357 Marlin

[JSH]

Any of you have any input on this? I got a phone call today on the where abouts of one priced at under two bills. I need this like I need another hole in the head, but what did need ever have to do with it before. I still have not shot the 30-30 with the ballard rifling. I don't really have the urge to fool with the MG barrels..........but.
Jeff

[slughammer]

My 357 is doing fair with big heavy gas check boolits. I'm talking .361 dia, 185gr.

That price is $100 below market value. Buy it and play with it, sell it in a few years and get your money back. It seems to be a very low risk venture.

[Frank46]

JSH, I have one that I paid $145 for. Some rust on the bbl and freclking of the receiver and one lousy trigger. Marlin must have used car springs for the hammer spring. But just for the heck of it I put an old lyman 6x all american scope on it and with condom loads will do about two inches at 100 yds. This is with rem bulk 158gr flat points. The rifle appeared to have spent its time as a truck gun but suprisingly no damage to the wood. Looks like a winter project for this winter. I'd say the same as Slughammer, buy it, play with it and if it doesn't work out then sell it. You could probably get more than you paid for it. A lot of cowboy shooters use these rifles. Frank

[JSH]

Well it followed me home. I have to say it is pretty nice with only three slight issues, two dings and marred spot on the bluing. I am afraid it will stay a while, as it has ballard rifling.
Any insight as to what to try in it load wise? I may shoot a few condom bullets through it to smooth up the bore. The fellow that had it said it has less than 200 rounds though it.
I have the Lee 180FN from the group buy, it didn't fall into the bore. I will slug it and see what I have before I get to far into the CB's.
Jeff

[slughammer]

OK, the guy bought a rifle for $400+ and then sells it for less than $200. Does he have anything else to give away? If so, send me a PM :-)

The Lee group buy C358-180 is what I'm using in my microgroove. 13.5 Lil-Gun with a CCI 400 Small Rifle primer. My buddy with the ballard version is just starting his load work, but is doing very well with about 12gr of 2400 and a WSP primer.

Each of these loads was worked up with tweaking; that's how I ended up with Rifle primers in mine. About 25 lbs of those boolits out of the 6 cavity will supply you with all you need to work up the best load for your rifle.

[JSH]

OK, the guy bought a rifle for $400+ and then sells it for less than $200. Does he have anything else to give away? If so, send me a PM :-)

The Lee group buy C358-180 is what I'm using in my microgroove. 13.5 Lil-Gun with a CCI 400 Small Rifle primer. My buddy with the ballard version is just starting his load work, but is doing very well with about 12gr of 2400 and a WSP primer.

Each of these loads was worked up with tweaking; that's how I ended up with Rifle primers in mine. About 25 lbs of those boolits out of the 6 cavity will supply you with all you need to work up the best load for your rifle.

I have had some pretty good groups with lil gun and some of the RCBS 180sil bullet. I loaded up 50 with the Lee 180 and 15 grains of lil gun to try. This was in a 10" 357 contender.
Nope, I already bought the $75 1903 Springfield.
Jeff

[Frank46]

Slughammer, small rifle primers?. I tried that in my marlin 357 and they would not fire on the first go around. You'd figure with the heavy hammer spring they would but no dice. Only had a few loaded that way just to try them out. Frank

[Cayoot]

I had a Winchester .357, it was bought new in 2002. I used it for half a season in Cowboy Action shooting. Then the little tab that limits the number of rounds that are released from the tube magazine wore down. Every time I chambered a round, the magazine tube would try to excrete all the rounds into the action. It would jam up the gun bad and I'd have to try to get the rounds out through the gap between the lever and the bottom of the receiver (gap was created when the lever was lowered (cycled). Of course, I could not close the action, cuz all the excreted rounds jammed up everything in it.

I took the gun to a Cabella's gunsmith. He told me that it is not an uncommon problem with the new Winchester Lever guns because the tab is now being made out of a softer material (cost savings ya know). He also told me that he could only replace the part with another O.E.M. part that was made of the same material, so it may very well happen again.

I never trusted the carbine again and eventually got rid of it. Hopefully Marlin did not take similar cost savings actions.

I never had a problem with any of our Marlins.

I will never buy another Winchester.

Just my $.02....Now that I think of it...my rantings and venting really didn't contribute to this thread....sorry.

[biggome]

13.5 grains of WC-820 with a std. primer under a cast 180 grain SWC does 1525 fps and shoots really well out of my 16" Rossi.

I sure wish I had gotten in on the 180 grain Lee group buy.

Paul