What lever rifle to get?

Djstorm100

Djstorm100

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Don't know why but I've got a itch that only a lever action will cure. Thinking .357 so I can shoot .38 special.

I know AR and Precision rifles but lever rifles I know zero about...help me old wise ones.

Thanks in advance.
 
Your options are

Marlin 1894C
Rossi 92
Winchester 1892
1866/1873 clones
Henry

My preference would be either a Marlin or Win 92 with the Kings patent loading gate. These have the strongest actions. The 66'/73' clones are good for Cowboy shooting but uses a weaker toggle action inside. No experience with the modern Henrys except they load with from a tube up front. Marlin and Henry easiest to scope. I really enjoy my 1894S in .41 Mag that I've had since 89'.


CD
 
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Dont get a Marlin made from 2008-2016 or so....they were hit or miss with quality issues. The newer ones......seem to be ok. Micro groove rifling is good for jacketed bullets, but you may need a slightly larger size for cast. I think the newer ones have went back to ballard rifling.
 
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I have a Winchester 94 in 30-30, JM Marlin 336 in 3o-30, and Henry 22 Carbine Large Loop. I like all three, but if I were buying a new one in .357, I'd look seriously at the Henry Big Boy. I've never actually shot the Winchester, as it still is brand new in the box (bought 1994).
 
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Older "JM" stamped Marlins are amazing, but they're a little more difficult to find these days, and the prices are going up.

I don't have any experience with Henry, but I've heard good things about them.

If I was going to buy another 357 lever gun, I'd get another Rossi 92. I've got one, and Its been a great carbine. Accurate, light, and it has a smooth action. Mine feeds 38 and 357 equally well. It handles like a 22 with light 38 loads, and with full power 357, its more than powerful enough to take deer at short ranges.

I've got a marlin in 44 mag, and between the two, the Rossi has the smoothest action.
 
If you want a fun and affordable lever gun, get a Henry 22 (H001) for under $300.

Yes, I'm serious. It's cheap to shoot and holds at least twice what every other centerfire out there does in the tube.

Shooting a Henry lever at steel plates from 25-50yards is some of the most fun I've ever had with my pants on.

Otherwise you're dumping at least twice as much dough on something you may or may not want long-term. Of course I have 5 leverguns in various calibers now, but the Henry is the one that gets shot the most.

The HiViz fiber optic front sight makes the gun shoot like a laserbeam at 50 yards.
 
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I think if it was me and it was a "working gun" id get an older Marlin per the advice in this thread.

If I wanted a range toy or something high-quality to look at I've always been impressed with Henry although the loading system is a little awkward (brass receiver... I still want a big boy carbine but have never seen one in person).

If I wanted BOTH id look at the "all weather" Henrys but im not sure what your budget is.

If I wanted something to ONLY look at id get a Japanese Winchester. I had one in 38/357 but it was too nice to shoot-
 
I've got a Henry in 44 Mag and I love it! The action is very smooth. Henrys in the larger calibers are readily available for less than $700 brand new. If I get another lever, it will be either a Henry or a Rossi.

I've owned late seventies-early eighties JM Marlins and while they are fantastic rifles, to me, they just aren't worth the prices they are commanding these days. YMMV.
 
The older Marlins, as stated earlier in this post, are probably the strongest actions.
 
I have a few lever actions. The classic winchester is always a favorite. As others have said the henry .22 is a lot of fun for a day at the range. For serious shooting I like the Marlin 95 in 45/70. Flat shooting , lone range and a hoot to shoot. I have the classic. Wanted a guide gun but found this one at such a good price I could not resist. Never have regretted the decision.
What you may be wanting is a 92 in 38/357/ I have a case hardened , Octagon barrel Rossi 92 in 38/357. Its heavy! Would not want to toat that around in the woods for very long. This is the one that makes it to the range the most. I suggest shooting only one caliber in this rifle. The trajectory is so different with each caliber it just gets confusing!! The 38 +p is near the 357 in aim but still off center quite a bit at 100 yards. I stick with 357 but just do not shoot as many rds as I would like. I hatr a scope on a lever action. I know you hunters will disagree. But a lever action just seems unbalanced with a scope to me. A dab of that glow paint has worked good for me on the front sight.
 
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I have a few of the jm stamped Marlins all big bore and I recommend them highly, if you can deal with the inflated prices of the jm stamped stuff, the only one I lack is the 357 and it seems to be the hardest to find and most costly of the modern rifles except for the 32 h and r Magnum which can be astronomical in price
 
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I have a Henry Small Game Rifle in 22mag with large loop and Skinner sights. It is a smooth, great shooting rifel. I have a Big Boy in 44 mag. Also awesome. The old Malrins are sweet and the new ones hit and miss supposedly. The
Winchester looks nice, but at $1,100 vs about $700 for a Henry it seems like a no brainer to me.
 
