Help on 357 choice

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mickbr
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Help on 357 choice

Post by mickbr »

folks I'd like to get a 357 in lever action for around the farm, medium game hunting and steel plate plinking. I was wondering if I could get some thoughts on the following.
The provisors for me are
1.Quiet 38 sp level loads to about 1000fps with subsonics for 100 yard plinking and small game to maybe 50-75, this will actually form the major part of the guns use, since I'll do quite a bit of this on weekends.
2.Stouter loads for larger game on occasion which where I am is deer and large hogs to 100-120 yards. I did some 30-30 and 32-20 hunting back in the day, but the day was a while ago. The 357 is a little cartridge but probably all I need these days.

I have been looking at Rossi 92 with the 24" barrel( like the balance and reduced noise of longer barrels). Benefits- strong, lightweight,economical. Downside-I'm really not a fan of the 1:30 twist. Getting a heavy subsonic to plink steel to 100 yards would be part of the deal. The other thread I started showed folks get subsonics up to 158grains stabilising, but its probably as heavy as you can go at slow speed with that slow twist. I'm worried I'll get the bad gun that just won't find a decent 4" at 100 yard load with a 158 grain...
Obviously for magnum loads they have the velocity to increase the stability up to 180 grain bullets( I am assuming..)

Otherwise spending more money to get me a uberti or winchester/miroku 1873. Benefits are its a smoother action, 1:18 twist, i'd assume at their prices they are possibly finished better than the rossi's. Its heavier though, and while I'm sure the italians and Japanese have proofed this modern replica properly, still not sure I'd run 35,000 PSI loads through an 1873 toggle style for the life of the gun...

marlin- none come in 24" barrel.
Henry- prefer side gate loading.
Chiappa's 92 , well I don't like to say anything bad about gun manufacturers but there are differing reports out there on the net. I know chiappa can be hit and miss quality with some of their other stuff.
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by Blaine »

Personally? I have a Henry Big Boy and like it. I'd go with the Steel next time.
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.45colt
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by .45colt »

I gave My Rossi .357 to My Daughter and Son in Law when they needed something for home defense. I bought it used and it had some action work done to it. it runs like a clock, great fun to shoot. My Son in Law Loves that rifle. last week I found one on Gun Broker in 44-40 new in the box. it is on the way right now. I had a Uberti '73 and it was beautiful to look at and fun to shoot but too heavy and I sold it before it got all beat up.
And I should add any issues with the Rossi can be taken care of by Steve.http://stevesgunz.com/
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by missionary5155 »

Good morning
Have a Marlin and a Rossi. Have had several Rossi's and I personally like it far better than the Marlin. Our Marlin is very "bullet type " orientated. The Rossi's seem to feed most anything except wadcutters.
For sub-sonic any cast pistol load under 1000 fps will do the same or a bit less in a carbine.
For a pig I would want at least a 180 grainer with a max load of H110 or 296. That is what we used shooting steel years back. That is what I would want for a corn cruncher also. Actually I would want our 41mag or bigger for pigs but if a 357 is all I had then the heaviest flat nose available.
We cast our own so we have 200 grainers and cast of WW do a descent job getting through tough bones. But again I am going to grab a 41 or larger something.
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by M. M. Wright »

The only 357 rifle I have is a 73 SRC by Uberti. Yeah, it's heavier than a 92 but it sure is handy and well made. Action is so much smoother but I hear you on over stressing the toggles. I mostly shoot cowboy loads in it. I have a Winchester 92 in 32 WCF full magazine, crescent butt rifle that has very similar capabilities. Had the bore re-lined and NKJ slicked up the action while he was making it feed right. I've always thought I liked the longer barrels but the last couple of years SRCs have my attention. Have you handled one of the Uberti 73s with the 20" half octagon bbl? Feels pretty sweet to me and nothing beats it for looks. Just my opinion.

I've found that I can buy a Winchester that needs some work and have it fixed for about the same price as a Uberti. Then you have an investment that will most likely appreciate while you use it. I had a 92 SRC that had been re-lined to .357. Quite accurate and a joy to carry around. Why did I part with it? Oh yeah, traded it for a Colt SAA.
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by AJMD429 »

I have five brands of leverguns - Marlin, Rossi, Ruger, Henry, and (only one...!) Winchester.

