357mag lever gun

[kirb]

I think I want the Henry what is the best one to get Marlin, Uberti. does any one know the twist rate. what should I be looking for average price. I have marlin, henry and a savage lever guns like them all just have a hankering for a 357.

Kirb

[dualsport]

I have the Marlin 1894c .357. It's a fairly new gun but is becoming my favorite gun. I don't recall the twist, but someone here will. They are capable of amazing accuracy with cast boolits. Mine likes the LBT 359-200 LFN. It's won me some $ in side bets on cb silhouette matches. There's a catch, out of the box it would not feed Anything from the magazine tube, it all hung up. I sent it back to the factory and got it back right quick, slick as cat snot on a door knob now. From what I read my experience with a defective gun was a very rare occurence. Maybe it slipped thru QC somehow unchecked, but they made it good, real good. Now it will feed and shoot anything well. Veral Smith said they are capable of 1" groups at 100 yds. with the right boolit. I believe him. I'm working on that now, getting ready to shoot it in a CBA Postal Match. Right now it's wearing a 36X target scope! Looks very cool with the sunshades screwed on. I'd go so far as to say it might be the last gun I'd sell.

[BSkerj]

Mine also is the 1894 Marlin CB. I shoot Mihas 125 grn HP .357 bullet out of it and it is like a laser. I really enjoy shooting it ....just a fun little gun. I carry it with me in the truck whenever I go out kicking around the hills. I am currently looking to put on a Williams or Skinner peep on it. I kind of had sticker shock at first when I bought it, but it is well worth it IMO.
By the way..it would difinately be the last rifle I sold.

[kirb]

checking south east idaho not finding marlin 1894 357 cbhave to keep checking prices @ $799.00 is this about right.

Kirb

[BSkerj]

Kirb,
I purchased mine at Sportsmans Whse last April in I.F...They had one left NIB after I purchase mine. You may also want to try to see if they can get one from Twin...there store also had a couple at the time..Good Luck

[dualsport]

There's a difference between a 1894 c and a 1894 CB. The CB is more expensive, longer barrel too, I believe. Either one would be a great gun to have.

[EDK]

Get the Marlin. The 1894c is good; the 1894 CB is better....especially if you can find one of the 24 inch guns! I have 20 and 24 inch CBs and prefer the 24 inch guns. And yes, I had an 1894c for years before I bought the first Cowboy rifles.

Go over to marlinowners and read some of the threads on the 1894 and cowboy rifle sub forums. Price them on gunbroker and see what the resale prices are compared to other makes. You might also try the sassnet forum; the cowboy shooters (who use really wimpy loads in some cases) like the 1866/1873 Winchester replicas because of slightly faster speed of operation...and some "style points" for appearance sake. A few clean 1894s show up from time to time...I bought my 24 inch CB from a gentleman there and got a screaming DEAL!

:cbpour::redneck::Fire:

[Marvin S]

I just got a 1894c and installed a skinner rear sight and taller front. Also removed the factory rear and installed a filler blank. It's ready to go now.

[cajun shooter]

Do not cheat yourself by overlooking the Rossi 92. The one's that are made in Brazil. They are accurate, fun, very strong actions . If you decide to cowboy shoot the Marlin has some things that need to be changed out as they all do. The one thing that I never liked about my Marlin that I had for over 25 years was the way it ejected brass. The Marlin throws the brass to the front right. This will cause you to sometimes only retrieve 2 out of the 10 fired. The 92 Rossi can be purchased for $375 and up. The new Puma's are made by Armi San Marco in Italy and you should stay away. The Rossi has been made in Brazil for over 30 years and is one sweet rifle.

[fecmech]

A +1 on Cajun Shooters advice, particularly with the recent QC I've seen on Marlin.

[kirb]

Thanks guys I will keep looking I want to cast heavy cast bolits.

Kirb

[Corbi]

I went with the Marlin 94C. Great gun.

Corbi

[excess650]

I bought a new 1894c a few months back and have no complaints about the quality. This is my 3rd as I have my original purchased in 1981 or so, and another, 1894cs made in about 1990. The older 1894c and 1894cs have the front sight dovetailed directly into the barrel, and microgroove rifling. The newer models have a ramp front sight and conventional rifling. Both handle cast pretty well, but my microgroove barrels definitley like heavy bullets.

