An question on levergun selection.

[Lunk]

So I'm new here and would like to take a quick second to thank everyone who posts here. I've been reading the forums for about a month and have found the information somewhat overwhelming (in a good way) :-)

I hope to be purchasing a new levergun in the next couple months but am somewhat undecided about what one to get. I've narrowed my choices to 2.

I either would like to get the Marlin 1894CSS in .357 or the Rossi 92 in .357 SS with the 20 inch barrel. The only thing that I don't like about the Rossi is the 1 in 30 twist and the only thing I don't like about the Marlin is there seems to be a fair chance that I won't get one due to them making so few.

But on to my question. Should I worry about firing heavy rounds out of the Rossi due to understabilisation? Should I wait (and hope) for the Marlin?

Whichever one I get I intend to pair it with a Ruger GP100 in the future so I plan on sticking with the .357 caliber.

Any input on either/both rifles would be appreciated.

[NickSS]

I have both and like to shoot them. I only shoot bullets in the 125 to 180 gr weights and really can not tell the difference between the two rifles. Both are smooth actions and accurate. I will say that I use the Rossi for cowboy shooting and for hunting more due to its light weight.

[Bret4207]

I much prefer the trim lines of my Puma to the clunky feeling Marlins. Both are strong enough for the 357 IMO and both can be good shooters. I guess it's a toss up.

[Junior1942]

I say don't even think of loading to two pressure levels, one for pistol, another for rifle. You're almost certain to mix them some day.

My old 1-32 twist 357 Rossi 92 is cantankerous about 180 gr or bigger bullets. Some don't like to feed and some like to hit the target sideways. The Lee C358-158-SWC Ready To Load in my acww alloy weighs 166 grs, and at circa 1800 fps w/Lil'Gun puts 'em in little bitty groups.

[Lunk]

I say don't even think of loading to two pressure levels, one for pistol, another for rifle. You're almost certain to mix them some day.

My old 1-32 twist 357 Rossi 92 is cantankerous about 180 gr or bigger bullets. Some don't like to feed and some like to hit the target sideways. The Lee C358-158-SWC Ready To Load in my acww alloy weighs 166 grs, and at circa 1800 fps w/Lil'Gun puts 'em in little bitty groups.

Ok. I was planning on getting the lee 158 gr RNFP to start reloading. I figured that I'd run about 1200fps or so for target shooting and (hopefully) could load both with no changes.

I currently have a rifle/pistol pair of .22's and have really enjoyed just having 1 type of ammunition for both. When I decided to get a levergun I was hunting around for what caliber of rifle I could get to match with a pistol. I was first thinking about .45LC but on reflection I figured it would have too much recoil in the pistol for me to really enjoy shooting it allot.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

[QUOTE=Lunk; I was first thinking about .45LC but on reflection I figured it would have too much recoil in the pistol for me to really enjoy shooting it allot.[/QUOTE]

You might be surprised how fun a 45LC pistol is. They are very sweet shooters and most 45 loads kick less then 357 loads, then again you can always shoot 38s in a 357.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

Oh, and between a Rossi or a Marlin, I would go with the Marlin. 357mag and 45LC are both good calibers, but keep in mind the Marlin 94 action in 45 can handle those +P “Ruger only” 45 loads. I always thought that a Marlin and a Ruger Redhawk both in 45LC would make an awesome combo. Hope that over whelms you in a good way!

-2ndAmendmentNut

[Bret4207]

Hmmm, is someone implying the 1894 Marlin design is stronger than the 1892 Winchester design? This should be interesting.......

[Lunk]

Hope that over whelms you in a good way!

-2ndAmendmentNut

Gah! Yeah it does. Now I'm gonna take another look at the 45's.

[6pt-sika]

I like Marlin's and "old" Winchesters !

But I do not care for the Russi , Puma etc copies . I am sure they are fine , but I just don't care for them .

