Lever action rifle - which one to buy?

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hi-tower

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I have been looking at lever action rifles for a while now and want to get one in the 357/38 caliber with the 20' barrel. I just do not know which one to get. I have heard good and bad about both of the ones I have been looking at:

1) Rossi M92 - Good price. Bud's has the one I am looking at for about $420 shipped but I have heard they are rough and need a lot of work to be good and reliable but the price is right.

2) Marlin 1894 - Price about $200 more and hard to find right now. Have heard now that Marlin is under different owners that the quality is not as good as it used to be.

I really do not want to buy used as I have no clue what to look for with these rifles and do not want to buy someone else's problem. So this is for information on new only.

I would like to hear the good and the bad of each from people that own/have owned either of them. I am not looking to sepend more to get the winchester or other more expensive versions. The marlin is probably the top of my price range. Thanks for any help anyone can give.
 
357 Lever Rifle

I've had three 357 lever action rifles, the Rossi had a very rough action, would not feed 38 specials,the sight dovetails are bastard size so you are limited to factory sights, but it did have a tight chamber and shot good. The Winchester 1892 1 of 500 that I had was beautiful, and shot everthing very well. The Marlin 1894C feeds both 357 and 38 Special ammo, was accurate, easy to take apart to clean, easy to mount a scope on, and made in the USA.
 
I bought the Rossi four years ago and haven't had an ounce of problem with it. I would buy another.

If you want a scope on your levergun get a Marlin.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a new Marlin at this point in time.
 
New only? Rossi, felt a 92 the other day in 44mag that was slick as hell, had better fit and finish them the new Marlins. Marlin? Buy used, check serial number (starts with a number not MR) and even with just that little check you could very well be better off than with a new Marlin (they are getting better, but you really need to know to check x, y,, and z. For example 2 Weeks ago I saw a brand new Marlin in 45-70 that was missing the tang screw (screw holding the but stock on) nothing was holding the stock on other then pressure). Good luck.
 
Still seems there is a lot to think about. I am leaning toward the Rossi is if for nothing else than the price. I probably should have one rifle that I use iron sights on as all the others have some kind of optics on them. I would still like to hear more from anyone who has good or bad info on either. Thanks for all the replies so far.
 
Maybe take a look at Henry? I personally don't like how the ammo is loaded into the tube but they are gorgeous and shoot well. I have a Marlin 1894c and love it.

Good luck.

C
 
I have a Marlin 1894CP that I bought about 10 years ago.It is a sweetheart,but hard to find.
 
marlin or uberti the rossi's suck! My dealer had to send back everyone of them he sold this year. That's about 30 or so and none of them come back working.
 
Pre 2007 Marlin.

Rossi is hit or miss. Some are nothing but stiff out of the box and wear in fine, others are problematic. For every "I've never had a problem with mine", there's a horror story. I bought one, planning on sending it to Steve's Gunz, but the metal finish, action stiffness and internal machining on parts was ROUGH. Returned. I have seen two others that were sub-current Remlin quality. I have another friend who has a Rossi in 454 Casull that is as sweet a rifle as any Marlin made, fun, and accurate.

I'd get a pre-Remington acquisition Marlin or a current Winchester rather than a Rossi.
 
Pre-Remington Marlin.

Found one last month for my son at a local pawn shop. Made in 2002 (his birth year) and looked like it had never been shot. $375 and it was mine.
 
Might have to re-think the only new thing and maybe take a look at used Marlins. I do like those better but the prices are pretty high around here and in MN used is many times not any less than new.
 
Marlin from 2007 or earlier. They may be hard to find, but its not like you're looking for a pre-64 Winchester. I bought one myself off Gunbroker a couple months ago. The extractor was all bunged up, but easy enough to fix. Shoots great now.
 
I agree that an older Marlin is the best choice--if you can find one.

I haven't looked lately, but I had to shop around forever to find my 1894C; in fact, I ended up ordering one.
 
I know it's off topic,but does anyone know where I can get some Nosler Partition 180 gr 357 bullets?Nosler must have dropped them,but they work good on deer out of my 1894 357.
 
I have the Rossi 92, the Marlin 1894, and the Browning 92.
All are pre-2004 and each one is just as sweet as the other.
The Rossi is probably the smoothest action of the three.
They all feed .38special and .357mag flawlessly.
 
I recently bought a new Rossi stainless steel 38 special/357 magnum with a 20 inch barrel. Beautiful gun, smooth action. Feed all 38's and 357's. The metal around the loading gate area is a little rough. Some filing helped smoothen it out. I would definitely buy another, and recommend the Rossi highly.
 
My experience with a new Rossi (Braztech) echoes that of seaboss. I have the 24" in 357/38 and it has functioned flawlessly. Smoothed right up with just a little use and has run like a top since the day I bought it. The price is hard to beat and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one... or two.
 
I bought the Rossi in stainless steel in 454 casull and it is flawless. Sweet action, beautiful wood, nice fit. Love the hi-res fiber optic sights!

Eats 45 colt really well too...
 
The more recent purchasers of Rossi's and the good luck they have had is making me lean that way. I am not sure I want to wait for the right used Marlin as I am sure the prices will go no where but up. Might have to go to the Fleet Farm and take a look at the Rossi 44 magnum they have even though I want the 357. At least I can get an idea of the quality or lack there of with the newer made Rossi's.
 
thats my used marlin 336 in 30-30 300.00 otd i love it my vote marlin pre-rem
 

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