Cowboy Levers: Puma, Winchester, or Marlin?

[Evil_Ed]

Ok,
I have some cash available now and will shortly have a couple of hundred more so I will finally be able to get a levergun in 45LC for cowboy action shooting. I have been looking at some different brands and have narrowed it down to the three in the title. I own a Rossi shotgun and like it alot and have always been impressed with the quality of worksmanship but have never handled or even seen one of their subsidiary guns from Puma. I have friends who swear by Winchester so I know they are pretty decent guns. I personally used to own a Marlin 35 lever action that was a phenomenal gun (it was my great grandfathers but was stolen in a burglery a while back).

My question is basically this, the Puma and Winchester are very close in price but the Marlin is 200 + more for the same style of gun. Are Marlin's still of high enough quality to be worth the extra money over and above the Winchester and Puma? If not then what is the best between the Puma and the winchester?

Thanks for any help/advice,

 

[Werewolf]

I own and shoot the Win 94 in CAS. I've handled and shot the Puma. As far as I'm concerned there is no comparison. Go with the Winchester over the Puma. Something about the Puma just didn't feel right, it had ugly black wood and I had FTF's with it.

IMO the feel of the front stock on the Winchester is superior to that of the Marlin because it is narrower (I've got small hands) and I believe the Winchester is a bit lighter than the Marlin (I might be wrong about that).

The main difference between the Marlin and the Winchester will become obvious to you if you work the action of both. Do it side by side and switch back and forth.

The Winchester action has a longer throw than the Marlin and feels loose (though it isn't). The Marlin has a short throw, is tight and feels good. In addition the Marlin can be broken down easily to a point where one can remove the bolt which makes cleaning the weapon easier than the Winchester. This isn't possible with the Winchester unless you have gunsmith level knowledge.

If you are really into CAS and really want the extra speed the short throw of the Marlin provides then the Marlin is the way to go (you've really got to be good IMO to realize the potential extra speed though) . Otherwise I recommend that you save the $200 bucks and go with the Winchester.

FWIW I think the Winchester is a better looking Lever Gun than the Marlin too but that is just my opinion.

 

[Wildalaska]

Marlin....hands down, woth every penny of the extra $$ (and I dont think its $200)..

WildevaluatesthembothAlaska

 

[VictorLouis]

Here's some food for thought...

After having used comparable "Trappers" in .44 mag, here's what I've concluded in the age-old "Marlin vs. Winchester" debate....Winchester

Objective observations:

In the event of a feed failure, you need only to reach into the open receiver with your thumb or finger to correct it.

The wider, longer, more softly sprung trapdoor makes for easier loading with less finger pinch.

Safeties are a fact we must deal with, like it or not. The new tang safety beats the cross-bolt style in both ease of use and aesthetics.

The larger finger lever and trigger guard allows more room for your hand, particulary with winter gloves.

The dovetailed front sight blade beats the screwed-on type which may loosen under recoil.(Some Marlins are dovetailed, also.)

It's easier to swap loads out of the chamber, or to single-load where needed.

It's a lighter weight, more compact, overall svelte package.


Subjective opinion:

Shorter LOP on the buttstock makes it easier for many to use.

The flat bottom receiver and lack of a lever hinge makes it more comfortable for in-the-hand carry.

The longer, wider trigger allows for easier purchase and helps ease the "lawyer weight".

The butt to bore angle allows for lighter recoil in even in a lighter weight package.

There's less 'pinch' inside the lever to wear on my fingers.



I doubted the recoil issue it until I shot my 94. It's true, at least for me. What's more, is that it is softer even without the rubber recoil-pad that my Marlin had.

Now, I've also had recent opportunity to use a '92(just like a Rossi/Puma), with that godawful curved butt-plate that's traditional on that gun. Let me tell you...it was brutal from the bench! The top of that plate bruised me. Off-hand, it was tolerable, and it was fine with Specials, of course. It has the "tight" lever fell of the Marlins that is absent on the '94 design. Plus, the trigger is better. That much I'll grant. However, I just don't see what all of the fuss is about the action.

Yes, the receiver is about 5/8" shorter in OAL. Contrary to what you might think, however, the arc of the leverstroke is exactly the same between the two designs. I'd laid both one on top of the other, and in reverse, just to check this. Unfortunately, my digi-pics just wouldn't transfer onto my PC. Since the carrier on the '94 is specially fitted for the shorter pistol cartridge chamberings, I don't see what the big deal is. Mine seems to cycle just fine in both 90 degrees from horizontal in either direction, and was even able to do so upside down!

