Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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I've been eyeing getting something like this for a few months now, but between local prices, availability, and an unwillingness to go through hoops with an online purchase of a firearm, I haven't had the will to get one. I don't know why but lever guns around here are rare and expensive, well above MSRP even for used rifles. Also, they all seem to be in 30-30, 45-70, or something rarer and more expensive (not saying there's anything wrong with these cartridges, but if I want to use the rifle for target practice, I need cheap ammo). While i hear of model bases, I don't know what to actually look for. I've heard bad things about the current marlins due to remington cutting costs. I don't know anything about the other companies making new models. I would also like to be able to stick a low power scope on it so I can better see what im aiming at, but I don't know if that is practical with a lever rifle or not.

If this turns into a case of ordering over the web via local FFL, I probably need to go there and figure out how I'm supposed to actually do it.

This said, I'm probably going to hold off for a while on this, at least until i finish fixing up my AR, because I will probably sell it to make up some of the cost.

Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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senorgrand wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 12:36 am If you are ok with no loading gate, the Henry's are good.

If you have to have a loading gate, you'll probably have to buy one of the Italian ones. Winchester still makes a few and Marlin is supposed to be coming out with some.

The SASS folks have put a premium on a lot of the 357 levers.
A raffle for a brass and blue henry is what got me started looking at XD.

I'm not sure of the purpose of a loading gate.

I actually looked at SASS for a bit, but they focus too much on costumes and themes for my liking personally (says someone who is used to an internet alias and never showing his face :hmmm: .) I think I just don't want to spend the money on clothes on top of firearms, especially when I don't own any of them right now. I have a revolver but its a double action and thus ineligible.

Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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CDFingers wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 8:52 am One thing about .357 lever guns and .38's: make sure you clean the chamber after having shot .38's before shooting .357's because the short cartridge puts some soot in the chamber that might weld the longer case to the chamber. I know from experience.

CDFingers
Funny. I had the very same thing happen when I was shooting some revolvers for the first time--in the Taurus and the Ruger, the .357 FMJ shells kept getting stuck. The Ruger was SO bad I had to call the RSO over to show me how to clear it. He wacked the extraction rod straight down on the bay table! It was explained to me that .38 special, being slightly shorter, left a ring of residue that if not cleaned, caused .357 to stick after firing.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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I have a blue steel Henry Big Boy in 357 and a Brass Henry Big Boy in 44 mag. They both load using the tubular magazine and not a loading gate on the side of the receiver. For some people that is a no go, but I’m use to loading a tubular magazine at the muzzle end since my 50 year old Marlin M199 22lr carbine loads that way.

The new blue steel 357 and 44 Henry’s are already tapped to mount a scope on them.I can’t say enough about the fit and quality of the Henry Big Boys . Made in USA a rifle you will be able to pass down for generations to come. If the Government does get it.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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I have the Henry Big Boy Steel in .357, it's a sweet rifle. It doesn't have the side loading gate but I really don't care i it'll hold 12 .38SP or 10 .357 rounds in the tube magazine.
Years ago I wanted a Rossi, but I seen now they have this silly "safety" on it that frankly looks like a latch to a jewelry case...I wouldn't have one unless it's an older model sans latch.
Winchester doesn't make one anymore in .357.
Uberti and Cimerron make them but they retail starting at $1100.


Rossi Saftey.jpg
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Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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All currently listed as in stock at Bud's

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/pro ... PER+357MAG

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/pro ... +357MAG+20

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/pro ... 18+CASE+HA

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/pro ... 24.25+13RD

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/pro ... +Walnut+St

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/pro ... 7+Mag+20+1

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/pro ... RENCH+GREY
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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YankeeTarheel wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 10:04 am
CDFingers wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 8:52 am One thing about .357 lever guns and .38's: make sure you clean the chamber after having shot .38's before shooting .357's because the short cartridge puts some soot in the chamber that might weld the longer case to the chamber. I know from experience.

