I'd like a lever gun, but need help deciding which one!

[njc110381]

Hi guys.

Since I bought my .45-70 and started casting for it, the bug seems to have bitten me and I'm thinking that I'd like a higher capacity rifle to shoot at targets. The .45-70 is great, but it only holds four rounds and is a bit of a lump. I also won our club speed shooting competition last weekend using their stainless Marlin .357, which was very light and pointable whilst still holding nine rounds in the mag.

That brings me to my dilemma, which I would be very grateful of some help with. In the UK it seems that I have a limited range. Winchester 94 (used), Chiappa, Rossi, Henry or Marlin. So far I'm leaning towards the Rossi because I like the stainless look and they're plentiful, but quality reviews don't fill me with confidence. Besides that I know nothing about Chiappa, new Marlins sound worse than Rossi's, used older ones cost a fortune and I don't like the front end loading of the Henry enough that I can safely scrap that option!

Are the Rossi rifles ok? I shoot a CZ rimfire so am familiar with stripping down and smoothing rough machining. I really don't mind that as long as the base gun is fairly robust and reliable once tuned.

Edit... Oh and .357 or .44? .44 could just about be made deer legal here but I don't suppose that matters. I have numerous other guns that can do that anyway. I guess the .357 would be slightly lighter and cheaper to shoot?

[stubbicatt]

Sounds like a deer rifle is not a priority for you. I guess you just want to blast at targets or plinking maybe? I like my Uberti 1873 clone in 357 magnum. Plenty accurate and easy to use and easy to enjoy.

[modified5]

I have a Rossi in .44 mag and I love it. As soon as I find one reasonably priced I will add one in .357.
The Uberti is an awesome firearm.
I also love the 94's but all mine are 30-30.
If you can find a used Marlin reasonably priced you wouldn't be disappointed.
I haven't shot the Chiappa but they look nice and have heard good things about them.
Good luck on your search.

[thegatman]

I don't know what is available to you but a Rossi in 38/357 pre safety will do what you want.

[OverMax]

Are the Rossi rifles ok?
Heard their a whole lot better once re-tuned by this fellow who has a site online.
http://store.stevesgunz.com/

[TrashcanDan]

I have a 20" rossi in .357, octagonal.

Any "roughness" went away after cleaning it, cycles just fine.

For what I'm doing, holes in paper at 100 yds, its a less expensive and more reliable option than any other I priced out.

Swapped out the rear sight for a tang. The round barrels are drilled and tapped for a scope.

If you don't mind loading through a tube, henry is another good option.

[RPRNY]

Rossi in 45 Colt. While not historically correct, it at least has that Cowboy feel to it. Further, the M92 has no problems feeding the 45 Colt, which cannot be said with a straight face about 357. I love the 16.5" barreled version and it makes for a fantastic truck and pack rifle - neither of which matter to you in the UK of course. Unless you are shooting SASS and need a 10 shot mag tube, I recommend the 16.5" barrel. It is so light and handy and makes a fun little rabbit gun with light loads and cast bullets.

So, the Rossi needs work out of the box. The first issue that requires immediate attention is stoning the loading gate. Out of the factory, it is very sharp and rough edged. Aside from nipping your fingers loading, it also causes problems feeding the last round loaded because the gate often sticks to the rim. Very easy to resolve with a small hand file.

Next is the magazine spring and follower. The spring can be fine. Or, you may find that it is weak and has trouble feeding the last round in the magazine tube. There is also the plastic follower. Plastic. Really? On 9 out of ten Rossie 92's, with these two mods you have resolved the mechanical issues and you now have a rifle that may be a bit tight but that will run well. I intensely despise the fiddly, ugly Rossi two position safety, so for me, that had to go. I also took a couple of turns off the hammer spring. Parts and instructions for these and other mods available from Steves Gunz (link provided above).

Once finished, the Rossi 92 is a great little rifle for the money. Hope you find the same.

[njc110381]

Why does the Rossi struggle to feed the .357? Would I be better off with a .44?

