New gun research

[Hutch]

I'm hoarding them 

I wonder why supply is tight?  I could understand EBR's being a bit scarce, but even Walmart sells AR-15's now.  I wonder if a really need 6 1894c's... AND a 336.

[Tallpine]

Why a .357 magnum lever gun?

Interchangeable ammo with your revolver.

Low recoil.

And .357 from a rifle barrel gets quite a bit more velocity.

On the other hand, I can buy a heck of a lot of 30-30 for the difference in price of the rifles.

[RoadKingLarry]

I picked my 1979 production 1894C up from a good friend of mine a few years ago. Gave $250 for it. The blueing wasn't even worn off the part of the hammer that the bolt contacts. I messed around with a Lyman receiver sight for a while and eventually decided that my eyes weren't up to it so I mounted an older Weaver 2.5X20 scope on it. With the right load I can cut clover leaves at 50 yards but my shooting tends to let me down beyond that with the low power scope.

[zahc]

Interchangeable ammo, zombie readiness, and cool factor, funner to plink with than an AR, better bedside gun than AR (semi-autos have their place, but the AR isn't the answer to everything).

30-30 means I have to stock another type of ammo. Lame.

I wish you could get a .45 auto levergun. One of those would probably hold 20 rounds or more.

[mtnbkr]

I went through the same process years ago.  I was disappointed in the performance of 357mag from the levergun in terms of accuracy and power (thought I might hunt with it).

There are 45ACP carbines out there, just not leverguns.  

There's always this: http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2011/06/23/ruger-77357-bolt-action-357-magnum-rifle/

Chris

[Tallpine]

If I was starting over, I would probably go with a .44 magnum Blackhawk/1894 combination - assuming I could even find an 1894 .44 ...

[charby]

I would like a .454 casull lever gun someday.

[MechAg94]

If I was starting over, I would probably go with a .44 magnum Blackhawk/1894 combination - assuming I could even find an 1894 .44 ...

I found mine at a gun show a year or so ago. 

[Tallpine]

I found mine at a gun show a year or so ago. 

Believe it or not, I have a lot better things to do than drive 100++ miles round trip to a gun show.

[mtnbkr]

I think I see the reason why you can't find the guns you want at prices you're willing to pay.

Chris

[MechAg94]

Sorry for not going into more detail.  I jumped on the stainless 1894 in 44mag that I have because I don't see them much at all.  At most shows in Houston, I see a lot of Rossi guns and a few Marlins (mostly 30/30 and blued steel).  357 and 44 mag are not so common even at the bigger shows down here.

If I can a chance to buy a stainless Marlin 1894 in 357, I might have to sell my current 1894c. 

As for accuracy, I find the 357 is just fine out to about 100 yards.  Some loads have a lot of drop at 100 yards.  It isn't a tack driver, but it you are using ghost ring sights, you aren't going to do that anyway.  It makes a good plinker and hunter for small to medium game while being light and handy with halfway decent power and capacity.  The ammo works well on 2 legged varmints and the gun makes a good club at close range. 

A guy I work with hunts hogs with his Winchester 1892 in 44mag.  He said the Hornady leverevolution ammo penetrates pretty good.

[Tallpine]

I think I see the reason why you can't find the guns you want at prices you're willing to pay.

Chris

Well, yeah - take a whole day off either work or other things that I like to do when I'm not working, to try to save a hundred or two bucks. 

Money ain't worth much anymore, considering inflation, what I get paid, and I'm getting old enough that I don't know how many more active years I have left.

If the new Marlingtons didn't have such a bad quality reputation, then I might just plunk down the $600+ they are asking for a new 1894.  I don't want to spend the time and frustration sending it back to the factory just to get it into usable condition. 

When I finally had time to find a vintage Marlin, I just forked over the asking price at the shop even though I could have bought a brand new one for the same amount.  It's only money, it's a good shop, and I want to see it stay in business (they just moved across the street into a bigger place).  Now I'm really proud of my "antique" and carry it every day when I take the dogs on a walk in the woods.

Carrying the same ammo for both sidearm and rifle would be really nice, but there isn't that much difference in the ammo price to justify a pistol caliber levergun over a 30-30.  Some may feel different which is fine by me - it's your money and your time.

I just wish that I had busted the piggy ten years ago and bought a bunch more guns when you could still get good quality new ones. 

[Cliffh]

I had the same thought once upon a time; use the same round in both a pistol and rifle, so I bought both in .357.

I was real happy, until the time I actually had to use the rifle in an important situation - a bobcat was coming down the hill to make dinner of my chickens.  The rifle was sighted in at 100 yards, and was accurate enough at that distance.  But the bobcat was only 25 yards away.  I finally hit him on the third shot - didn't see where the first shot went, saw the second hit the hill approx 8" above his back.

That rifle had the trajectory of a slow-pitch softball.

[RoadKingLarry]

That's why you need to know your trajectory and sight accordingly.