What do you all think about the Marlin lever action chambered for 357/ 38?

I have been considering looking at the gun. Don’t really have much use for it besides killing the odd aluminum can or as a paper punch. I already have a 22lr and I want the lever action to make my dad jealous. He is obsessed with lever actions. It stems from his childhood.

If all you're ever going to want to do with it is punch paper and cans, etc., then I'm sure you'd enjoy it. I chose the 1894 in .44 because I also wanted to do some hunting with it and the .44 is much better should you want a short range deer or hog rifle to go along with your plinker. The Marlin 1894 is a very nice rifle. Not all .357/.38 carbines allow scope mounting if that matters to you (ex. the Puma). The Marlin has a very similar system to the fine 336 and usually uses the same bases.
Good Luck

It is a very nice leveraction. I prefer the Cowboy Special model with the octagonal barrel.

No hogs in Utah and I not sure I would have to check the proclimation but I don't think the state will let us hunt with the 44 mag. It has been a long time since I have hunted deer.

I'm a huge fan of Marlin. They're fantastic rifles.

You can't go wrong with one. :)

I had an 1894CS in .357 for awhile and put about 1k rounds through it at various plinking sessions. I was very happy with the gun, albeit finding the action and sights to be out of date. I sold it in part because I couldn't carry it as my truck gun anymore and in part because I couldn't find synthetic stocks for it at the time.

It has F.U.N. written all over it like pepperoni on pizza!!!

:cool:

I am considering getting a 1894 in .357 38 special because I have a S

and W model 36 handgun that is chambered in 38 special. I think it would

be fun to have a rifle and handgun in the same caliber. Also 38 specials

are pretty cheep to buy. It would be a fun gun to shoot and it is accurate.

I have one and it's ok. I would prefer a .44 magnum. The .357 lever action doesn't really do anything well, but it does a lot of things marginally.

It can be an ok deer gun if you choose the right loads and don't shoot past 100 yards.

It can be an ok home defense carbine, but there are much better ones available.

It is cheap to shoot, but a 9mm or .22 carbine is cheaper.

It's light and handy, but so is a .44 magnum carbine.

I love mine, and while I'll probably get a .44 also, I wouldn't part with the .357/.38. Try it and you'll see why.

Kilgor has some points, but a 9mm carbine? Please. Now that's a gun with no purpose whatsoever, IMO.

.22LR lever guns are also a LOT of fun, BTW...

I think it's awesome, espec. with a saddle ring and/or large loop - and, it can "pop" a lot more than just cans.

Don't hesitate to get the .357 levergun. Best plinker in my collection. Alot more fun than any
.22(IMHO), I reload so it's cheap to shoot.

...a 9mm carbine? Please. Now that's a gun with no purpose whatsoever, IMO.


I'd rather have a 9mm carbine for in home defense. Faster shots, more shots, don't have to work a lever under stress. That's just me though.

This thread is making me think about selling my 1894CP. I'll probably keep it though. I only sell guns if I REALLY don't like them and the .357 is a nifty little carbine. Just make sure it really is going to do what you want done before you buy it.

I have a Marlin in 32 mag, 357 mag and 44 mag. The 357 is my favorite. Its the most useful gun I own. Not the biggest or most powerful, not the most accurate but the one rifle that will do for 95% of the shooting I need to do.

My only regret is trying to find a used one. I wasted a lot of time that I could have used to be shooting.

I have round ball loads up to full power loads. If i were going to depend on one rifle this would be a top contender as long as I can have my reloading kit.

Good luck finding one. They are scarce.

I also have 2 9mm rifles. I don't think they are useless at all. My hunting buddies son killed his first deer with a Marlin 9mm. Shot right through it and the deer dropped after 40 yards. He said blood was squirting out of both bullet holes.

I'd rather have a 9mm carbine for in home defense.

I can carry a gun with better ballistics in my pocket. Or one in each pocket. If I'm going to shoot a pistol round, I prefer pistol portability.

The .357 gains a lot in a carbine barrel -- not that my 1894C is ever my HD go-to gun -- the 9mm gains almost nothing.