My local shop lists Uberti as a make they can get hold of, but it's getting on double the price of the Rossi. Is that reasonable? I'm not shy of getting my money out as long as quality reflects the cost.

Thanks for your replies so far. They're very much appreciated.

[azrednek]

I have three Puma Rossi's I got dirt cheap during a going out of business sale. All three needed some tinkering to run 100%. My favorite is the 45 Colt. I've run hand loads with Ruger Only data with no problems. The 44 mag has trouble with the mag tube working its way loose with mag loads. My 38/357 will not operate properly with 357's. The rifles are range toys to me but all three are simply delightful for shooting home cast. The only hunting my Rossi's have seen was an unlucky Coyote disturbing our Dove hunt. At apx 35 yards a factory loaded Remington 125gr JHP 38+P rolled him.

[rosst]

just throw yourself in the deep end and get anyone of the offerings out there . .. you'll end up owning them all at some stage anyway, so its just about timing.
i like the rossi .45 but i would be happy enough with any caliber . . good luck

[RPRNY]

Why does the Rossi struggle to feed the .357? Would I be better off with a .44?

My local shop lists Uberti as a make they can get hold of, but it's getting on double the price of the Rossi. Is that reasonable? I'm not shy of getting my money out as long as quality reflects the cost.

Thanks for your replies so far. They're very much appreciated.

In my experience, the 38/357 are too narrow for the feed ramp of the R92 - or the feed ramp is too broad. Either way, the problem is it has more frequent failures to feed with 38/357 than with 45. It may be less of a problem with 44 Mag.

[Artful]

My experience is my Rossi 38/357 works great
- it's pre-safety
I liked it enough to customize it just a little.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-knJmz6HE0

[TXGunNut]

My new (to me) Rossi R92 has no issues with 38's and will cycle 357's if you work the finger lever smartly, as it was designed. Rifle is a fairly new model with a safety (recently replaced by Steve's aperture sight) and I suspect it's had a bit of work done but that's the fun of buying a gently used gun. I'd jump all over a Uberti 1873 for twice what I gave for my Rossi 92 but my buddy's Uberti is a bit fussy with some 38 ammo. I don't think it likes SWC's much but suspect that can be fixed.

[Ural Driver]

I bought a Marlin Guide Gun back when they were first introduced.....handles fast in the weeds and hits like a truck......love that gun. 8-)
Last year I added a Rossi 92 chambered in .45 Colt. Fun to shoot and fits like it was built just for me..........love that gun also. [smilie=w:

While Steve's Gunz is the go-to spot for the Rossi rifles, I would also suggest stopping by the Rossi Rifleman Forum if you wanna speak to a bunch of folks that know these critters backwards and forwards.......... :target_smiley:

I will be getting another Rossi in .357/.38 this year......early indications are......I will love that one also.[smilie=s:

[njc110381]

I've got a JM Marlin in .45-70. I love that gun! It's been customised to some extent - a bit of action work, the barrel was shortened to 15" and threaded for a brake or supressor. I haven't got the latter yet, but here in the UK it's easy enough. I shoot 405 Lee cast through it with 12gr of Unique most of the time which is sweet. She gets a bit angry when she's fed full load stuff - kicks like a mule and keeps breaking my gong frame!

Thanks for the tip re. the Rossi Rifleman forum. I'll have a look there too. I'll let them know that I came from here - it's nice when forums stick together rather than get all grumpy about advertising the competition.

If the Rossi is anywhere close to my Marlin, I'll be very happy. I still might bite the bullet and buy a used Marlin, but it's going to cost me!

[Speedo66]

I bought a Rossi 20" round barrel .357 about a year and a half ago. The action was a little stiff, but working it many times smoothed it out. I've loaded it with an assortment of different shape bullets in both .38 and .357 and it's fed them all with no hiccups.