I handled the 24" barreled 1894CB back when they were still making them and didn't like the extra weight. The newer 20" octagon is lighter, but not as light and handy as the standard 18-1/2" 1894c, IMO. I couldn't see spending the extra $ for the octagon barrel and smooth stock. The standard 1894c is checkered.

[Jack Stanley]

I had a BL-92 once upon a time , I sold it but I just can't remember the reason why .

I ended up with a 1894c and have wrokd out passable loads with a H&G 316 , the Lyman heavy cowboy and a LBT 185 . By far it prefers the LBT slugs and it doesn't care if they have gas checks or not as long as you mind the velocity and bullet fit .

Skinner front and rear sights work OK though if I was to do that again I'd have a wider front sight for my old eyes .

Jack

[Ekalb2000]

+1 for the Rossi 92.
You can even slick it up yourself in about one hour. Ok, about three total, tear down, polish, re-assemble.
Got both my of mine for under five bills each, shipped.

[358wcf]

Just got my 1894c back from my local 'smith today- had it in the shop to have the receiver drilled & tapped for a traditional old Lyman 66 receiver sight. This sight is my preference on leverguns- quick, finely adjustable, rugged, and it just looks "right" in a traditional sense. Off to the range tomorrow to give it a try- as I haven't even shot this rifle yet--
I recently saw one of the new Winchester 92 short rifles in 357 at a local shop- mighty fine looking rifle (better be at that $1000+ price tag!), but the tang-mounted safety turned me off- guess I'll just stick with the Marlin for a few years-
Had a Browning B92 in 357 back in the '90's, shot a lot of small game and a few small deer with it-- fine weapon, but left it with a friend in Rangiora, NZ on my first hunting trip "down under". My friend calls this carbine his Kiwi pistol, as it is as close to a handgun as he can get down there--
The Marlin 1894c is a well-made rifle, deservedly popular, and really hard to find in California. Enjoy!

358wcf [smilie=1:[smilie=1:[smilie=1:

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

I bought a new 1894c a few months back and have no complaints about the quality. This is my 3rd as I have my original purchased in 1981 or so, and another, 1894cs made in about 1990. The older 1894c and 1894cs have the front sight dovetailed directly into the barrel, and microgroove rifling. The newer models have a ramp front sight and conventional rifling. Both handle cast pretty well, but my microgroove barrels definitley like heavy bullets.

I handled the 24" barreled 1894CB back when they were still making them and didn't like the extra weight. The newer 20" octagon is lighter, but not as light and handy as the standard 18-1/2" 1894c, IMO. I couldn't see spending the extra $ for the octagon barrel and smooth stock. The standard 1894c is checkered.

The new ones are checkered the older ones are not, that is one of the reasons I bought a pre-safety one for my wife . . .

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s220/ShawnTVT/Guns/Marlin%201894/Marlin1894357Mag.jpg

[EDK]

Thanks guys I will keep looking I want to cast heavy cast bolits.

Kirb


I got the NOE 360 180 WFN (4 plain base/1 gas check cavity) mould for my 357 Marlin CBs and "the herd of VAQUEROS." That is an excellent boolit and feeds great. NOE also has a pending group buy on a 200 grain semi-wadcutter that I'm signed up for. I've got a LEE clone of LYMAN 358627 that I haven't done much with. AND Elmer Keith's 358429 from LYMAN is good...you just have to play with over-all length to get it to feed.

Finding ANY 1894 can be a problem...the 357s are d*** scarce at shops and gun shows here around Saint Looie....read what they say about acquiring one from the guys over at marlinowners.

:Fire::castmine::redneck:

[mack1]

I have a marlin 94c and a CB 20". the CB shoots the above mentioned 360-180 noe very well. I have not shot many groups with it yet still playing with powders and the chrony but the 6" steel target at 50 yrds that I line up on is taking a beating, the feed slick without malfunction. Mine weigh 172 with the hollowpoint pins. Both rifles are good but I prefer the CB.

[kingstrider]

I have an old pre-safety 1894C with the micro groove rifling and a newer 1894CSS in .357 with the ballard rifling. Both have peep sights and shoot pretty well with my handloads though I haven't really compared them side by side yet. I also have a pre-safety stainless Rossi 92, maybe I'll take them all to the range one day for a bench test.