That was my point.

I got my wife a 1894C in .357/.38 for Christmas, she loves it. It is managable for her to shoot, makes a big bang and she blows the middle of the target out at 50 yds. I like hte gun so much I am thinking about getting the 44.

The only problem we have experienced is that it appears all the .357 ammo is gone in Southeast Virginia.

It is a great gun and I highly recommend one for anybody, It will do 98% of what I need in a rifle.
http://thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=9771&d=1075074541

It will probably be my first rifle in like 30 years.

Weapon Restrictions

Here are the rules in Idaho. I bet Utah is similar. You could hunt with a .357 - .38 special. rifle.

Rifle and Shotgun

In any hunt, including any-weapon seasons, it is unlawful to
pursue or kill big game animals:

• By any means other than approved firearms,
muzzleloaders and archery methods.
• With any electronic device attached to, or incorporated
on, the firearm or scope; except scopes containing
battery powered or tritium lighted reticles are allowed.
• With any firearm that, in combination with a scope, sling
and/or any attachments, weighs more than 16 pounds.
• With any fully automatic firearm.
• With any shotgun using shot smaller than #00 buck.
• With any rimfire rifle, rimfire handgun, or muzzleloading
handgun, except for mountain lion.

• With any firearm that, in combination with a scope, sling
and/or any attachments, weighs more than 16 pounds.


I did not know that!

I may have to sell my Weatherby.:D

The Super Blackhawk 10 1/2" should be fine as long as I don't scope it.

Is that loaded or unloaded weight?

i have the Marlin in 38/357 and 44, and i highly reccomend them. we are actually doing a tactical build on the 38 right now. razor edged lever, anyone?

...razor edged lever, anyone?

No thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you just want a lever action for plinking, why not get a marlin 39a?

On top of all that has been said, my 1894c is second only to the CZ carbine in, for me, most ergonomic with that - part of my body - feel.

The son and I used shoot Cowbow Action and his rifle is.was a Marlin .357/.38 lever action. It has performed wonderfully as do all Marlins and fired reloads mostly. He is in the Army now and the rifle is stored here at home. I once had a Marlin .44 Nagnum lever action and it was fantastic.

Is that loaded or unloaded weight?
AB - good question? I'd think it is unloaded weight.

I just checked the utah big game proclamation. I has been a while since I looked. I don't hunt much anymore. When I did it was with a .30 .40 Krag. Any way they are a lot less strict than I remember. About all it says is centerfire with expanding ammunition and no lights.

That leads me to another question. Will a .357 knock down a mule deer?

I have two lever carbines in .357, and within their limitations they are great little rifles. But a mule deer is a bit beyond their limits. If the range were not too great, and your shot were perfect, then maybe.

I'd use a serious rifle on mule deer.

I have a 1894 carbine version. Great gun for my situation and a ton of fun. Works for my my wife as she just can't seem to warm up to a pistol or shotgun. Lots more pop in a more manageable size for HD than my 39A for her . Not a considered a "hunting" round by most but if it really had to it could certainly put food on the table. Makes me feel like a 10 yr old cowboy every time I pick it up.

"If the range were not too great, and your shot were perfect, then maybe.

I'd use a serious rifle on mule deer" (sorry, I know there is a quote button around here somewhere, I just can't find the idiot thing.)


That's more or less what I thought. When I did go hunting it was with the 30-40 Krag. I think that rifle is a bit more serious than the 357.

Like I stated in the OP. If I do get the rifle it would be just to kill cans or poke holes in paper. At this point in my life, I just don't have much use for a rifle except as a paper punch or can killer. If that changes, I guess that would be a good excuse to get another rifle.

Will a .357 knock down a mule deer?Sure! Here are some specs from Buffalo Bore...

Make special note of the Marlin 1894, 18.5 inch barrel velocities. Item 19C/20, supercedes 30-30 energies!!!

