Recommend me a 357 lever rifle

[pyromensch]

Rossi: I've had one since 1982 with no problems. Lighter and more compact than either the Winchester or Marlin. There was one for sale on the guns for sale section right here on Calguns.

Here's mine:

is that a colt police positive, or an original trooper in the photo

[slappomatt]

I've got Marlin 1894C. I prefer the Marlins because it ejects the spent casings from the side. This allows scopes or other sights to be mounted on the receiver. The Winchester ejects from the top so mounting anything is not possible. Now I know some say mounting a scope on a leveraction is sacreligious but peep or aperture sights work real well. I've got a Skinner Lo Pro Sight on mine.

My dad has a marlin JUST like that one except for the sights. even has the little thumb buddy on the hammer. Its a real joy to shoot and I hope to get one soon as well.

[smle-man]

is that a colt police positive, or an original trooper in the photo

Official Police .38; Officer's model Heavy Barrel .38; Model 28 .357; Heavy Duty .38/44

[edward]

Well this is the Model 92 that I was looking at as far as takedown rifles go.

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,5186.html

Does Rossi make a comparable one?

[nn3453]

edward, sorry to hijack your thread, but I was wondering if currently production 357 lever guns handle 38s? I heard stories where they would jam with 38s. I shoot mostly jacketed bullets.

[FUBAR]

My Marlin 1894C has no problems with 38s or 357mag. Shootin 38s is a whole a lotta fun. It is also strong enough for those heavy hittin 180grn Buffalo Bores. Great for pigs.

[smittty]

Well this is the Model 92 that I was looking at as far as takedown rifles go.

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,5186.html

Does Rossi make a comparable one?

Rossi does not make a takedown model. You should check the cowboy action forums for feedback on any levergun costing over $500. Some a good but some look nice but are jamomatic.

All current made 357 mag leverguns can have issues shooting both the shorter 38 sp cartridge and the longer 357 mag cartridge. Marlin, Rossi, etc., all of them are prone to feed issues. If you have one that feeds both out of the box you got lucky, it's that simple.

My experience is that the Rossi's are better than the Marlins. Send an email to Stevesgunz and ask his advice, he's an expert on leverguns and does the warranty work for many manufacturers. It's sort of like asking the appliance repair man which washer he'd buy.

I have a tuned Rossi M92 that feeds both 357mag and 38sp. I love this gun and my only wish would be that it had nicer wood like on the 45lc Winchester 92 take-down. If I can spare the cash I'd like to buy the Winchester made model 92 in 357 mag, just because I know how nice they are. The 45 LC version is the nicest levergun I have ever handled and the walnut is drop dead gorgous! My Rossi action is smoother than the Winchester action but the 45 lc cartridge feeds better because it it's shape. In a levergun my 1rst choice will always be 45lc and 357mag is second.

My only beef with the 45 lc is that the ammo has become hard to find making it expensive to shoot. 38sp on the other hand is more available but you still need to be saving your brass.

These guns are very much fun to shoot. I can sit at the range with my 16" Rossi in 357mag/38sp and take slow shots at 150 yards metal targets all day long and just keep on similing. Next time I go shooting I'm taking them out!

[plankowner]

I have a Winchester in .357 and have never ever had a problem or a single jam in .38 or in .357 , they are just a fun gun to shoot my girlfriends daughter loves this rifle almost no recoil.

[AQtahoe]

Marlin definitely. Their action is amazing and only gets better. the side ejection is smoother and more consistent than top ejection. The only other option is Henry.

I personally have a Marlin 1885 Guide chambered in 45/70. I love that gun more than anything it is my absolute favorite to shoot.

[yasushi]

I have a Winchester 94 and shoots and looks great but the action of the lever is not as smooth as the Marlin that my buddy shoots.

[nn3453]

I have a tuned Rossi M92 that feeds both 357mag and 38sp. I love this gun and my only wish would be that it had nicer wood like on the 45lc Winchester 92 take-down. If I can spare the cash I'd like to buy the Winchester made model 92 in 357 mag, just because I know how nice they are.

Thanks for all the info.

I know the solution! You can sell me the Rossi and go buy yourself a Winchester

[kendog4570]

I have a Winchester 94 and shoots and looks great but the action of the lever is not as smooth as the Marlin that my buddy shoots.

Like ArmyGI said, the Marlin is designed around pistol length rounds, while the Winchester 94 is designed around rifle length ammunition. A good choice would be a quality Winchester 1892 clone, or the Marlin 94. I have a Browning 92 in 357 that is excellent. They are hard to find, but well worth it. There are plenty of them around in 44 Mag, but in that caliber with full power loads, the light carbine kicks like a mule.

[edward]

This thread seems to raise very conflicting accounts. Marlin is good, winchester is good, rossi sucks, uberti is fine, and vis versa.

If I want a NIB, utterly reliable, never jams, never misfeeds model 92 or 94 - with any quality finish, who would be the best? Seems to be about equal between people advocating for rossi and marlin. What about Uberti/cimarron? Something like this.

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,5164.html

[NotEnoughGuns]

Like ArmyGI said, the Marlin is designed around pistol length rounds, while the Winchester 94 is designed around rifle length ammunition. A good choice would be a quality Winchester 1892 clone, or the Marlin 94. I have a Browning 92 in 357 that is excellent. They are hard to find, but well worth it. There are plenty of them around in 44 Mag, but in that caliber with full power loads, the light carbine kicks like a mule.

The current 44mags 1:38 I think, prefer light bullets 225 seem to work fairly good, 300s not so much.

[kendog4570]

This thread seems to raise very conflicting accounts. Marlin is good, winchester is good, rossi sucks, uberti is fine, and vis versa.

If I want a NIB, utterly reliable, never jams, never misfeeds model 92 or 94 - with any quality finish, who would be the best? Seems to be about equal between people advocating for rossi and marlin. What about Uberti/cimarron? Something like this.
http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,5164.html

Which ever one you get, make sure the company that makes it, and imports it, is in business and will likely still be in business for the forseeable future. As with other clones, the quality, dimensioning, redesign, parts interchangeability, material quality is all over the place. Maybe lurk on some of the lever gun or cowboy shooting boards and see who likes which brand which ones are reliable, and who has had good (or bad) service when the thing didnt perform as expected.
The Marlin is still made in USA and is basically the same design that has served well for 100 years. Parts and accessories are available. If you find a 30 year old used one, you can fix it relatively easily. Not always the case with the 92 copies. Given your requirements, I would go with the Marlin.