I need advice...Marlin 1894c or a Puma 92

[dakota_harley]

I want a .357 rifle to go with my Ruger gp100 . I found a new marlin 1894c at a local gun shop. It looks pretty fun and handy so I put it on hold for me, but now I seen a catalog for the new Legacy sports Puma 92's made by Chiappa arms. They look great! So my question is this... Are the new Puma rifles the same as older ones ? are the Rossi rifles the same? would I be better to look for a Puma or stick with the Marlin 1894c???
I just want it for a fun target shooting plinker. Thanks all!

[rjohns94]

Welcome to the fire. I have enjoyed both but currently I can tell you that I would not trade away my '92 in .357. Stevesgunz did the work on it and I am very pleased. Good luck with your choice.

[Terry Murbach]

MY FIRST 357MAG LEVERGUN WAS THE MARLIN WAY CARBINE BACK WHEN. SINCE THEN I HAVE ADDED THE ROSSI SS 357MAG CARBINE AND THE BROWNING '92 CARBINE. I HAVE NEVER EVER SEEN FIT TO DUMP THE MARLIN BECAUSE OF THE JOHNNIE-COME-LATELYS.

[Lobo]

Dakota,

How well do you see? Are iron sights easy for you to use? I have a Puma 92 in .45 Colt, but have it sitting in the rack because I can't use the iron sights any more, and putting a scope on it requires a scout scope set up. A Marlin would have been easier to modify, and I have a "standard" scope on hand.

[Doc Hudson]

Go with the Model 92! It is a stronger action than the Marlin or Winchester Model 1894/94.

I've owned two Marlin Model 1894's both were chronic jammers. Because of them I've sworn never to allow another Marlin in a pistol caliber in the house.

[Terry Murbach]

Dakota,

How well do you see? Are iron sights easy for you to use? I have a Puma 92 in .45 Colt, but have it sitting in the rack because I can't use the iron sights any more, and putting a scope on it requires a scout scope set up. A Marlin would have been easier to modify, and I have a "standard" scope on hand.

I HAVE NO PROBLEM SEEING OPEN SIGHTS AND TEDDY ROOSEVELT WAS PRESIDENT WHEN I WAS BORN. I SEE THE SQUARE ONES ALMOST PERFECTLY. THIS IS BECAUSE MY 20/400 BLIND-AS-A-BAT VISION IS CORRECTED WITH TRI-FOCALS AND I HAVE THE MIDDLE ONE SET FOR THE FRONT SIGHT ON A 7 1/2" SAA SIXGUN. I TAKE MY GUNS RIGHT INTO THE DR's OFFICE [ AND IS SHE EVER A BABE..!!] AND SHE LITERALLY MEASURES FROM MY EYEBALL TO THE FRONT SIGHTS AS I HOLD THE SAA OUT AT ARMS LENGTH IN DUELIST STYLE. THESE LENSES WORK PERFECTLY WITH OPEN SIGHTS ON PISTOLS, CARBINES, AND RIFLES.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

I want a .357 rifle to go with my Ruger gp100 . I found a new marlin 1894c at a local gun shop. It looks pretty fun and handy so I put it on hold for me, but now I seen a catalog for the new Legacy sports Puma 92's made by Chiappa arms. They look great! So my question is this... Are the new Puma rifles the same as older ones ? are the Rossi rifles the same? would I be better to look for a Puma or stick with the Marlin 1894c???
I just want it for a fun target shooting plinker. Thanks all!

To the question, the current Puma 92's are not made by Rossi. They are made by Chiappa Armi Sport of Italy. They are really nice looking guns but you have to decide if they are worth the price, which is about 50% more than the Rossi made guns. Also, keep in mind, they have never made a 92 before and have only been making this 92 for about 5 or 6 years.
Rossi has been making them for 30+ years.They are still available but are now imported by BrazTec.

[Modoc ED]

I want a .357 rifle to go with my Ruger gp100 . I found a new marlin 1894c at a local gun shop. It looks pretty fun and handy so I put it on hold for me, but now I seen a catalog for the new Legacy sports Puma 92's made by Chiappa arms. They look great! So my question is this... Are the new Puma rifles the same as older ones ? are the Rossi rifles the same? would I be better to look for a Puma or stick with the Marlin 1894c???
I just want it for a fun target shooting plinker. Thanks all!

To the question, the current Puma 92's are not made by Rossi. They are made by Chiappa Armi Sport of Italy. They are really nice looking guns but you have to decide if they are worth the price, which is about 50% more than the Rossi made guns. Also, keep in mind, they have never made a 92 before and have only been making this 92 for about 5 or 6 years.
Rossi has been making them for 30+ years.They are still available but are now imported by BrazTec.

So what are your thoughts on the Marlin Steve??

[Pete44ru]

I'm certainly not a Model 92 gunsmith/specialist, like Steve - but can tell you that I've never seen any articles or lamentations about the "dreaded Model 92 jam", like the ones about the "dreaded Model 1894 jam" on the leverguns home article page.

That said, I have both a .357 Rossi 92 AND a Marlin 1894 (albeit a .44) - and while never experiencing problem one with either yet, like them both for what they are. Light/handy carbines/rifles that are a joy to use.

