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Post by AdamARM on May 15, 2019 1:23:26 GMT -5
Hi all,
I have an itch for a 357 lever gun and the main contenders are Marlin 1894c and Rossi 92.
Rossi seems a bit cheaper, and more available in my area. I have never shot a lever before, so this will be completely new.
Rossi is owned by Taurus, and I did not have good luck with some Taurus brands in the past.
Any suggestions for those who have owned or fired these guns? I am also open to considering other brands. My price limit is $800.
-Adam
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Post by magnumwheelman on May 15, 2019 7:07:52 GMT -5
I have a couple Rossi's that I bought specifically for CAS & range toys... My 357 is a very early engraved Saddle Ring Carbine, that was likely never fired... & my 2nd is a stainless & brass 45 Colt, which I also bought used, that I suspect was never fired... the reason I suspect these were never fired, is because neither would shoot when I bought them... they make fine rifles, but 2 for 2 I had factory defects, that my local smith was able to remedy, rather than sending them back for service... in fact, I have a good buddy that bought a new 357 back 4-5 years ago, that also wouldn't fire from the factory... well actually that one would would fire, but not eject a spent case... my local smith was also able to get that one working, without sending it back to Taurus... so if you're not able to work on them yourself, or have a knowledgeable buddy, best to make sure it'll function like it's supposed to... BTW... I love both of my Rossi's now, but I can imagine the lack of initial function would be frustrating to most shooters
Marlins have been known to have their issues as well, in particular, after Remington bought them... however most of those issues were related to fit & finish
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2019 9:51:05 GMT -5
Adam, have you considered looking around for a nice, used Winchester? That would be my suggestion.
A friend has a Rossi 92 in 45 Colt. It's a nice gun, but he's a fairly accomplished amateur gunsmith and worked it over.
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Post by magnumwheelman on May 15, 2019 10:14:08 GMT -5
My 44 Mag / Special lever gun is a Winchester Carbine, I bought used, It looks new, & that the previous owner put extra grade walnut on it... got it on Gun Broker for around $750.00 I highly recommend the Winchester...
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Post by needsmostuff on May 15, 2019 10:26:12 GMT -5
Older Marlins are a very nice rifle but,,,,,,, I've been selling off, one by one, my Marlins ,in pistol calibers and replacing with Henrys. The reason ,,,,,Microgroove. The patterns they shoot with cast bullets are just too big. I know newer ones are Ballard , but I never find them. Henrys are easy to find. I have and shoot Rossi 92 rifles and yes , sometimes they take a little fiddling with. Winchesters are a good option but pricy nowadays . If I did not buy mine long ago I would not own one today.
Point is ,You have more than two options so get out and shoot some . But if you plan on shooting any cast (and that is a must for me ) I would steer clear of microgroove Marlins.
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Post by matt56 on May 15, 2019 15:40:40 GMT -5
First things first, I have 8 Rossi 92s so I might be a bit biased. Also I love to do my own gun tinkering so when something has an issue it's more of a challenge than a problem.
The Rossi's I have are great for casual shooting, I wouldn't have so many if I didn't like them. The 2017 built 357 mag I have has been flawless. Some of the other ones have needed some work, older doesn't always mean better either. My 44 mag puma has been apart more than a few times. It had extraction issues caused by a stiff ejector spring and also one of the pins holding the ejector spring stop in broke off allowing all the ejector parts to come out of the gun. This is after thousands of round though. It's a great shooter and the action has worn in great.
I also have a new Marlin 1894 CST and the gun seems okay but the fit of the bolt with the lever closed bothers me, there is a noticeable gap. Also believe it or not something ties the action up when the gun is upside down. Don't even ask me how I figured that one out. I thought maybe it was a safety thing but I tried a new one in the store and the action cycled fine. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that, I bought the gun to put a suppressor on otherwise I would have got another Rossi.
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Post by AdamARM on May 15, 2019 21:05:34 GMT -5
Gentlemen,
Thanks for the responses.
I am not very handy with tools or fixing things, especially guns. So, it seems like a Rossi might not be a good fit: too many stories of them needing fixing right away. And I don't want to have to take it too a gun smith right after purchasing.
On the other hand, my local Gun shop is not able to order a new 1894c (their distributor is out of stock). I wonder if they are currently in production, or if they have been halted for a while. I sent Marlin a note to see what the status of new 1894c Marlins, but have not heard back yet. There are a few places online that I can get a Marlin 1894c. But, not so sure about an online purchase.
Yet, it does seem like the marlin 1894 44 is more available (as a new gun). So, maybe I should add that to my list of contenders.
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rWt
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,431
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Post by rWt on May 17, 2019 17:54:29 GMT -5
Browning B92-probably will have difficulty finding one for $800. I sold mine for over $900. You could also have trouble finding a good Marlin for that as well. The Marlin 44 magnum is less $$. The slower rate of twist makes it work best with 240 grain bullets, according to my reading. Many say just buy Winchester white box 240 gr ammo and be done with it. More recoil than a .357-most came with a pad, I believe. John Taffin has written glowingly about the Marlin in .357. I'd try to find a JM stamped gun, but it will be more $. You could see about buying a Rossi from stevesgunz.com Get Steve to work it over for reliability before sending it to you. He has a good reputation. Or find one cheap and send it to him. People seem to like their Rossi's just fine if they are running right. They won't be as good looking as the alternatives, but they seem to serve their owners well. Like with everything else-pretty costs more. So, you could spend less for a Rossi than you might a Marlin and have enough left to get it running right. A key consideration is sights, IMO. If you want to be able to mount a scope-go with the Marlin. Good luck and have fun deciding!
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Post by Quick Draw McGraw on May 18, 2019 10:49:33 GMT -5
I have a JM 1894c in .357 Magnum. I inherited it from my dad. Great gun. My only complaint is that the loading gate screw comes loose no matter what I do and I have to frequently tighten it. Other than that, I have nothing but good experiences.
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Post by win1894s on May 18, 2019 13:05:42 GMT -5
One of my Marlin 44s did that I put blue picture on it.my marlin trapper is my go to lever gun.But I love all of them.
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hombre
.30 Stingray
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Post by hombre on May 19, 2019 21:21:27 GMT -5
Bought my Marlin 1894C in 1982, produces a ragged hole at 50 yds with my Speer 158gn jacketed hollow point and filling to the base with my WW 296 'hot' load'. This is a result with open sights off the benchrest.
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tde44
.240 Incinerator
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Post by tde44 on May 20, 2019 9:57:15 GMT -5
I've got a '92 (24"/oct/357) that I bought about 7 years ago. Other than the action being a little rough when I first got it, it has been flawless and now has about 2,000 rounds through it of full power 357's. After a few hundred rounds it smoothed out quite a bit and the only maintenance I've done has been cleaning & lubing.
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Post by deaconkc on May 26, 2019 13:34:19 GMT -5
I have a .357 Rossi and it has run fine from the get go. It feeds .38 Specials just fine too, as long as they are 140 grains or more due to cartridge overall length.
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rWt
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,431
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Post by rWt on Jun 8, 2019 15:05:52 GMT -5
Has the OP purchased one? If so, AdamARM, which one did you buy and what's your shooting impression?
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Post by AdamARM on Jun 8, 2019 22:16:21 GMT -5
Has the OP purchased one? If so, AdamARM, which one did you buy and what's your shooting impression?
Thanks for checking back in. I have not bought one yet, but I am fairly certain I will go with the Marlin 1894c, when it gets back in stock at Buds, and if I have the money. My job is in jeopardy, so my day-dreams of lever guns might have to wait until I feel more secure about my finances
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