I burnished the loading gate area with the back of a drill bit and now it's smooth. I have had zero issues with this gun, and highly recommend it. I replaced the plastic follower, not because it wasn't working well, which it was, but because I don't care for plastic. I made my own, here's a thread detailing the build: http://rossi-rifleman.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3738&p=41351&hilit=homemade+magazine+follower#p41351

One thing that popped up, pun intended, was the original ejector spring was a little overactive, i.e., it flung the empties too far. A hardware store replacement spring solved that. (Century C-530 spring)

Overall, you can't beat this gun, especially for it's low price. By the way, it's also extremely accurate.

[Hawk4570]

Had a Rossi Puma in 44 mag for SASS. Great handling accurate little carbine that worked every time with 'cowboy' loads (200gr flat-point round-nose), never tried factory loads in it.

I'll be looking for a newer 92 in .357 & mount a peep sight (Steve's Gunz, bolt mount peep).

If you go for a later 'Remlin' Marlin, look it over good, lots of QA complaints, especially canted front sights. I've got a stainless Guide gun with receiver mount peep, love it.

[Harter66]

I had a Marlin Cowboy Carbine in 38/357 it was a joy right out of the box . A friend bought a stainless Braztec 92' in 38/357, I will find that burr that hangs up the 357s . It feeds all the 38s as fast or slow as you want to go w/o any care about about bullet shape ..... I didn't try it with full wad cutters, the Marlin would run them though .
I have run an old Rossi 92' pre safety and a late Braztec 92' with the safety bother in 45 Clots . The only bug in either of them was that the later Braztec didn't like to feed Remington brass. I did some polish work and it was better but not good enough so I just skipped on Remington brass. Both fed Schofield brass without a hitch also .

[Bohica793]

I have a Winchester 94 in .45 Colt that I will probably be buried with as I love it so much. Highly recommended if you can find one.

[dualsport]

What about a 30-30? Darn good cast boolit rig. Lots of options.

[nvbirdman]

I bought a stainless Rossi 357 about a year ago and have had no problems with it. It is somewhat sensitive to boolit design and cartridge length, but that is because of the design of the M92 action and these problems are easily worked out.

[Mk42gunner]

A week ago last Saturday I bought a 20" blued Rossi in .45 Colt. I haven't gotten it to the range yet, maybe tomorrow, but the action is already slicker than my Marlin 1894CB. I like the way the Rossi handles, so I am waiting to see how it shoots before I change anything.

I'm not that wild about the buckhorn sight or the safety on top of the bolt. I also don't care for the saddle ring or the way it is mounted, I don't plan to carry it hanging from a saddle horn or a cavalry sling and it already has detachable sling studs on the gun.

Robert

[TXGunNut]

Responses all over the map, any conclusions, OP? It hard to beat Rossi's 92 but it sounds like the Uberti 1873's may be a good buy on your side of the pond. I know the 92's can be (and should be) tuned and suspect the same is true of the Uberti 1873's. Of the choices you mentioned I've had good experiences with all but the Henry and that's only because I don't have one....yet.
In other words, when it comes to the lever guns you mentioned there are no bad choices. Some may be better for you than others, finding that levergun is half the fun. Shooting it is the other half. Pride of ownership is another half....yep, it really is that good. It's a 150% experience. Buy one, have fun!

[njc110381]

I've just read through the replies that have come in since my last post. Thanks for taking the time to put your opinions forward. I'm very grateful.

I visited my local firearms dealer earlier today. After a look on their website it turns out that they had a fairly good range in stock. A used Marlin 336 20" .30-30, a blued Rossi 67 20" .357, a brass actioned Uberti 66 19" .44-40, a Chiappa 1892 Trapper 16" .357 and a Uberti 1873 sporting 24" octagonal .357 with CH action. They had some .44's and a couple of Henry rifles as well, but I've pretty much decided that I don't like the loading method of the Henry and to go with .357 just because of the price of ammo (I've bought dies and ordered a 6 cavity 158gr mould!)

