lever action pistol calibers
- Thread starter tango3065
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Brian Williams
Moderator Emeritus
Marlin is definitly a solid top receiver. it will take scope mounts, peep sights, ghost rings. I do not think either the 1892 or the 1894 Win or clones have a solid top. Here is my 1894c Marlin and a S&W 13
ProCharger
Member
how about a 45-70? its still a .45 caliber and with the ported barrels they have recoil is light even for the big shell it uses.
BTW anyone know where i can pick up +p+ ammo for a 45-70?
BTW anyone know where i can pick up +p+ ammo for a 45-70?
ProCharger
Member
i guess i should add i would like to find them in a smaller grain bullet.....somewhere around 300 grains like the supreme partition that i currently use.
"how about a 45-70? its still a .45 caliber and with the ported barrels they have recoil is light even for the big shell it uses."
Light recoil????? I've heard some say "tolerable", but never have I heard anyone describe the .45-70 recoil(even with ports) as "light". I had (emphasis on "had") a Marlin Guide Gun in .45-70 w/ports and it was a pounder. A hot .30-06 round felt pip squeak in comparison to the Marlin.
But then again, I guess perceived recoil is a subjective thing.
Anyway, back to the original question: If you're short on cash and you're choosing between the Win and the Rossi, I'd vote for the Rossi. I'm kind of anti-Win right now. Their build quality leaves ALOT to be desired.
Caliber? If your not hunting with it, then for all intents and purposes, this will be a 99.5 % plinkster and 0.5 % (heaven forbid) SHTF weapon. The .357/.38 Special will be far cheaper to shoot than the .44 IF you don't reload.
Light recoil????? I've heard some say "tolerable", but never have I heard anyone describe the .45-70 recoil(even with ports) as "light". I had (emphasis on "had") a Marlin Guide Gun in .45-70 w/ports and it was a pounder. A hot .30-06 round felt pip squeak in comparison to the Marlin.
But then again, I guess perceived recoil is a subjective thing.
Anyway, back to the original question: If you're short on cash and you're choosing between the Win and the Rossi, I'd vote for the Rossi. I'm kind of anti-Win right now. Their build quality leaves ALOT to be desired.
Caliber? If your not hunting with it, then for all intents and purposes, this will be a 99.5 % plinkster and 0.5 % (heaven forbid) SHTF weapon. The .357/.38 Special will be far cheaper to shoot than the .44 IF you don't reload.
ProCharger
Member
i own a marlin 45-70 in the late model gun....its a very small gun, very short barrel. barrel i believe is 16" and with a 300gr. winchester its recoil is much less than my 30-06 and a WHOLE lot less than my .45 cal CVA magnabolt 150 muzzloloader with 3 pellets, 3 pellets in that gun is a mule. I dont know....maybe its just me but the 45-70 is one of my few guns that doesnt try and kick my cap off my head with the scope after each shot. recoil to me feels light.....but wear ear protection as its a ringer. think the shorter barrel of the 1894g i believe it is has something to do with lighter recoil?
Brett
Brett
Kentucky Rifle
Member In Memoriam
Mastinson...
Perfessr takes a good picture, but the Marlin 1894C's are even better looking than in his photo. Mine is just like his. Solid top and GREAT looking stock. (Prettier than the Winchester.) They're not all THAT more expensive than a Winchester. Buy what you want, but I think the Marlin is the way to go here.
JMHO,
Will
Perfessr takes a good picture, but the Marlin 1894C's are even better looking than in his photo. Mine is just like his. Solid top and GREAT looking stock. (Prettier than the Winchester.) They're not all THAT more expensive than a Winchester. Buy what you want, but I think the Marlin is the way to go here.
JMHO,
Will
I have an 1894C. Shoot almost excusively .357, but I have shot .38s reliably. Really nice shooter, accurate, no kick, nice finish, easy to clean. Action was a little tight when new but has smoothed nicely over the years. The barrel heats up after continuous use, so does my 870 for that matter. The top of reciever comes drilled and tapped for weaver base(as all Marlin levers do). It shares a Bushnell(eotech) red dot with the 870. I practice shooting for speed. Fits in my Jeep nicely. A real fun gun.
My next buy will be a Marlin 1895...along with a Limbsaver pad and mercury recoil reducer.
My next buy will be a Marlin 1895...along with a Limbsaver pad and mercury recoil reducer.
"Any info on the winchester 357, one told me they were nothing but problems and the would also not shoot 38's reliable."
I've got 3 pistol caliber Winchester 94s in .357 Mag, .44 Mag and 45 Colt. They're all fun to shoot.
My .357 feeds .38 Special just fine.
