Which .357 lever action should I buy this weekend?

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I have a 16" Rossi and like it. Didn't like the stock sights - could not adjust them to be accurate. Steve at Steve's Gunz said the 16" model has an inherent problem with the stock sights in that way. Ended up spending some bucks to have a scout scope mounted on it. Changes the look and feel of the gun, but after all was said and done, I like the scope! (it's the 2.5x Burris Scout Scope). My first choice would have been Marlin, but I'm happy with what I have.

Hope you got what you wanted.
 
Tamlin, can you post a picture of your scout mount?
I like the 16 trappers best but I'd buy an older Marlin .357 with the 18.5" barrel if the price was right.
There are some stainless Marlin trappers out there as well that were part of a limited run....
 
Wacki, don't know if you had any luck finding a .357 lever, this shop near Dayton, Ohio has them listed on their site. I bought an 1894C about 2 years ago from this place. Couldn't find them anywhere else in southwest Ohio at the time. Price has increased around $150 since then.

http://www.oeoutfitters.com/scripts/default.asp
 
Here is my setup. Had to have her drilled and tapped, but I'm happy with the result. Never knew beforehand how old my eyes were getting. :uhoh:
 

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Tamlin, sorry to bother you again but is there any chance you can post a bigger picture showing the mount better?
Thanks!
 
In order of quality:

Browning 92: Typical Miroku quality - top notch

Marlin 94: not quite as nice as the Browning, but still well made.

A distant third for Rossi. I had two 92s in 357. Neither shot worth a hoot, were crudely machined and took hours of polishing to get to work at all smoothly. Sold them both and don't miss them.
 
I'm looking for an Uberti lever action in .357 now. Well, not too actively, but it will probably be my next long gun purchase.


-Matt
 
Buy American.

Get a Marlin 1894 C*.

My favorite Rifle is my Marlin 1894 CP. Factory 16" barrel with a Factory Comp. Shooting 38's is like shooting a 'BB' gun, and with full house Buffalo Bore it shoots with a 30-30. Simply amazing.

Mine is set up with XS Ghost sights, no tritium involved.

"The Funnest Gun to Shoot".

Really good luck.

Fred
 
Here is a close up. My camera battery just died, but I got one out of it before it did.
 

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Just picked up a Marlin 1984C. Can't stop playing with it. Thanks guys!
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Nice choice Wacki, How does she shoot?

Tamlin, thanks for the bigger picture I might do a similar mount but I think I'll try and keep it back of the barrel band for the front leg.
 
Derek 45,
I see a lever action rifle and a revovler in your third photo. I also see some magazines in that photo. Did you do some sort of bizzare modifications?
 
Glad you found one you like. here's my late to the party 2 cents. Up until a week ago I would have said buy marlin. Then I got my new remington made marlin 1894css in the mail. What a piece of junk. Wood to metal fit was poor at best, the front sight was crooked, the rear sight was only drifted halfway into the dovetail, and the dovetail was cut in at the 1'clock position instead of the 12. The action cycled like it was full of gravel and the bolt had rust on it. Rust on a stainless gun. I called marlin/remington, and after about 15 minutes of elevator music got a real person who's going to take the gun back and work on it, but wow was it ever disappointing. Now I recommend you buy an old marlin, and if you must have a new gun, get something else or check it over VERY carefully before you plunk down money.
 
a shooting buddy has a Marlin .357 that I've shot a good bit. with his admittedly 'hot' handloads really whacks a 8" steel disc @100yds. with factory irons.
as does my Marlin .45acp Camp. we joke about tradeing I tell him he won't offer enough 'boot'.
 
Glad you found one you like. here's my late to the party 2 cents. Up until a week ago I would have said buy marlin. Then I got my new remington made marlin 1894css in the mail. What a piece of junk. Wood to metal fit was poor at best, the front sight was crooked, the rear sight was only drifted halfway into the dovetail, and the dovetail was cut in at the 1'clock position instead of the 12. The action cycled like it was full of gravel and the bolt had rust on it. Rust on a stainless gun. I called marlin/remington, and after about 15 minutes of elevator music got a real person who's going to take the gun back and work on it, but wow was it ever disappointing. Now I recommend you buy an old marlin, and if you must have a new gun, get something else or check it over VERY carefully before you plunk down money.
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Good advice about handling a newer Marlin before buying! It sounds like yours has a barrel that was over indexed....
 
overindexed yes, and it actually made me a little leery about the barrel just being screwed in too far. would that change my headspacing? but yes, the rear sight was way off to the right, and the front actually leaned to the left. all in all, I had no desire to go shoot it.
 
Wow I figured they were both off to the right but that's crazy that they are off in different directions!
Zero quality control!!
For us in Canada it's even worth as the "just send it back to the factory and we will fix your brand new gun" is a lot harder since 9/11 and all the restrictive border hassles shipping guns back and forth.....
It's too bad because they've come out with some nice models lately but if the quality is not there what's the point? I wish they'd just raise the price a bit if that's the issue....
 
MattTheHat, great choice. If you can, get the pistol grip. Great ergonomics. And that action will wear in beautifully.
When you get it, look at the bottom just forward of the elevator. There are two screws. One is the tension on the lever and the other is the tension on the elevator. You can relax the tension on the lever until it starts to drop away from the stock. Tighten half a turn. There is a screw under the lever that controls tension on the mainspring/hammer. If you reload and use Federal primers, you can make it loose and the cycling will improve greatly. If you shoot factory, shoot one, loose 1/2 turn, repeat until round will not fire. Turn back half a turn. Same with the Federals.

I haven't traveled afield for a couple of years. Up to 2007, I traveled to the southeast and to the southwest and and shot with the best cowboys and cowgirls and I did not know anyone who used the 1892. A few of the upper tier shooters used a Marlin and the rest used an 1873. An 1894 was never seen in their hands nor a Henry. They are solid rifles buy they will not run with an 1873.
I own a Marlin and a couple of 1873s.The Marlin is in 38-55 and used for long range side matches.
Hope you get that '73.
 
Thanks for the tips, RedCent!

I don't think you can go wrong with a Marlin, leadhead. I had one about 10 ago that I rehomed to a friend who rehomed it to a CAS friend of his. I shutter to think how many thousands of rounds went through the gun after it left me. I got a chance to shoot it again year before last and it was smooth as silk and was as accurate as I was.

-Matt
 
1873 Uberti lever of any importer and any caliber. I purchased a Beretta Renegade .357 and so far I love it.
 
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