Best .357 lever gun for the money?

[JWHuey]

Originally Posted by FNGGlock

Those look really cool, personally I didn’t care for how front heavy the octagon barrels felt (though they look really nice). I mostly shoot mine offhand and figured the weight may become an issue, but all about personal preference as some people love the extra front weight.

I think the shorter 16" barrel might mitigate that a bit from the rifle version. But, yeah.


That thing is sexy AF though. Damn.

I can't seem to find that specific version on Henry's website though. Might be unobtainium.

[FNGGlock]

Originally Posted by JWHuey

I think the shorter 16" barrel might mitigate that a bit from the rifle version. But, yeah.


That thing is sexy AF though. Damn.

I can't seem to find that specific version on Henry's website though. Might be unobtainium.

You made me look and it seems listed on their site
https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/big-...ned-side-gate/

The rifle and carbine length is listed.

I pawed a few different models at SW when I was looking, I just used comperable configs at the time for stock, barrel, etc even had to feel a few 44s at the time to get a sense. SW didn’t get Xs in for a few months while I waited. Someone gere pointed me to kygunco who had what I was looking for and I shipped it in.

So it is obtainable eventually, though they are more pricey now.

[golfish]

Originally Posted by JWHuey

I can't seem to find that specific version on Henry's website though. Might be unobtainium.

I think this is the one on their site. Anything .357 is harder to find these days. Keep an eye open on GB or you might ask your LGS to order you one. Your gonna be paying $1200+ for it.
Kind of makes the Winchester a little easier to buy.

https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/big-...ned-side-gate/

[JWHuey]

Originally Posted by FNGGlock

You made me look and it seems listed on their site
https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/big-...ned-side-gate/

The rifle and carbine length is listed.

I pawed a few different models at SW when I was looking, I just used comperable configs at the time for stock, barrel, etc even had to feel a few 44s at the time to get a sense. SW didn’t get Xs in for a few months while I waited. Someone gere pointed me to kygunco who had what I was looking for and I shipped it in.

So it is obtainable eventually, though they are more pricey now.

Thank you!!!

[JWHuey]

Originally Posted by golfish

I think this is the one on their site. Anything .357 is harder to find these days. Keep an eye open on GB or you might ask your LGS to order you one. Your gonna be paying $1200+ for it.
Kind of makes the Winchester a little easier to buy.

https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/big-...ned-side-gate/

Thank you!

[bonesurf]

just for reference. Uberti/Taylor's in 357. pistol grip, case hardening, octagonal


a Henry X in 357 "tacticool mall ninja"


and some winchesters

[JWHuey]

Originally Posted by bonesurf

just for reference. Uberti/Taylor's in 357. pistol grip, case hardening, octagonal


a Henry X in 357 "tacticool mall ninja"


and some winchesters

Beautiful. All of them.

The tacticool levers definitely have my attention as well, but I think sorta traditional will come first.

[Reno-Kid]

Originally Posted by JWHuey

New to lever guns, not sure what to get, or how much to spend?

I have a couple .38/357s so I would just like a fun companion rifle for range fun, and maybe camping.

I dig the traditional look, but am not married to it. I know they do some pretty trick stuff to these things now.

I am looking for the good value, but not poor type rifle.


Recommendations appreciated.

Thank you

Look up Gun Broker if good value and good brand name is a high priority.

https://www.gunbroker.com/Lever-Acti...ber=.357%20Mag.


Where about are you located?

[W.R.Buchanan]

Enough of this falderal. Sell your damn 357 pistols and buy a Marlin 1894 CB .44Spec/Mag. Then get a Ruger SBH Bisley to go with it!

Everyone should know by now that proper Handgun Calibers all start with a 4, so it's time to get on board and get with the program.

You can reload .44's just as cheaply as .357's but you have a wider range of possible uses with the .44. I can load them for plinking at 900 fps or shooting Elk at 1800fps. A 250 gr boolit at 1800-2000 fps will take down anything in N/A and most of the rest of the world as well. When the New Marlins come out they will have 1:20 twist barrels and will stabilize boolits up to 320 gr easily. A 320 gr solid boolit at 1600 fps is no small thing and is up into .45-70 range. My standard .45-70 load is a 325 gr boolit at 1550fps.

A .357 Levergun is for plinking. And you better not put a GD scope on it!!!

Both guns will take Specials or Magnums but when you shoot something with a .44 it stays shot!

Enough of this falderal!

Randy

[200Apples]

falderal or balderdash! Either one!

[TipsyMcStaggers]

Originally Posted by FNGGlock

You made me look and it seems listed on their site
https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/big-...ned-side-gate/

The rifle and carbine length is listed.

