Marlin vs. Winchester .357 or .44

[orangeninja]

Hey guys, another thread got me into thinking (danger, danger) about pistol caliber lever actions. I have been arranging a boar hunt with my brother in law and both of us have been needing a good pig busting rifle. Currently I have a M48A Mauser that I like...but I don't really want to take it hunting.

I was looking at the Winchester 94 Trapper with a 16 inch barrel in either .44 magnum or .357 magnum. I prefer the Marlin rifles, but don't like the 18 inch barrel....I really like the looks of the Winchester and my first "Real" gun was a Winchester....so, you know how that is.

My questions are...would you go with a .357 or a .44 mag? Also, can I shoot .44 specials out of a .44 mag? Can I shoot .38 specials from the .357?

How effective would either of these be in deer or boar hunting? I also shoot the occasional rabbit or snake.

 

[Father Knows Best]

I don't know anything about boar hunting, but I will strongly encourage you to get the Marlin over the Winchester. Winchester makes some fine rifles, but the Marlin is the better choice for the pistol calibers. The Winchester 1894 action was designed for longer cartridges, and doesn't seem to handle the shorter cartridges anywhere near as well.

 

[timothy75]

Either cal will cleanly take a pig. For deer the 44 will have an advantage. Yes you can shoot specials out of both. If this will be your pig rifle the 357 would be fine. If this is to be your all around rifle I'd go with 44 or better 30-30. As for brand you could easily get your hands on both and compare side by side. Good luck.

 

[magyars4]

Trapper for boar

A number of years ago we wnt down to N.C. for a boar hunt.
I carried my Winchester 94 in 45 Colt w/ my re-loads. I still hunted while evryone else was in a tree stand.
The first shot at 50 ft went into the shoulder, broke it and went out the other side...That Pig sure could run!. I followed him down the hill ( in my sights) firing as fast as I could, one of the next six rounds hit him behind the ribs. I knew I had one more round, so I calmed myself down and drilled hin from behind, he was at 70 yards. the bullet stpped on his chest plate. he wieghed just shy of 150 lbs.
Now I tell you all this because i believe either round, 357 or 44 will do the job on the smaller pigs, but I think I would go w/ 44 incase you run into one of the bug boys.

 

[orangeninja]

What exactly makes the Marlin a better gun? Marlin has the 20 and 18 barrel, but I'm really drawn to the 16 inchers.

 

[Brasso]

The choice of Marlin or Winchester is purely personal. They both have their strongpoints where the other has it's weakpoints.

Most people prefer the Marlin because it is side eject and scopes can be fitted more easily. Personally, I think a scope on a lever is about as useful as mammary glands on a bullfrog and just about as ugly, but YMMV. The Marlin is also heavier, which brings up the point that the Winchester is lighter and quicker to handle. In addition, the winchester is top eject and holds the round while it is being fed. The Marlin will drop the round if held to the side while loading. The Winchester has a very slightly stronger action, although in truth it's basically a tie unless you get a 94 BB which can take 60,000 psi loads. I don't know how well either works with pistol caliber loads, but from reading it seems the Marlin does better with .357 and both have some trouble with .44's, at least more so than with the .357's.

So, the Winchester is lighter and quicker and has a positive feeding action.

The Marlin is heavier, which could be good depending on your like of recoil, and can more easily fit a scope. That's really about it.

 

[Pietro Beretta]

I also found Marlin "easier" to take apart to clean, than the winchester.

Thats was the #1 reason for the purchase of my 30-30. #2 was Side ejection, just seemd "right" over the winchesters top ejection.

Both are quality rifles.

P.S. Hey alduro what ever happend with that XD you had trouble with?

 

[Cosmoline]

Marlin all the way.

The Winchester '94 was never intended to be used with pistol cartridges. That was what the Win '92 was for. I've had several '94 carbines and they were inaccurate jam-o-matics. Marlin makes a better rifle these days, as well. If you really want a Winchester Carbine, there are some outfits still making '92 pattern rifles. Just not Jamchester.

 

[orangeninja]

Thanks guys...that's weird...a lever action that jams?

Piettro...that XD is gone with the wind...and good riddance to.

 

[Cosmoline]

Horrible jams. One '94 I had would somehow send .45 Colt shells UNDERNEATH the elevator from time to time, jaming it so bad I had to take it apart to clear it.

 

[orangeninja]

So Cosmoline...was yours a .45LC or a .44?

 

[GunGoBoom]

Jamchester...tee hee.

 

[Pietro Beretta]

(I wouldnt/couldnt live with that xd either.... with all the problems it gave you.... )

 

[tube_ee]

I (my wife actually) went with the Marlin in .357 (thanks, babe!!). .357 because that's the revolver I've got, and the Marlin because the thicker stock wrist, thicker lever and slightly more weight made it feel more like a rifle and less like a Daisy BB gun.

Handle them both, you'll pick the one you like right away. Both guns point like a nice small-bore shotgun. Really.

As to caliber, I'd go with whichever matches your wheelgun. From what I've read, the .357 gains more from the longer barrel than the .44 does, but the .44 starts out with more. If I needed more "power" than my Marlin gives me, I'd be using a rifle, rather than a pistol-caliber carbine. Of course, when I get a .44 (8" or so, please), a matching levergun will be right behind it.

For versatility, it's something of a tossup. The .357 can take smaller game than the .44, if meat damage matters. The .44 can take bigger game than the .357, at least for most shooters. The .357 magnum / .38 special is going to be cheaper to shoot than the .44, even if you handload.

