Thoughts..marlin 1894 csbl stainless 357 carbine

[agent88]

Handled the marlin 1894 csbl stainless at Turner's today. Stainless .357 carbine, XS ghost ring sight. I like it. Fit on on this one was ok... Nothing to brag about. The sights would work good for me (old man) I was pleasantly surprised with the trigger. I would be surprised if the action ever smooths out much but it's ok.

I know this isn't for everyone .... Not exactly traditional

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[Relativist]

If available consider the one with the built-in rail, for mounting a long eye relief scout scope.

[golfish]

Max, check the last few pages of this thread (link below) Spyder bought one a while back. So start at post 207 and go back.

Good luck, I really like my 1894C.

https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1475073

[Spyder]

I picked mine up last week. Hoping to get out Tuesday to shoot it, and will report back.

I did fire a few rounds of 38 in to the back yard just for fun and it cycled them just fine. Its leaned against the wall at home and makes me smile every time I look at it. 😁

[agent88]

I picked mine up last week. Hoping to get out Tuesday to shoot it, and will report back.

I did fire a few rounds of 38 in to the back yard just for fun and it cycled them just fine. Its leaned against the wall at home and makes me smile every time I look at it. [emoji16]

Are Marlins pickey about 38's? I know my 1892 has a different loading ramp but I find it cycles longer oal round nose 38's just fine while I have to be more careful with shorter flat nose bullets.

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[200Apples]

.357 from a short, light and handy lever carbine is simply the cat's meow. I shoot one frequently. It's no .30-30, but it will take deer if you can get closer and place your shot well.

That said, of the three you've pictured, the threaded barrel is useless in CA for two reasons. 1. suppressors are not legal, and, 2. one doesn't need a brake on a .357 carbine.

That leaves us the two laminate-stock variants. Until now, all of these have been Model 1895s chambered for the .45-70 Gov't cartridge; a true powerhouse. Because of this, of the two you're looking at, I'd choose the .44 and use it with magnums (and call them a .45-70 Short ) to hunt with and specials to plink with. If you handload, then the world is your oyster with that one.

If your heart is set on .357, then consider the blued, walnut-stocked carbines... unless you have to have stainless for weather reasons.

All three are very cool firearms. I own five pistol-caliber lever carbines, so I am somewhat biased.

[200Apples]

Are Marlins pickey about 38's? I know my 1892 has a different loading ramp but I find it cycles longer oal round nose 38's just fine while I have to be more careful with shorter flat nose bullets.

The newest-made Marlins have an improved carrier that when lifting the cartridge from the mag portal to the chamber throat positions it nearly-parallel with the bore axis, eliminating much of the feed issues of the earlier carbines.

The only other feed issue with the older Marlins was the dreaded "Marlin jam" where the carrier would be slightly out of time with the lever causing a second cartridge to protrude from the mag portal, jamming the carrier. There's a fix for it, so an older gun can be made whole again. This should no longer be an issue with the newly-manufactured Marlins.

My next long gun will be that .44 SBL. I've got the hots for that one.

[agent88]

.357 from a short, light and handy lever carbine is simply the cat's meow. I shoot one frequently. It's no .30-30, but it will take deer if you can get closer and place your shot well.

That said, of the three you've pictured, the threaded barrel is useless in CA for two reasons. 1. suppressors are not legal, and, 2. one doesn't need a brake on a .357 carbine.

That leaves us the two laminate-stock variants. Until now, all of these have been Model 1895s chambered for the .45-70 Gov't cartridge; a true powerhouse. Because of this, of the two you're looking at, I'd choose the .44 and use it with magnums (and call them a .45-70 Short ) to hunt with and specials to plink with. If you handload, then the world is your oyster with that one.

If your heart is set on .357, then consider the blued, walnut-stocked carbines... unless you have to have stainless for weather reasons.

All three are very cool firearms. I own five pistol-caliber lever carbines, so I am somewhat biased. [emoji23]

I would be buying one of the stainless guns because I like the sights the trigger and the looks of the gun [emoji16]

I don't have anything in 44mag and I'm hesitant to add what to me is an expensive caliber. However it is such a cool caliber... and I do reload... If anyone else would like to convince/encourage me in that direction please do so [emoji106]

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[200Apples]

However it is such a cool caliber... and I do reload...

The neat thing with .44 is that you can handload to halfway between the handgun ballistics of .45 auto and .44 Mag...

Take a 250 grain slug and tune whatever powder in a quantity to get it to 1000 fps. It really is a sweet spot, and that's from a revolver. Take your 16" carbine, and the same load might be, depending on the propellant, at least 200 fps faster, with far less recoil than a commercially-loaded 240 grain/1200 fps revolver load.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Of course, you can do the same thing and build some heavy .357 using a 180 grain hardcast and then get it moving pretty good... the possibililties are endless.

I did not mention earlier that there are two of these .357 carbines at my lgs; I handled them when I picked up my latest, used Rossi. In hindsight, I should have rolled the dough I spent on the Rossi into the .44 SBL and waited another pay period... ...but I didn't see a .44 there. I HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK!, see.

[WhiteGT]

I'll have mine Tuesday and am hoping to shoot that day.

[Spyder]

I had my stainless 357 threaded. 🤪

[tigerpan]

Why so expensive? They ask $1k for stainless 357, I pick up my 44 ss JM mark for $700. I think 1894c is better deal.

[200Apples]

I'm guessing the Skinner ghost-ring sights, the pic rail and the glove loop as accessories, just as in the car sales business, add to the bottom line...

The ghost-ring sights, though, are pretty sweet for faster target acquisition. The standard buckhorns on other Marlin carbines aren't bad either.

[Spyder]

The sights on mine are pretty rad. I only paid 909 for the thing, not so much different than the 899 an 1894c was for sale at a local shop for.
They're what, 650 or 700 at sportsmans warehouse?

[G-Man WC]

Can shoot all day without a sore shoulder.
Low cost hot reloaded 357mag ammo that
zips along with more velocity than your daddy's
4" 357 revolver.
Think H110 / 2400 and lead RNFP.
Your steel plinking shooting gallery just
expanded to 100yds.
What's not to like?
-g