New gun research

[zahc]

After spending most of my attention span on various poorly-designed websites with nothing to show for it, I will now try to get APS to do my work for me.

I want:

A lever action
.357
stainless
synthetic-stocked
rifle with aperture/ghost-ring sites.

Is this so much to ask? By the way, do 38 specials feed through .357 leverguns?

[AJ Dual]

After spending most of my attention span on various poorly-designed websites with nothing to show for it, I will now try to get APS to do my work for me.

I want:

A lever action
.357
stainless
synthetic-stocked
rifle with aperture/ghost-ring sites.

Is this so much to ask? By the way, do 38 specials feed through .357 leverguns?

Not counting differences in bullet type, yes, .38spl is only about 1mm shorter than .357mag. Don't know about the stainless/synthetic/ghost-ring part though.

[makattak]

After spending most of my attention span on various poorly-designed websites with nothing to show for it, I will now try to get APS to do my work for me.

I want:

A lever action
.357
stainless
synthetic-stocked
rifle with aperture/ghost-ring sites.

Is this so much to ask? By the way, do 38 specials feed through .357 leverguns?

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/1894centerfire/1894CSS.asp

3 out of the five.

Add: http://www.natchezss.com/Category.cfm?contentID=productDetail&brand=AQ&prodID=AQML00125&prodTitle=XS%20Sight%20Systems%20Marlin%201894%20Ghost%20Ring%20Set

And you have 4 out of the five.

Also, from what I have been hearing, new production Marlin's may have some quality issues. (I cannot speak from experience as my last new Marlin purchase was 4 years ago.) There should be plenty on the used market and they are generally built like tanks. Maybe even find one with a synthetic stock. (I couldn't find it in a brief search.)

And, yes, it will also fire .38 in the .357.

[mtnbkr]

FWIW, I used to own a 357mag Winchester Trapper (purchased 12 or so years ago).  38s fed fine.  Frankly, the gun was never particularly accurate (ie less than 3" at 100yds) with any ammo even with a scope.  It was more accurate with 38s, but never rose beyond "plinker" status.  I sold it.

Chris

[zahc]

I usually think that only accurate rifles are interesting, but that philosophy only applies to rifles with scopes.

I need little provocation to buy a new gun. I was going to buy an AR just out of general paranoia that they may become illegal in my lifetime, but living in the city, I have little use for one. I don't have much use for a levergun either but I think it would be a better bedside gun than an AR, and would match ammo with my revolver.

I only care about stainless and synthetic if I buy a new gun. I started looking for old beat-up 357 leverguns, but I think the CAS have snapped all of those up.

[makattak]

I usually think that only accurate rifles are interesting, but that philosophy only applies to rifles with scopes.

I need little provocation to buy a new gun. I was going to buy an AR just out of general paranoia that they may become illegal in my lifetime, but living in the city, I have little use for one. I don't have much use for a levergun either but I think it would be a better bedside gun than an AR, and would match ammo with my revolver.

I only care about stainless and synthetic if I buy a new gun. I started looking for old beat-up 357 leverguns, but I think the CAS have snapped all of those up.

I would bet that most people interested in a lever gun prefer wood stocks. The only synthetic stocks I find are aftermarket and almost exclusively for the .30-30 caliber rifles.

You may have to give up the synthetic preference for a new production .357. There just isn't enough of a market for companies to offer that option.

[zahc]

I looked into the Rossi Ranch Hand but I was pretty disappointed by the fit&finish.

[Tallpine]

new production Marlin's may have some quality issues

And Hitler may have been anti-Semitic 


A few months back I bought a 70 year old Marlin 30-30 for the same price as a brand new one.

Check out the Marlin Owners forum.  I haven't been on there in a while, but I was hearing that people are wanting insane prices for used pistol caliber lever guns, like $1000++ 

[lee n. field]

Not counting differences in bullet type, yes, .38spl is only about 1mm shorter than .357mag.

More than that, but I don't have my references handy.

[mtnbkr]

More than that, but I don't have my references handy.

.125" shorter or about 3.2mm.

Chris

[mtnbkr]

A few months back I bought a 70 year old Marlin 30-30 for the same price as a brand new one.

FWIW, I found a newish (new enough to have the crossbolt safey) Marlin 336 with scope in 30-30 for $275.  I would have bought it, but I have no need for 30-30.  Had it been 444, 45-70, or 44mag, I would have brought it home.

