Lever action 357

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kst8fan

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I’m currently looking for a lever action rifle chambered I the popular 38/357. I’m really looking for a pre Remington Marlin. Problem is as most of you probably know, they are really hard to find. I have seen a few on gunbroker but they are close to $1000. Not really wanting to spend that much so I’ve been looking elsewhere. Rossi makes the R92 chambered in 357, but not sure of their quality as they are much cheaper and are owned by Braztech/Taurus. Anyone have any experience with the Rossi brand? Who else makes rifles in this cartridge? Thanks
 
If you can find a Rossi in .357 I recommend buying it. They are very good rifles that are well built, just a little rough around the edges at times. I have one in .44mag and I will never get rid of it. Henry is another one to consider, actions are smooth as silk.
 
Henry makes the Big Boy with a brass or a blued steel receiver. I have the brass and it's a wonderful shooter. With .38s it's a bit finicky, though.
They run ~$750. I got mine just slightly used for less
 
I have a stainless steel Rossi 92 in 357 mag with a 26" octagon barrel that is a very nice rifle. It is accurate, but as Targa indicated they are a little rough. I took mine apart and using stones and Flitz I was able to smooth up the action and she's been a much better rifle since.
 
I have a pair of Winchester 94 Trappers (357 & 44). These are dandy little carbines.
Two things I'll toss out:
1: You don't need more than 16" of barrel
2: Lighter is better(and more fun)
 
I've had my Henry Big Boy Steel for about three years now and love it. I've shot upwards of a couple thousand rounds through it with no problems. It handles .38's no problem, but I mostly just shoot .357 so I don't have to correct for POI. Off the bench it easily shoots under 3" at a hundred yds with my favorite load. Of all my rifles this one is the most natural pointing one I own. For me the balance is perfect, love the stock buckhorn sights, and with a little polishing the trigger is not too bad. Anytime I'm shooting with someone and let them try it, they just love this rifle. I also have one in .41 and other than heavier recoil it performs the same.
 
I had an old Marlin for years that I hunted with as a child. It was the first lever action 357 magnum I had ever seen. My father got it for me but it was chambered in some other caliber.

As a child I was very interested in my fathers carry gun (S&W 357 magnum) so my father had the Marlin chambered for 357 magnum.

It worked well and Id still be using it today but my son owns it now (Its what he asked for when he graduated)

Today I still use a 357 magnum Carbine but its a Ruger 77/357 with a suppressor.

Marlins are great if you can find a pre-Remington one. Henerys are great too if you dont mind the lack of a loading gate. Henerys are also very heavy. I have no experience with Rossi.
 
.357 lever

Whatever you decide, a .357 lever carbine is a very handy and practical little rifle. I've had a Marlin since the 1980's when they first came out, and it is one of my favorite rifles. You can tailor the power range across the board,... single load .38 WC's, all the way up to boutique mag ammo that runs on the heels of the old .30-30.

My old carbine has seen a fair amount of .38/110 +P+ JHP, .357/125 JHP, and a mid-range .357/158 LSWC. Currently the little Marlin is zeroed for .357/158 JHP, a load I do not currently use in any of my .357 revolvers. For the most practicality, I need to set a revolver up zeroed for the same load, and it would not take much to do so, maybe after deer season.

I'll add that full house 125 JHP from the carbine barrel is absolutely devasting on medium sized critters, and I speculate would be an effective SD load as well. From the carbine, it is entirely shootable, and not nearly as atomic as the same load from a revolver.

Finally, I found aperature/peep sights a great addition to my carbine. Shot it as a ghost ring for awhile, then added the small aperature as my eyes slipped a bit. Doubled the sight radius.
 
As stated above, a Ruger 77/357 would be good if you are willing to go with a bolt action. They are the nicest 357 carbine on the market IMO.

Lever actions' quality is all over the place, from (in order of my preference) Miroku Winchester 1892 (nice but expensive), Marlins (nice, not real expensive), Henrys (nice, but heavy), Chiappa (nice but expensive), Uberti 1873 (nice and will also handle 38s), to Rossi (they're OK, but just OK). Your choice.
 
Used Browning 92 if you can't find an older Marlin. Note if you load 38 special load them long so they'll feed reliably in the Browning 92.
 
I appreciate all the replies. I think I’m going with a Henry Big Boy steel. I like the price of the Rossi, just don’t trust their quality. Would love an older Marlin, but they are just too hard to come by.
 
Laz said:
I like my Henry Big Boy Steel in .357 very much.
Click to expand...
I’m rather fond of mine as well. 38s have required being a bit more authoritative with the action though. The weight is both good and bad for me. I do notice the weight after holding it for a bit, but it also keep the barrel from moving around as much. It’s much easier for me to stabilize a heavier rifle, probably why I prefer them.
 
In 2006 I bought a new Rossi 92 in .357 with the 24" octagonal barrel. I installed a Marbles tang sight and a globe front sight. I could consistently put rounds inside 3/4" at 50 yards and a friend could also do that with my rifle using factory .357 ammo. Like a dummy I sold it but recently bought another Rossi 92 in .44 mag and a 24" barrel. I have had no problems with either rifle. Lots of people claim they have had problems with Taurus revolvers but I have had none with a new model 85 purchased in 1994, a model 44 in .44 mag purchased used and just bought used model 85 which has performed flawlessly. If you read enough different gun forums you will find problems with any manufacturers guns even the vaunted S&W.
 
I just bought a friend's pre-Remington Marlin 1894 in .357. It looks great, the wood fit is very nice and he put a couple of boxes through it when it was new and had no issues. Looks a ton better than the newish one I saw at a LGS a while back. I was planning on buying a Rossi when one showed up, but when this deal came up, I jumped on it.
 
As much as I do like my Henry Big Boy Steel in .357 for many reasons, it has struck me that this rifle might be a somewhat better match for the .44 Magnum cartridge because even in the lighter steel version it is a slightly heavier rifle than a 92 being around 7 pounds. Plus, that big rubber recoil pad makes more sense on a 44 than on the very light recoiling .357. That said, I’m very happy with it.
 
I bought a Henry Big Boy Steel Carbine a few months ago. It's highly accurate with nearly any factory or hand load. Super smooth action, very nice wood and finish. Bolt removes easily for breech to muzzle cleaning. A borescope inspection shows nice rifling, beautifully cut throat and it has no tendency to copper foul beyond a normal light haze.

I had one of those old pre-Remington Marlins in 44 mag. While it was a nice rifle, I think the internet aura surrounding these rifles is causing us to see them through rose colored lenses. I believe the newer Henry's are objectively better rifles. If I had a spare thou, I might consider one of those old Marlins in 357 because it's interesting, not because it's "better".
 
To me, it's not a lever action I want if it doesn't have a loading gate. I have a Henry .22, but I didn't have any desire for one in .357. They are nice though.
 
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