Finally got a 357 levergun

I love .357 rifles. I have a Marlin that's ridden in my truck for probably 15 years. I think they are hard to beat as a general purpose firearm. While I don't expect to go into combat with one I wouldn't want to get in a firefight with someone who was using one either.

The combo of improved ballistics, ammo availability, reloading options, portability, and the option of using 38 or 357, makes a powerful argument for their continued popularity.

Shak3s1977 said:

I searched and found the other post, I believe you were talking about. I think mine looks worse lol. I've never really looked in chambers when buying, but I will now.

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I think it was @WrongHanded that had a funky chamber on his 45-70 Henry. But I could be remembering wrong. My 45-70 Henry has a good chamber and I love that rifle, I've had it a few years and the shine still hasn't worn off. I've put some pretty heavy loads through it and it hasn't bothered it one bit. Good luck, Henry is a top notch company. I have no doubt they'll make it right.

Oldschool shooter

I have a Rossi in 45 Colt. It is light and runs pretty well, but it took some work to get it that way.

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I have a Rossi 92, also in .45 Colt, and I bought it LNIB from a dealer at a gun show. The carbine didn't require any work to get it slicked up; it was already that way right out of the box. I would love to find another one as nice as this one and in .357 Magnum.

Obturation said:

I think it was @WrongHanded that had a funky chamber on his 45-70 Henry. But I could be remembering wrong. My 45-70 Henry has a good chamber and I love that rifle, I've had it a few years and the shine still hasn't worn off. I've put some pretty heavy loads through it and it hasn't bothered it one bit. Good luck, Henry is a top notch company. I have no doubt they'll make it right.

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It certainly was me. It still shot fine, and the replacement is flawless as far as I can tell. But that chamber caused brass to bulge, and when reloading the same brass repeatedly caused very sticky extraction.

But they did eventually make it right. I wouldn't have pursued it so hard if some of the guys here hadn't encouraged me to do so.

Man I still want one myself.would love a Winchester trapper but they are stupid expensive.ive got a ton of 357 brass and bullets for revolver so it makes sense to have a 357 lever rifle but dang anything worth having is high as a kite.

What happened to the $300 lever guns back 15 years ago.its nuts what lever guns are selling for

Somewhere along the line in the past 20 years or so, .357 leverguns got more popular. I remember seeing Marlins for around $450 new way back when. This ran more than the .30-30 model, so I think that's one reason you don't see them as much used (also, people tend to hold on to them). Great plinkers, but if you're in it for the deer the .30-30 has more power for less cost no question.

Add in the Marlin production issues that occurred and caused them to stop making them for awhile, and the prices got a little crazy.


I am glad that there are more options and .357 leverguns in general aren't as hard to find now*. Prices are better nowadays, too*. I might even pick up another one down the road. They are a ton of fun and .38 Special the cheapest thing this side of 9mm for factory ammo in a pistol caliber carbine*.


* in normal, non-pandemic times

Well. This past weekend I visited my son and presented him with my Henry 357. He really lit up and I couldn't have been happier. All my guns will be his eventually so he might as well begin enjoying them sooner later than later. I still have a couple of 45 leverguns.

tubeshooter said:

Somewhere along the line in the past 20 years or so, .357 leverguns got more popular. I remember seeing Marlins for around $450 new way back when. This ran more than the .30-30 model, so I think that's one reason you don't see them as much used (also, people tend to hold on to them). Great plinkers, but if you're in it for the deer the .30-30 has more power for less cost no question.

Add in the Marlin production issues that occurred and caused them to stop making them for awhile, and the prices got a little crazy.


I am glad that there are more options and .357 leverguns in general aren't as hard to find now*. Prices are better nowadays, too*. I might even pick up another one down the road. They are a ton of fun and .38 Special the cheapest thing this side of 9mm for factory ammo in a pistol caliber carbine*.


* in normal, non-pandemic times

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I completely disagree.i think they are just as popular now as they where 20 years ago but not as popular or sell as much as bolt action rifles now or then which companies have figured out how to mass produce for cheap and put lever action rifles and wheel gun pistols secondary...that's why you paying a premium.more labor and costly older style technology fabrication.

Wheel guns are same way. used to be revolvers and lever actions where cheaper.now a lever action rifle cost as much as a Browning xbolt,bergara,Tikka,Kimber bolt gun total flip of twenty years ago.

There's not as much competition to drive down prices for lever guns the few companies own the market.at $800 for a lever action rifle is ridiculous.lever gun prices have been crazy well before pandemic.maybe it's like a colt 1911 we are paying for nostalgia?idk not worth the cost now days.

Not really sure about other options either other than a single shot cva/Thompson or maybe a Ruger m77 ?idk

So basically you have Marlin lever guns in 357 at $700-800 before pandemic or a Henry around same cost. Or a single shot in something like a contender?

3% outdoorsman said:

Man I still want one myself.would love a Winchester trapper but they are stupid expensive.ive got a ton of 357 brass and bullets for revolver so it makes sense to have a 357 lever rifle but dang anything worth having is high as a kite.

