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Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 11:14 pm
by YankeeTarheel
They seem to be in VERY short supply!

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 11:50 pm
by Marlene
on the racks or have you walked in to the LGS and tried "can you order me one of these"?

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2018 12:12 am
by Eris
Marlene wrote: Fri Jul 27, 2018 11:50 pm on the racks or have you walked in to the LGS and tried "can you order me one of these"?
Gotta say this. I've twice ordered specific guns because they weren't in the store.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2018 12:37 am
by senorgrand
Well, if you want an 1873 and are willing to pay for it, you should be able to find one easily. If you are willing to forgo a side loading gate, then Henry's are good rifles.

If however, you want a reasonably-priced 1892 or 1894, then forget it. They're like hen's teeth since Rossi stopped production of the R92 in that caliber.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2018 3:41 am
by Bisbee
Really?!? I wonder why they did that. I thought these '92s were very good sellers in The States.

Still any '92 will be way cheaper than a '73 any day of the week. Winchester made '94's in .357 as well but of course not as common as in 30-30.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2018 10:21 am
by Marlene
There are also current production 92s from both Winchester and Uberti. Not as cheap as the Rossi for sure, but nice guns.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 9:33 pm
by max129
YankeeTarhee

[Lever action .357]

They seem to be in VERY short supply!
I own a Henry Bigboy Steel. [And I just donned my flame resistant suit]

It is a really nice rifle. Nice to look at. Nice to shoot. Nice to carry.

Not so nice to cycle the action. I wish I loved my Henry. The action is really rough and never seems to be ready to click the next round into place. It feels like every round is almost a jam. I spent months and months deciding to buy the Henry. I would far rather own a Marlin.

In addition to the rough action, I do find the tube feed tiresome. I would rather load from a side gate.

I did put Skinner peep sights on it; now I love the sights too (but not the action.)

I am not sure what your motivation is for wanting this caliber, but I have a caliber problem. It is like a psychosis. :whistle: If I own a firearm in a certain caliber, I MUST stockpile ammo for it. So the fewer calibers of weapons I won, the better. I current only now .357, 9mm (and 22LR). That was my motivation for a .357 long gun. But, as I said, I wish I had the Marlin. And in the ultimate symptom of 'prepper' personality (which is like confessing to some Cardinal sin) I bought a Ruger .357 BlackHawk partially because it ALSO shoots 9mm. (But it is a tack driver and a beautiful firearm. I would post a picture of it in my Doc Hardin holster, but I am too shy. :newhere: )

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 11:24 pm
by YankeeTarheel
max129 wrote: Sun Jul 29, 2018 9:33 pm I am not sure what your motivation is for wanting this caliber, but I have a caliber problem. It is like a psychosis. :whistle: If I own a firearm in a certain caliber, I MUST stockpile ammo for it. So the fewer calibers of weapons I won, the better. I current only now .357, 9mm (and 22LR). That was my motivation for a .357 long gun. But, as I said, I wish I had the Marlin. And in the ultimate symptom of 'prepper' personality (which is like confessing to some Cardinal sin) I bought a Ruger .357 BlackHawk partially because it ALSO shoots 9mm. (But it is a tack driver and a beautiful firearm. I would post a picture of it in my Doc Hardin holster, but I am too shy. :newhere: )
Well, I don't like the idea of too many calibers. I currently have 3:
1) 9mm for the HK and Sig pistols, and for the PCCs--Beretta Cx4 and Kel-Tec Sub2000. Primarily 2 types of ammo--115 grain FMJ and JHP for home defense
2) .357 Magnum for the Ruger revolver.
3) .38 Special for the Ruger as well.

Since nobody makes a 9mm lever-action rifle, a .357/.38 can share ammo with the Ruger.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 11:31 pm
by Bisbee
And due to the rimless design of the Parabelum nobody ever will make a levergun in that caliber. But it is a strange bird that would prefer a levergun over an autoloader...

We are kind of a strange lot, aren't we?

Anyway, .45 is strangely addictive to shoot. Both ACP and LC. Big and slow, lands with a whallop. Really feels satisfying with every pull of the trigger. The Rossi 92 in .45lc can be loaded to .44 mag pressures if you were wanting to down buffaloes for whatever reason...

