Is this a good deal? Marlin 357mag lever...

hey guys,

I have an opportunity to purchase a marlin 357 lever action for 885.00 out the door. I already have a nice uberti .45 colt yellow boy but it was dads favorite rifle and I don’t like to shoot it much cause I worry about dinging it up. Bought the wife a .38 special revolver last year as Missouri went constitutional carry recently. It looks to be at least 92% if not better.

These seem to be a bit difficult to find right now and danged if I’m not smitten with it! At the same shop is a dang near perfect norinco sks, a beautiful carcano 6.5 that somebody made gorgeous and hasn’t been bubba’d... I want them all but the.357 lever gun is calling me...

Good price or no?

Dave

 

Doesn't really look like it after a search or two.

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/marlin-1894c-38-special-357-magnum-lever-action-rifle

https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Keywords=Marlin .357

 

Browning,

Thank you! Maybe I can talk em down or if not get something else that interests me. I like the sks in the shop as well and it is complete though the bayonet looks brand new, I just have a hard time justifying near 500.00 for an sks even if it is in reality good condition...

Dave

 

I think i paid like 900 for my 1894c in stainless new a few years back. A few remlin hickups before it was all good but now that it is i love it.

 

Are you gonna shoot it or look at it. If you want a wall hanger go up in price for a nice winchester or whatever. I bought my marlin levers to shoot. For fun you can't go wrong with a good 357 lever.

 

1TwistedGimp

Seems a bit pricey to me, especially after seeing the links Browning posted. I would keep looking or maybe make an offer on the SKS (though that price is kind of up there too)!

 

I paid $800, private sale, for an early 80's era 1984c two years ago. It's in 90% condition and I considered that a fair price for both parties. If this is an older gun, that's probably a high price from a shop but I don't think you're getting ripped off. If it's a 90's or newer gun, I'd pass at that price. You might as well buy a new one in the $600-700 range.

 

The price is a little high. I'll agree that the Browning is a much better rifle except you can't easily scope it. If you do buy the Marlin, research the M94 feed problems on this forum and make the recommended modification to the lever.

 

I think that is high too.

 

For a JM stamped barrel in like new condition, it’s at the high end of the price range of typical rifles. If it’s something like the Cowboy version, or one of the commemorative issues, which will bring more from a collector.

Until Marlin recently resumed production, the .357mags were in highest demand, so brought premium prices. Prices have dropped a little due to Marlin/Remington getting their act together and bringing quality back to where it was before the buy-out in circa ‘07.
I suggest you go over to www.marlinowners.com. There is a vast amount of knowledge over there regarding all things Marlin.

I wouldn’t take 10 SKS’s for the worst of one on my Marlins. I’ve had 3 SKS’s. HAD is the operative word. You can get a vastly better used AR15 at that price.

 

https://www.marlinowners.com/#/forums/109?page=1

Not sure why you think Marlin has gotten their act together.

 

There is a lot of “New, old stock” still out on shelves and sitting in storage.
Marlin will still be dealing with the problems for decades.

However, I have three recent manufacture Marlins that are as good as anything that came out of New Haven, CT.

Two are 2015 mfg M1895’s. One is NIB, in storage, other is in use. It is a proverbial “tack driver”. I have a pic of a 3-shot, one hole group from 50yds, fired with a 400gr Lee FN, over 19.8gr of #2400. Dead center, and less than 1/2” Ctc.

Third, was a 2017 mfg 1894 in .44mag. Though not especially accurate, it is adequately accurate, and is a joy to shoot. It feeds .44spl SWC loads like butter. It is VASTLY superior to a ‘70’s mfg 1894 I had in early ‘80’s. This one at least shoots 255gr Keith SWC’s decently. Older one keyholed badly!

Nostalgia is strong among Marlin owners. The old ones weren’t as good as they remember, and new ones aren’t all bad, either. I should know, as I have over a dozen of them dating back as far as 1915.

 

Seems very pricey for what it is.

 

Looks like I need to look it over and do a bit more research. I appreciate everyone’s advice, thinking I might be better served putting the money towards my reloading bench instead. I just still find it hard to take dads yellow boy out and actually hit my mark thru the tears welling up in my eyes. This October will be 1 year and it’s all still so fresh.

Dave

 

Too much. Too much for the so as well.
Goose is right. Get a new one that is actually new, and not new old stock. It will be fine. Especially after you spend a little time and slick it up. But it may take 6 months for them to become common.

 

Honor your pop and take the yellow boy out.

 

1TG; I know the feelings. I lost my older brother in 2012.
I take out his M1. M94 Win, and Ruger RST6 (pre MK1.22auto).
Occasionally. Lots of memories.
He was so excited to hear about CMP Talladega. Never got to see it or shoot there.

 

I’ll send you mine to the FFL of your choice for $850 ea.

In other words, I wouldn’t buy at that price.

 

Sounds a little high but not much. I plan on selling one of my two JM guns and back in August did a Gunbroker survey on actual sales. I tracked 7 guns similar to mine and the average selling price was $808. That is before the buyer paid for shipping and receiving.

 

If you really want it take $750 cash in hundred dollar bills and one $50 and see if they will take $750 OTD. If they won't then walk away. You will like the 357 lever gun. Mine is my favorite of all my guns. Mine was a JM made gun from 2001 and it was not well made or well fitted. I did a lot of work on it and its good now. But like the other poster stated older Marlins had their own problems.

I would like to see one of the new made guns. I need a second one so I have one each for my two sons when I am gone. And I hope they shoot the snot out of them and don't save them back as safe queens. I would consider that a waste of a gun and I bet your dad would say the same thing about his gun.

You may also want to check and see if this gun has the Micro-Groove barrel or the Ballard rifling in it. I much prefer the Ballard because I shoot a lot of lead bullets through my 357 and 44 mag rifles. It makes a difference. At least to me it does.

 

jmorris,
I just might take you up on that!

Dave

 

Ratshooter,

Good advice, going to be a couple weeks before I can get back to the shop, we’re finally closing on our old house next Friday. It was only on the market for 7hours but I spent every free second I had, 7 days a week for the last 4 months refurbing it on top of consolidating two households and still have to inventory all dads stuff left in his very large shop( he was a prolific collector). It’ll be nice to at least get our old house and mortgage off our back and be free to take care of other things finally...

I’ll probably make them a pretty low offer and see what we can meet at. At the same time I see an opportunity to load up on reloading gear so not sure what’s going to happen at this point.

I appreciate your advice and will consider everything you said.

Dave

 

If you did, it would shove me off the fence I have been sitting on about an early 1894 in 44mag I have been looking at.