I've got 3 pistol caliber Winchester 94s in .357 Mag, .44 Mag and 45 Colt. They're all fun to shoot.
My .357 feeds .38 Special just fine.
Nathanael_Greene
Member
Here's another vote for the Marlin 1894C.
My wife says, "It's really cute." And that sums it up--except for the fact that it's also sweet to shoot, cheap to feed, and a ton of fun!
My wife says, "It's really cute." And that sums it up--except for the fact that it's also sweet to shoot, cheap to feed, and a ton of fun!
mountaindrew
Member
I have been considering one of the marlins in 45lc or 44mag, and a revolver to go along with, is there any advantage of one over the other as fart as accuracy, range is concerned? also, what kind of velocity increase is found in the heavier calibers?
jeff-10
Member
I have also been considering the 44 mag with the 20 inch barrel. Does anyone know if the extra 4 inches improves the velocity with the factory loaded ammo or is it a complete waste? I've checked out the 16 inch version plenty of times and I just do not like they way they look or feel. I have never been able to find a new 44 mag with a 18 inch barrel.
Bill St. Clair
Member
Just picked up a new Marlin 1894P in 44 mag this evening. Hope I can get some range time with it tomorrow evening, but I'll shoot it this weekend at the latest. I think of it as my baby 444 Marlin. Hehe.
I plan to shoot mostly cowboy loads out of it: 200 grain lead bullet and Universal or Titegroup powder. Figure that will cost me about 10 cents a shot. Of course, I'll make some power loads with XTP bullets and H110, too, but those cost about 30 cents apiece, almost as much as 444 Marlin loads.
I plan to shoot mostly cowboy loads out of it: 200 grain lead bullet and Universal or Titegroup powder. Figure that will cost me about 10 cents a shot. Of course, I'll make some power loads with XTP bullets and H110, too, but those cost about 30 cents apiece, almost as much as 444 Marlin loads.
DHart
Member
Another vote for the Marlin 1894c... nice, short 18.5" barrel, carbine length... handles really quick and easy. Dream to shoot. Great reliability with .357 and .38. I had my action slickered up a bit and now it's slick as a lick on a chick. 9 round tube mag with .357, 10 with .38 spl.
Shortly after buying mine (I have three Marlin lever rifles, 1894c in .357, 1894 Cowboy Comp in .38 spl, and 1894 Cowboy Comp in .45 Colt) a friend and I were shooting some cheap reloads we bought at a gun show. Had three squibs believe it or not and, I'm embarassed to say, we didn't realize there was a problem until the third one. Turns out all three bullets were lodged in the barrel. In my efforts to drive them out with a steel rod (dumb idea), I wedged them in even tighter AND put a nice ding in my walnut stock. I called Marlin for help. What did they do? Covered freight, replaced the barrel and stock, 2nd day aired back to me... all in 5 days. NO CHARGE WHATSOEVER. It wasn't even related to a factory defect at all... entirely shooter's error. That told me something about the Marlin Company in a hot hurry. I will recommend Marlin lever rifles VERY enthusiastically.
And, yes, the Cowboy shooters are BIG into lever rifles and most of them know quite a lot about firearms. Marlin lever rifles totally dominate the field.
Shortly after buying mine (I have three Marlin lever rifles, 1894c in .357, 1894 Cowboy Comp in .38 spl, and 1894 Cowboy Comp in .45 Colt) a friend and I were shooting some cheap reloads we bought at a gun show. Had three squibs believe it or not and, I'm embarassed to say, we didn't realize there was a problem until the third one. Turns out all three bullets were lodged in the barrel. In my efforts to drive them out with a steel rod (dumb idea), I wedged them in even tighter AND put a nice ding in my walnut stock. I called Marlin for help. What did they do? Covered freight, replaced the barrel and stock, 2nd day aired back to me... all in 5 days. NO CHARGE WHATSOEVER. It wasn't even related to a factory defect at all... entirely shooter's error. That told me something about the Marlin Company in a hot hurry. I will recommend Marlin lever rifles VERY enthusiastically.
And, yes, the Cowboy shooters are BIG into lever rifles and most of them know quite a lot about firearms. Marlin lever rifles totally dominate the field.
Bill St. Clair
Member
I got some commercial Cowboy and hunting loads and fired them shortly after getting my 1894P a couple of weeks ago. But this week I got my loading dies, and put together 50 Cowboy Action loads of my own. 7.5 grains of Hodgdon Universal pushing a 200 grain Northeast Bullets hard-cast lead bullet (which they market as a 44-40 round). Fired them on Friday. Yeehaaaaa! "And that's as much fun as you can have with your pants on." Loaded up another 150 on Friday night. My son's looking forward to shooting them today, as am I.
