Best Home/Self-Defense Rounds for the Marlin 1894CS

[Toasty Bear209]

I got my 1894CS back in March and I love this little guy that packs a punch! I love the compatibility of the .357 & .38 caliber ammunition, it’s compact and light weight, and I love the fact that it fires pistol ammo so that I can go to my local gun range and do target practice with no hassle! Now I definitely want a matching .357 Magnum 6 gun, I’m thinking about the new Colt Cobra .357 magnum to go along with my new Marlin. I do have a general question are there certain ammo type restrictions for these guns? Like maximum grain weight, bullet weight, and what type of ammo can I run through it as in FMG, SJHP, JHP, or hollow points in general? I’m designing my Marlin to be a home defense gun, upgrade picaniny scope rail, Holographic Green/Red dot sight, offset hammer, etc. So I wanna know, what’s the best home/self defense round that I can push through this little tough Marlin?

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

Well you'll have to do some testing to see what your rifle shoots the best. But that added barrel length over a pistol will really stress a bullet when it hits something. So I'd be looking at heavy for caliber bonded bullets to ensure penetration and expansion won't be a problem out of a rifle barrel.

 

[BigBore44]

The one that does the most damage. In a home invasion you are fighting for life and limb (at least that’s how I look at it). So I want a bullet that makes a big hole so my first shot ends the situation. Being as I live in somewhat rural Oklahoma, our judges and DA’s don’t play the game of “Excessive force”, “You were looking for trouble because of the sign on your house”, “Should have warned them and given an opportunity to give up”.

Many people worry about over penetration. Well if you’re defending with an AR, I can agree that it might be an issue. However, no one can predict what a bullet will do after it leaves the body, or even while it’s inside. Bullets can turn, tumble, fragment, or do nothing at all. But in a pistol round, you’re talking about a large diameter, so you have two options; light and pushed fast for maximum fragmentation, or normal to heavy pushed for penetration and expansion.

For my 1894’s, I shoot Sierra JHC’s pushed with healthy doses of H-110. I know, from what they do to deer, that expansion isn’t a problem, and neither is penetration. I’m not concerned with where the bullet goes after because I have no control over it. But wherever it goes, it’s going expanded and running out of steam.

Another option may be LeverEvolution FTX bullets. They expand a lot. Sometimes they fragment. They just aren’t accurate in my 1894’s.

 

[Riomouse911]

Any quality 140 to 158 gr JHP should do the trick. IMHO the 110-125 gr bullets are going way faster then they were optimized for and may not hold together to penetrate through a bicep and chest cavity of a burly crook if shot at that angle.

Welcome to the world of pistol caliber lever guns! I’m sure you will find them as fun and versatile as those of us who have been around them for a while ...

Stay safe.

 

[roscoe]

For actually discharging in a house I would take a heavier .38. The .357 in an enclosed space is incredibly deafening, potentially disorienting, and would likely damage hearing permanently. A good 158 grain .38 +P would be perfect.

Then add a bayonet and you are set!

 

[Thomas Mayberry]

I would be inclined to use a magnum 158 grain JHP in a carbine.

 

[gotboostvr]

I'd probably use something like a 140 or 158gr XTP that'll hold up to the increased velocity.

The 125's might be a little prone to fragmentation and provide less than ideal penetration. The 180s might provide too much.

 

[WheelGunMan]

Federal 158 grain JHP. You're launching it at around 1700 FPS which isn't abnormally high for that round. Would give you great expansion and energy (1100 FP) to stop a threat.

 

[Pat Riot]

I know the Marlin cycles .38 Special just fine. I know because I have one, BUT I would not trust that it will always cycle .38s and I would not use .38s for home defense just for that reason. Murphy stands ready to mess up your day at all times. You don’t want it need a cycling issue at a very critical moment.
I would stick with a .357 Magnum length round.
My 2 cents.

As far as what round? I would think that any expanding defense round that you can shoot accurately and that the gun likes would be just fine. Find a round that is accurate and shoot a bunch of them for practice and also to ensure the gun feeds and cycles them just fine without a hitch.

