357Mag Lever action rifles? Brands?

Rule3

Rule3

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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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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.
 
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.
 
Andy Griffith said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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!
 
OCD1 said:
Only thing i really did not like was the flimsy looking top mounted safety. Looks like it would break off real easy.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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...
 
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.

browning9211024px167.jpg
 
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 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.



GunCollection026-1.jpg
 
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.
 
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":)

DSC01498Medium.jpg
 
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