[runfiverun]

man if you can't get a rossi to shoot you got problems or it does.
the rcbs 158 rnfp and 7 grs of herco in the 357 case is about all you need to know.
aircooled ww's and a smidgee of tin is the other.
the sights on the rossi are utilitarian at best but i doubt a deer out to 200 will notice the difference.
whether in 38 44 or 45.
rocks definately don't and the rams at 100 are easy tipping with this combo but you have to go behind the berm to get the chickens.
once i find a set of peps i like there will be about 5 sets coming to the house.
also in the 92's [rossis] they have different styles the rifles and carbines.
rifle actions are smoother but they are heavier by far.
the 357 carbine is a joy to carry, and is actually lighter than my win 25-20 and just as accurate and the action is now as smooth.
now if rossi would get their act together and make the 218 bee 32-20 and 25-20 they would sell me some more.
the only ones i don't actually like are the 454 casull/480 ruger models just something wrong with how they went about those,but since they handle those HIGH PRESSURE cases just fine i guess the rossi is fine with regular ole 357/44 mag rounds.

[Four Fingers of Death]

heck if you want +p loads in a 45 Colt marlin, cut to the chase and get a Rossi 454, that lil sucker will handle both with loads that will have most lever guns in numerous odd shaped bits.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

What 4Fingers of Death has said is true. However Lunk originally posted here talking like a 357 would be plenty of power (which in all reality it would) so a +P 45LC would definitely offer enough. That would make a 454 way over kill. Don’t get me wrong I love the 454s, but that is not exactly a caliber you can shoot all day. Yes I know you can shoot 45s in a 454, but if you are going to mainly be shooting for fun you might as well go with a gun chambered in 45LC or 357. One final note on power, if I did not feel like I could stop a threat with a 45LC then I doubt I could do it with a 454.

[Fire_stick]

I have 2 Rossi 92 carbines (20"). One 357mag/38 spcl and one 44 mag/spcl. I also have a 308 Marlin Express and I have used my father's Marlin 30/30 on occasion. I prefer the Rossi 92's.

Since I picked up the Rossi carbines, the other rifles stay home more often. To me the Rossi handles and feels better. Now there have been times I wished for a scope on the Rossi, but that is not as easy as it would be with a Marlin. Some would also add that adding a scope to a lever is sacrilege. I figure I will just shoot more, know my gun and train my eyes.

I have reloaded and shot 180 gr. Hornady XTP's with good results. I am about to try the C358-180RF Lars design mold bullets. I will post those results later.

I will try to help you with your first 2 questions in your original post; get the Rossi 92 and have fun, now. When you find a Marlin, get it too. You can't have too many levers.

[cajun shooter]

2nd NUT, You better do some research on your statement about the Marlin being stronger than the Rossi. The 92 action is the strongest lever built. I own 2 92's now and have had as many as 4 at one time. The Navy and Interarms imports are great guns with the bluing and real walnut woods. The 92 is so much easier to carry also. Borrow one and shoot it, maybe you will see them in a different light. And yes I have owned Marlins. In fact the 24in bbl Interarms that is one of mine now was picked up in a trade. My Marlin 357 for the 45 Colt Interarms.

[Freightman]

I have a Puma in 45 Colt it is far more accurate than I am and in MHO easer to cast and load for than .357. Mine will feed full Wad Cutters most will not I guess I got lucky.

[leadman]

I shoot the Lee 158RFN in my Marlin 1894 and it is accurate. If you don't have a mould yet what I found is my 2 cavity has a longer nose and a flat base compared to a shorter nose and a small bevel base on the 6 cavity.
The boolit from the 6 cavity is slightly more accurate. 6 cavity produces way more boolits too.

[jimbojr]

Marlin.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

2nd NUT, You better do some research on your statement about the Marlin being stronger than the Rossi. The 92 action is the strongest lever built. I own 2 92's now and have had as many as 4 at one time. The Navy and Interarms imports are great guns with the bluing and real walnut woods. The 92 is so much easier to carry also. Borrow one and shoot it, maybe you will see them in a different light. And yes I have owned Marlins. In fact the 24in bbl Interarms that is one of mine now was picked up in a trade. My Marlin 357 for the 45 Colt Interarms.


Oops. I was wrong. All well that's not the first time or the last.

[shdwlkr]

Well I have a winchester 92 made by Miroku (sp) in 357 and it is so much better than the model 94 in 357 I had that I would never have a model 94 in 357 again. Now if it is a 44 mag maybe the model 94 would work but I wouldn't pass up anohter model 92 by Miroku either.
At 100 yards I was able to keep my shots within the size of a skeet clay pigeon the only time I have been able to get out with it.
I can't wait to shoot some lead with it and don't expect to load beyond pistol loads as I just might mix them up one day and end up with a really bad day.