To address the OP's question, though - given those choices, I would opt for a Rossi .357 1st, the Marlin .357 2nd, and the Chiappa last.

And......... Welcome to the fire, dakota_harley !

.

[dakota_harley]

I was under the impression that the Marlin was supposed to be the more dependable, It doesnt sound like it now. I don't want a Jammer! It looks like the wood on the new pumas is nicer then the older ones from the pics i've seen. has anyone had one in thier hands? I like the marlins 18.5" barrel but the wood wasnt very nice. and if they jam , hmmmmm

[Pete44ru]

I, personally, don't believe the Marlins are especially bad "jammers", but Do get wide airing about it, when the feed parts wear a little.

Winchester 94's have a similar problem when the cartridge stop finger on the lower link wears, and allows a cartridge from the mag under the lifter.

The new "Pumas" are Chiappa's, are "pretty" and also pretty expensive. Don't judge a book by it's cover.

.

[Chuck 100 yd]

In pistol caliber rifles, I have.........
5-Marlins (1894`s)
2-Ubertis (`73`-24")
1 Browning (`53`)
1-Rossi (92 -20")

The easiest one to get away from me would be the Rossi.
The hardest would be any of my 24" Marlin Cowboys.

[Warhawk]

No Chiappa's here, but I do have a couple of Rossi 92s and a Marlin 1894c. I too am an old pistol shooter (who wears bifocals) and have done about 90% of my iron sight shooting with square "patridge" style sights. This is exactly what the Rossi's from LSI and now Braztech have. I also have an EMF Hartford 92, made by Rossi and it's got a bead front and semi buckhorn rear.

I've owned quite a few Marlins over the years, and have not had any problems with any of them. They are relatively smooth out of the box, and get better with use.

The Rossi's are pretty rough out of the box. They definitely benefit from a trip to Steve Young's shop. My latest is a stainless 357 trapper from Braztech. The wood has some "feathering" along both sides of the fore end and along the tang, so that needs some work too, they may not all be like this.

Bottom line is, get which ever one you like. They are both good guns. The Marlin is the way to go if there is any possibility at all of adding optics.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

I want a .357 rifle to go with my Ruger gp100 . I found a new marlin 1894c at a local gun shop. It looks pretty fun and handy so I put it on hold for me, but now I seen a catalog for the new Legacy sports Puma 92's made by Chiappa arms. They look great! So my question is this... Are the new Puma rifles the same as older ones ? are the Rossi rifles the same? would I be better to look for a Puma or stick with the Marlin 1894c???
I just want it for a fun target shooting plinker. Thanks all!

To the question, the current Puma 92's are not made by Rossi. They are made by Chiappa Armi Sport of Italy. They are really nice looking guns but you have to decide if they are worth the price, which is about 50% more than the Rossi made guns. Also, keep in mind, they have never made a 92 before and have only been making this 92 for about 5 or 6 years.
Rossi has been making them for 30+ years.They are still available but are now imported by BrazTec.

So what are your thoughts on the Marlin Steve??

The Marlins are great guns, too. The Winchester/Rossi 92 action is stronger but it's not an issue with 357m. As for the dreaded Marlin jam I think some of that is ammo related. All our leverguns are length and bullet shape sensitive to some degree. Like semi-auto handguns, they can be picky about what they will run and the faster we try to go with them the more these problem tend to show up. if you suspect you have the jam, try different ammo before you do anything to the gun. As for the Marlins that truly do have the dreaded Marlin jam my experience with those gun is it has more to do with the extremely high number of rounds shot through them. The ones I've seen were from CAS shooters that run them long hard and fast and the carrier gets pound down enough that the cartridge stop on the front of the carrier ends up too low to catch the second round as the first one is released into the action.
I had one here that was so pounded out in the bottom of the trigger plate, a new carrier wouldn't cure the problem. The owner and his wife are both top CAS shooter and shoot thousands per month. I had the owner send the old carrier and I just heated it and bent the front up enough so that it would once again catch that next round. Bottom line is the Marlin jam is just not that common.

[TX Gun Runner]

I own both guns , the marlin in 32-20 and the rossi in 44-40 . I shot my rossi in SASS/CAS matches for 15 yrs and it has never failed me . My marlin has tons of work and money in it and won't hold a candle to my rossi in anyway shape or form .

[nemhed]

I love all four of my Marlin leverguns. Two of which are 1894 models. One in 44mag the other in 357. I have yet to experience a "Marlin Jam". With the exception of Browning 92s and original Winchester 92s, the current crop of 92 repros leave me cold from a quality and price standpoint. I'm also un-apologetically pro "Buy American", so buy some American made blue steel and walnut while you still can.

[76/444]

Don't have a lever 357. Not my caliber. But, I do have a 44 and 444 in Marlin. I have never had a better feeding lever than my 444!

When I decided to get back into levers, my trail pard brought me to his expert lever/dealer guy, to buy from. I asked about Marlin and Rossi/Puma, since I had enough of post 64 Winchesters in the past. He quite simply stated,.... "Look at my sales rack",... "You don't see any Marlins, do you, all sold". He then went into telling the nightmare stories on Rossi/Puma returns,.... lose and falling off sights, cracked stocks(not 357mag) and problematic mag tube connections.

