Best. 357 lever gun?

[dumbhunter]

Hi all. Looking to see the groups thoughts on .357 lever action rifles. Since ammo has been stoopid expensive lately I've been shooting my revolvers more often and was thinking picking up a lever action to pair with them. Was originally going to go with one in 45 Colt, but most of my revolvers are 357's, plus, 45LC is waaaay more expensive (at least currently).

So what are your thoughts? Who makes the best revolver caliber lever action? Anything to look out for or avoid?

Thanks!

 

[Varminterror]

Make Mine a Marlin.

Especially now that Ruger is behind the machines.

 

[Obturation]

I've been loving a 357 bolt gun, shhhhh don't tell my levers. Doesn't care about over all length or bullet profile, shoots great and I got a little box magazine too. Love it

 

[gotboostvr]

I've had good success with both Rossi's and Marlin.

I'd like to try a Henry and an actual winchester some time.

I really like the 92 actions, but the marlins are easier to scope compared to the Rossi's, unless you like "scout scopes"

 

[dumbhunter]

Thanks guys. Should have said that I don't plan on mounting a scope.

 

[Pat Riot]

I have one of the Marlins built in 2018 under Remington. I wouldn’t say the mechanical quality is as good as older JM Marlins, but it’s pretty darn good. It cycles .38 Special like it was made for it, but I have found that it appears to be cartridge overall length sensitive to .357 magnum that is at SAAMI maximum length. It doesn’t jam but I can feel a hitch in the operation of the gun.
I may just need to do a little smithing too correct that or just reduce cartridge length a bit.

I also have a .357 magnum Winchester Model 94 Trails End. It’s one of the most accurate rifles I own. It was my first CAS rifle. Terrible choice for cowboy action, but it was my choice.
I have replaced the link 3 times and the carrier twice. Parts are getting scarce.

I haven’t shot or owned a Henry lever gun but if you aren’t planning to shoot cowboy action they may be worth a look. Henry also has a single shot .357 that might be worth a look too. It will cost a lot less than a lever gun. I really like my 45-70 single shot.

 

[HowieG]

Marlin used to be the best. Get a used pre-Remlin gun. Ruger is not yet producing the 1894.

 

[Bigdog357]

Another vote for Marlin

 

[Bazoo]

A friend just got a Rossi 92 in 357 and we shot it today. The sights kinda are funky. The rear is not quite the right shape for a buckhorn. But it cycled good and fed my handloads with RCBS 38-150-swcs both in 38 and 357 magnum. We made a few 1" groups at 25 yards plinking around. I've never owned one myself. My buddy gave $700

A used marlin will be $1000+. I have owned several marlins though. They have their own quirks. But they are very robust and easily serviced. Takedown to clean is easy and parts are large. And, spare parts are common, like ejectors and firing pins. But you can get parts for a 92 too I reckon, even a safety delete.

 

[Mycin]

I really like my Rossi 92 in 357. There are reports of older ones not feeding 38 cartridges very well, but mine (bought about 5 years ago) feeds them fine.

 

[Seedy Character]

Browning B-92. Absolute best
Henry. Very very good
Marlin. Outstanding
Rossi. Lots of shooters love them
Winchester. It IS a Winchester



Pick one, can't go wrong

 

[Riomouse911]

I really like my Rossi 92 in 357. There are reports of older ones not feeding 38 cartridges very well, but mine (bought about 5 years ago) feeds them fine.

I had a 20” Rossi several years ago that had feeding issues. Even trips to a CAS gunsmith couldn’t really cure it so I sent it down the road. I was kind of bummed, the old gun had wood that looked amazing.

My current Rossi .357 is a 16” model. This gun doesn’t look as good as my old one but it feeds ammo perfectly. My only beef with it is a very tight extractor spring, it can chew up brass case rims on occasion.

The stainless ones look cool, if I bump into one I may just take it home.

Stay safe..

 

[ECVMatt]

I have a Marlin 1894CP and it is a wonderful little gun. It is light, handy, and accurate. I am extremely hopeful Marlin will bring back this model or one similar. I have also owned a Winchester Trapper and it was a good gun as well. The action was a bit long for the .357 but is shot well.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I like my Rossi 92. I swapped the sights out for a pair that worked better for me. I bought Steve's Gunz video and did a kitchen table action job. It turned out really nice. The gun feeds any bullet profile with no problems.