I pawed a few different models at SW when I was looking, I just used comperable configs at the time for stock, barrel, etc even had to feel a few 44s at the time to get a sense. SW didn’t get Xs in for a few months while I waited. Someone gere pointed me to kygunco who had what I was looking for and I shipped it in.

So it is obtainable eventually, though they are more pricey now.

I own that exact CC sidegate 357 rifle, and while I love it, if I had to buy it again I would get the carbine.

[Cowboy T]

Gotta give another vote for the Rossi 92. They are good shooters, at least in my experience, and they work well. They make the Winchester 92 platform actually affordable to most people, and that's a darn good thing. I'd call them the Honda Civics or Toyota Corollas of the levergun world. They ain't fancy, but they sure do the job well. I sure like 'em.

Next up would be the Henry. I don't mean the gold-plated "commemorative" editions, either, but rather the matte- or polished blued-finish Henrys. They're solid leverguns that are a bit more expensive than the Rossis, and I'd say they're more like the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry of leverguns.

[Jimi Jah]

My Henry 357 has a blasphemous Leopold 3x9 33mm scope on it.

I have tired eyes at 70 and ammo is too expensive to miss.

That scope is small and lightweight, a good fit. My iron site days are long over.

[pennstater]

Blasphemous my butt, I need a scope on my lever guns. Like you, I like hitting what I aim at. 1-3x20mm on .357 Henry, 2-7x33mm on .45 Colt Henry. Works very well for me.

MLC

[JWHuey]

Originally Posted by Jimi Jah

My Henry 357 has a blasphemous Leopold 3x9 33mm scope on it.

I have tired eyes at 70 and ammo is too expensive to miss.

That scope is small and lightweight, a good fit. My iron site days are long over.

I am there as well, albeit at 51. Bad eyes have been dogging me since I was young.

[bonesurf]

Ruger Marlin SBL 45-70. I had to add a scout scope. Even a steel plate looks tiny at 100 through the irons.

[harbormaster]

1. Bought a rossi a few years ago, 357 under $600 OTD. It never gave me any troubles and I traded it away for what I don't even remember;

2. Bought a winchester just a while back, 357, and won't disclose the price because it was in the marketplace and the seller seemed to be fire selling it which I greatly appreciated. I've only gone about 80 rounds through it and while its great I don't notice it being better then the Rossi;

IMO the levers are noticeably sporadic in availability; its my guess manufacturers turn on the line and make some then stop? IDK it seems like they are readily available retail then not. When not the market place see's "high priced" models. I don't get 1500/1600/+ Marlins or the like but to each their own.

Henry I've never owned, but there is one on my to do list in the future.

[bonesurf]

Originally Posted by harbormaster

IMO the levers are noticeably sporadic in availability; its my guess manufacturers turn on the line and make some then stop? IDK it seems like they are readily available retail then not. When not the market place see's "high priced" models. I don't get 1500/1600/+ Marlins or the like but to each their own.

the build on the Ruger Marlin is REALLY nice I gotta say. I am impressed.

I think the manufacturers are probably building in "batches". so when they are done, the market sees a bunch of "X" type of rifle available. instead of turning out all 20+ models of whatever they offer at a steady pace, they make a batch of model X and Z then release. then model A and B or whatever it seems. what you seem to see in the market is all the sudden a bunch of miroku/winchester 1873s in a specific barrel length and finish will hit the market and then they will be gone and instead you will see 94s or whatever. ditto the Italians (Uberti et al). Henry's seem to hit the retail market at a pretty steady pace as are the new ruger marlins (altho that's a pathetically slow pace vs the demand).

[Jimi Jah]

Henry builds them as fast as they can. Demand outstrips supply.

[bonesurf]

Originally Posted by Jimi Jah

Henry builds them as fast as they can. Demand outstrips supply.

I meant the ruger/marlin pace. Henry’s seem readily available. Retting’s the closest “real” gun store to me has a grip of Henry’s with more in the back.

[Imageview]

Demand on the marlins is slowly falling back to earth. Saw a ruglin sbl on gunbroker the other day from a ffl for $1700 buy it now. Thought it must be used but didn’t see it noted anywhere. The new blued wood laminate variants are pretty close to retail. I expect demand for the ruglins will be cyclical, as models have been out of production for a while demand for that variant will ramp back up. I’ve still got my eye on a 1895 trapper personally, but if I didn’t already have an 1894 in 357 I would be waiting for that one instead.

I like the ease of getting inside the marlin 94 slightly more than the Henry, but not enough for the price differential to make sense. I just want a ruglin (1895) to match my jm (39m) and my remlin (1894) to complete the set. I prefer the ejection of the henrys and marlins to the Winchester clones. All weird personal reasons to pick one over the other, no real wrong choices.

[Drivedabizness]

Originally Posted by smittty

Rossi 92, new ones made by CBC Brazil.

