Rossi 357 lever vs new marlin 1894

[curdog]

I have been wanting a levergun in 357 and I was wondering which of these two rifles would be the best choice. I value y"alls opinion and thank you in advance...…………………...Curdog

[Der Gebirgsjager]

The Remlins seem to have their problems worked out, and that would be my choice. On the other hand, Rossi seems to be inconsistent in quality control. Some very good, some not so good without some TLC.

[phonejack]

The Marlin will be the best "off the shelf" buy, and more expensive. However, I took my Rossi apart and smoothed the inner surfaces with whetstones and jewelers files. While I was doing that I refinished the wood. I eventually put a tang rear and globe front sight on it. It feeds flawlessly swc's and hp's in 38 and 357. The model I have is a stainless 24" octogon barrel.

[Nobade]

Depends on which action type you like, and how heavy bullets you want to shoot. Rossi is 1:20 twist so won't handle big bullets.

[Texas by God]

I agree with DG. I've had three Rossi .357s and they all needed tuning to function. Marlin all the way.

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[quail4jake]

I don't know if Remlins have microgroove rifling but if it does it will likely need a larger diameter boolit, mine uses a .360 sized 180 gr NOE rnfp. As a result I've wound up with different ammo for my 1894 which I label ".357 Marlin".

[Froogal]

Rossi is the best bargain. IF you can find one.

[dverna]

I have two Marlins and an 1873 clone. Sold the Rossi I had.

You will find the Rossi a bit more challenging to disassemble. The Marlins are very easy to slick up.

[Gray Fox]

I shoot the RD 175 grain RNFP in my Rossi carbines with no problem at near max loads of 2400 and good accuracy. It does produce some recoil in the 16" vs the 20" carbines, although the 16" is about the perfect size for form and function. I've read that 16" gets about all that can be gotten from a .357, even with slow powders. I have the BSA 2 power pistol scopes on all of them and so far they have worked just fine. GF

[Speedo66]

I don't have a Marlin, so no direct comparison. What I can say is if you are going to use it for a field gun, from the specs, the Marlin is about 30% heavier. Plus it costs quite a bit more.

I've had good luck with my Rossi, worked great right out of the box, and find it to be very accurate.

[trapper9260]

My Rossi it is a 16" and take what ever I put in it . heavy boolits also

[beechbum444]

Follow thread with interest ....I’m a marlin fan

[trapper9260]

I got the Rossi because the price was right. Other wise I would of got a Marlin. I like the Marlin's I have in 44 mag and 30-30 .

[kaiser]

I have two Puma's (Rossi) in that caliber with one in SS and one blued. They both function well with .38Spl or .357 loaded interchangeably, although I did smooth up the SS model a tad. Both of mine are 16" BBL, which I agree is almost the perfect length for the cartridge, rifle weight (under 6 pounds), and recoil. The 180gr XTP and lead of the same weight work well in either. Paco Kelly claims the '92 action will tolerate more pressure than the Marlins; I'm happy with the standard .357 magnum loads of "old". I have some Marlins and certainly like them in 30/30, 444, and .35Rem for their weight, size, and portability. The Marlin in a .357, to me, is heavier than it needs to be. The 1894 in a .44Mag and .45Colt match up perfectly; however I sent both down the road long ago and opted for a 1873 Uberti in the Colt. My .02.

[AnthonyB]

I don’t have a Marlin so can’t compare the two. I have three Rossis and love them. They all need the Steve’sGunz modifications; watching his video and doing the work yourself will teach you a lot about the rifle. Takedown is not an issue once you learn it, although the Marlin is faster to remove the bolt for a quick cleaning. I prefer the feel of the Rossi over the Marlins I have handled.
Tony

[robg]

Are you going to scope it? If so marlin is the one

[Texas by God]

Save a little more money and get a Uberti Winchester 73 copy. Those are nice.

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[curdog]

I looked at both today and the jury is still out. I like the 92 and how it feels handy. I like the marlin as I have a 30 30 and a 35 rem. I want a woods rifle for bumming around and will not scope it. Thanks for the suggestions...……………………..Curdog

[LUBEDUDE]

I’ll preface by saying all the rifles need work for Cowboy Action if optimum performance is desired. However, speaking of box stock rifles, a Marlin or an Uberti usually do ok. But I don’t recall ever seeing a 92 or New Henry survive a match without issues.

My point is, even though you may not use it for Competition, a Marlin or Uberti has a better chance of being more reliable than a 92- box stock wise.

(I’m not bashing 92s, I have a handful of them, just not a 357)

[Walks]

Just about every Cowboy Shooter I met when I started SASS in 1987 Shot a Rossi to start.
And they ALL needed work. 2-3 Gunsmiths would come out to END of TRAIL & WINTER RANGE, to fix Broken Rossi's. And when they came out in .45Colt, the problems multiplied. I Won a Rossi in 1994 at EOT. Cost me $100 bucks to get it to work right.
They haven't improved much.

Marlins; the JM's are Great guns.
The new Remlins seem to be back up to Snuff.
My Nephew got a .44Mag in March for His ( from His Wife No Less ) Birthday.

Worked well mechanically, shot well when he put scope on it for accuracy testing. It apparently LOVES the N.O.E. TL432-240-RF PC'd Bullets I sent him, He actually wants to start casting his own bullets.

Buy American, it's worth the money.

That's why a Rossi will cost as much as a Marlin in the end.