CDFingers
Funny. I had the very same thing happen when I was shooting some revolvers for the first time--in the Taurus and the Ruger, the .357 FMJ shells kept getting stuck. The Ruger was SO bad I had to call the RSO over to show me how to clear it. He wacked the extraction rod straight down on the bay table! It was explained to me that .38 special, being slightly shorter, left a ring of residue that if not cleaned, caused .357 to stick after firing.
I saw your post about that. I wind up cleaning my barrels and chambers religiously almost already. Don't want any crap built up in there. I tend to run my guns dry except to get rid of build up, which then i wipe out most of it.
yeah I keep an eye on bud's, but I haven't gone through the hoops of ordering and shipping firearms to an FFL before. Considering the price of the side loaders, i would probably stick with the henry. If it became that urgent to reload you could always chamber load I would think. EDIT: the first one looks more affordable though.
Last edited by BillMcD on Sun Apr 22, 2018 11:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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The local range I was at today has both a Chiappa takedown that holds 7 rounds, and a Taylor Uberti that holds 10(?) rounds. I liked the Chiappa's light weight and feel, though the stock was too long for me. The Taylor was heavier and longer but the stock was perfect. Both were pricey at around $1300 each. Both take .357, but I don't know if they'll take .38 special.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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+1 for Rossi '92s. Strong guns reasonably priced. Rough innards from the factory but easy enough to polish to make the action slicker than snot.

Like CD, I learned the hard way about shooting .38's followed immediately with .357's on the same outing. Actually experienced case seperation where the claw ripped off the rim and left the hollow brass stuck inside the chamber. No fun getting that sucker out! No-sir-ee! Took some ingenuity involving epoxy glue and a freezer!
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent." -Gandhi

Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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I’ve had some 92s. I have played with pistol caliber 94s (some good, some bad, they’re inconsistent) and Marlins and Henries. They’re mostly all nice rifles. I don’t even mind the safety on the Rossi.

Truth is, if you’re looking at 44s or loading your 45s at all warm, one of these is probably the best choice. These are good strong actions. 357 just doesn’t need as strong an action. Unless you’re handloading really heavy stuff, the choice of .357 opens the choice of looking seriously at the various ‘73 clones. They’re just so damn much fun. They aren’t as compact as a 92, but they are slicker than snot. That’s before you start putting parts in them like short stroke kits and the like.

The Uberti/Taylor/Cimmaron gun’s are excellent and come in several configurations. Most aftermarket parts are aimed at this model. The new Winchesters are excellent too. They’re made in Japan by Miroku and come with a shorter than original stroke right out of the box and can also be made shorter. I adore mine.
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Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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As always, Marlene has is spot on.

I have fairly extensive experience owning, using, and gunsmithing many lever action rifles. She has it nailed about the .357, it's a cartridge that opens doors. I also happen to think that the .357 is the "best" pistol caliber rifle from a practical standpoint. When fired out of a 16+" barrel the .357 behaves much closer to a .30-30 than a magnum revolver cartridge. It is completely adequate for deer size game to 150 yards or a bit further for those over-achievers out there.

The post-Taurus buyout Rossi 92's are absolutely fantastic rifles. Before the Taurus buyout, Rossi lacked CNC machinery and as such, their quality control was rather spotty. I have encountered pre-Taurus rifles that were fantastic, all the way down to completely un-fix-able. When Taurus bought them out, they provided them with much needed CNC machinery (Taurus actually manufactures CNC milling machines), and since then I have found Rossi 92's to be completely reliable with actions actually smoother than original Winchester. Externally/aesthetically they don't look as good as an original Winchester. Wood is Brazilian walnut which has a uniqueness to it that is just not as pleasing to the eye as the other more common walnut's used in firearms. Metal polishing just isn't up to Winchester standards, and the receiver flats show evidence of a little over-polishing...not bad, just not as good as an original Winchester. And finally, the OEM sights are just not nearly as nice as what you would find on an original Winchester. In fact, when I have a Rossi 92, the very first thing I do is upgrade it with Marbel's sights which are just the proper sights for a Winchester lever action rifle.

The 92 action as designed is just brute strong. So strong that is has survived changing "era's" of ammunition. Originally designed to be a lighter, more streamlined replacement for the 1872, it was originally intended for use with black powder cartridges. Once smokeless powders came around, much of the competition had to drop their guns from their catalogues because they weren't up to supporting the new pressure levels. The 92 never even blinked. The basic rifle was made with such high quality steels that not only did it make the change to smokeless, but it even handled the advent of magnum handgun cartridges. Nearly as soon as the .44 magnum was invented, people were re-barreling their 92's for this new powerhouse cartridge. Their little saddle ring carbines were suddenly a near equivalent to a black powder era .45/70.

