.44 carbine

[mcmurry]

So for my next rifle I'd really like a .44 carbine. I've looked on Gun Broker at Ruger's, and I've also looked at Henry's, Marlin's, Rossi, and Winchester's. I've seen the Ruger's start at $500 and go up to $1,000. The lever actions are in the upper half of that range. I really don't care if it's lever or semi auto. What are y'all's thoughts? I'm on a limited income, and Rossi seems to be on the lower end of the price range.
Thanks.
Richard

 

[Tommygunn]

Rossis can be nice, but they can also be rough. Loading gates are known to be sharp, and some carbines may need a bit of work inside to smooth out feeding hiccups. The general quality has gone up in recent years but occasional rough guns still hit market.
Try to examine the particular carbine you will be bringing home if you go to Rossi, it can help.

 

[adcoch1]

My Rossi 20" stainless 44 mag was a bit rough, but after taking it apart and spending a few hours polishing everything it is slick as can be. It is easily worth the time and energy to smooth one out, I would recommend going for it.

 

[someguy2800]

You could also consider a single shot like the new Henry single shots, contender, h&r ect... Would be easier on the budget and if you handload the brass comes out in your hand rather than trying catch it coming out of a lever or picking it up off the ground. Actually even if you don’t handload the brass is worth saving to sell. Your enjoyment per box goes up too.

 

[sean m]

Older Marlin 1894 would be my first choice, followed by a Rossi 92 clone.

 

[greyling22]

Rossi's can be made nice, but it takes a fair amount of work, and they're the not the easiest guns to work on. Same for winchester and browning 92's, but initial quality is higher.
Old marlins are nice, and it's easy to slick one up at home. The newest Marlin 1894's are supposed to be decent as well. Be advised that when Remington bought marlin around 2007 (don't hold me to that year) they put out some really bad rifles: ill fitting wood, canted brrels, misaligned sights stripped screws, etc. If it says REP in an oval at the back of the barrel and it's not brand new I'd avoid it. This drive the price of the old ones into the stratosphere. Brand new ones are actually a lot cheaper than old ones.
Ruger made some lever guns I'm not familiar with, an old tube fed 44 carbine, and a circa 2000 mag fed carbine based n a mini 30 action. I'd avoid the old ones as they can have cycling issues. Mine requires max loads to cycle, and even then not reliably. The newer ones are expensive, and the 4 round mag is stupid. That guns begs for a 10 round banana mag. Are you listening Ruger????
I have mixed feelings about Henry. They're technically not bad, but I don't like them.

Unless you are just sold on 44mag, 30/30 is a lot cheaper and easier to find a good used one. Out performs 44mag for the most part too.

 

[gotboostvr]

My Rossi 92 runs like a top and is very accurate with 240gr XTP's.

A regular deer slayer with a red dot on it.

 

[mcmurry]

I have a Marlin 336 in .30/.30. I once had a Ruger .44 Carbine but screwed up and got rid of it. I had heard about the deal with Remington and Marlin, something to do with new machinery not set up like the old Marlin machines I believe.
Thanks y'all.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I have two late model Rossi 92's. Fit and finish of the metal was good out of the box. I have only shot one of them. It worked good as is. I bought a dvd and did a kitchen table gunsmith job on that one. It is now fantastic. It is slick operating and has a great trigger.

 

[GBExpat]

I have a pair of 1983-mfr Marlin 1894S leverguns, the first of which I purchased about 30 years ago. That one (which I have shot a LOT) is surprisingly accurate with store bought generic 240gr ammo (white box, American Eagle, etc).

The 2nd one (LN, received new by owner 30+ years ago as a gift and never fired) I acquired on Gunbroker 2 years ago for only a bit over the bottom of your listed range.

That said, I would also like to have a Rossi.

Good luck to you with your search & decision, mcmurry!

 

[bannockburn]

Picked up a used but like new Rossi Model 92 a number of years back. The gun has been great with an action that was already sllcked up right out of the box. Metal to metal and wood to metal fit and finish are first rate. Love how compact and handy the little carbine is!

 

[CraigC]

Right now the only one I'd consider is an 1892 from Taylor's because they're the only one with the proper 1-20" twist. The Ruger 77/44 has the right twist but accuracy tends to be mediocre and the magazine limits cartridge overall length.

Unless you are just sold on 44mag, 30/30 is a lot cheaper and easier to find a good used one. Out performs 44mag for the most part too.

