suggestions on a good .357 lever gun? I don't keep up with which manufacturers are worth a shit anymore. I remember hearing that Marlin started to fall short after they sold. I'd like a .357 lever gun with a side load and eject, preferably tapped for a rail if I so choose, but a permanent rail on top wouldn't be horrible. I also wouldn't mind a saddle ring, those are kind of dope. What manufacturers have something that fits the bill, and which ones should I avoid like the plague.
I like Winchester 1892 patterned guns. Rossi, Miroku, or Chiappa.
>>62881671>>62881684Oh and the new Ruger Marlins are good.
>>62881695But are they $1000+ good? I kinda doubt it. You could get a used JM for a little less than that.
been shopping for a proper 357 levergun for myself for a while.looking at the Henry Big Boy x, but in wood furniture.other anons have stated that Henry will give you wood furniture to replace the plastic if you ask them.
>>62881707economy of scale sucks but the larp is its own reward.
>>62881759>economy of scaleI tire of this excuse.
>>62881789Stop being a broke ass nigga then
>>62881789me too dude, if a company makes money making a gun, they have a moral incentive to make anything other than an AR-15 clone for the sake of creating the gun market utopia we all deserve.
>>62881671Rossi has a new R95 in 357. Retails for $750 or something like that.
>>62882074Trust me, you want the 92 model for pistol cartridges.
>>62882120Why's that?
>>62881671Modern Rossi seems good. I got an R95 in 4570 last month. Everything is as it should be aside from the forend having some wiggle, not enough to matter but enough that it'll make a smack sound when you drop it into your left hand. Also the muzzle threading feels rough. I almost wonder if that was intentional as you don't want the thread cap to work itself off. Sights are ass but that's not their fault, they're just emulating 1800s sights and receiver is theaded. But yeah. I'm really happy with it.
do not buy Rossi.they're making them as cheap as possible.but an AMERICAN MADE gun like a MARLIN or a HENRY.Henry's have a bitchin warranty.I actually SHOT my Henry 22 lever with a 7.62x39 by accident (left it downrange and started magdumping) and they sent me a brand new gun for free.Rossi's don't make 357 with threaded barrels anyways
I really appreciate the input guys.>>62882120why is the 92 best for pistol cartridges? I really would like a side eject, but I suppose I'm open to top eject
I've had my rossi 4 yrs and have killed several deer with it. They are fine.
>>62882266Don't listen to this faggot, holy shit.He knows nothing about leverguns in the first place and any 1892 patterned gun are substantially stronger than Henry or Marlin.When is Marlin coming out with their 454 Casull model? lmao
>>62882266Henry has a good warranty because they know their guns will break. Ask any CAS shooter.
>>62881757I have one of these. So much fun. I like the futuristic levergat look with a red dot and silencer. It shoots .38 too.
I sold my rossi 92 and bought an older jm marlin 1894 recently. I have no regrets. The rossi was too ammo picky for me and the marlin cycles absolutely everything I have put in it. From 115 grain 38s to 158 semi wadcutters to 180 bear loads. The rossi wouldnt cycle anything that wasnt a 357 158 grain round nose. I have not gotten a chance to take it out to shoot though. I dont even have a photo of the marlin yet. Have a photo of someone elses marlin instead.
>>62881671Henry big boy or 1892? I will eventually handload some pissin hot loads and dont know which can handle that better
>>62884139The 1892, it's not even close.The geometry of the lockup and thickness around the chamber allow it to digest things that no one reasonable would load.Luckily for us, Paco Kelly wasn't a reasonable man.https://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/45coltlevergun.htm
>>62884228Now how does that compare to a 1984 for durability and handling pissin hot loads?
>>62881789they require more than just slapping pre made parts together
>>62884232Durability and an action's ability to handle hot loads go hand in hand for rifles.Paco Kelly has abused 1892s so badly that he had to tig weld material to the front of the locking lugs to make sure headspace was set correctly. Those loads were probably a little north of 65kpsi which abuses the shit out of the action without proper heat treatment.A man under the pseudonym "Buck Elliot" did 454 Casull tests in the 80's on various leverguns:A Marlin 1894 will digest less than 20 rounds of 454 before the action is too loose to lock up anymore. They tested a Winchester 1894 AE and the right side of the reciever stretched while the bolt tried to climb the angled locking lug at the rear. A late model(1930s) Winchester 1892 did the best, but it wasn't up to the task, the locking lugs tried to twist outward, and the guys didn't have access to a Miroku Browning 1892, which probably would have handled it.
>>62884228The lower pivot point also lets you run the lever faster than any Marlin. The only issue is the top ejection, but scope mounting is really a non issue on a .357
>>62884312Ill be using .357 mag
>>62884327I'll preface by saying I have loaded things in 357 Magnum that has literally ruined brass in the first shot, but it wasn't done in an 1892.I don't see any reason you couldn't push the envelope to 60kpsi in an 1892, but again I didn't do it in that gun. The bolt thrust of 357 Mag would be substantially less than 45 Colt, which can run 50kpsi in a 92 no problem, and the chamber is substantially thicker thanks to the smaller diameter. As with anything, you're playing in the dark without published data do use your head.Here's what Paco had to say about 357:https://leverguns.com/articles/paco/357_magnum_and_the_literature.htm
have the problems with the R92 referenced by >>62884089 been to some extent fixed with more recent manufacturing improvements, because the 1892 seems to be the stronger and more "original" lever action design and is more affordable to boot. Maybe this is all a poorfag cope but there's just something about the Marlin 1894 that doesn't sit right with me. Almost as if it's too much gun for the cartridge.
>>62886415Mine was purchased brand new in 2021. I wanted a "budget" 357 rifle and I payed for it by being burned. I was pretty unhappy with it when I got home and tried to cycle some 38s through it and they would spray out of the top of the gun when the action was open. The safety was really ugly too. I took it out a few times to shoot 158 round nose 357s but it bothered me that it wouldnt cycle anything else. It sat in my safe for a few years and I decided that I wanted to upgrade. I actually wanted an 1873 winchester/uberti/whatever rifle, but after a good amount of looking I went with the marlin instead. Its more "practical" and it was the same price. I did not want a ruger made 1894. I picked one up in a shop and the stock was loose and the loading gate was sharp. I feel like new guns are just not made well anymore. I will stick to older firearms that were built like someone actually gave a shit about it.
>>62886415Every Rossi is its own animal.I could write an autistic too long post about the things I've done to make 92s be more tolerant of WFN designs or longer cartridges, but suffice: you won't know what it may or may not need until you try.