Now I have heard a lot of positive testimonies here and on other lever gun sites about Rossi/Puma,... so my GUESS is,... they could be just individual problems that became internet myth, just as I believe the infamous Marlin jam, is!

I have hundreds of rounds through my marlins and never a hic-up!! And my buddies so-called lever expert convinced me that there are none more durable than a Marlin.

You asked for opinions, this is mine,.... worth twice what you paid for it!!

[COSteve]

My understanding about the Rossi problems was that earlier versions did have some issues but Rossi learned from the problems and addressed them. The only issues I've heard of now are with the 454 Casull where the mag tube can come loose and/or the the stock crack. Both of these issues are the result of the extreme recoil that the Casull produces and I believe that Rossi has addressed these issues too.

I have two newer 38/357 Rossis (LSI versions) that I purchased from Bud's Guns earlier this year at very attractive prices. My 24" rifle has 1,400rds through it and my newer 20" carbine has 400rds down the pipe. I gave both an action/trigger job using Nate's DVD and a few parts. The actions are slick and strong (stronger than the Marlin according to Nate) and both exhibit excellent accuracy. I consider working on the rifles a plus as I love to tinker and working on them was very satisfying as the actions are now slick and smooth and the trigger is both lighter and crisper.

The money I saved over buying two Marlins allowed me to add a Marbles tang, folding rear, and 1/16" brass bead front sight to my rifle and a Marbles semi-buckhorn and 3/32" brass bead front sight to my carbine. Those sights really upgraded my accuracy and the peep rear tang sight really helps me see the that small front sight clearly. Installing the sights was a piece of cake because I took a chisel and hammered a few notches on each side of the dovetail to tighten up the grip in the slot on the rifle. A simple job that insures my sights are tight and solid.

The rifle has run like a top from the 1st round while the carbine had a few teething problems that I reported about here and fixed; initially by lightening the carrier spring which was binding and then permanently by installing a new carrier. Again, I enjoy working on my firearms and with Nate's patient help, the fix was no big deal. I also oiled the stocks to help bring out the wood grain and while not walnut, they look great; better in fact than the birch looking stocks I've seen on the Marlins.

Both rifles will feed 38spl rounds at their normal 1.460" OAL without issue. However, Nate advised me that for fast cycling, increasing the 38spl OAL to 1.500" makes for a smoother feed even when I'm cranking the lever quickly. So I load all my 38spl rounds with 158grn Zero JSP bullets at 1.500" OAL. An added bonus of this longer length is that I can load my long 38spl rounds with a powder charge that's in between 38spl+P and 357mag (13.5grn of H110 vs the 357mag charge of 15.0 - 16.5grns) and get great long range (200+ yds) target performance out of them. I don't have a 38spl or 357mag pistol so loading up these special rifle rounds is no issue to me. In addition, the longer OAL precludes them from being used in a 38spl revolver.

Bottom line is that I'm very pleased with both of my Rossis.

[dakota_harley]

I wanted to thank you all for the replys! Now a have a few more things to think about, i kinda fell for that short 16" barrel on the rossi wouth the large loop and saddle ring it looks so fun . but I also go a few thumbs up for the marlin1894c . and its been a tuff rifle to find around here i wonder if its because it is so in demand or because its not stocked as a low mover in the rack. I was sold on letting it go and getting the rossi but ive looked for so long for the 1894c over the past few years its hard to give up/ I wish i could handle both side by side. would either have more value down the line?????

Knock me of the Fence! haha

[Pete44ru]

A bird in your hand is worth two in some bush - dance with who brung ya, and get the Marlin that's in your face.

Who knows, it may take forever to obtain a Rossi - and ANY .357 levergun will simply keep becoming more & more popular (AND scarcer) with each passing day.

Either one would return you much more in shooting them, than as a investment - but if a .357 also appreciates in value, you've frosting on yore cake.

.

[Chas.]

Although it's listed on the Marlin website, the .357 Cowboy is rare.

I've been looking for one at Bud's for a LONG time and there have been none.

Davidson's also has none but I don't know how long they've been out.

If Marlin's making them, they must be going to big-box retail.

[oic0]

I routinely see them going for well under MSRP brand new on gunbroker and other sights. I bought an SS version, even harder to find, for well under msrp. They are hard to find (impossible locally) but they don't command much price premium. Not sure why not. I did see some of the foreign ones (rossi, puma, cant remember) and bass pro going for 500-1000+ but by the time I pay 9% tax and settle for a gun other than the one I want, I would be kicking myself.

[leeloader]

I have had the pleasure of useing a 1894c in marlin .357. It has not jammed and not malfunctioned in anyway. It is the best rifle I could ask for with what I want out of the rifle. No recoil and a coyote will come apart with full mag loads with a 110 gr load! I love my Marlin and would not part with a rifle that I could feed my family with every day of the week. It's made in the USA and it has the quality we demand in America. No question, MARLIN

[Chas.]

Your family eats coyotes?