CraigC
Sixgun Nut
The .357. I'll probably get a .44 or .45 version of the X model.
These two are awesome.The Henry and Marlin with side ejection ports can lose a cartridge while cycling if the gun is canted to the right too far. A top eject Winchester or Rossi have closed receiver sidewalls, so they don't have the same issue.
Back in January 2020 I picked a brand new Marlin 1894 CSBL over a Henry. But the Marlin needed tuning out of the box. A PITA, but once done the gun is exactly what I wanted. It was worth the pain to me as I tend to work on almost every gun that I buy brand new anyway.
Another point, at least from my experience, the Marlin will run .38 Specials and .357s, but the longer .357s cycle more smoothly. The shorter .38 Specials sometimes make you have to partially back off the cycle motion a small bit and then complete the cycle. Known as the Marlin double clutch. I'm not sure if Henry has the same glitch with .38s or not.
As far as home defense, I prefer an autoloader. I'd have to practice a whole lot more to be proficient using a lever left and right handed compared to using an autoloader left and right handed.
Two fun guns below, but the "defense" gun is on the bottom.
View attachment 898442
Son has Henry BigBoy in 357/38 and it has been 100% reliable in his, mine and his brother's hands.Which of these 3 rifles would you choose for defensive use, and why? Primarily would be used with 38 special.
I have read that if the Henry isn’t held straight it might not cycle properly. Is that a concern? Are all lever actions susceptible to this?
None of them....I'd buy a 16" Rossi M92
That makes no sense whatsoever. If you're defending your home, they can hardly say you're "out" to kill anybody. Even if the fear was justified, it's still a levergun and the biggest appeal of the X model is the threaded muzzle for a suppressor and the ability to attach a light to the forend. I still don't know why anyone would compromise a defensive firearm and use something less effective to appease a hypothetical, ridiculously far-fetched courtroom scenario that has no basis in reality.I'd go with anything but the "x" for the same reason I don't hang a "Beware of dog" sign in my window but instead put a "Home of a loved Rottweiler" sign. Courts are weird and they might look at you as out to kill someone with a tactical appearing gun. Same as basically admitting you have a dangerous dog, and if someone gets bit it's just another thing to get used against you even if you're not guilty of anything else.
The one I owned was essentially junk so I’m done going down that road. I know lots of folks like theirs but I also know many of them have had to tinker to smooth them out (assuming you are talking about the Rossi) and I am not the type to do so.Why not consider a Winchester 92 clone? The seem to be the most compact of the pistol caliber lever guns.
That is a bummer. My little 16-inch Rossi M92 in 44 Mag has been a great little gun. At 5.5 lbs empty and its short overall length it's very handy in rough terrain.The one I owned was essentially junk so I’m done going down that road. I know lots of folks like theirs but I also know many of them have had to tinker to smooth them out (assuming you are talking about the Rossi) and I am not the type to do so.
It turns out most Marlin .357s are like this as it has to do with the diameter of the hole in the receiver that goes into the tube magazine. Not the side gate opening, but the hole where the mag tube attaches to the receiver. This hole in the receiver needs to be chamfered a bit top and bottom, but much more so on the left side as the .357/.38 rim will catch trying to go through that hole when loading.
From my research even pre-Remington Marlin .357s needed at least the magazine loading issue worked on when new. Of course, if you can jiggle the cartridges as you press them in, the rim on the preceeding cartridge will skip past the receiver hole going into the magazine tube.
What I don't know is if loading a Henry through the new side loading gate has the same issue in .357 models. Clearly, loading the Henry through the front of the gun would not have this issue.
With the Henry, I would load the initial rounds through the tube and then top off through the loading gate. I’ll have to check out the 357 once it is available.A follow up to my prior post regarding loading Henry's through the new side gate as compared to Marlins.
It looks like a new cartridge with a chamfered rim was developed for Henry to overcome the loading issues in the new Henry's with side loading gates. It's interesting how Marlin and Henry apparently won't chamfer the innards of their receivers properly (leaving that to gun tuners and do-it-yourselfers), but can point you to premium ammo from Federal so you can load your side gate mag tube easier.
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog...mium-hammerdown-lever-action-ammunition-line/
I have never had any trouble loading my side gates. The trick is not full inserting the rounds. Insert the first round till the rim just touches the receiver holding the loading gate open. Leaving your weak hand holding the gun with a finger on that partially inserted cartridge grab the next cartridge and push the first one fully into the magazine and stop at the rim of the one you just inserted. "Rinse and Repeat." You only have to push the gate open for the first round and full insert the last round. With a little practice you can load a side gate gun pretty fast and with minimal lost of finger skin using this method.
The Golden Saber 38s have a very long OAL. You might give them a try.Be advised all three are going to function the best with longer 357 rounds. My Big Boy was not reliable with .38s