[Jack Stanley]

If I had to do it over again , I'd look for a pre-idiot switch Marlin just like the one I now use . If you like the 92 style Browning made one in .357 years ago and it shot well too .

Keep looking on the used gun rack the older ones do turn up .

When loading for mine I went for accuracy and safety with the revolver and the carbine liked them too so it worked out great .

Jack

[Lunk]

At 100 yards I was able to keep my shots within the size of a skeet clay pigeon the only time I have been able to get out with it.
I can't wait to shoot some lead with it and don't expect to load beyond pistol loads as I just might mix them up one day and end up with a really bad day.
That is about the level of accuracy I was looking for and also one of my favorite targets with my .22 at 100 yards. :-D I figure I'll work up a medium load for the rifle (whatever one I end up getting) and hopefully will be able to use it in the GP100 I plan on getting in another year or 2. I'd prefer to have 1 moderately accurate load I can use in both to simplify reloading rather than a specific load for each and as you say mix them up and end with a really bad day.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

I'd prefer to have 1 moderately accurate load I can use in both to simplify reloading.

You should be able to do this with no trouble, especially if both guns have adjustable sights.

I used to have a Uberti lever action in 45, and I still have my Ruger NV in 45. Seeing as I shot the NV far more than the Uberti I made a very accurate load for the pistol, which shot moderately well in the rifle out to 80 or 100 yards. My advice is make an accurate load for the one you shoot the most, and chances are it will shoot okay in the other. Also keep in mind which gun is weaker (usually the handgun) and load accordingly.

[runfiverun]

i just went with 7 grs of herco the rcbs rnfp 158 gr boolit and it glides through the lever and shoots pretty well through the revolver one boolit one brass one load they get loaded up thrown in the big tub and shot till they are gone giving me time to cast and lube more till they are gone.
thats the beauty of a rnfp boolit it's the best do-all out there flat nose for hunting and through the lever and still work well in the revolver for the same things.
i think they have been doing it like this for about 125 years now.

[August]

It depends on what you're going to use it for. You'll outrun a '92 long before you'll outrun a Marlin, and you'll outrun both of them L-O-N-G before a '73.

I've seen used Marlin .357 rifles in two gunstores recently for attractive prices. Lot's of CAS shooters bought 'em and then, as I said, started out-running them and moved up to a '73. You should have little trouble locating a used Marlin in .357 and they are not very old, so they should, generally, be in good shape.

[gon2shoot]

I have a few leverguns, the 45 being my favorite.

You were speaking about the 357 Rossi with a 158gr boolit. I dont have one of those ,as every one I buy gets claimed by someone else.

I have bought several, and even though they're a little rough fit & finish wise, they have all been tack drivers.

I love the 92 action, and when I run out of kids and grandkids maybe I'll have one of my own.:roll:

[Sixgun Symphony]

Gah! Yeah it does. Now I'm gonna take another look at the 45's.

There are advantages to the .44-40 over the .45 Colt, especially if you want to go authentic and load with blackpowder. The thin case walls of the bottlenecked .44-40 case will expand to seal the chamber so that fouling does not blow back into the action.

:Fire:

Speaking of authenticity, the .44-40 was originally called the .44 Winchester Center Fire (.44 WCF) and it was chambered in the 1873 Winchester rifle and later, the 1892 Winchester.
When Colt chambered their revolvers in .44 WCF, they did not want the name "Winchester" on their products, so they called it the .44-40. (.44 caliber/40gr gunpowder).

[cajun shooter]

Sixgun, If you load the 45 Colt 92's with a full case of 2f behind a 200-250 gr. bullet you have little blow back. Shoot 2 of them in Cas with out a problem. The reason that you had no 45 Colt rifles was because of case design. The original had no rim so that it could be extracted. The next in line was the 44-40 and it got the nod. The reason the Colt Lightning had such a short production was that Winchester said it was going to start making a revolver if they did not stop production which was biting into the Winchester sales. Neither company cared for the other when it came to sales or names.