Chris

[Tallpine]

FWIW, I found a newish (new enough to have the crossbolt safey) Marlin 336 with scope in 30-30 for $275.  I would have bought it, but I have no need for 30-30.  Had it been 444, 45-70, or 44mag, I would have brought it home.

Chris

I keep hearing about all these good deals on used guns but I never see them.

Also, at 120 miles round trip to shop and what I make per hour, spending too much time to find a bargain is not a bargain.  Yeah, there's the internet but I like to handle and look at a gun before I buy it.

[makattak]

FWIW, I found a newish (new enough to have the crossbolt safey) Marlin 336 with scope in 30-30 for $275.  I would have bought it, but I have no need for 30-30.  Had it been 444, 45-70, or 44mag, I would have brought it home.

Chris

I assume someone else must have scooped that up already.

[Tallpine]

I can tell y'all that a .30-30 kills a porcupine DRT and they stay dead.

Of course, you need to position yourself so the the tree trunk is a backstop.

[French G.]

Another vote for a used Marlin, I keep waiting for a good deal on a .44 to club me in the head.

[Tallpine]

Another vote for a used Marlin, I keep waiting for a good deal on a .44 to club me in the head.

Then you can use it to hunt flying pigs 

[dm1333]

Some of you keep talking about these mythical Marlin .357 carbines.  I rate my chances of finding one somewhere in the same range as me hitting the lottery or finding a sasquatch.  The one Puma carbine that I held and looked at up close was actually pretty nice.  This is going to be my next purchase after getting my motorcycle running again.

http://www.rossiusa.com/product-details.cfm?id=162&category=8&toggle=&breadcrumbseries=

[mtnbkr]

I assume someone else must have scooped that up already.

If you want the shop contact info, send a PM.  They're in NoVA.

They also had a Rem 760 pump 30-06 for the same price, but it was well used.  Still, for less than 3 bills, it might be worth picking up.

I saw it Thursday.  This weekend was the big gun show, so the shop probably didn't see much business.  It might be there still.

Chris

[MechAg94]

I've seen a lot of the Puma lever guns at gun shows around here.  I don't see a lot of Marlin's in the pistol calibers.

I have a new-in-the-last-year Marlin 44 Mag levergun in stainless.  I have had no problems with it and it is a beautiful rifle.  It has been accurate for what I have done with it.  If you want to get picky, the nice polished finish was only applied to the areas not covered by stock parts so it looks a bit ugly if you take the stock parts off.  The receiver is tapped for 3rd party ghost ring sites if you want them.  I haven't put anything on mine yet.

I have a Puma 92 in 44mag that is a few years older in blued steel.  It ain't too bad either, but the recoil is a bit more.  I need to sell it.  It's only issue is when I first bought it, the action jammed up after one round.  Something hanging up in the lever linkage.  I had to wrestle with it to get the spent casing out and dump the unfired rounds out of the end of the tube.  I sent it in to their service.  Got it back about 5 weeks later saying they changed a part.  It has worked perfectly ever since.  

I have seriously considered upgrading to a stainless .357 Marlin, but haven't had the money and opportunity come together yet.

[MechAg94]

Some of you keep talking about these mythical Marlin .357 carbines.  I rate my chances of finding one somewhere in the same range as me hitting the lottery or finding a sasquatch.  The one Puma carbine that I held and looked at up close was actually pretty nice.  This is going to be my next purchase after getting my motorcycle running again.

http://www.rossiusa.com/product-details.cfm?id=162&category=8&toggle=&breadcrumbseries=

They are out there, but in demand I guess.  You might have to order one.

[dm1333]

I tried ordering one a few months back.  Two dealers had absolutely no luck in finding one.  I'll probably end up with a Rossi Puma and sending it off to have ghost rings and some action work done.  I have the name of a smith who does lots of work on the Puma 92's for cowboy action shooters. 

[zahc]

Sigh.

I guess I'm just unlucky for wanting a gun that happens to be in demand. I typically buy on the OPPOSITE end of that curve, so it looks like a .357 levergun is right out, unless I find one at a garage sale or something.

[charby]

Why a .357 magnum lever gun?

[dm1333]

Zombie Apocalypse readiness.  Other than .22 rimfire isn't .38/.357 the most popular caliber in the US?

[charby]

Zombie Apocalypse readiness.  Other than .22 rimfire isn't .38/.357 the most popular caliber in the US?

If not the 9mm

I was looking at a .357 magnum rifle a few years ago as a potential deer/black bear hunting rifle, energy at the muzzle isn't all that great.