.357 lever gun

[FergusonTO35]

May I be damned for a hypocrite. Even though I long ago put the finger of death on Henry rifles (personal experience has not been at all good) I recently broke my word and purchased a Henry X model, I wanted something to leave in the Gator, abuse/neglect and generally treat like a .......club? My Marlins do not satisfy this requirement. The caliber was not not a .357 as requested by the OP, but a .45 Colt. All things being relative you may be able to draw some reasonable conclusions regarding the same rifle in a different caliber. Ok, The downside, it's ugly, a flashlight rail, day glow sights, a plastic stock and heaven help me a threaded barrel. Upside, it's short, therefore handy. very smooth action, feeds flawlessly (In fairness, I've only shot 255 Lee) and best of all, I can put eight in a group the size of the bottom of a pop can at 50 yards, open sights. Since Marlins of any strip are either out of sight price wise or very scarce I can't really recommend one unless your very lucky or the new Marlin company starts gearing up soon. Nothing against Rossi, have one. Handy, accurate. On the rough side action wise, you can smooth them up allegedly, but mine got pretty good after 500 rounds or so. The position for their safety is terrible. All that having been said, you could do yourself a lot worst than an X model Henry. So far, I'm impressed with it's performance though it's ugly as a mud turtle. Good luck.

The X model is neat but, at least around here, costs the same as one with a wood stock. I would love to see Henry make a line with plastic furniture and matte finish but with the same good mechanical function as the more expensive ones. Maybe even ship with dovetails but no sights so you can pick your own to keep the price even further down. Price it the same as a Rossi and they would sell like mad. I don't see why it couldn't be done, the last new Remlin 1894's I saw here were at Rossi price point.

[j p sixguns welldone]

i've only had my marlin 1894 and like it. trying the 180's soon. but like everyones said the marlin's are sure pricey.

[4719dave]

I love my Rossi to it might not be a shining star like my Marlins but she’s still a shooter

[johniv]

I like my Rossi, 92 in.357. Feeds .38’s, or .357. Likes the H&G #51, 160 gr. FWIW

[tja6435]

I have a Rossi 92 with the 24” octagonal barrel. It feeds and shoots 38spl and 357 with LBT flat nose boolits like butter. I do wish I had bought one with a 16” barrel though.

Paco Kelly wrote about pushing the limits of .357 mag in a Rossi 92, he was well in 30-30 territory with some of his loads.

[Tazman1602]

Love my Marlins but never owned one in 357. A decade or so back the Rossi 92’s we’re running around $400 so I bought a couple….hated them, 38spl wouldn’t feed right, rough action, etc.

Then I found Steve’s gunz, bought his DVD and spring kit and and made all the mods — they feed whatever I put down the tube now, can’t speak for the newer ones which are almost double what I paid for them back then but I wouldn’t sell them. Only thing is they always shot high which I cured with a marbles tangsight…

Art

[sandog]

Yeah, the older ones had the front sight built into the barrel band, new ones have the sight separate in it's own dovetail.
I bought a .45 Rossi that was made in 2015 and it still had the barrel band/front sight combo.
The .357 I now have was made in 2016 and has the new style front dovetail, so all I had to do was slide a higher Marbles in there.
But their dovetails are still oversize, I had to put pop-can shims under mine to get them tight.

[BRatigan]

I have the M73 from Winchester/Miroku. Waited quite a while to find it. It is very accurate and my favorite rifle to shoot. It loves Hi-Tech 2 coated, Speer and Hornady bullets. It is heavy as it is a 24 inch octagon. Quality is first rate and I have so much confidence in its ability. I love nearly all the 357 levers out there, but I'm a Winchester guy from the 60's, can't help myself.

I edited this post to show my target from yesterday at the Strickland range. 50 yards, stock iron sights, 20 rounds. 140 conical HiTech2 coated bullets. Very consistent.

[OverMax]

If I were to purchase. No doubt I would hold up to get a JM Marlin 1894.
A used one in good overall appearance having a loosened but not warn out receiver. Marlin levers are known to get sweeter with age & use.
What a great cartridge the 357 is. Little straight wall 38 cal is so versatile for any home reloader. (Cast or G/c. Paper patched or Store bought.) No matter Marlin shoots em all 2 " or less at 100.) After taking about? I just might look around in my neck of the woods for 357 Marlin now.

[robg]

bought my win 94ae trapper in 98 shoots great even after the thousands of rounds i have put through it .it shoots 180gn boolits best .