Whichever you go with, you won't be disappointed. I love my Marlin.

--Shannon

 

[Brian Williams]

For a handgun cartridge get a Marlin or a clone of a winny 1892. I would be wary of a 357 for hunting Boar if they are of any size at all, that would open up if you handload. A 180 LFPRN moving 1800 out of a Marlin would work but a 125grJHP would tend to blow apart in a big hog.

 

[Gunsnrovers]

From personal experience and shooting CAS for a few years in the early 1990's, I prefer the Marlin to the Winchester in pistol caliber.

In a moment of stupidity, I sold my Marlin in .357. Still have one in .45Colt. Big 5 still sells them fro $329. I haven't seen the sub $300 Marlins in a while.

 

[Souris]

Please! Before you Buy you should hold both rifles. You should test the safety's on both rifles.
The lawyers have had a field day with the Olin-Winchester. The trigger pull felt like it was ~10 lbs and it had to overcome a terrible rebounding hammer safety.
I traded my .357 Olin-Winchester Trapper ( 16" Barrel) in on a Steoger SxS less than 4 months after I bought it. I took a serious loss on it and was happy it was out of my safe.
In my opinion the Winchester rifles that made the Winchester name are gone. I will never purchase another Olin-Winchester firearm again.

YMMV

My Marlin 1894 performed very nicely out of the box and feeds .38 Special and .357 magnum nicely. It is easier to clean, had better wood and had a crossbolt safety that didn't affect the trigger pull.

 

[Father Knows Best]

Olin hasn't manufactured Winchester firearms for a quarter century now. Since 1981, the rights to the "Winchester(r)" firearms brand have been owned by U.S. Repeating Arms Co. Any "Winchester" firearms made in the last 25 years have actually been produced by USRAC. Olin only makes Winchester(r) brand ammunition and reloading components.

I agree with the general premise, though -- the Marlin 1894 is a far superior rifle to the Winchester 94, at least in pistol calibers.

 

[rdkngrydr]

Marlin Rifles

I own a number of Marlin rifles. 2 1895/.45-70's, a 336C/.35 Rem., 1894P/.44 Mag., and a 39AS/.22LR I also have a Winchester 94 in .30-30. The Marlins are more accurate and easier to clean. They are a bit heavier, but stii a nice carrying gun. If I were going boar hunting I wouldn't consider the .357 or the .44. A boar is a tough animal. I would suggest a .35 Rem or .30-30. Either would be okay for boar or white tail deer . Jim B

 

[orangeninja]

I know of plenty of guys that have taken boar with .44 magnum handguns...I really think a .44 would do the trick, but I never considered that a .357 would....but in looking into it, I can't see how a .357 cast core bullet would be too weak.

I really wish marlin made a 16 incher....

 

[Brasso]

I have a 1979 Win 94 with no safety and no rebounding hammer. I like it quite a bit but it's not a pistol caliber, it's a .375win.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Marlin v Winchester

Minor theoretical point: Winchester raises the elevator on the forward
stroke of the lever; the Marlin raises the elevator on the backstroke
of the lever. To me, the Marlin action is smoother. However, with my
Winchester '92 clone (Rossi Puma) in .357 I can eject the empty
but not raise the elevator and hand load the chamber keeping the
magazine in reserve (kinda like the magazine cutoff on the 1903).
My lever guns: .30-30 Marlin 336W, .30-30 Winchester 1894,
.357 Puma 1892, .22 Marlin 39M.
_____
edited for speeling

 

[mainmech48]

Have to agree that the main reason that the Marlin 94 would be a better choice is that the action is scaled to the cartridges. Also have to agree that a 336 in .30-30 or .35 Rem. would give you much more oomph in about the same size package, and a M-95G in .45-70 will trump that big time.

Personally, I have .357s ( a Marlin and a couple of Rossi 92s) because I already had a progressive press set up to service my revolvers.

My carbines work just dandy with any .38 Spl. except full WCs, which won't feed well from the magazine. Friends with .44 mags generally load Magnum cases to warm .44 Spl. levels (c. 900 f/s) for general use, but Spl. cases would work just as well if you've got 'em.

If I was gonna hunt hogs with a revolver caliber carbine, I'd get a .44. Taurus/Rossi also makes their excellent little M-92 clone in .454 Casull and .480 Ruger, if you're a little masochistic or looking for the most punch in the smallest package.

For all-around fun and utility, the .357 does it. IMO. Easy on the shoulders, ears and pockets.

 

[foghornl]

I have handled/shot both the Wins and Marlins, and I am a Marlin guy.

That being said, for me, trying to put Mr. Piggy in the freezer, I'd take the .44 over the .357.

And if going after the really big hogs, maybe even the .45-70. A wounded boar has a nasty temper, wanting to wreck anything he sees. A runaway 55-gallon drum of tornadic whoop-@zz is the best description I have heard.

 

[Cosmoline]

So Cosmoline...was yours a .45LC or a .44?

.45 Colt, which was part of the problem but not all of it. I realize the tiny rim of the .45 Colt is a problem and the cartridge was never really designed to feed in leverguns. Beyond feeding problems, one of the brand new Winchester '94's I got shot over a foot to one side of POA even at 50 yards. The thing had been put together by apes. The local Winchester repair agent refused to do anything about it because I had installed my own sight to try to fix the problem, thus "modifying" the rifle and voiding the warranty.

The ONLY thing that remains of the legendary Winchester of old is the name.