 

[Logan5]

I have no experience with the Pumas, but my Winchester 94AE trapper in .45 Colt had issues. Mine was a "supersafe" model with the rebounding hammer, crossbolt and grip safetys, which was really only mildly annoying. I had to use my pinkie to poke the rounds all the way into the magazine tube past the loading gate, and after 4-6 rounds one would slide back under the loading gate making it impossible to put any more in... Not what I'm looking for in a brand new rifle out of the box. The factory sights didn't thrill me either, but I guess that's personal preference.
On the Marlin front, my new 1894 in .44 magnum was doing the thing where the camming surface on the lever chews a slot into the lifter (and that lever is Hard, takes some elbow grease to file a radius) but other than that it was a thing of beauty mechanically. It shot very well, too. Compared to older 1894's, the lighter wood and press cut checkering weren't so thrilling, but they make aftermarket stocks that look nice, and I'm very picky.

 

[VictorLouis]

had to use my pinkie to poke the rounds all the way into the magazine tube past the loading gate, and after 4-6 rounds one would slide back under the loading gate making it impossible to put any more in.

That can happen when the rim doesn't make it ALL of the way past the shell-stop. As soon as the trapdoor springs shut, it pops back onto the lifter. If your fingers are really large, it helps to leave the rim sticking out, then use the bullet of of the next round to nudge it into place. When the mag is full, who cares if that last one slips loose on you.

 

[Logan5]

Actually, I tried that as well, and when I took my hand away after loading round six or seven, they'd all come squirting back out at me. And yes, other people at the range were looking at me oddly. Didn't know quite what to think...

 

[PO2Hammer]

If you look at cowboy matches, Marlins rule. I think they are worth the extra money.
The Winchester 1892 design was agreat one, built for revolver calibers by J.M.Browning. A quality clone like Navy Arms would be an outstanding choice. The Rossi's are Brazilian '92 clones, but not of the highest quality.
The Winchester 1894 was designed around rifle cartridges, and sometimes don't work well with revolver calibers, sometimes they're fine.
I had a Rossi '92 clone at it worked well, but the wood split.
I now have two Marlin 1894's and wouldn't trade them for anything.

 

[Werewolf]

The Winchester 1894 was designed around rifle cartridges, and sometimes don't work well with revolver calibers, sometimes they're fine.

Very, very true. The poster though is interested in 45LC which is a very long cartridge (OAL of 1.6".) In over a year of shooting with it I've experienced two misfeeds and they were my fault because I half assed the action. Once I learned the trick it is fairly easy to recover from.

OTOH I personally would be hesitant to fire something like a 38 special out of a Win 94 action.

 

[iamkris]

I have a Rossi Win92-clone that I shoot in cowboy action shooting (Thaddeus Muckenfuss is the name). It is a stainless model, 24" octagonal barrel, crescent buttplate, .45 Colt. In a sentence...I love it.

I'm really surprised that the Rossi's you're looking at are the same price as a Winchester...mine sure wasn't. Paid $275 barely used. I originally bought it used because it was cheap and I was already spending a lot to get into the sport. I figured that I'd trade it later for a Marlin or Winchester. I started shooting it and found it well made and VERY accurate. In fact, I have no intention of getting rid of it.

I did make some changes however. An afternoon of elbow grease, steel wool and stripper got rid of the awful black finish they use on their wood (I think it is a Brazilian hardwood of some kind). I put some walnut stain and an oil finish and got a lovely dark golden hue with a lot of figure. I also swapped out the sights to Marbles full buckhorn rear and Game Getter front blade. Rossi's are a little on the cheap side. I also had Steve Young (Rossi gunsmith) remove the stupid bolt safety and fill it with a plug. Slapped a Bunkhouse spring kit in the rifle and she is GOOD TO GO! Even with all that, I have only about $360 in the rifle.

Fast, smooth, super accurate. 3 seasons of cowboy shooting on her (about 900 rounds) and never a hiccup...no failures to feed, fire or eject. No broken parts. BTW, Rossi makes the Win92 clones for Navy Arms and (I believe) EMF also. You can pay a little bit more for those and get some of the modifications I did built in.

Here she is with a few of her friends:

 

[six 4 sure]

Something else you might want to consider. To the best of my knowledge (I’m 95% sure) both EMF and Navy Arms are manufactured by the same company as the Puma. The EMF and Navy Arms have a nicer fit and finish than the Puma and I believe they can be had with walnut stocks not the “mystery wood†that comes on the Puma. Also the EMF does not have either the annoying tang or bolt safety come on other models.

six

 

[SASS#23149]

I'be been shooting cas for nearly five years,and have shot all three rifles.I own a Rossi and a Winny,and the Winny is for reserve duty now that the Rossi is tuned up.The trigger is beter and the lever is much easier to throw.
I"ve shot the Marlins,and they can be tuned really smoothe,but if one screw works lookse..and they do....sh'ell hickup,and it takes a bolt removal to clear it up.A lot of Malin shooters in cas will say "MARLINS DON'T JAM"!!
PHOOEY. I've seen it plenty of times.!!
They can all be tuned to run smoothe,so find the one you like the look and feel of and there ya go.