It has more range, noise and recoil but the .44 is capable of much larger game.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

I have an old Ruger .44 mag carbine, stainless and somewhere down the line someone chromed the barrel. Neat little gun but lately will not chamber well and jams a lot. I hear Ruger no longer makes parts for them, so now it sits in back of my safe. Still shoot a Ruger M77/44 for up close for hogs, not much use for a carbine like that in most parts of Texas except the Piney Woods of East Texas.

 

[eastbank]

these two .44 magnum are rifles ,not carbines. top is a Winchester 94 legacy rifle and the bottom is a marlin sporter rifle and both are fine shooters with 250 gr bullets.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I got priced a new Marlin 44 rifle at $750 at the LGS the other day. That is probably the way I would go unless a decent JM 44 came along.

 

[smithnut357]

My dad has an older 1894 marlin that shoots very well. I would pick up one if I could find one. I also recently found a Browning m92. I haven’t shot it yet, so I can’t speak for accuracy. But the fit and finish is superb.

Not a .44 but I have a .357 Rossi 92. While I do like it, I like both the Browning and the Marlin better. They just seem to be better quality.

 

[ACES&8S]

I have a Henry in 44 & if is great but any you mentioned are good.
However I would never buy a second hand rifle without shooting it which is difficult I know with the only
exception being I would look thru the barrel real good & if it starts off dirty that will tell you it wasn't taken
care of. Also check if it functions good as well.
New is the best way to go of course.
You probably already know this.

 

[greyling22]

I got priced a new Marlin 44 rifle at $750 at the LGS the other day. That is probably the way I would go unless a decent JM 44 came along.

I'm willing to support my LGS to a point. I would not, however, pay a 39% premium. they're $540 at grabgun. https://grabagun.com/marlin-1894-44mag-20-lvr-bl-70400.html

 

[Tommygunn]

My dad has an older 1894 marlin that shoots very well. I would pick up one if I could find one. I also recently found a Browning m92. I haven’t shot it yet, so I can’t speak for accuracy. But the fit and finish is superb.

Not a .44 but I have a .357 Rossi 92. While I do like it, I like both the Browning and the Marlin better. They just seem to be better quality.

I have a Browning 92 in .44. I love it, it's one of my most accurate rifles. It doesn't do well with .44 special accuracy-wise but feeds anything well.
Much higher quality than Rossi ... I have one of those and like it, but it really isn't as good.

 

[Jack B.]

Have a 44 magnum Henry Big Boy. The brass receiver and octagon barrel is what sold me on a Henry. Then I found out how accurate it was and became a really big fan. With the open sights that came on the rifle I can put every shot in a 3 inch circle at 50 yards shooting from a bench and sand bag. Plus I like the fact that it handles 44 Specials real well. It's the only 44 Magnum rifle I've ever owned so I can't speak for any of the others that have been mentioned here.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

I once had a Ruger 77/44 carbine. Beautiful little gun but I the worst grouping long gun I ever shot.

Only one I have now is a Winchester 94AE Wrangler .44 magnum with 16" barrel. I'm satisfied with it. Recently had to put a 2.5X scope on it as iron sights don't work so good with my eyes these days.

 

[Riomouse911]

I, too have a Win 94, just in the trapper Model. I put a peep on mine for the same reason, easier to see the sights.

The Rossi’s are a lot like English cars, one runs perfectly and the one made right after it needs some work to have it run right. Steve’s Gunz makes a CD on the Rossi that shows all sorts of fixes. One I have works perfectly, while another one I have needed extractor work and a spring kit from Steve’s Gunz to loosen it up enough to use...

The Henry’s I have held are smooth as silk, and the older Marlins are really nice as well. I haven’t held a new one yet so I’m not too sure how those are from the factory.,

Good luck with your search, once you find a good .44 rifle they’re really addictive to load for and shoot!

Stay safe...

 

[hq]

Whatever range .44Mag can effectively be used at, any of the guns mentioned is more than accurate enough. For what my $.02 is worth, I love my Marlin 1894 but Ruger Deerfield gets my vote. It sees by far the most use of my revolver caliber carbines and even though the magazine capacity may be a limitation for HD, it's still an excellent hunting rifle. They've become a bit hard to come by these days and prices have gone up so it may not be an ideal choice on budget.

 

[theotherwaldo]

My Marlin 1894 needs more range time, but between the recent flooding (16 inches of rain in one day) and current 106 degree temperatures... .

 

[Hasaf]

I am not much of a lever gun fan. It comes down to personal preference. With that in mind, I had a Ruger 77/44 that I liked. It was stolen; but I expect that I will eventually replace it. It was a pleasant and easy gun to shoot.

As I stated, it comes down to personal preference; however, there are alternatives to lever actions. I would like to see more bolt action 44mags on the market, in order to have more selection, but I don't see it as being very likely.