After I'd spent some time with all of them I decided that the Uberti was going to be my choice of gun. I'd gone into it thinking I wanted a Rossi, but after handling them all the Uberti fitted me better and felt very nicely made. It's a lot more money but I think it will be worth the extra.

Now I'm stuck between the 24" or 20", and octagonal barrel or round? I'm thinking that the 24" octagonal was just a little bit to front heavy. Not terrible but I think that the 20" will handle better. I'm not very tall so big guns are a bit slow for me. I did like the octagonal barrel though. It looks nice.

Now all I need to do is apply to the police to add a .357 to my list of firearms I'm allowed to have. That will take about three months!

Edit... I had always wanted a .30-30, but it seems that most of the rifles in that calibre hold far fewer rounds. As our club competition is to shoot six gongs as fast as you can, having a six shot mag writes off your chances of winning completely if you miss just once. My .45-70 can't compete at 4+1!

[knifemaker]

I have a Rossi 92 in 357 and love the gun. Very accurate and reliable with both 38 and 357 ammo. That Uberti you picked will also be a very good rifle. My Rossi has the 20 inch octagonal barrel and has superb balance. I also found the 24 inch octagonal barrel too muzzle heavy and I think you will be happier with the 20" octagonal barrel. If that 6 banger mold you bought is a Lee round nose flat point design, you should have great feeding of that bullet in your rifle.

[TXGunNut]

Sounds good, lots of tempting choices there so hard to go wrong. Good call on the cartridge as well; easy to feed and fun to shoot. I'll bet that 45-70 really smacked those gongs, lol.

[Mk42gunner]

I haven't had an 1873, but I have had lever actions with barrels ranging from 16" to 24". An octagonal barrel wins in the looks department, but is usually heavier than the round option.

A 24" octagon is good for shooting and holding a lot of extra ammo. They are not quite boat anchors to move, but they aren't lively either.

A 20" round barreled carbine is pretty close to the best all around, and I would bet that close to 3/4 of the center fire lever actions made since the beginning are 20" round barrels.

16" barrels are quite lively when shooting multiple targets; but they do come with reduced mag capacity, and a full sized buttstock can throw them out of balance.

I haven't owned any of the Marlins that had IIRC 18½" barrels, but the few I handled seemed okay.

Seems to me the 1873 is a fairly heavy rifle, and with the .357 you won't be dealing with really heavy recoil so if I were you I would get a 20" barrel. I do like the looks of the short rifle version better than the saddle ring carbines, but I'm not at all sure what is available to you.

Good luck with whatever you decide,

Robert

[M-Tecs]

The speed kings in SASS shooting prefer the Winchester 1873. Of the guns I own the 73 is the fastest, next is the Marlin 38 Special Cowboy and third is the Browning 92 in 357. I don't own a Rossi but some friends have them and they really like them.

[35 Whelen]

I have a Rossi .357, a Uberti 1866, a Uberti 1873 and two original Winchester 1873's (1886 and 1890 production).

The Rossi is lighter and handier, but the more complicated mechanically. The '66 and '73's are simple, rugged, can be run fast and due to their straight feeding seem to have fewer feeding issues.
I think you made a good choice.

35W

[Wayne Smith]

As long as you pay attention to cartridge OAL the 66/73's will feed, as well. Get too short and have room for two cartridges in the lifter - not good. Get to long and the lifter won't lift, you have to take the side plate off and partially disassemble the action to get it out. Not really a problem, but embarassing!

[njc110381]

Sounds good, lots of tempting choices there so hard to go wrong. Good call on the cartridge as well; easy to feed and fun to shoot. I'll bet that 45-70 really smacked those gongs, lol.

It smacked the gong alright... It snapped the re-bar that I'd made the stand out of and sent the gong flying down range! All that with a modest cast load, so I hate to think what a stout load with a jacketed bullet would have done to it?!