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 11:46 pm
by senorgrand
Yankee is looking for a rifle that will pass muster with NJ's upcoming semi auto ban.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:15 am
by max129
Bisbee said:

Anyway, .45 is strangely addictive to shoot. Both ACP and LC. Big and slow, lands with a whallop. Really feels satisfying with every pull of the trigger.
Oh Thanks! Now I will spend a week tamping down my urge to add a 1911 .45 ACP to my collection. As I said before, the ones in the Military were junk piles, but a nice new Springfield ... I really want a .45 ACP, but (As Quigley said, "I never had a use for one.")

Also, Bisbee, I recall that you said "no tube feeders" on lever guns in a prior thread.

+1 on that. Between the action and the tube feed, I am not in love with my Henry.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:30 am
by Bacchus
max129 wrote: Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:15 am
Bisbee said:

Anyway, .45 is strangely addictive to shoot. Both ACP and LC. Big and slow, lands with a whallop. Really feels satisfying with every pull of the trigger.
Oh Thanks! Now I will spend a week tamping down my urge to add a 1911 .45 ACP to my collection. As I said before, the ones in the Military were junk piles, but a nice new Springfield ... I really want a .45 ACP, but (As Quigley said, "I never had a use for one.")

Also, Bisbee, I recall that you said "no tube feeders" on lever guns in a prior thread.

+1 on that. Between the action and the tube feed, I am not in love with my Henry.
Doesn't everybody need at least one 1911 in their collection? I agree about the .45 ACP- something deliciously satisfying about the oomph. I've got a Ruger SR1911 and it's a joy to shoot. :) Ooops, sorry, back to the lever gun thread...

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:38 am
by YankeeTarheel
Bisbee wrote: Sun Jul 29, 2018 11:31 pm And due to the rimless design of the Parabelum nobody ever will make a levergun in that caliber. But it is a strange bird that would prefer a levergun over an autoloader...

We are kind of a strange lot, aren't we?

Anyway, .45 is strangely addictive to shoot. Both ACP and LC. Big and slow, lands with a whallop. Really feels satisfying with every pull of the trigger. The Rossi 92 in .45lc can be loaded to .44 mag pressures if you were wanting to down buffaloes for whatever reason...
senorgrand wrote:Yankee is looking for a rifle that will pass muster with NJ's upcoming semi auto ban.
Correct. It's not a question of "prefer". The probability of a NJ ban on all semi-automatics is now fairly low since the other restrictions passed. Only one state senator and the 2 assembly persons from his district pushed it--the state senate majority leader, who pushed the other bills, ignored it. But the probability is definitely greater than zero and COULD become an issue. That is why I, who normally wouldn't want a revolver (let's not get into an argument over why revolvers are better or worse than semis, please!) got one. And why I am looking at a lever-action rifle in .357 like the Ruger revolver.

And, like all expensive purchase, education and knowledge are crucial to making the right purchase.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 2:00 pm
by Bisbee
Yeah, if the current market value of Rossi's were nearing the price of an original Winchester, go with the original and you won't have regrets. I bought my older model a Rossi with the intention to work on polishing the action so it was a project gun more than anything. I love my 20" Rossi for this personal reason. But I've owned the Winnie's before and can say that they are fine guns. And some of the older Chiappa and Umberti were actually Rossi manufactured so the quality of the older Brazilian guns were not far off the Italian replicas.

In the spirit of "edumacation" on the subject of 92's vs 94's, the difference you may know already is that the '94 was originally designed around the 30-30 cartridge whereas the the '92 was designed specifically around the handgun cartridges. So though you may find a '94 in .357 magnum, the action is actually longer and adapted to feed a shorter cartridge. That makes for a slightly "looser" feel when working the lever to load a new round. The '92 feels a little more "precise" if that is the correct term.

The '73 is a completely different animal and has a very luxurious action. But you'll certainly be paying for that privilege (over a grand)!

I'm surprised by Max's review of his Henry since they have a reputation to being well built guns for a fair price. I just don't like the limitations of it's tube fed design so never owned one myself. But like my Rossi, any gun can be worked a little (with a polishing stone) to improve the action feel.