I love mine - fit and finish are excellent and it shoots very well!

[k1dude]

For the money, I think the best is Rossi. However, you may have to do a little tuning to make it run well. But it's very light, quick, and handy. They have a stupid safety which can be removed.

Henry's are probably the next best value. They're rock solid and perform well out of the box. But you'll pay a weight penalty. This is the easy pick. You also get both a tube mag and a side gate on some models.

Winchesters and Ruglins are next as far as value since they're so expensive. However, they probably are the best made.

[Jimi Jah]

Henry round barrels are rather light. It's the octagon barrels that add extra weight along with thick brass recievers.

[ACfixer]

I hate be be this way, but the answer is never Rossi. Anything but.

[golfish]

Originally Posted by ACfixer

I hate be be this way, but the answer is never Rossi. Anything but.

Hey now, I got 2 good ones out of 5..

[pennstater]

ACfixer, mighty fine looking Henry you have there. Sure do like my two Henry's.
The .45 Colt being my favorite.

MLC

[ACfixer]

Originally Posted by golfish

Hey now, I got 2 good ones out of 5..

I know, that's why I said I hate to say it... my experiences have not been nearly as good!

Originally Posted by pennstater

ACfixer, mighty fine looking Henry you have there. Sure do like my two Henry's.
The .45 Colt being my favorite.

MLC

Thank you sir! That one is a .44, some say the scope on a lever is sacrilege but I disagree, especially on something as modern as that and it's my go-to deer gun in the dense woods here, perfect. Really fun to shoot.

[pennstater]

AC, that scope looks like mine on the .45 Colt. Leupold 2-7x33 shotgun scope.
Works perfect for my F'ing eyesight!

MLC

[ACfixer]

To un-hijack the thread a little, for the money I think the Henry OP.

Originally Posted by pennstater

AC, that scope looks like mine on the .45 Colt. Leupold 2-7x33 shotgun scope.
Works perfect for my F'ing eyesight!

MLC

It's actually a fixed power 4 x 33, I just looked on the website I don't think they make it anymore. I'm guessing the same tube and such as yours but fixed? Anyway, yeah... I put this together to be a 100 yard gun and the glass really fits the bill nicely.

[heavyhaulin818]

Is this correct, the Rossi 20” stainless holds 16+1 rounds .38/357? Read it on the Turners website description for the rifle. If true...then ROSSI for the win.

[stormvet]

I like lever guns, own three and would really like a Browning. But I will say I hate…absolutely hate loading through a loading gate, it just sucks. Probably why the only one I really enjoy shooting is my 22.

[Nvberinger]

Originally Posted by JWHuey

I am thinking I want this one...

https://youtu.be/YqAowH5IkUo

Oh my. That rifle looks just right.

[Mr.Cip]

My one and only .357 lever is a Marlin CSBL. I’ve never fired it. It’s been a safe queen. Many times I’ve thought of selling it.
Some don’t care for the Remlin. I’ve never fired it, but the action seems very smooth. The loading gate is still stiff. It cycles dummy rounds with no issue. I like the way it looks and feels.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[bonesurf]

Originally Posted by heavyhaulin818

Is this correct, the Rossi 20” stainless holds 16+1 rounds .38/357? Read it on the Turners website description for the rifle. If true...then ROSSI for the win.

Can’t be correct. The length of the mag tube is 20. With no spring and follower you could stick 12 rounds of 357 in 20”. 16 requires 25+ inches. Again without the spring/follower. In general for 38/357 20” is around 10. 24” is around 13 or so

[golfish]

Originally Posted by heavyhaulin818

Is this correct, the Rossi 20” stainless holds 16+1 rounds .38/357? Read it on the Turners website description for the rifle. If true...then ROSSI for the win.

I'm not a huge Stainless Steel fan for lever guns but for 6 more rounds it might be worth it.

https://rossiusa.com/firearms/lever-action-rifles

[pennstater]

Originally Posted by heavyhaulin818

Is this correct, the Rossi 20” stainless holds 16+1 rounds .38/357? Read it on the Turners website description for the rifle. If true...then ROSSI for the win.

That is a misprint. bonesurf beat me to it tho.

MLC

[k1dude]

The 20" stainless holds 10 in the tube. So 10+1. I don't see it offered in .357 in their current lineup though, even though it's the ad photo on their lever action rifle page. Or perhaps that's the Casull. I can't see the end of the tube mag well enough to see if it's knurled.

[Sandspider500]

My 20" Rossi 45 colt will hold 11 in the magazine.

[bonesurf]

Originally Posted by Sandspider500

My 20" Rossi 45 colt will hold 11 in the magazine.

As it should. 45 colt is much shorter than 357

Edit: while most 20” levers are “rated” for 10 for 45 LC if the spring is worked a little usually 11 will fit