As for the OAL of the rounds, thanks for the heads up. I'll make sure I get them right and then crimp them.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I have a Marlin CB 336 in 38-55 and I love it. It is accurate and reliable out to 125 yds with handloaded CB'd at this point. I am working out better loads for longer distance shooting with a longer tang site. It is a great looking and handling weapon and a joy to shoot as the 38-55 is a low recoil round at mid range loadings. I expect more recoil if I were to load up for hunting purposes. However the only hunting I will be doing is for coyotes here in the desert and a light and fast round is what I want for that as obtaining a deer tag in this state is a long shot at best and I really do not want hunt Bambi. I would rather call in Wiley E. Coyote and give him a big surprise.

[njc110381]

You'll be wanting a .243 then?... one of the best calibres I've ever used for fox here, which are a bit like small coyotes.

[KCcactus]

Both my Rossi 92's are 20" round barrels. It makes for a nice handy rifle. 38/357 is a good flexible choice. Light load 38s are fun plinkers. Full bore 357 mag does well for deer at reasonable ranges. Or load anywhere in between. I haven't had a chance to try an 1873 clone. They look nice, but they're a little outside my toy budget.

[njc110381]

Here in the UK the .357 doesn't quite have the energy to shoot the larger deer legally. Only muntjac and chinese water deer, which are very small. I would have needed .44 to stand a chance of that, and even they only just make it. We need 1700ft-lbs and a minimum calibre of .240

I'm now on the search for cheap primers and powder that will do the job. I only need to launch them fast enough to ring a gong at 50 yards

[1Papalote]

I haven't shot my Marlin 44 in 20 years. I haven't shot my Marlin 357 in 20 days. Get the 357!!

1Papalote

[shoot-n-lead]

In my experience, the 38/357 are too narrow for the feed ramp of the R92 - or the feed ramp is too broad. Either way, the problem is it has more frequent failures to feed with 38/357 than with 45. It may be less of a problem with 44 Mag.

Sorry, but you are obviously talking about something that you have little knowledge of.

The Rossi's handle .357 fine.

[TXGunNut]

Sorry, but you are obviously talking about something that you have little knowledge of.

The Rossi's handle .357 fine.

My R92 handles .357's well, .38's even better. Must admit I was a bit surprised with all the negative reports I read. I suspect this gun has been worked over a bit but it could be well broken in or built a bit better than most. I suspect the executor of my estate will have to find a new home for a well-used fun little R92 someday...hopefully a long time from now.

[35 Whelen]

I have Rossi '92 that the wife and I used for CAS. .38's have to be loaded long or it flips them out. Aggravating!

35W

[BwBrown]

I like my three Browning BLR's:
Shot a bear last September with the 450 Marlin.
Carried the .257 Roberts a couple days looking for a buck.
The.308 is as handy as it gets.

[beechbum444]

After reading this post, I'm almost SOLD on the Rossi 92 in 38/357. Are we talking new production or old stock or either? I passed up one in 44 mag b/c of all the bad press.

[shoot-n-lead]

After reading this post, I'm almost SOLD on the Rossi 92 in 38/357. Are we talking new production or old stock or either? I passed up one in 44 mag b/c of all the bad press.

Mine is 8wks old...it is fabulous, my Marlin cannot hold it, a candle.

[modified5]

I have a Rossi 92 in 44 mag and don't regret buying it for a minute.
It is a great shooter and I have not had a single problem with it.
Get one or two in whatever caliber you shoot.

[ben lurkin]

I've a model 92 in 44 mag. 24" octagonal barrel. It shoots well but does not feed semi-wadcutters very well. The recess catches on the chamber. The problem was easily solved by switching to a regular cast style bullet. I don't have a 38/357 so that may or may not be an issue with that model.

[shdwlkr]

Here is how I look at lever action firearms
Is it something I would like
Is it a caliber I like
will I actually shoot it
beyond that it is the price fair,

I like long barrels on my levers, yes I have short ones also but because I can not because they work better for me.
What really gets me going is if I find one at a fair price that is not currently available ammunition, why because that is part of the fun for me finding what I need to make it work and then enjoying a rifle that is out of production.

