Who make the best .357 lever action?

B

beastman

New member
I am thinking of getting a .357 lever action for my wife. I know Marlin makes one, but I am not sure who else does.

1) Who makes the "best" .357 lever action rifle?

2) How powerful is a .357 mag out of a rifle? (ie: varmint power? deer power? 2 legged varmint power? etc.)

Thanks.
 
Winchester & Rossi also make them.

According to my Speer reloading manual (12th edition), you might get 1700 fps from an 18" barrel with a 158 grain bullet, for a muzzle energy of 1014 ft-lb, compared to 1200 fps/505 ft-lb from a 6" handgun. That's adequate for two-legged varmints. As for the four-legged kind, it's more than enough, but you'll have to get mighty close to be able to hit one, considering the typical sights you'll find on a lever-action. I don't know about using one for deer - seems awfully small.
 
It will do a number on a deer. My nod goes to the Marlin but this is one of those on going debates that will never be resolved. What it really comes down to is which feels best to you.

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Gunslinger

TFL End of Summer Meet, August 12th & 13th, 2000
 
Higher score to the Marlin methinks, but the Rossi has a well deserved good reputation. Of course a thurty-thurty would do a darnsight better but that wasn't the question I guess. I have a Winchester in 45 LC and its a dandy caliber also but i digress even further :)
 
The reason I want to get a .357 mag lever gun is to be a companion to my wife's .357 gp-100 revolver. Otherwise, I might look into other calibers.
 
My $.02 worth. I just bought a Marlin .357 24" octogon barrel CowboyII yesterday. The Marlin felt more comfortable to me. I liked the style better, and I liked the side ejection. However, the main reason I bought the Marlin is after listening to others the Marlin is by far the prefered choice. Also, I have had two Marlin .22s and have nothing but excellent service from them. Style, comfort, most recommended, and past experience.......duh, it was a no brainer for me.

Haven't had a chance to shoot it yet, but am drooling.

I can't imagine you'd be anything but happy with a Marlin. JMHO, FWIW.
 
I have a Marlin 1894 CS in .357. It is accurate, lightweight and easy to maintain. The sights aren't that great but I am planning on replacing them with a set of Ashley ghost ring sights. It is somewhat finicky in the type of ammo that it will accept (no wadcutters or FMJ), but other than that it is a great little rifle.
 
Rossi, Winchester, and Marlin are all decent guns. The Rossi is the cheapest and has the least fancy finish. The Marlin has a crossbolt safety that many (including me) find objectionable. I believe all the Winchesters in handgun calibers also have the crossbolt safety except for the Model 1892, which has a less obtrusive tang safety. The Winchester is also the most expensive of the lot.
 
I bought a Marlin years ago. Like it fine. Put a receiver site on it which was inexpensive and allows me to change the aperture out. Gives you a much better peep site and about an extra 6 inches of site radius, rear site just gets folded down out of the way.
Winchester wasn't making theirs at the time, supposedly had stopped production due to feeding/ejection problems. Theirs has a 16 inch barrel, which I would have prefered.
I don't think I would do the Rossi, the Marlin isn't that much more money.
Desert Eagle/IMI used to import the Timber Wolf pump in .357. Nice take down rifle, however, they are discontinued now and hard to find.
I love the Marlin and don't think you can go wrong with it. Avoid lead bullets in the Marlin. Go with heavy stuff.

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NRA Life Memeber
 
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