And I've read a little love-hate on the .357 Marlins too. Some Marlins just didn't cycle well while others were as smooth as butter. That's a real crap shoot considering how much the Marlins go for on the secondary market being that they are no longer produced. They are quite collectible as a result so I've never shot a Marlin to know what they are like personally.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 2:16 pm
by Bisbee
Oh, and there's really nothing like the trigger of a 1911. You'll be surprised at how accurate you can shoot with that crisp release... Max.
:D
Actually, you can find 1911's in 9mm which are growing in popularity these days, especially with the conceal carry crowd. Still, a 1911 in .45acp...

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning... Smells like victory!"

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 3:24 pm
by YankeeTarheel
I thought Marlin '94s in .357 were being produced again. People say if you go for a used one, it should be a genuine "JM" stamped rifle.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 3:26 pm
by CDFingers
max129 wrote: Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:15 am Now I will spend a week tamping down my urge to add a 1911 .45 ACP to my collection.
You will fail, and you won't be sorry you failed.

About the .357: as many of you know i had one and swapped it off for a .30-30. The gun was too small for me and the .357 is a pistol cartridge, and I have it. So now the rifle matches my body and the cartridge matches the rifle for me.

Just remember that when firing .38's out of those levers, clean it first before shooting .357 or you might weld a case ring in there.

CDFingers

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 3:48 pm
by Bisbee
Yeah, I had CD's old '94 .357 carbine Winnie and he has my old Marlin 30-30 (which he inexplicably likes to balance emu eggs on for pagan rituals).

I don't believe Marlin is currently making .357 leverguns. Could be wrong but it'd certainly be news to me. A quick check on gunbroker prices confirms my suspicion that no new ones have been hitting the market. It'd be great if they were given that Rossi stopped selling in their '92 .357's (truly a loss).

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 9:09 pm
by max129
#18 Post by Bisbee » Tue Jul 31, 2018 12:48 pm

Yeah, I had CD's old '94 .357 carbine Winnie and he has my old Marlin 30-30 (which he inexplicably likes to balance emu eggs on for pagan rituals).
And what -precisely- is inexplicable here? :D Pagan rituals are my favorite ...

I really admire the lever rifle and 30-30 package, but that is one more caliber to horde. So I have the .357.

And the counsel to clean before switching to .38 special is very good. I have never had this issue since I use my Henry lever gun to burn up all my excess horde of .357.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 11:00 pm
by Marlene
I’d say it’s not hard at all to find a good 357 lever gun. It’s just hard to find one priced like an inexpensive bolt gun or an AR. When they were new designs, labor was much cheaper and guns were much more expensive in relation to average income.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 2:53 am
by Bisbee
I personally have experienced shooting .357 mags after .38's without brushing out the chamber to stunningly bad results in my '92. A case seperation happened when the lever was racked, the extractor ripping off the rimmed base leaving a brass "tube" effectively stuck in the chamber. Took quite a bit of ingenuity to get that thing out of there which rendered that rifle useless for more than a week. Believe me that was a lesson learned!

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 11:15 pm
by YankeeTarheel
I feel like an idiot. I had a bid on a pre-safety .357 JM 1894 Marlin on Gunbroker and should have taken the Buy it Now. Someone else did. Damn!
I'm watching for more of them and it will cost me more.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 11:26 pm
by Eris
YankeeTarheel wrote: Wed Aug 01, 2018 11:15 pm I feel like an idiot. I had a bid on a pre-safety .357 JM 1894 Marlin on Gunbroker and should have taken the Buy it Now. Someone else did. Damn!
I'm watching for more of them and it will cost me more.
Yeah, I recently bought a synthesizer from eBay and I just hit buy it now. It seemed to be in good condition (and it really was when I got it) and it was a price I was willing to pay. If those conditions are met, then I think Buy It Now is the way to go. It saves hassle and gets you what you want.

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 11:40 pm
by YankeeTarheel
What kind of synthesizer? Moog?

Yeah,I'm watching several others and I'll try to "snipe" the right one1. when it's about to close.
My beloved signif other has given me her blessing....

Re: Why is it SO hard to find a good, lever action .357 Magnum Rifle?

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 12:35 am
by Eris
YankeeTarheel wrote: Wed Aug 01, 2018 11:40 pm What kind of synthesizer? Moog?

Yeah,I'm watching several others and I'll try to "snipe" the right one1. when it's about to close.
My beloved signif other has given me her blessing....
Got a Roland JP8000. Not analog, but uses digital tech to simulate analog, so I can still make my own custom sounds.