What about a .357 Carbine for Defense?
- Thread starter Kestrel
- Start date
- Status
Brian Williams
Moderator Emeritus
Great fits in with my S&W 13 and 586 real nice. Mine is very quick to handle and very accurate. 9 + 1 is a good amount and mine feeds anything.
get one and shoot it they are fun, lots of fun.
get one and shoot it they are fun, lots of fun.
B27
Member
I'm very happy with my marlin 1894CS with a Docter Optics electronic sight on it. The extra velocity from the carbine length barrel makes 158 grain JHP's expand as violently as 125gr. ones do out of a revolver.
I'd feel very comfortable using it to repel boarders.
http://www.fototime.com/B45093B1D55DA67/standard.jpg
I'd feel very comfortable using it to repel boarders.
http://www.fototime.com/B45093B1D55DA67/standard.jpg
Gunsnrovers
Member
go for it
I regret selling my Marlin .357 lever gun. I'll replace it one of these days. Hopefully sooner rather then later.
I think a lever carbine in pistol caliber and a good scattergun are two awesome tools for HD.
Jeff
I regret selling my Marlin .357 lever gun. I'll replace it one of these days. Hopefully sooner rather then later.
I think a lever carbine in pistol caliber and a good scattergun are two awesome tools for HD.
Jeff
I think the 357 is the best caliber lever action for the type of defense in question. The 44 has far too much flash & blast to be useful inside a home. The defensive shot taken with the 44 might well leave your infant deaf for life. There is also the question of ammo expense, keep in mind that in the future your ammo budget may be much more limited than it now is.
Cheap 38 practice loads will keep the family in shooting shape no matter how tight the budget. 357 knockdown power is legendary but a good 38 special load out of a carbine would do the job with less damage to the kids hearing. It will also have such light recoil, that any family member can use it well.
Cheap 38 practice loads will keep the family in shooting shape no matter how tight the budget. 357 knockdown power is legendary but a good 38 special load out of a carbine would do the job with less damage to the kids hearing. It will also have such light recoil, that any family member can use it well.
Last edited:
I would feel pretty confident using a 357 mag lever acion for defense. The 44 carbine too me is overly powerful for home defense use. Don't really agree with the above 44 mag comments concerning flash and noise - not in a 20" barrel. Owned an 1894 Marlin in 44 mag and it was noticeably less noisy than most centerfire handguns I have fired or the short barrel shotguns that many recommend for home defense use.
Kentucky Rifle
Member In Memoriam
I'd sell my AR before I'd sell my Marlin 1894C, .357 Mag if it came down to it. I tried to find a round that the 1894 "liked best". But it likes everything.
KR
KR
ChristopherG
Member
When I think about my guns in 'defense' scenarios, I tend to think of the 870 pump as the gun for immediate home/perimeter defense--but in the rather hard-to-imagine scenario of 'neighborhood' defense, it's the 1894C for sure. Unless you're up against armored foes, the .357 carbine will handle anything on two legs just fine out to a hundred yards, and a carbine equipped with a peep sight (mine has the Lyman peep on the back and the factory front sight) will shoot quickly and accurately to that range.
And, KR makes the best point; it is a fun, fun gun to shoot.
CG
And, KR makes the best point; it is a fun, fun gun to shoot.
CG
Kentucky Rifle
Member In Memoriam
I forgot...
I forgot to say that I've not tried any .38 Special ammunition in my 1894C. So I don't know if it'll feed .38 as slickly as .357 mag. The rifle is chambered for .357 mag. I (Or my wife, actually) bought the rifle with .357 mag in mind and it just didn't occur to me to try .38 specials.<shrug>
KR
I forgot to say that I've not tried any .38 Special ammunition in my 1894C. So I don't know if it'll feed .38 as slickly as .357 mag. The rifle is chambered for .357 mag. I (Or my wife, actually) bought the rifle with .357 mag in mind and it just didn't occur to me to try .38 specials.<shrug>
KR
Dave Markowitz
Member
I'd take a reliable .357 carbine over an subgun if I needed a longarm for social purposes. It packs a lot more wallop with little recoil and blast. Just make sure it works reliably with the ammo you choose and you've got a heck of a weapon.
I recommend the 158 JSPs or JHPs, as the 125 grainers out of a rifle are going fast enough that they'll darn near explode if they hit something at close range.
I recommend the 158 JSPs or JHPs, as the 125 grainers out of a rifle are going fast enough that they'll darn near explode if they hit something at close range.
Here's my apples to kiwi fruit comparison from my Speer reloading manual.
All are max velocities found for that particular bullet weight. Not the barrel lengths are an uncontroled variable.
.357 Mag 158 grain 6" handgun 1,034
.44 Mag 240 grain 7.5" handgun 1,450
.357 Mag 158 grain 18" rifle 1,738 +68% over handgun vel.
.44 Mag 240 grain 20" rifle 1,738 +23% over handgun vel.
Note that the .357 mag in a pistol using 125 grainers is doing 1400-1500 fps.
Okey-doke. I couldn't find any data for a .44 Special out of a rifle, but I have it for a puny 3" handgun.
240 grainer coming out at 863 fps.
So, if we were to give just a 23% bump in velocity for th e.44 Special out of a rifle, that would give it 1,450 fps which would put it at the same energy of a .44 Mag out of a handgun.