What happened to the $300 lever guns back 15 years ago.its nuts what lever guns are selling for

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Adjusted for inflation from 2005, $300 is now $400. A friend bought a new Marlin 336 at Walmart back in the spring for $389, regular price. That model, birch stock, matte blue, has been discontinued however (I think). Which I think, I frankly do not remember, is what I paid for a Marlin 336 Texan in 1977, which if so, adjusted for inflation, is now $1286.78. Surely you have not been on a fixed income for forty years?

3% outdoorsman said:

Not really sure about other options either other than a single shot cva/Thompson or maybe a Ruger m77 ?idk

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I've got a 77/357 , it's a handy rifle but not cheap.

Shak3s1977,
Fine looking lever gun there and am sorry that the chamber`s buggered up. QC seems to be the issue but every now and then one will slip through all manufacturers. I don`t have any Henry`s but I`d bet that they`ll make it right.

Let us know what Henry did and how it shoots when you get it back and to the range. I have an 1894c and love it. Once you get yours back, you will too.

3Crows said:

Adjusted for inflation from 2005, $300 is now $400. A friend bought a new Marlin 336 at Walmart back in the spring for $389, regular price. That model, birch stock, matte blue, has been discontinued however (I think). Which I think, I frankly do not remember, is what I paid for a Marlin 336 Texan in 1977, which if so, adjusted for inflation, is now $1286.78. Surely you have not been on a fixed income for forty years?

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Yeah no they don't sell for $389 or $1286 now days.before or after pandemic.glad you got a deal on one you like.i don't care anything about a 30-30 myself that was what was given to kids to hunt with when I was growing up.you won't see another Marlin for that price unfortunately cause they are so over priced now

Obturation said:

I've got a 77/357 , it's a handy rifle but not cheap.

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That would be next nice.ive looked at them

3% outdoorsman said:

Yeah no they don't sell for $389 or $1286 now days.before or after pandemic.glad you got a deal on one you like.i don't care anything about a 30-30 myself that was what was given to kids to hunt with when I was growing up.you won't see another Marlin for that price unfortunately cause they are so over priced now

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Not sure I follow? I see prices for the 1894 models from around $600 to just under $1000 which as I said, adjusted for inflation over the years is about right. Lever guns have a high parts count and require more fitting and a two piece stock, so they probably do cost a bit more than a bolt gun to manufacture:

Academy example:



Gander had an 1894 in 45LC for a similar price a few weeks ago but another fella bought it while I was thinking on it. It was beautiful and careful inspection revealed no flaws. I go round and round as to whether I want a 44 or a 45 and I still do not know. I have a 45LC Blackhawk (another fairly expensive, high parts count, requires some hand assembly to manufacture) so I guess I should (have) get the 45 .

With the popularity of the more expensive Dark series I don't see Marlin spending time making the cheaper 30-30 models

Depending on what happens with the Remington bankruptcy there’s potential in the near term for new Marlin availability to become severely curtailed.

Henry is well positioned to fill that market void.

Not to derail the thread and but in light of this and just in general I’m really surprised Mossberg has not expanded their lever action lineup to include a larger variety of calibers....pistol calibers to be specific.....ESPECIALLY in their tactical lever model(s). Seems like a missed opportunity.

3Crows said:

Not sure I follow? I see prices for the 1894 models from around $600 to just under $1000 which as I said, adjusted for inflation over the years is about right. Lever guns have a high parts count and require more fitting and a two piece stock, so they probably do cost a bit more than a bolt gun to manufacture:

Academy example:

View attachment 943104

Gander had an 1894 in 45LC for a similar price a few weeks ago but another fella bought it while I was thinking on it. It was beautiful and careful inspection revealed no flaws. I go round and round as to whether I want a 44 or a 45 and I still do not know. I have a 45LC Blackhawk (another fairly expensive, high parts count, requires some hand assembly to manufacture) so I guess I should (have) get the 45 .

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Yeah not sure I follow what you said either?lol but your second comments about my post made more since this time.hahaha

Shak3s1977 said:

If I didn't reload, it might not bother me so much. I just hope it shoots as good as before. I'm worried I'll get a new barrel and it might shoot worse. I'm pretty sure they can't polish these grooves out, as they are too deep. I got it shipped off this morning, so hopefully I'll hear something next week.


The 357 is probably my favorite handgun caliber. To get some extra ballistics out of a rifle, is even better. Plus there is basically no recoil, so that's even better.

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I'm going to have to have a chat with my little Rossi and explain to it that it not supposed to have any recoil with my 140 hollow points over a snoot full of WW296. Somehow it hasn't figuered that out yet.

Just don't overestimate the .357 round like my youngest brother did. He dumped a full tube from a Marlin 1894 followed by 6 rounds from his wheel gun into a pig and made it really mad. Lucky for us I was carrying a 30-06 which put an end to it's charge.

Wow, what a beauty! I dig lever guns in pistol calibers.

Congrats on your new rifle! I really enjoy my lever guns.

Range report?

Wow Swampghost---after 14rds of .357 I would think you could finish that pig with a 22lr. Must of been some tough pig!