DHart
Member
That's a great gun Bill, I'd love to have the 16.25" barrel, but without the ports. I guess it would be pretty easy for a god gunsmith to take the longer barrel version and shorten up the barrel a bit.
Bill St. Clair
Member
Since it was very hot and sunny yesterday, the kids sat in the two side-by-side covered shooting benches at my club's rifle range. My daughter shot the Henry lever-action .22, and my son shot the 1894P. Even with the cowboy loads, the report and pressure wave in my daughter's area was noticeable. I rather like the ports, since they reduce felt recoil and muzzle rise. But they do cause some distress for your range-fellows.
Sistema1927
Member
I have, use, and enjoy a Marlin 1894C. I would not feel outgunned if it was the only weapon at my disposal.
However, if I have read the thread correctly, I don't know that the possession of 1,000 rounds of .38 ammo should be the driving force in obtaining a carbine for shtf.
I would hope that you would fire up that amount of ammo, along with several tens of thousands of more rounds, before shtf was ever a reality.
I would not recommend that someone buy a carbine (of any manufacturer), and sit around with it and 1,000 rounds of ammo just waiting for something bad to happen. Instead, buy a weapon that you are going to enjoy using, use the heck out of it, and keep enough ammo around the house that if anything bad ever happens you are prepared. Instead of a bunker mentality, it is much nicer to have a shooting sports mentality.
However, if I have read the thread correctly, I don't know that the possession of 1,000 rounds of .38 ammo should be the driving force in obtaining a carbine for shtf.
I would hope that you would fire up that amount of ammo, along with several tens of thousands of more rounds, before shtf was ever a reality.
I would not recommend that someone buy a carbine (of any manufacturer), and sit around with it and 1,000 rounds of ammo just waiting for something bad to happen. Instead, buy a weapon that you are going to enjoy using, use the heck out of it, and keep enough ammo around the house that if anything bad ever happens you are prepared. Instead of a bunker mentality, it is much nicer to have a shooting sports mentality.
I have an 1894 in 44mag and love it. I do wish that 44 specials were more available and this is one advantage to the 357...the availabilty and low cost of 38spl.
I'm still glad I got the 44 though. Out of a rifle the 44mag is not bad at all. I'm too much of a wuss to shoot it regularly in a handgun
I'm still glad I got the 44 though. Out of a rifle the 44mag is not bad at all. I'm too much of a wuss to shoot it regularly in a handgun
DHart
Member
I'm considering buying a Marlin 1894 in .44 mag. and I found one for $300 at Big 5 Sporting Goods... weird thing is that the gun had the stocks of a Cowboy (straighter comb, no checkering, no rubber butt pad) with the barrel of a standard 1894 - round, not octagon. Sort of a cross between a standard .44 mag and a Cowboy .44 mag. I sure liked the price, but I'm thinking I'd really appreciate the cushioned butt pad if I was to do very much shooting in .44 magnum.
What do you guys think... is $300 low enough to overlook the lack of checkering and lack of a cushioned butt pad? For what I know the stock may not even be walnut, but it looks like it is. I don't think I'd miss the checkering and I like the cleaner looks of the Cowboy stock, but I'm pretty sure I'd appreciate the cushioned butt pad and having one fitted would cost me almost as much as just buying the standard model which includes it.
What do you guys think... is $300 low enough to overlook the lack of checkering and lack of a cushioned butt pad? For what I know the stock may not even be walnut, but it looks like it is. I don't think I'd miss the checkering and I like the cleaner looks of the Cowboy stock, but I'm pretty sure I'd appreciate the cushioned butt pad and having one fitted would cost me almost as much as just buying the standard model which includes it.
Gunrunner
Member
DHart, I've had the Marlin 1894 in 44mag and it's been a great rifle to shoot. Mine has the straight stock, no checkering, but does have a recoil pad. I'm glad that pad is on there. I'm of slim build and recoil does have an effect on my shoulder when shooting full power loads. A few rounds don't bother me, such as when hunting, but when doing a lot of shooting at the range it gets to me.
If you reload then you can make rounds that are somewhat powerful but are also very easy on you. If not, try some factory rounds in a lighter bullet weight. And as mentioned you can add a recoil pad later if you find you need it.
Sounds like a good price, so if you want it I'd say go for it. It actually sounds like an interesting combo of the cowboy/standard types.
If you reload then you can make rounds that are somewhat powerful but are also very easy on you. If not, try some factory rounds in a lighter bullet weight. And as mentioned you can add a recoil pad later if you find you need it.
Sounds like a good price, so if you want it I'd say go for it. It actually sounds like an interesting combo of the cowboy/standard types.
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