[Ithaca Gunner]

I had a blue Rossi M-92 .357Mag. I bought in the 80's, very nice little rifle over all. Of course not as smooth as a 90-100+ year old Winchester, but over-all a nice little gun for the money. I did have one problem with mine, the pin connecting the lifter broke and I simply replaced it with the proper size hardened steel dowel pin. Other than that, no complaints at all.

[GhostHawk]

All my life I liked the look and the feel of a Winchester lever gun. It just was never meant to be until now.
Usually it was a shortage of money on my part. At times perhaps a lack of commitment, although a certain amount of interest was always there.

Last friday eve I took my wife out for chinese buffet (Date night) and she suggested a stop at our local pawn shop. I've been in there regularly for the last year, have bought 2 single shot shotguns and a pistol there before. So they know me, they know I'll bargain hard. Sometimes I'll jump, sometimes not.

Turns out they had a pair of nice lever guns there. First looked like a nice pre 64 94 with 900$ price tag, so I passed on it. Second one was a post 64 Win 94ae. I said lets go talk to the boss.

It had a 500$ price tag on it, looked good, nice wood, nice blueing, good wood to metal fit.
Eventually the boss got free, looked at it, looked at me, and asked if I would go to 425$

Considering that I had exactly that in my pocket I said yes I think I will. Had to put the 26$ in tax on the debit card but that was no sweat. Dies and a mold, and 100 new brass are inbound. Midsouth and Midway.

Turns out I had 53 .30-30 brass in my brass bin. So those are citric acid washed, dried, primed and ready.

And the adventure continues! Sometimes you don't pick the rifle, it picks you.

[DerekP Houston]

After reading this post, I'm almost SOLD on the Rossi 92 in 38/357. Are we talking new production or old stock or either? I passed up one in 44 mag b/c of all the bad press.

Shrug, mine was a little rough from factory but they slick up just fine. I read all the same negative press but when I saw it at the gun show and the price tag....it walked out with me.

Looking over the pawnshop today saw a nice 30 30 Marlin with the jm stamp, might have to organize a swap.

[njc110381]

I love how you guys can go out, look around the local pawn shops and just pick up a rifle! Here it's a ball ache... Fill out three or four forms, pay £26 - might even be more now, send all that stuff off to the police and wait. Then wait some more. And wait..... And then they may or may not decide that you have given a good enough reason to be allowed to buy it. Then if you can it's off to your local firearms dealer to buy it. You can privately buy and sell too but if it needs to be posted then it must be handed in to a firearms dealer at the seller end, posted via their network (the same one the rest of us use) to the buyer's dealer... usually we're both charged at least £25 for that too by the way. Then and only then can it be collected by the buyer! Luckily face to face transactions are allowed, so usually you just shop local. But with there being so few guns around sometimes you have to shop further afield to find what you want.

When I ordered my Uberti there wasn't a single used one that I wanted advertised for sale on the biggest UK gun sales website.

[beechbum444]

I have heard that some of the 92's have issues with the SWC bullets....and I agree with your solution.

[beechbum444]

Shrug, mine was a little rough from factory but they slick up just fine. I read all the same negative press but when I saw it at the gun show and the price tag....it walked out with me.

Looking over the pawnshop today saw a nice 30 30 Marlin with the jm stamp, might have to organize a swap.

I learned that lesson the hard way. I should have done a little more digging about the 92's. The JM stamped Marlins are a work of art. Especially the ones from the seventies.

[RPRNY]

Sorry, but you are obviously talking about something that you have little knowledge of.

The Rossi's handle .357 fine.

You may have a different experience. Feel free to share. Your statement above is rude and incorrect.

Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk

[35 Whelen]

I love how you guys can go out, look around the local pawn shops and just pick up a rifle! Here it's a ball ache... Fill out three or four forms, pay £26 - might even be more now, send all that stuff off to the police and wait. Then wait some more. And wait..... And then they may or may not decide that you have given a good enough reason to be allowed to buy it. Then if you can it's off to your local firearms dealer to buy it. You can privately buy and sell too but if it needs to be posted then it must be handed in to a firearms dealer at the seller end, posted via their network (the same one the rest of us use) to the buyer's dealer... usually we're both charged at least £25 for that too by the way. Then and only then can it be collected by the buyer! Luckily face to face transactions are allowed, so usually you just shop local. But with there being so few guns around sometimes you have to shop further afield to find what you want.

When I ordered my Uberti there wasn't a single used one that I wanted advertised for sale on the biggest UK gun sales website.
That stinks, but at least face-to-face doesn't sound too bad.

35W

[DerekP Houston]

I learned that lesson the hard way. I should have done a little more digging about the 92's. The JM stamped Marlins are a work of art. Especially the ones from the seventies.

They are hit or miss, it's why I didn't order one off the net.

Per the op sounds like he found a nice rifle! Let's see pics of this beauty.

[njc110381]

I'll post them up when it arrives. The model I want is out of stock with the UK distributor for another month, and I'm also in the early stages of "wait" when it comes to the paperwork. Once I've passed the wait and wait some more stage and been allowed it (fingers crossed), it should be there for me to collect.

How does the tang sight work on the Uberti? Can it be retro fitted or does it have to come from the factory with it there? I couldn't stretch to the models with it already fitted. It was an extra £100 and that put the price up over the £1000 mark.

[KMac]

So which Uberti did you order? The 20" barrel or the 24" barrel?
I have a Marlin model 36 30-30 with a 24" barrel and a Marlin 336 35 Rem with a 20" barrel.
The Marlin 36 is sweet and smooth and shoots really well but I just don't like the long barrel. Usually grab the 336 because it is handier. Probably gonna shorten that barrel on the 36 when I get is rebored to 35 Rem. And my next Lever Action will be a Rossi in 45 Colt to match the Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt that I have my eyes on.
The Uberti's look to be fine guns I just cant afford the extra cash they cost.

[GhostHawk]

Well it was date night again tonight. Back to the pawn shop we go. Lever is still there. It is a pre 64 Model 94 made in the mid 40's. Wood is nice but nothing to write home about. Action is smooth, no obvious dings, scrapes or faults.

Price had dropped from 890$ down to 650$. So I put it on lay away, with 200$ down. I have 90 days (and 3 more SS paydays) to finish paying for it or lose the 200$.

Seems fair enough to me. Best news was the wife was distracted looking at black hills gold jewelry and says "why not honey"

Make it so joe, write it up! Smile

[njc110381]

I went for the 20" model. My thoughts were similar - the 24" was just a little too long for me.

That old 94 sounds like a nice find. It'll be good to see some pictures of that too when you finally manage to get it home.

[dikman]

Just found this thread, and while you've made your choice (nice one) I figured I'd add my bit in case some other "newbie" finds this thread. I have three Winchesters, all 44-40 - 92 octagonal barrel rifle, 92 saddle-ring carbine and 94 carbine. The 94 will not feed pistol size rounds reliably, this is a known issue, other than that it's a nice rifle. The 92 carbine (made in 1897) is really nice.

A couple of members at the club recently bought Uberti 1873's in .357. Both have fitted a short-stroke kit. What I did notice is that the 1873 is noticeably heavier than the 92! I know it's cheaper to shoot .38, but I really like the .44-40 - you can definitely tell when it hits a steel plate!!

Btw, our purchase procedure in Oz is very similar to yours - a Draconian pain-in-the-proverbial.

[smokinfeathers]

I got a 24" octagon emf hartford that is very accurate n really smooth n will shoot 38 or 357 with no problem, also have 2 older 1894c Marlins n with favorite loads n scope will shoot 5 shots under a inch at 100yds all day long n have killed a train car load of deer n pigs

[John Boy]

Rossi '92 in 45LC ... over 15,000 BP reloads shot for CAS. No leading - no mechanical parts broken

[Griff]

One of the great things about the Uberti '73 is that your cartridge overall length gage is built in. With the gun unloaded, either open the bolt to raise the carrier, or just push the carrier up all the way and insert the cartridge from the bottom. If it fits, it'll more than likely feed thru the action... like 99% sure. There might be a few rifles where the barrel breach is not flush with the front of the carrier mortise.

