Opinions: new Winchester 92, 94 Trails End or Marlin 94 Cowboy Competition

[SloopG]

Would appreciate any opinions or comparisions of the new Winchester 92, the Winchester 94 Trails End or the Marlin 1894 Cowboy Competition. Will use it for shooting competition matches with 357 mag/38 special ammo. I know that there are probably other choices but I like the looks of a case hardened receiver and octagonal barrel.

 

[Kaylee]

I think it's very much a matter of "pick 'em all up and see what works for you."

Now personally, I like the feel of the Winchester '92 action the best, though the knockoffs are cheaper and don't have that annoying extra safety. On the other hand, most all the CAS folks I knew in Idaho used Ruger Vaqueros, Marlin rifles, and '97 shotguns or clones pretty much exclusively.

Also, for what it's worth -- the octagonal-barreled "short rifles" are noticably heavier than the round-barrelled carbines. A friend's '92 short rifle shocked me with how clunky it felt compared to the '92 carbine I'd played with.