18.5 inch Marlin 1894

a. Item 19A/20-180gr. Hard Cast = 1851 fps
b. Item 19B/20-170gr. JHC = 1860 fps
c. Item 19C/20-158gr. Speer Uni Core = 2153 fps---- Can you believe this?!!!
d. Item 19D/20-125gr. Speer Uni Core = 2298 fps---- Or this?!!!

http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/default.htm#357

A friend of mine here in south Florida hog hunts with his all the time, uses the nastiest .357 round he can for quick takedown and routinely makes shots in the 70-100 yard range. It's ALOT cheaper to shoot than the .30-30 Marlin 336.

what are the price ranges for the 1894s. I went to look at them and they were in the 650 to 750, range and it seemed to high.

I went to look at them and they were in the 650 to 750, range and it seemed to high.Demand from Cowboy Action Shooters has pushed the price up. Unless you can find a good used one, I suspect you'll pay about that much.

Big 5 Sporting Goods sells them with a utilitarian uncheckered stained hardwood stock for $479, at least when they're "on sale" once a month.

They were $379 not long ago, but still, $479 is more affordable than $679...

I think a Marlin lever in .357 would be nice, but I'd much rather see them make a level in .454 Casull or .460 S&W. I know that's a lot of pressure for the action, but I'm sure they could do it. That'd be a great rifle. I guess I'll have to be satisfied with the Puma 92 I got last week.

Marlin makes rifles that shoot big-bore rifle rounds.

I'm not sure there's any real reason for them to make a .454 or .460.

In Alaska, things are different, of course, due to your friendly wildlife, but from what I've seen, the new .500 and .460 S&W revolvers are mostly sold to guys with a bunch of money they don't know what to do with.:) That means there's little demand for a lever gun with a common cartridge.

For what it's worth I was able to find a used Marlin 1894CS (.357/.38) about a year ago for around $300. Maybe it was cheaper because there's a problem with it.

I've never been able to get it to cycle .38 SPC at all. It always locks up, requiring taking the lever off to clear the jam. Recently it has started jamming with .357 too and won't cycle A-Zoom .357 snap-caps.

Apparently I'm not the only one with this problem. I've done a couple google searches and run across a few other posts scattered around the internet of people having the exact same problem.

Bottom line, look for used for cheaper, but be really sure it's in good shape before you drop the money on it. As it is now, being that I'm not the original owner, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to pay to have it shipped to Marlin and pay for them to fix it, which basically defeats the purpose of saving money by buying used.

As always Your Mileage May Vary.

Of course, if you can get the rifle in generally good condition for $300, you could send it to a good CAS gunsmith, or maybe Wild West or the like, and have a truly incredible gun for a total price that's still acceptable.

Just as another data point, mine has fed .38s and .357s perfectly since it was new.

So has mine.

I think that it will feed everything if there's nothing wrong with it.

Still, I understand that some of those 'smiths will turn the gun into something really slick. I think I'd rather do that, if it really needed 'smithing.

I sent a 39A back to Marlin twice with an ejection problem. It came back with the same problem.

I then took the bolt out, compared it with a bolt from my other 39, and fixed the problem with a pair of needle-nose pliers in about 15 seconds. Guess I should have tried that first, but when you have a near-new gun, it's too tempting to use the warranty at that point if there's a problem.

Now Marlin's people were really nice, and I believe they tried to fix the gun. But a 3rd-party smith paid to slick it up will REALLY fix the gun.:)

Puma is making lever guns in both .454 and .480.

M-92 Carbines

In addition to the standard calibers, Puma takes a 19th Century tradition into the 21st Century with super-magnum chamberings! For brush hunting and wilderness packing, Puma 92 carbines in .454 and .480 calibers feature optional magazine-tube loading and a recoil absorbing rubber butt pad.

Round barrel 16 and 20 inch barrel carbines have crescent buttplates, except .454 and .480 calibers which come with cushioned, shotgun-style recoil pads.

http://www.legacysports.com/images/_products/Puma454CasullSS.jpg

http://www.legacysports.com/images/_products/PumaLargeLoop.jpg

http://www.legacysports.com/products/puma/puma_carbines.html