Lever Guns

[Robinson]

I wanted a .357...but I guess now, not so much.

What is steering you away from the .357 ? The Winchester 94 may not be a great match for the .357 Magnum, but there are other lever guns that work just fine with that cartridge. A Winchester (or quality clone) 1873 or 1892 should be good, or a Marlin 1894 model. My Marlin .357s never had any issues.

[Malamute]

Well, I’d been eyeing the .357 since I could stick a bowers 9mm can on it easily....


I don’t currently reload, though I’m hoping to change that.

I’m pretty much going down the ‘practical’ and ‘simple’ rabbit holes, and I think that a high-ish capacity light/slim lever gun of some sort fits the bill quite well. Unfortunately, I think the .357 would be pretty much ‘ideal’ so....what’s similar, but actually, oh, I dunno....works? Gasp.

What would you suggest...based on your practical assessment for a general purpose hunting/hiking gun in your area?

My area is grizzly country, literally right out my door. I tend to go with more than 357 size calibers, 44 mag on the lower end, to 348, or 45-70. I use them with light loads for skunks or snakes or whatever, with full power stuff for anything else. A 30-30 gives some decent range as a walk around gun where bears arent as common, and as a take in the truck gun on a regular basis. The take in the truck gun has mostly been used to finish road hit deer and antelope others have hit. All that was part of the questions I asked above, whats the realistic uses you will have the gun for besides camp comfort or whatever one wishes to call their camp guns.

If were in Az, my caliber choices may be different to a degree, the 30-30 would likely be the most taken and used all around, an angle eject Winchester 94 with decent lower powered glass like a leupold 1-4 or 2-7. Black bears hang out where I like to go there, but they dont tend to be as problematic as grizzlies.

A 357 for me would be a cheap shooter, house gun, walk around the yard, and take in the truck gun.

[Dan_S]

What is steering you away from the .357 ? The Winchester 94 may not be a great match for the .357 Magnum, but there are other lever guns that work just fine with that cartridge. A Winchester (or quality clone) 1873 or 1892 should be good, or a Marlin 1894 model. My Marlin .357s never had any issues.

Well, I’m not smart enough to differentiate makes or models, apparently.


So it’s *sprcifically* the Winchester 94s that are prone to issues in .357??

[Robinson]

Well, I’m not smart enough to differentiate makes or models, apparently.


So it’s *sprcifically* the Winchester 94s that are prone to issues in .357??

I don't have personal experience with the Win 94 chambered for .357 Mag, but I do have experience with .357 Magnum lever guns. It seems to me that the lever guns designed around pistol caliber cartridges work well with them, whereas the Win 94 was designed around a rifle cartridge and they tried to make it work with the .357.

Back when I lived in rural Ohio I used my .357 lever guns around the farm for varmint control and just for fun shooting. I really like the .30-30 though, and I would pick that over a pistol cartridge for hunting game in states where it is permitted. But that's just me. Many folks swear by the .357 and/or .44 Magnums for deer hunting within their effective range.

[Lester Polfus]

I just bought a Marlin 1894c .357 lever gun. It's been sitting in my safe for two weeks unfired due to family vacation and such. After I wring it out, I'll post an update. I'm shooting with my 3-gun buddies on the 17th of July, so that ought to be a good test. It's fun to go gun racing against their AR15s with a lever gun.

[Malamute]

Well, I’m not smart enough to differentiate makes or models, apparently.


So it’s *sprcifically* the Winchester 94s that are prone to issues in .357??

Yes, the Winchester 94 in 357 is the issue, not 357s in general. The Winchester 94 is one of the most functionally reliable firearms Ive owned or used, but theyve all been in 30-30 for the most part.

The older marlins 1894 (made for smaller cartridges) and Winchester 1892 type actions work well with 357. The ones I like tend to are Browning or the recent Winchesters made in japan by Miroku, same company that made the Browning copies of Winchester models 1878 (single shot), 1886, 1892, 1895, 71, and the recent Winchester 1873, 1886,1892 and 94/1894s and 1895s.

Semi-older Winchester 94s (30-30) can be had in very good condition in the $400 price range on gunbroker. This is late top eject and angle ejects. Pre-64s go for more money and are a bit nicer made and finished, but arent needed as a shooter.

BTW, most lever guns arent a simple threading to be suppressor ready. The magazine tube will likely need to be shortened, and perhaps the front sight. If you got a 20" gun and had it cut back a bit, then all that would be part of the job and threading for a suppressor would only be the extra part. They look a bit funny when the barrel sticks out though. I cut a Winchester 94 down myself once, its not rocket surgery.

[Dan_S]

Yes, the Winchester 94 in 357 is the issue, not 357s in general. The Winchester 94 is one of the most functionally reliable firearms Ive owned or used, but theyve all been in 30-30 for the most part.

The older marlins 1894 (made for smaller cartridges) and Winchester 1892 type actions work well with 357. The ones I like tend to are Browning or the recent Winchesters made in japan by Miroku, same company that made the Browning copies of Winchester models 1878 (single shot), 1886, 1892, 1895, 71, and the recent Winchester 1873, 1886,1892 and 94/1894s and 1895s.

Semi-older Winchester 94s (30-30) can be had in very good condition in the $400 price range on gunbroker. This is late top eject and angle ejects. Pre-64s go for more money and are a bit nicer made and finished, but arent needed as a shooter.

Thanks. Well, now I’m busy looking into this...


I blame you, mostly.


Seriously, thanks. I’ll see what I can figure out here, but...probably it means bad things for my bank account.

[That Guy]

Every time this thread pops up I end up looking online for lever action rifles in my country. Every. Damn. Time.

(There is a cheap 1895 available... But it has been sporterised.)

[fatdog]

For someone completely...out of the loop...regarding lever actions, what’s a good model to grab...?

The stainless Rossi 92 carbine in .357, then replace the stupid lock with a Stevesgunz plug. I have one, it is a wonderful woods/camping type gun. Perfectly reliable and accurate to my expectations for such a gun.

The Marlin in .357 is a good choice, the new Winchester 1873's from Japan are great, got to shoot one recently, it comes with a "short stroke" from the factory which many cowboy competitors pay to have fitted in the Italian versions. The Italian Uberti imported clones of the '73 have been very reliable and accurate, I own a pair for CAS purposes. They look great too.

The only problem gun I am aware of in .357 as cited is the Winchester 1894, and then only in some specimens I guess.

I recently shot a friend's Marlin 336Y, the youth model in .30-30 and found the shorter stock and shorter barrel to my liking, I may get one. It seemed like it was a quite handy size.

[entropy]

The pre-64 Model 94 I picked up after “pressure” from this website has been one of the best utility/gun/etc purchases I’ve made in a while. I still want to pick another up in either .44 or .357 to have some revolver commonality. The 1873’s are just cool as hell, but the expense vs. practicality ratio is a bit out of whack for me. An added bonus is that the wife accepts it as well too. Great “cabin gun” and it’s less intimidating in operation for her than an AR.

The 94 I bought came with a saddle scabbard. A bit of head scratching, scrap leather, and digging around for my dormant holster making tools gave me a legal way of strapping it behind my truck seat for road trips.