rossi or marlin?....

[rmaster14145]

i REALLY want a lever action .357. i have not shot either the rossi or marlin ( in .357). i like the side eject of the marlin, the price on the puma looks better. SOOO i need to ask yalls opinions whats your likes or dislikes about either rifle and why? does one seem to feed/shoot cast better than the other? got any different sites on them?

i guess im just looking for general likes or dislikes.

thanks

:drinks:
rm

[Marlinreloader]

You would never guess from my name which one.[smilie=1:

No, I have Win, Puma, and Marlin levers. In my opinion Marlin is the better built guns. I would definitely go with the Marlin. spend the extra. You will always get it back if you ever want to sell.

In fact, if you buy the Marlin it most likely won't be your last.:Fire:

Try the site marlinowners.com

Marlinreloader

[Southern Son]

I bought a Marlin 94 this morning in .44Mag. I was tossing up between the Rossi and the Marlin, and was leaning towards the Rossi untill today when I handled both in stainless and the Marlin's action seemed to cycle more smoothly. The 92 Rossi was nice, but the Marlin just seemed a little nicer.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I thought I posted on this thread earlier. I have both Rossis and Marlins. feel that it comes down to personal choice, they are both great guns. If you intend to mount a scope, the Marlin gets the vote. If you want to hotrod it, the Rossi gets the vote. Apart from that it is an even race. The Marlins are better finished, but the Rossis are cheaper. The Marlins are made in the states, that may be important to you. The marlins have a range of larger guns, which essentially have a similar feel, that also may be important to you.

[Gee_Wizz01]

They are both great guns! Like 4 Fingers said above, you can easily put a scope on the Marlin, which has become very important to me, as my aging eyes make iron sights difficult. I like the "feel" of the Rossi better, but that is a personal issue. The Marlins are much easier to take apart for cleaning and bolt removal is a snap. Both rifles shoot and feed cast bullets extremely well. My .44 Rossi seems to feed semi wadcutters SLIGHTLY better than my Marlin, but both are excellent. The Rossi's shoot every bit as good as the Marlin and are reportedly a little stronger than a Marlin (get ready for the firestorm). To solve this dilema, I have both.

G

[Freightman]

Well I think that both would be nice a Marlin in 357 and a Rossi in 454, then you can hunt deer with the 357 and bear with the 454.
I got my silver boolit finally huray !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SmuvBoGa]

I got a Rossi .357 for Christmas. I've owned a Marlin 30 - 30 for 20 yrs. Both are good guns, the Marlin (30/30) is heaver than the Rossi (357). I have polished up the Rossi action & magizne tube.
Based on the "take down" of my two rifles the Marlin has less small parts & requires less cussing to take apart & put back together.
This is your call - play with both & see which talks to you.

JohnMc

[runfiverun]

i have 1 marlin could have more but i don't have room in the levergun area of the rifle storage area cause it's filled with 92's of different calibers.
theres soon gonna be two 94's in there though in 44 and 45 colt.
which brings the count on theose calibers to one each just short of death [so's iv'e been told]

[rmaster14145]

THANKS !!! thats the kind of info i was looking for.

i have had a marlin and and a win in 30-30. i think the marlin is a better gun than the winchester.

i can get a puma in SS for a bit less than a blued marlin would cost.

what about barrel length ( since it sems most of you have more than one :grin: ), do you like 16" or longet barrels?


again thanks

rm

[Southern Son]

the 16 inch Rossi was a dandi looking bit of gear, but when I did the sums on it, the 16 inch Rossi is only 4 inches shorter than the 20 inch, so I don't think it would be that much of an improvement in handling over the 20 inch. In the ballistics department, I don't think you will gain or loose anything in a pistol caliber between the two, if the rifle was in 30/30, then the 20 inch barrel would get an advantage (on paper), but not in .357 Mag (or .44 Mag, for that matter). You will just have to handle both and see which one you like best.

[O.S.O.K.]

I also own and like both. I will say though that the sights on the Rossi levers are ****. But, that is easily remidied.

They are both accurate and handle cast boolits just fine.

Go with the one that feels right to you. :)

[Blueridgeboy]

I also own and like both. I will say though that the sights on the Rossi levers are ****. But, that is easily remidied.