Slacker said:
Somehow, someway...they will manage to screw it up. Watch them thread it some weird pitch or use a twist that will only stabilize 90gr bullets....
Click to expand...

Hush. I want to believe they won't screw it up.
 
I’m leaning toward the Rossi 92. It’s now the R92 and not the M92. Fuquay gun has one but need to talk with @knifeman32 on pricing.

I wouldn’t mind a 45 long colt vs 357. I’m just partial to 357 as it’s the only revolver caliber I’ve shot other than 38 sp


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Today I saw a Henry trapper length 45 Colt with octagonal barrel, case colored receiver, medium loop lever, straight stock... really nice lookin' rifle!

$869.00
 
The Rossi is 500 bucks...to me that's hard to beat. Granted I don't know anything about levers (hints why I'm asking) but based on the info here I don't see any reason why to go Henry vs Rossi from a cost, reliability stand point.
 
Combat Diver said:
Your options are

Marlin 1894C
Rossi 92
Winchester 1892
1866/1873 clones
Henry

My preference would be either a Marlin or Win 92 with the Kings patent loading gate. These have the strongest actions. The 66'/73' clones are good for Cowboy shooting but uses a weaker toggle action inside. No experience with the modern Henrys except they load with from a tube up front. Marlin and Henry easiest to scope. I really enjoy my 1894S in .41 Mag that I've had since 89'.


CD
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CD is the man and I hate to go against him but the last marlin I bought was disappointing in fit and finish. I love a Winchester and a Henry. His 1989 94 is way older and probably better that my 2013 336C.
 
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Djstorm100 said:
The Rossi is 500 bucks...to me that's hard to beat. Granted I don't know anything about levers (hints why I'm asking) but based on the info here I don't see any reason why to go Henry vs Rossi from a cost, reliability stand point.
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The 16" barreled Rossi 92 is a great little lever gun to have. There is a lot of aftermarket support for them to build it into whatever suits your needs and wants. And if you ever carry a revolver in .38 or .357 it is a fine companion to your sidearm.

<>< Fish

https://i.imgur.com/YpJ5Dzi.jpg
YpJ5Dzi.jpg
 
If you are a fan of forward mounted optics NOE Bullet Moulds makes a good picatinny rail mount that fits the drilled & tapped holes under the rear sight of most Roosi/Puma lever guns. I have one on my .357 and I'm planning on putting one on my .454 also. The rails are offered in black and silver to match the rifles.
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/produc...cts_id=2413&osCsid=epns42a6m8sjt3s8fo5fs152r1

<>< Fish
 
IMG_20180303_111937.jpg IMG_20180303_111945.jpg IMG_20180303_112014.jpg IMG_20180303_112009.jpg

I love my Rossi 92 in .45 Colt. I had a Marlin 1894 JM in .357 and sold it several years ago. It was a fine rifle but it just didn't have the feel of the Winchester 1892 design.

When I got this Rossi it had the scout mount and scope. I pulled all that off and put a rear peep sight in that replaces the safety in the bolt. It now has the simple half cock safety that God and John Moses Browning intended.

Ruger Blackhawk and H&R Classic Carbine in .45 Colt included for gratuitous gun porn....
 