The Rugers and Henry are the smoothest, but neither is a 357, nor is the WInchester.

The Marlin and Rossi 357's are both great, with the Rossi the 'smoothest' and most reliable, however both can 'jam' if not worked briskly and properly. The open-top Rossi might be easier to get a case out of in a pinch.

The "Marbles Bullseye" sight is the BEST for rapid-sight-picture, and is on my Rossi, but could be put on either. I have the Marlin set up as a 'Night Scout' ranch gun with a Burris Fastfire-II and LaserMax pistol laser on a short rail on top of the receiver, and a flashlight with a home-made 'clamp' that clips it onto the magazine tube when needed. That setup makes it easy to shoot and hit a possum-sized feral animal out to 75 yards in pitch blackness. I have a Rossi 45 Colt set up the same way.

PhotoSuckit ate my photos, but if you're interested in the setups I can post them directly when I get some time.
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gak
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by gak »

Playing a bit of the devil's advocate here, have you handled a 24" octagonal .357 yet, say in a Rossi? With that long small-ish hole (or put another way, all that metal surrounding it), it's a tank. You don't specifically say "octagonal" but it's the most I've seen. That effect is felt even more so in a Uberti/Win 73. I say this from personal experience handling a friend's Rossi 24" oct .357 several times in the field and dozens of times with my same configuration pre-safety Rossi .44 Mag, even with that big bore. Had I not had a friend's Browning 86 octagonal rifle (and my own 86 carbine) available for a reality check, I would have sworn either .357 or .44 was the .45-70!

That said, if you're still set on a 24", search hard for a round barrel--if they made/make a Rossi (or uberti/Win) in such. I know that, even with its smaller-yet hole, our pre-war 94 .30-30 round barrel 24" was a relative delight, so balanced, as is same friend's 80s 94 XTR in the even smaller holed 7-30 Waters (7mm or .284) in similar round barreled 24" configuration. Especially in the relatively mild .357, all that extra octagonal weight just not needed. My .02. Something to think about anyway. Regarding Rossis in general, that long .44 and my half dozen or so .357 and .44 20" (and one 16" ttrapper) carbines over the years have been a delight, can't say enough good about them.

Final note. I'm going back a ways in recollection but least one of our members here--COSteve, you still here?--swears by his 24" octagonal Rossi .357 and all i've said above not an issue, so what do I know!
1894c

Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by 1894c »

I've owned two Rossi R92's in .357 (16" & 20" bbl), three Marlin 1894C's in .357 (18" bbl), and two Henry Big Boy Steel's in .357 (16.5" bbl.). Out of all of them, I've kept one Henry BB Steel and one Marlin 1894C.

Don't discount the Henry leverguns. My Henry BB Steel in .357 has the best action of them all, the build quality is outstanding, and my Henry eats everything and is very accurate. The loading tube is somewhat handy especially at the end of the day when you un-load. And I find the loading tube not to be the issue as many make it out to be--the loading tube is serviceable.

As far as my Rossi R92 experience, I really liked the weight and the size, the build quality was ok, but getting replacement parts for a Rossi can be difficult and after-market parts can be expensive (I have personal experience in dealing with Rossi's customer service for parts to a broken Rossi R92, not fun). And I wasn't into a levergun that needed to be "fluffed and buffed" to make it run--and right now, Rossi hasn't shipped any new leverguns since late 2016.

REMarlin is now selling the 1894C model again (they hadn't shipped one since 2013), and for that I'm glad. I sold two "JM" pre-2000 1894C's because I was given an offer I couldn't refuse, but just picked up a 1980's 1894C at a decent price...

https://www.marlinfirearms.com/lever-ac ... -1894-csbl
https://www.marlinfirearms.com/lever-ac ... l-1894-cst
https://www.marlinfirearms.com/lever-ac ... odel-1894c

My personal recomendations is either a Henry Big Boy Steel (16.5" bbl) or a Marlin 1894C...but if I had to buy one right now I'd buy the Henry and never look back, YMMV... :)

https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/henry-big-boy-steel/
check this out -- https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/big-boy ... -hardened/
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by Griff »

Marlin has just re-introduced their 1894 Cowboy in .38/.357, the 1894CB:
Image
Quite frankly, the 20" barrel is fine, I even cut my 45Colt version to 17"... Unless you really feel you need the longer sight radius, you'll probably get ALL the performance out of either .38Specials or .357 Magnums in a 20" as you'd find in a 24" version. Yes, you could reload for more performance out of a 24", but just as easily match that with the right powder in the 20".

