 1980 Marlin 357 is one of my favorites. No kick whatsoever....same loads I use in my 357 revolvers. RNFP lead 158's from Missouri bullets.

 

[smoothshooter]

Get the April 2021 copy of Handloader magazine. Great article by Brian Pearce with a lot of load data

Where would you get one?

 

[lihpster]

I recently purchased a new Henry .357 side gate. I searched gun shows for an older JM Marlin or a Winchester, but the couple times I found a decent one, I just didn't want to put down what they were asking. I gave up and bought the Henry at near retail, but I'm happy with it. Not my first lever gun, but first .357 lever and first Henry.

I'm looking for a side gate case hardened carbine, but I can't find one. Henrys of any sort are hard to find. Much less at "near retail".

 

[444 Magnum]

Do you have any information to suggest that rounds in a tube magazine regularly fire from recoil? #AskingForAFriend

The Remington Model 14 slide action rifle was offered in 1912 with a spiral magazine tube for just this reason. Pointed bullets were the culprit. Most if not all slide or semi-auto rifles today use vertical magazines. Hasn't been the case with lever guns as they usually use flatter nose bullets.

 

[ajgunner]

 

[Moe Mentum]

Rossi 38/357 here, 16 inch barrel, shoots great. I use RNFP 158 grain bullets.

 

[PALADIN85020]

This Rossi SRC is one of the best guns to have fun with that I own. It is a perfect match of cartridge and gun.

John

 

[gregintenn]

I don't believe it. Were that possible, one could never seat primers in cases without them igniting.

 

[Breadman1]

I've got this Taylor and Co. Uberti 1873 in 357, beautiful rifle. Previous owner had an action job done, it's smooth as silk and accurate, not to mention beautiful.

 

[gregintenn]

I've got this Taylor and Co. Uberti 1873 in 357, beautiful rifle. Previous owner had an action job done, it's smooth as silk and accurate, not to mention beautiful.

Beautiful indeed!

 

[Nevada Ed]

more worried about the bullet setting off another round in the magazine tube......

As long as your bullet tips don't look like a firing pin......

your are good to go.

Study a 30-30 bullet design.

 

[jimbo728]

10,5gr A5 125gr Jhp/Jsp works awesome!
Jim

 

[Skeet 028]

With the loading that fellow posted I can almost guarantee you one of the primers was not seated correctly. I bought my FIL a 1894 Marlin in 44 mag. Never a problem with factory or my reloads. When he ended up with a heart problem and had to take blood thinners(93YO) we sold it. I didn't like shooting it cause it was a hard kicker and when he shot his last deer with it he was black and blue (yellow green etc) for weeks. Just see no way a flat nose bullet would set off any primer seated correctly. If I remember correctly the American Rifleman did an extensive test on pointed bullets in mag tubes. Many years ago though and even though I probably have the issue or book probably couldn't find it now