Marlin .357?

[Half Dog]

I am looking for a Marlin in a .357 caliber but I understand that Marlin is not making them now. I have an opportunity to buy one but because I don't know why they stopped making them, I'm not sure if I will be buying a lemon.

Would you stay away from Marlin and look at another .357 manufacturer?

[ReloaderFred]

Long Story short, Remington purchased Marlin and made some mistakes in moving the old equipment to Ilion, NY, and not starting production with new equipment. They have now recognized their mistakes and have suspended production in an attempt to get it right when they start production once again.

Buy the Marlin and enjoy shooting it. I've got well over a dozen Marlins, with several of them in .357 Magnum. I'll buy another if I stumble on one at a good price.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[imashooter2]

My 1894C is a great firearm. Flys to the shoulder. Points like a finger. The .357 Mag is heavy enough that you know you're shooting a center fire, but light enough to enjoy shooting all day. And it's a straight wall case so ammo falls out of my SDB at 400 an hour. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

[Michael J. Spangler]

I think they stopped making them 357s before they started making lemons. I could be wrong.
I have an 1895C and it's amazing.
200 yards standard iron sights. 358495 over 2.5 grains of clays. Hits and 18" gong 9/10 resting my arms on a bench or leaning on a post.
11+1 of these wadcutter loads and feeds like water.

I wouldn't trade it for the world.

They're running around $1000 on gunbroker last I checked. If you can get one for under $800 seems you hit pay dirt. Go for it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dverna]

I have two. Most fun and cheap to shoot

[Scharfschuetze]

It's a good choice. Mine is the Cowboy model circa 2000 or so and it's spot on through 200 yards and further with a Lyman aperture sight on it. It's no sniper rifle, but it's a lot of fun with cast 180 grain slugs.

[minmax]

I wanted a .357 bad, a couple of years ago. Could not find one. Ended up with a .45 Colt and love it!

[koehlerrk]

Bought mine back in 2003, as a step up from a 22 for the kids. That 1894C loves 38s, as long as they're not too short. 357s go through it like kids with M&Ms. Put a scope on it and last year my younger daughter went deer hunting with it. All told, excellent rifles!

As mentioned, beware the late Marlin production or any Rem production until this year. Don't worry, you will see the problems from across the room, they are that bad. Be wary of Gunbroker or anyplace where you can't handle it before purchase.

[MrWolf]

You can either check the serial number to find the year of manufacture or see if it has the JM stamp on the barrel. Going from memory but I think it is on left side vs the Remlin mark on the right.

[Mica_Hiebert]

My brother got a pre remlin 44 and it is awesome, my b.i.l. has a remlin rebuild guide gun in 45/70 that showed up at the dealer with the bolt canted in the action and it wouldn't cycle, the dealer sent it back and the replacement was spot on, they sold it to him at the same price as the non guide gun since it was reworked.

[northmn]

I have a Rossi in 357 and a Marlin in 32-20. Marlin is a better rifle but I enjoy the Rossi enough to recommend that one get one of them instead. It works, shoots well and is my ATC/tractor carry rifle more than any others. I do not consider the Marlin so superior that I would pay $1000 for a used one. If I had the typical doubts about Remlins I see the Rossi would be a better choice anyway. Another option would be the Henry steel frame rifle as it is lighter than the brass. The 357 is a very handy and nice little lever rifle for both handloaders and those that buy ammo.

DP

[FergusonTO35]

Henry steel frame all the way. Costs less than a used 1894C and Henry will take care of you 100% if you have problems.

[PerpetualStudent]

They're running around $1000 on gunbroker last I checked. If you can get one for under $800 seems you hit pay dirt. Go for it.

I concur with this post. I love the idea of Marlin in .357 but for a grand? I can't justify that to myself.

I have seen Marlin .30-30 NIB at walmart for <600. If the .357 was priced similarly, I'd buy and not look back.

[clum553946]

My 1894C is a great firearm. Flys to the shoulder. Points like a finger. The .357 Mag is heavy enough that you know you're shooting a center fire, but light enough to enjoy shooting all day. And it's a straight wall case so ammo falls out of my SDB at 400 an hour. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

I agree with imashooter2!
My Marlin 1894 is tons of fun to shoot! If you reload 357/38 spec, even better! Mine sometimes has problems feeding swc, so I obtained a rn mold. You can put together rounds that have more giddyup than a 22 lr & are a heck of a lot cheaper! If your heart's set on a Marlin, be patient, hit your lgs' & gun shows in your area, visit shops when you're traveling ect. The right gun that your comfortable with (inc. price) will come along! I don't have any experience with the Rossi's & got to fire my friend's Henry yesterday, it cycled smoothly & sure is pretty. Don't know what they're going for though.

[Skooterr]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^Yes what these guys said. ^^^^^^^^^^^
Bought an 1894C 25 yrs ago, along with a 336RC in 35 Rem, didn't really want it at the time. Who wants a rifle in a pistol caliber?? I said. Little did I know. Never used it took it out and cleaned it every couple of years, stuck back in the case. 5 yrs ago I bought a couple of 357 revolvers started shooting them, and dug out the Marlin, instant fun, couldn't believe it, points like a BB gun light, nimble, EZ to handle. It and the Dan Wesson 15-2 are my favorite guns, of the 30+ I have. And now I started back loading , again, after 20+ yrs, and am really interested in casting, hence, what I am here for. Obviously, I like older ones, some people prefer new ones, to each his own.
Saw this on another lever forum today, can't say anything about the veracity, maybe just scuttlebutt.

"I'd been wondering the same thing so I called Marlin's customer service and was told that a run of the 1894C in 357 Mag is being done this month (April) and then again in August & September. I did not ask about plans past September".

