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TNWNGR
10-05-2011, 03:02 PM
Well, much to my surprise I just walked into an offer of a pre-cross bolt safety Marlin 1894.357 Magnum carbine not thirty minutes ago. I’ve been looking for one of these in .357 and .44 Magnum for a few years now and this happens. I guess it’s about a 94-95% finish appearance level with a good clean bore and $194.00 OTD. It happened too fast for me to really think about the deal so I’m not too sure how I did on this one.

Wheeler
10-05-2011, 05:04 PM
Down in these parts, that's a good deal.

Seems that most of the Marlins and Winchesters I see in pistol calibers are going in the $400+ range.

SecondsCount
10-05-2011, 05:28 PM
Wow! That sounds like a really good deal.

I bought my wife the 1894CS model in like new, never fired condition for $400 from a private owner early this year and I thought I did well. Gunshops around here were asking $600ish for the 44mag version and I couldn't even find one in 357. They are in the $600 range on gunbroker as well.

The only issue I have with hers is that it keyholes with lead bullets, even with really lightly loaded 38 Specials. It must have something to do with the micro-groove rifling. I found a good deal on jacketed bullets from Rocky Mountain Reloading (http://www.shop.rmrbullets.com/product.sc?productId=39&categoryId=13) in Idaho that I am going to try.

JHC
10-05-2011, 05:46 PM
You did OUTSTANDING. If you change your mind, "Let's Make a Deal!!!" :)

My brother has one with a Williams Foolproof rear aperture but XS front sight and it's pretty slick.

Al T.
10-05-2011, 06:48 PM
That is a smoking deal for around here. As mentioned, both the .44s and .357s are easy $450.00 guns.

TNWNGR
10-05-2011, 08:58 PM
Thanks for the feedback fellows, I’d thought it was a decent price and trusted the store but was caught a bit off guard. The link for the jacketed bullets is much appreciated; IIRC someone tried some really hard cast bullets through either the .357 or .44 Magnum Marlins some time back. I’ll have to do some backtracking to find the information but remember some loads worked pretty decent. I’m kind of ticked to have this Marlin because I have an old Marlin in 38-40 that’s been in the family for well over 100 years.

Chuck Haggard
10-05-2011, 11:39 PM
You suck, and I hate you.

I have been trying to find one of those for years, at a regular price, and you find one for under two bills.

will_1400
10-06-2011, 12:38 AM
You suck, and I hate you.

You never mentioned that you work for H&K. :p

NickA
10-06-2011, 08:37 AM
Yup, you stole that thing. Great find, enjoy it!

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

Wheeler
10-06-2011, 06:06 PM
Thanks for the feedback fellows, I’d thought it was a decent price and trusted the store but was caught a bit off guard. The link for the jacketed bullets is much appreciated; IIRC someone tried some really hard cast bullets through either the .357 or .44 Magnum Marlins some time back. I’ll have to do some backtracking to find the information but remember some loads worked pretty decent. I’m kind of ticked to have this Marlin because I have an old Marlin in 38-40 that’s been in the family for well over 100 years.

I read a post a few weeks ago talking about cast loads for Marlin's with the microgroove barrels. I wish I could find it again but it seems that I racall that hard cast was the way to go.

SecondsCount
10-06-2011, 09:43 PM
I read a post a few weeks ago talking about cast loads for Marlin's with the microgroove barrels. I wish I could find it again but it seems that I racall that hard cast was the way to go.

Appreciate the thought but I probably won't try hard cast bullets mainly because the jacketed ones I found were cheaper and will probably perform better.

DocGKR
10-07-2011, 12:19 AM
I've used a Marlin 1894P with 16" barrel and found Hornady 300 gr XTP shot very well in it, as did Federal 300 gr Cast Core...

Little Creek
10-07-2011, 09:36 AM
A few years ago I bought a new Marlin M1894 38spl./357Mag with a 16" factory ported bbl. I put an XS Scout Scope base on it with a Leupold 2 1/2 X Scout Scope in QRW rings. It is sweet.

I also bought a used Marlin M1984 "Limited" in 44Spl./44Mag with a 16" microgrove bbl. It shoots Cowboy action style loads well. I put a Scout Scope on it like the 38/357. Both of these LeverScouts are fun and accurate. I know they will kill deer size game under 100 yards as well. Might also be useful as an innocent looking self defense gun in a pinch.

The ones with 16" bbls. are somewhat rare.

Chuck Haggard
10-07-2011, 06:07 PM
I know they will kill deer size game under 100 yards as well. Might also be useful as an innocent looking self defense gun in a pinch.


Exactly why I want one. Almost every deer I have ever shot has been less than 50 yards, many under 25 yards.

Many of the areas that I hunt are public, and some people like to grow dope or cook meth in the same areas. Best to have a gun with you that you can fight with if need be.

DocGKR
10-12-2011, 04:17 PM
Relatively compact, high capacity lever gun with an RDS is nothing to sneeze at. Downside is that they are even slower and harder to reload than a shotgun, heat up quickly in rapid fire, and can be difficult to mount a light...

203

TNWNGR
10-12-2011, 08:12 PM
Relatively compact, high capacity lever gun with an RDS is nothing to sneeze at. Downside is that they are even slower and harder to reload than a shotgun, heat up quickly in rapid fire, and can be difficult to mount a light...

203

I wonder how that set up would run with a Browning BLR or a Savage Model 99?

Wheeler
10-13-2011, 07:11 AM
Relatively compact, high capacity lever gun with an RDS is nothing to sneeze at. Downside is that they are even slower and harder to reload than a shotgun, heat up quickly in rapid fire, and can be difficult to mount a light...

203

Using a levergun of any sort requires a shift in mindset and tactics. Usually when I hear "rapid fire" my mind translates that to "suppresive fire". In the hands of most, that actually becomes "spray and pray". The use of a levergun provides the ability to make accurate shots from a short carbine that can be reloaded rapidly. With a little shadetree engineering a light can be attached as well. It's not an AR or one of the many derivitives but it's better than a sharp stick.

DocGKR
10-13-2011, 11:29 AM
Yup, lever guns do require a change in mindset, but can be effective tools.

Rapid fire to me equates with quickly firing multiple accurate shots in order to stop a threat, not spray and pray:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K3FP6UqiT0&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv5epCk5KRY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_0i3JSNwc0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K943e_vBBOA

Never found a lever gun that can be loaded quickly compared to a magazine fed weapon...

peterb
10-13-2011, 12:49 PM
Never found a lever gun that can be loaded quickly compared to a magazine fed weapon...

The BLR has a detachable box magazine, but the factory magazine is a whopping 4 rounds in most calibers(fits flush) and has a list price of $70.

will_1400
10-13-2011, 09:02 PM
The BLR has a detachable box magazine, but the factory magazine is a whopping 4 rounds in most calibers(fits flush) and has a list price of $70.

IIRC the BLR is considered to be more delicate than their Marlin or Winchester counterparts.

Little Creek
11-22-2011, 04:24 PM
My 18 year old daughter killed her first deer with the Marlin 1894 44 Magnum LeverScout earlier this month. It was a 100# doe at 55 yards. The ammo was Winchester Platnum Tip, a 250 JHP at a clocked 1550 fps.