Finally the basic 92 design has managed to accomodate what I call the "super-magnums"; cartridges like the .480 Ruger and .454 Cassull; again, with the same action that was designed all the way back in 1892 (and designed in just two weeks as a "bet" between Winchester and JMB).

So if you want the most "practical" pistol caliber lever gun, my vote is for the Rossi 92. It is stronger, smoother, and more reliable than the Winchester 92 and the Marlin 1894. The Marlins have some reliability issues. The Winchester 94's in pistol cartriges are excellent rifles, but the lever throw is just no where near as smooth as the 92's because it was created for a much longer cartridge. The current manufacture Rossi (or if price isn't an issue) Winchester 92's are just the best lever action pistol cartridge rifles money can buy.

Now, back to Marlene's comment about the .357...It does certainly open doors. The .357 is a high pressure cartridge, but because the base diameter is much smaller than the big bore cartridges, it produces much less back-thrust, which makes it safe in the uber-cool toggle action Winchester 1873. These rifles are much larger, heavier, and just not as slick in the hands as the svelt/smooth 92's. On the bright side, the actions are very smooth even though the lever throw length is much longer than the 92's. And craftsmanship is very good and they are aesthetically much better looking than the 92's. The '73's are available in 19"carbines with round barrels and proper carbine stocks, or as "rifles with barrel lengths up to 30" octagon barrels and crescent butt plates.

For a rifle that will just always bring a smile to your face, yet remains a pratical/usable "working" rifle, the 19" Winchester 1873 just fits the bid perfectly. That color case hardened (or blued) frame, beautiful Turkish walnut stock, and deep, dark bluing make the rifle just beautiful to behold. It's light weight, perfect length barrel, non-abusive carbine butt-stock & butt-plate are just very user friendly. Some come with a re-production of the "ladder" style adjustable for elevation rear sights which are period correct, but I find them to be not-so-great sights. Like I do with a 92; I swap out the sights for a proper set of Marbel's with a semi-fine brass bead up front. Some come with sighs very similar to Marbel's, but I still prefer the Marbel's.

So there's my long winded .02 on the subject. I absolutely LOVE lever action rifles, and I really love the lever action .357's. Good luck in your hunt, and let us know what you decide on.
Last edited by FrontSight on Fri May 18, 2018 4:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.
“I think there’s a right-wing conspiracy to promote the idea of a left-wing conspiracy”

Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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One caveat on the .357 Rossi: I find tucking the rounds past the gate far enough to catch reliably on the dookicky that holds them forward in the tube to be somewhat awkward. Sometimes I blow it and have the cartridge loose in there. My fingers are rather skinny, but still I've always thought it would be easier to do this carelessly yet successfully with a .44 or 45 (or the .454 :)).

It would probably also help to polish the edges of the receiver port and the gate to make it less scary to jam a finger in there. Mine always feels kinda sharpish.
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Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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That's a good point. Most Rossi 92's have sharp edges on the loading gate on the inside. Several times I have had considerable material stripped from my finger nail while pushing rounds in. A few swipes with a needle file takes care of it though. On the super magnums they have changed the magazine over to a loading system like a .22LR lever rifle with the removable magazine tube. They also threaded and screwed the exterior magazine tube into the receiver; another genius stroke...wish they did that on all rifles.
“I think there’s a right-wing conspiracy to promote the idea of a left-wing conspiracy”

Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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FrontSight wrote: Fri May 18, 2018 8:05 pm That's a good point. Most Rossi 92's have sharp edges on the loading gate on the inside. Several times I have had considerable material stripped from my finger nail while pushing rounds in. A few swipes with a needle file takes care of it though. On the super magnums they have changed the magazine over to a loading system like a .22LR lever rifle with the removable magazine tube. They also threaded and screwed the exterior magazine tube into the receiver; another genius stroke...wish they did that on all rifles.
Or you have the tube loading like the Henry’s big boys.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

Re: Trying to find a .357 lever gun but don't know where to look.

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No loading tubes! Inherently unsafe! Fingers don't belong near the muzzle! And when was the last time you saw John Wayne or The Rifleman fiddling with a tube mag while the bad guys are shooting at you from over the ridge?

J/K...
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent." -Gandhi

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