[358 Win]

I've got a first year production 1894C I bought new and an 1894CBL from 1999 with the 24" octagon barrel that I bought used. I put a 2.5x20 Banner on the C and a Lyman 66-A on the CBL. The C of course is microgroove and the CBL is ballard rifled. Could not begin to estimate the thousands of rounds I put through them both. Almost all were cast bullets and please, don't listen to the naysayers who tell you a microgroove won't shoot cast bullets. The 1894C loves the Lyman 358156, 164 grain SWCGC when shot at 1789 fps. My walk about load pushes the Lyman 358477, 154 grain plain based bullet @ 1218 fps from the C and 1018 fps from my 4" S&W 19-4. The 19-4 shoots the Lyman 358156 extremely well @ 1368 fps. The CBL loves the Ranch Dog C358-175 RNFN at 180 grains when pushed to 1638 fps. The CBL's walk about load is the Lyman 358429 170 grain plain base SWC at 1450 fps. My alloy consists of older wheel weight metal plus 2% tin per pot.

358 Win

[1895gunner]

If its a JM proof marked rifle, grab it. If it is an MR proof marked rifle (Remington), handle it and test shoot it first if possible. If you know what the first two digits of the serial number are, post it here and I'll provide feedback as to year built.

1895gunner

[justashooter]

I had a 94C with a lyman 66 receiver sight. regret selling it to this day...

[upr45]

I've had a 1894c for about 10 yrs. Would not be without one. Although all of my lever's are Marlin, I would say that for fun shooting the 357 lever is hard to beat. Marlin is supposed to be making them again, no idea when? I have plenty of rifles, but not sure if my next purchase will be another 1894c or a Rossi in 45? Hard to resist bringing home a lever in a pistol cartridge.

[smokinfeathers]

I have 2 marln 94 357's n a emf hadtford. My kids n i have killed A train car load of deer n hogs with them. Both my marlins will shoot moa with mags n gake small game with ease with spcls. My 35 rems, 356, n 35 whelen get left n the closet most while the lil handy 357 goes hunting. The price was going up on these n getting harder to get before remington took over, id give anything under $1000 for a earlier gun especialy a cowboy!!

[wrench man]

If its a JM proof marked rifle, grab it. If it is an MR proof marked rifle (Remington), handle it and test shoot it first if possible. If you know what the first two digits of the serial number are, post it here and I'll provide feedback as to year built.

If it's a Remlin the proof mark will be "REP", the serial # will start with "MR".

[Blackwater]

Skooterr, that is GREAT news! I've been wanting one of these guns for a long time, and haven't been able to find one here. Those who buy them tend to keep them, apparently. I think that's a great sign of how happy folks are with them and what they'll do. Mostly just want a neat little truck gun for behind the seat, and I can't think of anything here that a good cast bullet wouldn't do from this little gun. Bears are very rare, but show up on rare occasions. They should be great for gators in the river, when in season. And the older I get, the more light, short little medium powered carbines appeal to me and my lifestyle these days. Just a perfect kind of fit, I think. Thanks for the head's up. I'll see if I can pre-order one at my LGS.

[dragon813gt]

My Remington made 1894C. There was a small run before they shut production down.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/7DD280AF-E3B9-4D85-90DB-BDC72A685BFA-2609-000001932A05D742.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/Firearms/7DD280AF-E3B9-4D85-90DB-BDC72A685BFA-2609-000001932A05D742.jpg.html)

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/D4B74BE2-B90A-4EE6-A303-771740BE3987-8997-000006F3CC3D378F_zps8cfd886c.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/Firearms/D4B74BE2-B90A-4EE6-A303-771740BE3987-8997-000006F3CC3D378F_zps8cfd886c.jpg.html)

At $570 it was a good deal. If they charge the $750 they do for the current 1894s I would not buy in general. Marlins are utility rifles. I won't pay that much for one in 357.

[TXGunNut]

I like the current Remlin 94's in 44 but don't much care for the cartridge. Someday Remlin will get their act together or I'll get lucky and stumble across a nice Marlin in 357. I bought a recent production 1895 and that cured my Remlin phobia. I still don't much care for the cosmetics but they're solid and accurate.

[Sprue]

Love my little marlin 357. I normally shoot my 38spl loads in the little guy. Mainly just to preserve my .357 cases. But here is my boolit for hunting. Same boolit & load for my 686 as well.

168207

[stubbicatt]

I liked my Marlin 94 in 357 magnum. Shot it quite a bit with a lower powered scope on it.

Sold it years ago.

Couple years ago I bought a Uberti 1873 clone in 357 magnum, and have been really impressed with it. These things are subjective of course, but for shooting from standing or kneeling, I think the Uberti is the better rifle.

[csatrustburg]

I know if you watch armslist you can find The JM marlin's at a good price I picked up two in last few weeks looking for loads now and for five each! Good luck on your search hope it helps.

[bichettereds]

You got REALLY lucky! I've only seen maybe a half dozen come up in my state (OHIO) in the past several years, and I look frequently. Usually priced between $750-1000.

I did manage to bag one for Under $600 last year from a facebook page before they shut those down.

[paul edward]

Would you stay away from Marlin and look at another .357 manufacturer?

No.

The Marlin 1894 in .357 is one of the most pleasant little carbines I've ever shot. It is light, easy to handle and the recoil is modest. It will also shoot 38 Specials. This thing is as much fun as the old military M1 carbines I used to shoot as a kid.

[358 Win]

Sprue, nice boolits. That's the one I use in my 1894C from 1979. With a healthy charge of ACC#9 I'm getting 1789 fps at 15' so I estimate the muzzle velocity to be right at 1800 fps. I've tried other powders and do get higher velocity but not the fine accuracy I get with ACC#9. My four inch S&W 19-4 loves that bullet and load at 1389 fps.

358 Win