Well, you didn't really say what you were going to do with the rifle...like hunting or just a range toy....but here is my experience, I've owned all of the brands of lever guns mentioned on the thread, so I'll list them in the order I would consider them:
1) Used Marlin. Expensive yes, but unless you pay a stupid price for one, you will never lose a nickle on it. The original JM stamped Marlins are going up in value, some say the price is inflated, and they can be....any of the brands/models/calibers can be...but bottom line, they aren't making real Marlins anymore. If you can find a .357/.38 caliber Marlin for $900, or under then buy it! Same for any other pistol caliber in the $600-$800 range Marlin grab it....period. Most other rifle brands you will lose 30+ percent of the value...more if it is a pre-Remington Marlin. Winchesters will hold or retain their value over time. But buy once cry once is the rule here.
2) Winchester, just avoid the '70's "painted" receiver models and you should be fine. Average price on a pistol caliber Winnie is around $600+.
3) Henry - They don't hold their value, many folks that like lever action rifles do not like the tube feed for anything other than a .22LR...there are practical reasons for this, especially if you hunt...I've owned them, sold them all. Henry's are nice rifles, but as a general rule are heavier than Marlins and Winchesters and Marlins are heavier than Winchesters! My Big Boy Steel in 44mag was just not my style. If the feed tube is not a problem for you, this will be one of the better quality rifles you could own right now that is affordable.
4) Rossi - I've said this in other threads, but I will reiterate here. If you buy a rifle, and it works....congrats, you will have a great rifle...but, if you have any kind of issue with it, where you have to send this back to Rossi (Braztech/Taurus) be prepared for the pain. There Customer Service (and I would substitute Service for PAIN) is one of the worst you will have to deal with. Rossi only warranties your rifle for ONE YEAR, so even if you start out and have zero issues, you will be paying for repairs later. There is also the fact that Rossi does NOT MAKE SPARE PARTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC OR GUNSMITH'S OTHER THAN THEIR CERTIFIED SHOPS. So, here comes the pain....be prepared for a 6 -9 month wait for any work that needs to be done. Ask me how I know this! I have about a 50% success rate purchasing Rossi/Taurus Rifles and handguns...I won't be buying any more ever again.
5) Remington made Marlins- I really hate putting these last, but, just like a Rossi, if you get a good one, you are golden! But, there are still QC issues, I check new Marlins constantly ( I am an FFL could stock these if I wanted to) in my local gun shops that stock them, there are STILL QC issues, EVERY TIME I CHECK which is a minimum of once a month, sometimes more. I have been checking Remington Marlins since Remington took over, and I have NEVER NOT FOUND A DEFECTIVE RIFLE IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. So, folks that say the quality is better? It is, but you still SHOULD NEVER PURCHASE A NEW MARLIN SIGHT UNSEEN. You have been warned. Plus, if you want to send your rifle back to Marlin for a repair be prepared for the pain as well....their Customer Service is second worse to Rossi, but, you CAN get your rifle fixed by sending it to almost any gunsmith, if they will work on it. But, of course that will cost you! BEWARE though if you do send it back to Marlin, the rifle may come back in as bad or worse condition than you sent it, if they replace the rifle, that rifle may have it's own set of issues that you will need to return it on. This is why they are last.
Do yourself a favor, stick with either a JM used Marlin or a Winchester, or a Henry. In that order. Just my .02! Good luck! Mazer
 
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I bought a new Marlin 1895 GBL 45/70 back in 2010 and love it! If you buy a lever action,,,,why not a 45/70????

Go big or go home!!!
 
I have a Marlin 30-30,Marlin .44 mag,and a Legacy .454 casull.I want a .357 magnum to round out the set.I like a 16" barrel as my shoulders aren't what they used to be.Rossi or used JM for me if I ever find one when I have the money and someone doesn't beat me to it.
The wild Indian in Goldsboro has a new Henry .41 magnum in stock that I have no absolute use for,other than bragging rights and the .41 ammo on the shelf.......
 
Djstorm100 said:
The Rossi is 500 bucks...to me that's hard to beat. Granted I don't know anything about levers (hints why I'm asking) but based on the info here I don't see any reason why to go Henry vs Rossi from a cost, reliability stand point.
Click to expand...

There is a reason why it's $500. There always is. It might be a fine rifle, or you might be able to make it fine. IMO the odds are the Henry will be excellent out of the box. So the question is what is peace of mind worth, and how much effort and tinkering do you like to do to make a rifle 'right'? And is their any difference in the two company's customer serive should you have a problem? I've heard lots of people say their Rossi's were fine. Roll them dice!
 
confused said:
I have a Marlin 30-30,Marlin .44 mag,and a Legacy .454 casull.I want a .357 magnum to round out the set.I like a 16" barrel as my shoulders aren't what they used to be.Rossi or used JM for me if I ever find one when I have the money and someone doesn't beat me to it.
The wild Indian in Goldsboro has a new Henry .41 magnum in stock that I have no absolute use for,other than bragging rights and the .41 ammo on the shelf.......
Click to expand...

For some reason the 41 mag seems cool to me. But I have no ammo and don't reload, but it still tickles my fancy. But when it comes to guns, chicken wings and booze I don't always know when to say when.
 
CZfool68 said:
There is a reason why it's $500. There always is. It might be a fine rifle, or you might be able to make it fine. IMO the odds are the Henry will be excellent out of the box. So the question is what is peace of mind worth, and how much effort and tinkering do you like to do to make a rifle 'right'? And is their any difference in the two company's customer serive should you have a problem? I've heard lots of people say their Rossi's were fine. Roll them dice!
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To me Henry's are fancy with their gold plant, octagon barrel, etc.

I enjoy working on firearms even when they are kicking my butt. Alot of guys (including the counter guys on comission) have say they are ford vs chevy. Henry is more refined in overall finish but nothing a little polishing can't fix on the Rossi. I haven't put my hands on them yet however.
 
Djstorm100 said:
To me Henry's are fancy with their gold plant, octagon barrel, etc.

