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!

[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

[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 . . .

[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.

[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.