They are both accurate and handle cast boolits just fine.

Go with the one that feels right to you. :)

What is the "easy remidy"? I might want to look in on that!

[freedom475]

I have both...the Marlin is a better gun...hands down. I am very surprised to see all the Rossi supporters here.??

The Rossi sight is not as easily remidied as you might hope...the idiots that cut the dovetails on the Rossi's seem to just file away at the notch until there SUB-Standard sights fit...no two seem allike. Easily remidied if you like JB Weld...LOL

And to top it off...the sights on the big bores often are cut so deep into the barrrel that the sight has acctually collapsed the barrel tube to the point of causing a tight spot that can be seen when looking down the barrel at the sight locations..

Then there is the mag tube that is famous for holding a a few extra rounds on Stand-By... Yep..open the action, lever it 5 or 6 times just to be sure she is empty. Then as you set it in the corner you hear a "shink" as 3 extra rounds magically appear in your "empty" rifle.

I could keep going cause this is just scratching the surface of all Rossi's problems but...OK enough of that...

Even with its short-comings the Rossi is way more fun and the 92 action is soooo Smoooth and strong, and it just "feels" like a levergun should...Guess I'd have to say that my Rossi 480 Ruger is my favorite between the Marlin and the Rossi:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen: even if it is a ***:mrgreen:

I put a ladder sight and blade front from Sharps on my Rossi... it is awsome and it will shoot a LOO000ooongs ways....Very Fun!

[runfiverun]

the newer rossi's do seem to be a bit hit or miss as freedom points out.
you gotta look out for the correct sights, or shim the bottom of them a bit then they are tight.
the 20" bbl would be my pick [a short rifle]
the rifle actions seem to be a bit better fit and smoother than the carbines.
they also cost more than a marlin.
if i had to choose one to carry around all day a rifle with a 20" half octagon/half round bbl would be my pick.
the 24" bbls do get heavy,the 20"s carry fine and do what you want,just need to change the sights.
mine have come with all kinds of sights buckhorns,red/green dots,square notches.
sights in the front bbl band,dovetailed,etc.
i am going with a post/bead type front,and peep sight rear with inserts.

[Blueridgeboy]

the newer rossi's do seem to be a bit hit or miss as freedom points out.
you gotta look out for the correct sights, or shim the bottom of them a bit then they are tight.
the 20" bbl would be my pick [a short rifle]
the rifle actions seem to be a bit better fit and smoother than the carbines.
they also cost more than a marlin.
if i had to choose one to carry around all day a rifle with a 20" half octagon/half round bbl would be my pick.
the 24" bbls do get heavy,the 20"s carry fine and do what you want,just need to change the sights.
mine have come with all kinds of sights buckhorns,red/green dots,square notches.
sights in the front bbl band,dovetailed,etc.
i am going with a post/bead type front,and peep sight rear with inserts.

Tell me "who, what, where and how much". I'd like to consider what you are thinking of doing. I'm lost on this new rifle but I can tell you a lot about CZ .22lr's; got 4 of them beautiful girls.

[runfiverun]

d&t for either the 94 [side]or for the 94 a.e. [top of frame over the slide] model.
one of my originals [25-20] has a lyman [side]someone put on it years ago.
and it is a flat out lazer beam with the hood on the front sight and the small aperture in it.
i take the aperture out when hunting with it.
i like the adjustable slide [up and down] like a buckhorn with the ears rounded off, and a white diamond/or straight line painted so the point ends right at the bottom edge. and a gold bead front dot also.

[6pt-sika]

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh let me think about this for a moment !

Had about 90 different Marlin rifles in my lifetime so far and liked just about everyone of them for one reason or another !

Have owned ONE Rossi/Puma purchased it brand new and kept it one year and traded it to another fellow still NIB !