I enjoy working on firearms even when they are kicking my butt. Alot of guys (including the counter guys on comission) have say they are ford vs chevy. Henry is more refined in overall finish but nothing a little polishing can't fix on the Rossi. I haven't put my hands on them yet however.
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Only the Big Boy's and Golden Boy are fancy. They have others, especially the Steel Series, that have round barrels, no bling, and are lighter to carry.
 
CZfool68 said:
For some reason the 41 mag seems cool to me. But I have no ammo and don't reload, but it still tickles my fancy. But when it comes to guns, chicken wings and booze I don't always know when to say when.
Click to expand...

I've got one of their .41Mag carbines & love it. Of course, I have 3 other .41s to feed & reload for. The .41 is a hella fun round & the Henry is the only affordable choice in a .41 levergun, as the Marlin .41s have gotten crazy expensive. (not shown is my new 6.5" stainless Blackhawk- I don't know when to say when, either. lol!)

41 mag trio.jpg

JM Marlins are the shizzle. Slick, smooth, accurate & dependable. I've got a '59 .22lr 39A, a '87 .30-30 30AS & a '02 .45-70 Guide Gun. Love, love, love them & they are going nowhere & I still need a .35Rem & a .375Win.

Henries are also very, very nice guns. Better wood than than the Marlins, nice fit & finish, tho the metal finish isn't as refined/polished as the older Marlins. Very slick actions, nice trigger & accurate. If the lack of a loading gate is non-starter for you, they're not for you, but if you were raised on tube fed Marlin .22s, the tube feed is already ingrained into your muscle memory & an absolute non-issue, IMO.

Rossis? I dunno. I had an older pre-Interarms .357 saddle-ring "short rifle". Nice shooter, reliable, but STIFF action, no easy-ish way to mount peep sights (a must for my eyes) & it launched brass into a low Earth orbit. Decent fit & finish, but ugly wood & the integrated barrel band/front sight was more than a little cheap looking, IMO. Shot a friend's later .357 carbine in stainless. Better wood, no more integrated band/front sight, but still a STIFF action. The later ones are easier to put peeps on, as you can replace the goofy safety with a rear peep sight. They're decent rifles & there are instructions & kits out there to slick 'em up. Like I said in the thread about buying a "badass" gun, then dropping cubic $$$ into it to improve it, I avoid guns that don't work for me out of the box, as I already have a Harley for that kind of spending.

Personally, I'd go with either a JM Marlin or Henry in .357. Mucho fun to shoot, minimal recoil & the .357 from a carbine length barrel is no joke & a capable 50yd whitetail deer cartridge (IMO). Not hating on the Rossis; they're just not my cuppa.
 
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I've owned multiple and worked on multiple Rossis without issue, and you can make them as smooth as the old Wins they cloned with a little bit of work. I sold multiple old Marlins that were pretty nice, but just didn't handle as well as the Win-style action, and just weren't as smooth as people want to pretend they are. Parts to make Rossi into great guns cost about 50 bucks. I hate Taurus more than anybody on this forum, but the Rossi M92s are fine rifles.

New Marlins are garbage, pure and simple. Henrys are nice, but always seem a little weighty and front heavy to me, but your mileage may vary.
 
premise said:
I've owned multiple and worked on multiple Rossis without issue, and you can make them as smooth as the old Wins they cloned with a little bit of work. I sold multiple old Marlins that were pretty nice, but just didn't handle as well as the Win-style action, and just weren't as smooth as people want to pretend they are. Parts to make Rossi into great guns cost about 50 bucks. I hate Taurus more than anybody on this forum, but the Rossi M92s are fine rifles.

New Marlins are garbage, pure and simple. Henrys are nice, but always seem a little weighty and front heavy to me, but your mileage may vary.
Click to expand...

This.
The M92 handles, points and carries like a carbine should. The other two handle and point like a rifle.
If Im gonna hump a rifle, it will be in a rifle caliber.
 
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premise said:
I've owned multiple and worked on multiple Rossis without issue, and you can make them as smooth as the old Wins they cloned with a little bit of work. I sold multiple old Marlins that were pretty nice, but just didn't handle as well as the Win-style action, and just weren't as smooth as people want to pretend they are. Parts to make Rossi into great guns cost about 50 bucks. I hate Taurus more than anybody on this forum, but the Rossi M92s are fine rifles.

New Marlins are garbage, pure and simple. Henrys are nice, but always seem a little weighty and front heavy to me, but your mileage may vary.
Click to expand...


I owned an 1894 .357 Marlin, no safety and I had more issues cycling/ejecting with it than I have my Rossi Trapper .357. The Rossi is handier than the Marlin and shoots as well as the Marlin did.

<>< Fish
 
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