 

[DaStray]

Since nobody else said anything about this, I`ll go ahead and throw it out there...make sure you shoot flat-nosed bullets out of your Marlin! From your post I think you`re new to lever action carbines and I assume that you know this but just to be on the safe side I had to do it. Better safe than sorry.
I have an 1894c and have found that it seems to prefer 158gr bullets over any other flavor but at the home defense range that you would be shooting at, any flat-nosed round that proves reliable in your 1894cs would work. The Hornady Leverrevolution .357 is very accurate for shooting but you`re not supposed to keep it loaded in the tube since the tip will "supposedly" deform over time leaving you with a possibility of tube detonation.
I concentrated on a 158gr round that worked well in my 1894c and stocked up on them for both my 1894c and S&W 686. That being said, my 1894 or 686 isn`t my primary home defense weapon but either will certainly suffice.

 

[Garandimal]

Well...

These are what I keep in the 77/357, abit the Hornady Custom variety.

​

GR

 

[Riomouse911]

As GR just posted, the extremely fast carbine velocity kept penetration of the 158 gr JHP shot into the gel to 10-11” because of the wicked expansion. It was a more desire-able 14” or so from a handgun. That’s definitely something to consider when choosing a round for your carbine.

Stay safe.

 

[Random 8]

https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/.357+Magnum.html
Found this little gem while researching bullet choices for my new Henry single shot in the above caliber. It's a long read, but well worth it for anybody shooting the .357 through a rifle. It comes out of New Zealand, where apparently the lever action carbine in .357 is a popular option for medium game and the article references performance on wild boar/deer sized animals presumably from firsthand experience. I'll let the hive brain draw their own conclusions.

As for a defensive use, consider your own unique circumstances. Do other people live in your house or do you have shared walls (townhouse, apartment, etc? Harsh winter climate (you may need a summer load and a winter load as I do). The bullet must function reliably in your gun. I assume as reloading wasn't brought up, you're talking factory ammo. I would look to a 125 gr SP loading or a .38spl standard velocity round if you need to limit penetration due to your surroundings. Probably most any of the 158 JHP or JSP if you wish for enhanced penetration.

 

[Buzznrose]

Many people worry about over penetration. Well if you’re defending with an AR, I can agree that it might be an issue. However, no one can predict what a bullet will do after it leaves the body, or even while it’s inside. Bullets can turn, tumble, fragment, or do nothing at all. But in a pistol round, you’re talking about a large diameter, so you have two options; light and pushed fast for maximum fragmentation, or normal to heavy pushed for penetration and expansion.

For my 1894’s, I shoot Sierra JHC’s pushed with healthy doses of H-110. I know, from what they do to deer, that expansion isn’t a problem, and neither is penetration. I’m not concerned with where the bullet goes after because I have no control over it. But wherever it goes, it’s going expanded and running out of steam.

Another option may be LeverEvolution FTX bullets. They expand a lot. Sometimes they fragment. They just aren’t accurate in my 1894’s.

AR rounds generally do not over penetrate. They pretty much go in, turn, flip, bounce around, and frag.

A .38 caliber round will usually go through much more “matter” than a FMJ or SP .223 round, as last by as we stay away from the green tips.

Otherwise, I really like your suggestions.

 

[edwardware]

Many people worry about over penetration. Well if you’re defending with an AR, I can agree that it might be an issue.

You've got that backwards. Light/fast bullets are much more prone to disruption, tumbling, and stopping in common construction materials. A compact 158gr slug moving slower is much more likely to keep rolling through multiple walls.

My suggestion would be a relatively fragile for caliber bullet, like a HP or FTX design, that your gun shoots well. Full penetration is desirable, but full penetration of your (or your neighbor's) house isn't. I'll bet Hornady makes a 135ish .357mag poly-tipped product.

 

[BigBore44]

You've got that backwards.

I really don’t have it backwards. It depends on the bullet and the caliber. I stated that bullets can do all the things you said inside and outside the the body. And there’s no way to predict it.

About 3 months ago a friend of mine had a Browning High Wall in 22-250 ND in his house. That bullet went through the upper part of his door, two walls, turn, and ended up in his attic. It was a Hornady 55gr SP. But it could have just as easily hit his door, fragmented, and gone no farther.