Get where I'm gong with this [smilie=s:

[Just Duke]

The wife bought a Rossi .357 against my counsel. We took to the range at Bass Proshop. We couldn't get my loads to go into the magazine tube. Ok, my buddies that worked there went in back and got some factory stuff and could not get any factory ammo into the gun. Several different loads including some guys carry loads. OK so back to my loads. I forced 8 or so into the gun and she fired them. One stuck in the magazine tube and she was having problem getting it to load onto the carrier. It just stayed there. After 10 round we took it home and I tried 38 specials which feed and loaded just fine. Steve's Gunz say this is a common accourance and would fix it for $140.00.
She sold it for $300.00 after paying $575.00 for it with transfer and shipping. I'm quite sure she will never buy another Rossi in .357.
Go Marlin. I've lost track of how many Marlins I have.

[Bret4207]

The Rossi is kind like a Ruger- you get a 90% finished kit and what you do with it from there depends on you. With Marlin it's a 95-98% finished kit. Both work well, the Marlin is finished better, both have their downsides.

[jack19512]

I recently purchased a Puma(Rossi) in 454 caliber and so far I can't say anything negative about the rifle. I purchased it new for around $377.00. I guess time will tell.

[pietro]

[What is the "easy remidy"? ]

Here you go, blueridgeboy:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=69939

.

[Jacko.357]

I have read about as many bad experiences with both rifles in the Marlin vs Rossi argument on differant forums. For many of you taking pride in American made vs the import is the deciding factor. In Australia they are both imported, the Rossi costs $800au the Marlin 1894 $1185au

I did not get along with the factory sights on my Rossi .357 or my.44 mag 1894 Marlin. I have replaced both sets with Skinner front blades which Dr Skinner cut to my specs , Marbles folding leaf dovetail sight on the Rossi, Marlin already had one - I shimmed the Rossi's - no big deal.

I fitted a Tang sight to the Rossi as it is drilled and tapped for one. The Marlin is not so I fitted a Williams foolproof. In my case both rifles had equally awefull sights and equal easy fixes. I have no interest in scoping the Rossi , guess it's an advantage the Marlin is scope ready , unlikely I'll fit one.

The Marlin is more highly polished but it cost me a lot more. My rifles are not safe queens , they get dragged through the bush , tossed in the back of 4 x 4's, dinged up and in a few years I'll bet they both look ordinary. The Rossi has a nice hardwood stock that is a lot more durable than the Marlins nicely figured walnut stock

My Rossi is more accurate than my Marlin though I do concede the Rossi has a longer sight radius I still believe it is inheritly more accurate

Sure my Rossi's action was gritty when I first bought it as indeed was the Marlins , but it has smoothed up beautifully, no way, no how will the Marlins action ever compare to that slick M92 action.

I slugged the barrels - the slug pushed through the Rossi's barrel with a constant pressure with only 1 slightly loosed area about 6" forward of the chamber. The Marlin had 3 slightly loose spots along the length of the barrel. The Rossi has a mirror sheen to the bore, the Marlin not so - but to be fair it has fired less rounds. Both rifles slugged out to be true to calibre .357 and .429 groove diameter

The Rossi is my favourite rifle, it handles well with the 24" barrel and the slim stock and forend fit me like a glove. The Marlin is a lovely rifle but chunkier, I would not trade it and I really appreciate the extra power of the .44 mag when pig hunting. I would not want to shoot a .44 mag Rossi with full power loads with that cresent shaped steel butplate. The Marlin is a more refined rifle. Is it a better rifle though? In the end it boils down to personnel choice and what will get the job at hand done.

regards Jacko

[Lunk]

The deciding factor for me was the twist rate. Rossi's twist is too slow if you want to shoot anything over 158 grain. If the twist had been the same or similar I would have gotten the Rossi.

[Jacko.357]

My Rossi shoots 180 grain cast projectiles beautifully. 13.5 gr of W296 or 12.2 gr of 2400 gives me the best accuracy. These powders give good accuracy with 158 gr pills as well.

Never had any sign of bullet instability with 110, 125, 158 and 180 gr projectiles cast or jword. The smallest groups I have shot with cast bullets were with 180 gr pills. At 200 yards the rifle shoots 180 gr pills into 8" and punches lovely round holes at all ranges out to that far.