[kirb]

I have a 4 cav noe 180 and a veral smith 4 cav 200wfn now to find the 357 lever gun. talked with Sam guns and high country elk and sports mans in Twin falls and Idaho falls and Ross in Idaho falls doc in Pocatello. I will find a older Rossi or a marlin cb soon.
Kirb

[Artful]

I like my Rossi 92 in .357 - sweet gun. I have Marlin in 44 mag and it's a keeper as well but I like the lighter weight in 357 of the rossi design (JMB really as it's a copy of the Win '92).

[cb4017]

I'm happy with my Winchester 94 Trapper in .357.

[358 Win]

New to the site. Got a first year production 1894C and a 1999 1894CBL with 24" octogon barrel
and some real pretty wood. Put a cresent butt stock on my 1894C due to a fall when deer hunting
and messing up the original butt stock. My 1894C would not feed anyting either when I bought it new. Sent it back to Marlin and they fixed it really great. Shoot cast out of both of them. They both do great with cast. Put a lyman 66LA on the 1894CBL and a 2.5x scope on the 1894C. I love
them both a lot.
358 Win

[Lever-man]

I have a 1894 in 357 with the micro groove barrel that I bought new in 1979. It has been my favorite rifle from the time I bought it. I've been loading my own ammo to run through it for years........ I think what I load is called J words here. I've never just shot it for groups, sighted her in and went hunting, but it must be pretty accurate, because what I point it at usually goes on the table or in the freezer. Lately I've been buying cast bullets to load for it and it seems to be doing alright with them also. That is what I'm doing here. Can't wait to get started casting my own boolits to load. I have a Lee 358-158-RF on the way, and I've seen some good reviews on here using that mould, so wish me luck.

[dverna]

lever-man

Yep, it is a great little gun. If you are starting with cast, do not forget to bell the case mouth so you do not shave the bullet when seating. Slug your barrel and size to .001-.002 over bore dia.

Don Verna

[HANDYMAN]

I'll throw another vote in for the Winchester 94 .357 trapper. Had mine for years and shoots cast great. I've also launched 158 JSP's at over 2000fps using Lil' Gun.

[dragon813gt]

My 1894C comes everywhere with me. It recently spent a week in my hands while hunting.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/D4B74BE2-B90A-4EE6-A303-771740BE3987-8997-000006F3CC3D378F_zps8cfd886c.jpg

I've had a Skinner sight on it from the beginning but I recently changed the dovetail blank to one that holds on extra aperture. I have a habit of losing them somehow.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/A3121523-882F-4CD8-9C08-4B9BB1196ED9-8997-000006F3C7119101_zpsea9a0a54.jpg

It has ballard rifling and shoots everything well that it feeds. It will not feed RF style bullets. And like any 1894 you are limited in OAL which limits your bullet selection. But by limit I mean very few. Mine gets fed a steady diet of MP 359640s for hunting and MP 359125s for plinking. It also shoots MP 360640s well as well as 358359 HBWCs if I load them individually. Can't wait to cast w/ the MP 358156 that I recently received. That one will most likely become it's preferred bullet.

[Airborne Falcon]

I've got a safe full of Marlins and love'em all but my two favorites are probably the 1894P in 44 Mag and the 1894CB LTD in 357/38.

FWIW here is the pic of the CB LTD. I think I paid roughly $750 for it around 2008 or so ... been offered $1,200.00+ for it several times since. The picture does not do the furniture justice.

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/xx7/gallopazzesco/gunstuff/utf-8BSU1HMDAwMTYtMjAxMDA1MDMtMTYwN.jpg

[Lever-man]

lever-man

Yep, it is a great little gun. If you are starting with cast, do not forget to bell the case mouth so you do not shave the bullet when seating. Slug your barrel and size to .001-.002 over bore dia.

Don Verna
Thanks for the advice. I just didn't realize how different cast boolits are........ I have ordered a Lyman 4500. Now to get up enough courage to slug the barrels of the two guns that I plan on shooting cast boolits in........ The one that we are talking about here and a Marlin 336 in 30-30. My projects are not moving along a fast as I would like due to working for a living and the Holidays!