 

[herrwalther]

I am pretty partial (aka biased) to genuine Marlins. Even though I don't own one in 357. Trouble is finding one that predates Remington taking over production.

 

[jag1954]

I'm partial to my Henry. It'll run either .357 Mag. or .38 Spl.

 

[wiscoaster]

I have Henry Big Boy X and I like it - it shoots .357 Mag very well but .38 Spec not so much. I don't have any experience with any other makes to compare it with. I do admire the Marlin and if I ever was motivated to buy another .357 lever gun, that's probably what I'd go for.

View attachment 1058620

 

[chicharrones]

If you can't wait for a Ruger Marlin 1894, I'd be looking for a new Henry or a used anything else.

I'm looking forward to a future match up with a new Marlin 1894 versus a Henry Big Boy Steel that only loads from the receiver. It'll happen someday.

 

[.45Coltguy]

I have the Henry BB brass[20" barrel] .357. It is sooo smooth with that action. Accurate as the dickens. Those brass models are a bit heavy, but, I no longer hunt, so, it's just a desert plinker.
I load/shoot 158 and 180gr rnfp out of it and those 180's play hell on steel gongs out to 130 yards. .357 lever guns are a hoot!

 

[bannockburn]

dumbhunter

Another vote in favor of the Rossi M92 in .357. I have one in .45 Colt as I have four other single actions in the same caliber. The action is smooth as silk and is just a fun gun to shoot. Would love to find a Rossi with a 16" barrel to go along with my .357 revolvers.

My Rossi M92:

 

[AZAndy]

I'll throw in another vote for the Rossi, if you can find one. My 16" has been perfectly reliable and always goes along if I'm taking a first-time shooter to the range. For someone who's never done any shooting, it's easy to handle and operate, and gives 'em a thrill when they hit the target the first time they pull the trigger. My only complaint about it is that the feeding gate is very stiff. I could fix that if I felt like it, but haven't felt like it yet.

 

[dh1633pm]

I don't have a single .357 rifle. I have three lever guns in 45 Colt. The Rossi is the lightest and least accurate. Quantify that with it is more than accurate enough. I hate the safety so I removed it. Hated the sights so I removed them too. It is smooth, although I did take it apart and polished those parts that touched. Does eject well when it's below zero. I take it out to shoot the most.

I have a Uberti 1873. The heaviest and most accurate of my three 45 Colt Rifles. It is the smoothest by far. No mods and I get scared taking it out that I might be a scratch on it. Best fit and finish and workmanship.

1894 Marlin. I like this rifle. It is made a Remington. Got it in 2018. Not as smooth as the other two. It is more accurate than the Rossi and not as much as the 1873. Again keep in mind that the degrees of differences in accuracy are minor. I hate the freaking bar code on the receiver. Fit is better than my Marlin Made 1895. Especially metal to wood. The bluing isn't.

My Dad has a Henry Golden Boy. He has never shot it. I have. No side loading. It wouldn't feed some of my reloads, they were too long, but the same rounds did feed on all my other 45 Colt rifles, plus a pistol. Pretty rifle. I don't like the lack of history for them. But it is nice and then some. Seemed heavier than my 1873.

The Rossi goes out most often so I would say by that, it is my favorite. I did take the opportunity to fix the things I didn't like about it. Keep in mind I have 45 Colt and not .357 rifles.

 

[dh1633pm]

bannockburn, I like the wood on yours. Is that factory or replacement?

 

[8Ball_99]

Love my Marlin 1894 in 357. If you can find one now they are nice guns. Eats .38 and .357 like candy and is accurate. Give ruger some time, I'm sure they will put them back into production. They have already brought back the 1895sbl. They didn't buy Marlin for no reason. I would think it's just a matter of time before the 1894 and the 336 is back in production.

 

[Old Dog]

In the legendary words of the immortal Connor MacLeod (I know, that's backward, it's immortal words of the legendary... but he was immortal): "There can be only one." And really, is there a better .357/.38 levergun than the Marlin 1894 (in this case, the 1894C)? (Here's a JM-marked classic I picked up from another THR member) Reliable, as accurate as it needs to be, smooth cycling and just plain fun. They're out there, but boy howdy, the silly prices the older JM models are going for now. Supposedly Ruger-Marlin will have one out after its 336 roll-out (why they started with the .45-70 is anyone's guess).