The Rossi .357 twist rate is 1: 30 - the Marlin 1894 .357 is 1:16. For interests sake many report the 1"38 .44 mag Marlin and 300 gr bullets do not get on. Perhaps both manufacturers could take a look at what the market wants

regards Jacko

[6pt-sika]

For interests sake many report the 1"38 .44 mag Marlin and 300 gr bullets do not get on.

Dunno about "others" but in my own case 300 grain bullets in an old Marlin 336-44 I had were very acceptable ! The Ranch Dog 432-300GC and 21 grains of H-110 did a very nice job !

In the two Marlin 357's I had I did a very nice job with the Lyman 215 grain SWC GC mold I have !

[AKsoldier]

I suppose it's possible that there are decent Rossi made guns out there, but I've been bitten twice. Rossi is the same as Taurus - both made in Brazil. Same company. I had a Taurus 2" 5 shot 357 revolver that I had bought with the intention of giving it to my wife. It was brand-new and wouldn't hit the broad side of a barn from 15 feet. The cylinder wouldn't line up right, and bullets were getting shaved going into the chamber. I sold it at a huge loss to a guy who said he could fix it.

My second "bite" is my son's rifle. I took him on a hunting trip in August while I was home on R&R leave, and I felt it was time for his first centerfire rifle. Lots of folks had recommended the Rossi youth combo, so I bought him one with 20 gauge and .243 barrels. To be fair, that little thing is a tack driver, and with cheap factory ammo to boot. But after 5 days in the woods, it was falling apart. The sling swivel in the buttstock stripped out of it's threads in a steel rod inside, we lost the swivel and the rod is in there rattling around. I'll have to see if I can fix it when I get home.

Now for my Marlin experience: I am something of a penny-pincher. I like to research what I buy, and don't generally spend any money on my guns after I've bought them. I expect them to work perfectly from the factory. So until now, I have never spent a dime on any gunsmithing work, save my own time with my own tinkering. But I happened to be in the market for a big bore lever gun. I wanted something that would stop an Alaska brown bear dead in it's tracks, and I was trying to decide between the 45-70 and the 450 Marlin. Sportsmans Warehouse made my choice for me with a Marlin 1895 marked down to $465. I pulled out my military ID and walked out of the store with my wallet $445 lighter.

I fired three boxes of factory ammo through it, then handloaded cast boolits from 405-500 grains and liked it so much that I dropped it off at a gunsmith for "the works". It's getting a muzzle brake, limbsaver pad, DRC lever, action tune, wild west trigger kit, and bear proof ejector. Not that it really needed anything to make it better mind you - I just wanted a custom gun and finaly found a platform I thought was worthy.

It is my favorite by far of all the guns I've ever owned. In my opinion, you can't possibly go wrong with a Marlin.

[cajun shooter]

I have owned at least 4 or 5 Rossi's and a couple of Marlins. They both have good and bad points. For SASS shooting you see a lot of both rifles but I prefer the Rossi because the Marlin ejects it's brass to the front right which means you can't pick it up. I have never had a problem like was described by Duke and suspect it was his ammo. Both the Marlin and Rossi are improved with a SS magazine tube spring and SS follower to replace the cheap plastic one from the factory. The Marlin also requires that it's two piece firing pin be changed. The Marlin will also feed two from the tube causing the "MARLIN JAM". When it comes to cleaning the Marlin is much easier to clean because of it's break down but the Rossi is not that hard to maintain. The stock sight of both rifles are replaced all the time. The Rossi is lighter and swings faster which makes it a pleasure to carry. I purchased the DVD that is sold by Steve Young and did the improvements on my rifle. It will cycle and feed with one finger in the lever.You will find some of the Rossi's that were imported by Navy Arms, Puma, and EMF that are slick out the box. The 92 action is the strongest of the lever style rifles. Later David

[WyrTwister]

I have a Winny M1892 that was converted to .357 , by some one in the past . Belonged to my late father-in-law .

A Marlin .30-30 , .44 Mag , .45 LC ( NIB ) & 2 .45-70's .

A Winny M94 A. E. .30-30 , 2 M94 .44Mags ( NIB ) .

A Rossi Puma .45 LC .

If you are not going to scope the rifle , I perfer the M92 design . If you are going to scope the rifle , the Marlins or maybe the M94 A. E. .

God bless
Wyr