I shoot a LOT of 45 Colt out of my various rifles so chambered. If the following chart is to be believed...
Image
Is there any reason beyond barrel weight and sight radius to expect anything different in .38/.357 rifle? Yes, this is just one load... and other loads give different results... but not drastically so.

Edited to add: Oh, yeah... "Made in America", and will certainly not hurt the economy...
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mickbr
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by mickbr »

Thanks fellas, a lot of expertise on these forums and willingness to give newbs an opinion, outstanding!
Looks like the Rossi 92 will get the nod for me. I have handled the 24" in octagonal, its no problem. I need the long barrel due to my own size, 20" look like kids guns when I hold them. Really need the ability to quick load the first cartridge and load while firing so the Henry is out. I'm sure its a great gun I'm not a fan of end loading even in 22LR's.
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by Rusty »

I've noticed that Marlin is bringing back the 1894 in .357 but there is something I don't understand. The 1894C has a 20" bbl with a 1:16 twist. Then there are 2 other rifles, a CSBL and a CST that both have a 16" BBl with a 1:16 twist. The real puzzle is the 1894 CB that has a 20" octagon BBL with a 1:36" twist. I don't get what's with the slow twist?
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by Griff »

Rusty wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2018 8:17 pmI've noticed that Marlin is bringing back the 1894 in .357 but there is something I don't understand. The 1894C has a 20" bbl with a 1:16 twist. Then there are 2 other rifles, a CSBL and a CST that both have a 16" BBl with a 1:16 twist. The real puzzle is the 1894 CB that has a 20" octagon BBL with a 1:36" twist. I don't get what's with the slow twist?
I'm only guessing, but... the 1894 is probably geared towards the cowboy action game... and most of them are using 105-115 grain bullets, I suspect that at the lower fps (650-750) and light bullet weights, it stabilizes them better. Maybe(?)! :P
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by Rusty »

Thanks Griff, that's kind of what I was thinking. I hate they went that way with it though.
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by JerryB »

I too have used my old 94 30wcf carbine and 1892 32wcf rifle like you. Several years ago a friend decided to sell me his like new Interarms 92 .357 SRC 20" that had ten rounds fired through it. I believe that is just about my must fun and serious firearm I own. That and my 32wcf are the only rifles that stay loaded. It will run with all of my reloads 158gr.swc and all. Reckon you might do better but I don"t know what with. I know that I could get a lot more out of it but all I load is Unique, that is what I load my handguns with.
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by KWK »

Rusty wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2018 8:17 pmThe 1894C has a 20" bbl with a 1:16 twist... The real puzzle is the 1894 CB that has a 20" octagon BBL with a 1:36" twist.
Perhaps it's just a typo in the CB specs. They list 1:38" for the .357, the exact same twist as for the .44 Mag. The latter was released first. I wouldn't be surprised if the guy editing the web site just started by copying the .44 Mag page and forgot to enter the correct twist for the newer version.
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by Griff »

KWK wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:03 am
Rusty wrote: Fri Jan 26, 2018 8:17 pmThe 1894C has a 20" bbl with a 1:16 twist... The real puzzle is the 1894 CB that has a 20" octagon BBL with a 1:36" twist.
Perhaps it's just a typo in the CB specs. They list 1:38" for the .357, the exact same twist as for the .44 Mag. The latter was released first. I wouldn't be surprised if the guy editing the web site just started by copying the .44 Mag page and forgot to enter the correct twist for the newer version.
+1. I kinda hope this is the correct answer!
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by Rusty »

I'm not sure about the typo but the description does say it has Ballard rifling.
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by Old Ironsights »

20" Stainless Rossi. Better balance than the shorter or longer barrels IMO.
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Re: Help on 357 choice

Post by mickbr »

Thanks again folks for all the advice regarding this subject, appreciated!
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