[EDK]

Go to lasc.us and look at Glenn Fryxell's articles. The one on 1894 MARLINS has some high performance loads and data on 357-44-45 colt lever guns. There are some other articles on boolits that might also be of interest to you. There is a specific forum for 1894s over at marlinowners.com/forums that is worth looking at. John Taffin has an excellent article in the SEP/OCT AMERICAN HANDGUNNER.

I've been shooting the LYMAN Cowboy boolits in my 357 and 44 MARLIN Cowboy rifles, as well as the "herd of VAQUEROS" and assorted other revolvers. HP-38 and TITEGROUP have worked well for me, as well as HERCO, UNIQUE, 2400, etc. There are a lot of "generic loads" for your pistol and rifle.

There are a few MARLIN 357s over at gunbroker currently. They don't go cheap because people recognize the value and utility of the 357 in a nice little levergun. Try and find a used one in the rack of your local gun shop...try and find a new one!

:Fire::cbpour::redneck:

[Lunk]

Go to lasc.us and look at Glenn Fryxell's articles. The one on 1894 MARLINS has some high performance loads and data on 357-44-45 colt lever guns. There are some other articles on boolits that might also be of interest to you.
I've been reading those articles and many others over the last couple months. very informative and interesting.


There is a specific forum for 1894s over at marlinowners.com/forums that is worth looking at.

I read it every day, just like here. Since I could not get one yet and can't shoot what I don't have I do research instead. Lots of it. :-D




There are a few MARLIN 357s over at gunbroker currently. They don't go cheap because people recognize the value and utility of the 357 in a nice little levergun. Try and find a used one in the rack of your local gun shop...try and find a new one!

:Fire::cbpour::redneck:
I just did. Should have it in by the end of next week: https://www.rrarms.com/catalog.php?prod=G1894CSS

Now to tell my wife.... *Shudder*[smilie=w:

[fecmech]

It depends on what you're going to use it for. You'll outrun a '92 long before you'll outrun a Marlin, and you'll outrun both of them L-O-N-G before a '73.

.

Not trying to hijack the thread but what do you mean by "outrun"? Are the Marlin and 73 actions faster, smoother, or shorter throw than the 92?

[405]

My choice hands down would be a Win 92 in 44-40. Strong, reliable, etc. Matching ammo for both a handgun and a rifle/carbine is usually a lowest common strength denominator deal. Load ONLY for the weaker action and don't mix and match. The current trend is to go 45LC simply to match up with the common and popular Colt SAA in 45LC. I have several original 92s in 38-40 and 44-40 along with original 73s in 38-40 and 44-40s along with original and current Colts in 38-40 and 44-40. Having shot the 45LCs, the 44-40s and the 38-40s I don't think I've given up much in performance at reasonable ranges to the 45LC. I have shot a Miroku Win 92 some and they are every bit as good, with stronger steel, and probably better than the originals. The CAS handgun/rifle/carbine type guns are not meant to be 200 yd dino blasters anyway. The good ones in either 38-40 or 44-40 are plenty of gun at BP loads or BP type smokeless loads for anything in the traditional use category. If you want to seriously hunt big game then get a good carbine or rifle in 454/45LC. Then there is always the problem of clear sight picture with the open carbine sights for much past 100yds in addtion to the short sight radius. Tang sights can help.

I too don't know what is meant by the "73s are outrunning the 92s"? The 73 is a compeletely different critter that is much, much weaker. I don't run my original 73s at max cycling speed anyway- (been trying to baby them along for max lifespan, they are a little spendy with good actions/bores) :-D . But the 73s, if not worn out, provide a little smoother mechanical loading from magazine to chamber because of the straighter alignment between carrier and chamber. Dunno about the current trends by the top guns in the CAS game?

Oh BTW, I have a Marlin 94 in 357. Nothing to write home about.... but it's easy to clean :)

[2ndAmendmentNut]

It depends on what you're going to use it for. You'll outrun a '92 long before you'll outrun a Marlin, and you'll outrun both of them L-O-N-G before a '73.

Not sure what you mean. The toggle link action of the 1860s, 66s and 73s are in a sense “weaker” then the powerful locking action of the 92s and 94s. However they are plenty strong for the pistol calibers they have and are being manufactured in. I know I will get flak about this but here it goes, the 73s that I have shot and handled easily have the smoothest most effortless actions.