I have a Uberti Henri & two '73s in 45 Colt. One '73 is a 24-¼" octagon sporting rifle, and the other is a 18-½" Border Rifle, which has the ½Oct/½Round barrel. I use all three in SASS matches and the Sporting Rifle in pistol caliber in Cowboy Silhouette. I find the extra weight of the long octagon barrel quite stabilizing for those off-hand shots.

I also have 3 Rossi 92s, two 38/357 carbines and a 45Colt Short Rifle. For those interested... you can find all the necessary information for slickin' up your Rossis, Winchester 94s & Uberti '73s at: Marauder's Rifle Tips (http://marauder.homestead.com/rifles.html). Long before these were posted I used much the same tune-up tips for my Rossi 1892s for my wife & son's use in SASS. If you're having any kind of problem with the Rossi 1892, you'll find a "fix" in there.

I also have a Marlin 1894 from the late '70s that I've converted to use the Cowboy45Special cartridge (think 45ACP with a Colt rim), and a "Cowboy" octagon barrel from overstock that I've shortened to 17".

If you have trouble feeding ammo from the carrier to the chamber, the best two bullet nose designs are the Round Flat Nose, (RFN) or the Truncated Cone (TC). With the case mount roll crimped into the crimp groove, these two have no sharp edges to catch on the chamber mouth. As someone else has said, think auto-loading pistol when thinking about bullet selection. The 1892 Winchester (or Rossi clone), mdl 94 Winchester & 1894 Marlin, all use an angled feed, wherein the cartridge has to turn from nose up attitude to horizontal to feed into the chamber, all the while it's being pushed forward by the bolt. This means that the bullet has to have a small enough nose to NOT jam against the roof of the chamber before it can be levered into a horizontal position. The toggle links, (1860, 1866, & 1873) are straight feed and don't suffer from the angled carrier, but... the chamber mouths can be quite sharp, and need to have a nice smooth cartridge nose & mouth to smoothly feed into the chamber. For most purposes, SWCs, Wide Flat Noses & their like need not apply!

If your 1892 is flipping loaded cartridges up thru the guides, you probably need to smooth and lighten the detent on the carrier... these can be quite strong. And trying to run the lever quickly exacerbates that tendency.

[GhostHawk]

Well I could not stand the suspence any longer. Went and got my Win 94 pre-64 that was on layaway at the pawn shop.

1100$ in the pair with tax which in my opinion is about what I expect to pay for one.

I have not been down the bore of the old one yet. But looking by eyeball from the muzzle rifling is clear, distinct and sharp. Bore looks good. Bore on the new one looks like it is not broken in yet.

In all pictures the Post 64 is on top, easily seen with the button safety in the top rear of the action. Also the lever of the Post 64 has a paracord wrap on it. I did not think the stock on the Pre-64 looked that good. Amazing what a light coat of oil and a soft cloth will do. In the shop it looked noticably faded, weathered. Now it shines, looks like the new one.

Large pictures

Enjoy.

170787170788170790170791

[Griff]

Your "post 64" is actually an 94AE... quite a difference from the actual "post 64" top eject models produced by Winchester as a division of Olin Corp. 1st, it has that silly cut in the right side of the receiver, (yeah it makes it better to scope, yada yada yada...); 2nd, it's a forged steel receiver; 3rdly, it ain't a "Winchester", it's a USRA produced partial copy of the Winchester mdl 94 under license from Olin Corporation, just the same as the Miroku copies now being produced are.

Take the paracord off the lever, unless it really makes your hand fit in there better, the only thing it does is act as a trap for dirt and moisture... the perfect storm for RUST.

[mmkt]

I like the Henry