Would that be something worthwhile?
Rick
All are max velocities found for that particular bullet weight. Not the barrel lengths are an uncontroled variable.
.357 Mag 158 grain 6" handgun 1,034
.44 Mag 240 grain 7.5" handgun 1,450
.357 Mag 158 grain 18" rifle 1,738 +68% over handgun vel.
.44 Mag 240 grain 20" rifle 1,738 +23% over handgun vel.
Note that the .357 mag in a pistol using 125 grainers is doing 1400-1500 fps.
Okey-doke. I couldn't find any data for a .44 Special out of a rifle, but I have it for a puny 3" handgun.
240 grainer coming out at 863 fps.So, if we were to give just a 23% bump in velocity for th e.44 Special out of a rifle, that would give it 1,450 fps which would put it at the same energy of a .44 Mag out of a handgun.
Would that be something worthwhile?
Rick
Deadman
Member
The data I have here for .44spcl from a 8 inch barrel lists max loads as -
- lead 165grn, 6.3grns AP-70N (similar to Universal and Unique) at 1042fps
- lead 185grn, 6.4grns AP-70N at 1031fps
- lead 200grn, 6.5grns AP-70N at 967fps
- jacketed 200grn, 15grns AR2205 (similar to H4227) at 1021fps.
(AP-70N and AR2205 are Australian ADI powders produced in conjunction with Hodgdon)
That could be advantageous if one wants to limit overpenetration...
- lead 165grn, 6.3grns AP-70N (similar to Universal and Unique) at 1042fps
- lead 185grn, 6.4grns AP-70N at 1031fps
- lead 200grn, 6.5grns AP-70N at 967fps
- jacketed 200grn, 15grns AR2205 (similar to H4227) at 1021fps.
(AP-70N and AR2205 are Australian ADI powders produced in conjunction with Hodgdon)
That could be advantageous if one wants to limit overpenetration...
varoadking
Member
My Winchester is a tack driver...
...with iron sights out to 50 yards. I haven't shot it any further - I can't see well much past that anyway - so that suits me just fine.
http://www.winchester-guns.com/prodinfo/catalog/detail.asp?cat_id=534&type_id=094&cat=003C
I like the compact nature of the Trapper... I paid $369 or something like that for mine last year.
...with iron sights out to 50 yards. I haven't shot it any further - I can't see well much past that anyway - so that suits me just fine.
http://www.winchester-guns.com/prodinfo/catalog/detail.asp?cat_id=534&type_id=094&cat=003C
I like the compact nature of the Trapper...
I paid $369 or something like that for mine last year.My 357 Marlin 94 will feed any standard 38 Special load. It will not feed 148 gr wadcutters at all. It also fails to feed with cheap reloads. I would use factory loads for SD. A Williams Foolproof rear sight will pay for itself in ammo and time saved sighting in for the various loads. This is a surprisingly efficient SD carbine. It can be carried discreetly in a golf bag, ski bag or the leg of fishing waders. In some cars there is a pass through from the trunk for long items like ski bags. You can see the advantage of having carbine power discreetly available during a crisis. Even with magnum loads it had very little muzzle flash at night. (I tried it)
ACP230
Member
I shot a Marlin .357 carbine at a Turkey Shoot last weekend.
I have a .41 Magnum Marlin, which of course is better, but overall I was impressed.
I shot a steel silhouettes out to 120 yards. The gun was accurate enough for the work, but my eyes weren't up to it with iron sights. I did hit steel critters out to 75 yards or so.
I wouldn't feel poorly armed with either .357 or .41 Magnum carbine for HD here. The longest shot I'd ever have to make in town would be 50-75 yards. I think most likely any self defense shooting would be inside 20 yards.
The carbine barrel should shoot harder than any revolver too.
I have a .41 Magnum Marlin, which of course is better, but overall I was impressed.
I shot a steel silhouettes out to 120 yards. The gun was accurate enough for the work, but my eyes weren't up to it with iron sights. I did hit steel critters out to 75 yards or so.
I wouldn't feel poorly armed with either .357 or .41 Magnum carbine for HD here. The longest shot I'd ever have to make in town would be 50-75 yards. I think most likely any self defense shooting would be inside 20 yards.
The carbine barrel should shoot harder than any revolver too.
Kentucky Rifle
Member In Memoriam
I reckon my 1894's sights are placed just right...
It's my only rifle that I don't need my glasses to use. Odd--But the sights are perfectly clear. It's getting "slicker" in the action department too, each time I use it. It was close to our 25th anniversary and I watched my wife get out of her car with a box. She just walked in the house, smiled and said, "Happy 25th"! I was flabbergasted!
KR
It's my only rifle that I don't need my glasses to use. Odd--But the sights are perfectly clear. It's getting "slicker" in the action department too, each time I use it. It was close to our 25th anniversary and I watched my wife get out of her car with a box. She just walked in the house, smiled and said, "Happy 25th"! I was flabbergasted!
KR
Mannlicher
Member
I have carried a Rossi .357 magnum for some time, as a truck gun, and around the house as a 'maybe' gun. Mine is fitted with a Lyman tang peep sight. This is one sweet shooting little carbine, and I would not hesitate to put it to work with defence duties.
- Status
