I use my 336 in 356 Win to go out with the dogs. This is about as much recoil as my wife can handle. I load 280gr cast bullets and hope that it is enough for a griz. It is good wolf medicine! I load 180gr bullets and a lighter powder charge for plinking.
The problem she has is the overall weight of the gun during our practice sessions. I would like to pick up a lighter lever gun with similar controls for extended range sessions. I have never handled a Marlin 39A or a Marlin in 357 mag, but these are on the top of my list. Are these rifles lighter than the 336?? Any others that I should be looking at?? Does the Henry have a similar feel and controls as the Marlin?? What about a knock-off like a Rossi?

The Marlin 1894cs .357 is noticeably lighter than the 336 and the Rossi .357 is quite a bit lighter still. The Henry big boy is a heavy SOB.

I'm assuming I can shoot 38's in the 357 lever guns. Is that correct? Or is there a feeding issue?

The Marlin 39A and Winchester '94 are noticeably lighter.

I have both the Marlin and Rossi .357's. They both function perfectly with .38's.

That's good for you, Blackheart - but nobody's mentioned boolit type/shape, and YMMV.

Many leverguns chambered for .357 don't do well feeding .38 Specials that are loaded with sharp-shouldered boolits, like Keith-style semi-wadcutters, etc.



.

That's true. They're known for not feeding wadcutters or semi-wadcutters. I know that and don't have any need for those type bullets anyway so have stuck with rn, rnfp, jhp and jsp bullets. So far I haven't had a bit of trouble with any of those whether .38's or .357's.

Around these parts anything that has the Winchester logo on it, either has a 1 in front of the actual value or a 0 at the end. These cowboys think they are "gold", and charge accordingly.
How much different is the Rossi, in terms of feel and controls, than the Marlin? I want to KISS for my wife.

Look for a shooter grade Win 94 in 3030. Light gun and light recoil.

Ain't really much difference in the feel or controls between the Marlin 1894 and the Rossi. The safeties are different in location and operation but I never use the safety on either one anyway.

I've got a Navy Arms 92 Trapper carbine in .45 Colt that my Wife likes and shoots well with Winchester factory ammo.

I load it with 300 grain HP's with a max load of W-W 296 for myself. (lots more kick)

Had a Browning 92 .357 mag. for the Wife, but lost it to a THIEF!

We like the smooth action of the 92

Virgil B.

[/quote] The safeties are different in location and operation but I never use the safety on either one anyway.[/quote]

The 336 that we are shooting now doesn't have a safety - that's why God gave us a brain!! (and a half cock position).

There aren't a lot of used Rossi's out there and I don't want to pay $500 for a new one. I can probably find a used Marlin priced right.

How about a savage 99F or DL in 250 or 243?

A 44 mag, but use light loads or specials. Or a BLR in 22-250, 243..... Or a savage 99.

Have never been able to warm up to the looks of a BLR, though I hear they work well. But if she wants a lighter gun, a 1950's 99F in 250 or 243 might be tough to find but it's a dream to shoot. Since you reload, finding one in 300 Savage is easy and probably about the price of a 336, AND you can load it down to 30-30 range or up to about the same as a 308.

22" barrel, 6.5 pounds without scope.

I've a Marlin .357 and can't recommend it highly enough. Though they seem to be tough to find, they are awesome. Mine is a pre-Remlin gun, but nothing special. It will load and shoot anything in a .357 case, to include wadcutters, and loads and shoots anything in a .38 case, but will bobble with wadcutters sometimes in the shorter case.

Recoil is mild with 357s, no matter the load, and in .38s is almost nonexistant. And it is very quiet with 38s as well. I put XS sights on it, and an XS rail with a red dot set out in front of the point of balance, like a scout setup. To do over, I wouldn't do anything different.

I have a 99 and recently had it rebarrelled 358 Win. While a great gun, the design doesn't allow for it to be stored with a round in the chamber for 9 months at a time. The Marlin and BLR will allow you to de-cock it. My BLR is in 308 and I wouldn't call it light.
I'm looking for a lightweight gun not necessarily a light recoiling round. I am happy with the 356 round and 280gr cast bullets for protection against bears. I just want a lighter weight rifle with similar controls for my wife to practice with.

If you're talking a rifle for just practice at the range, or possibly a beater truck gun, that is reliable..... go to Big 5 Sporting Goods if you have one around and grab their 1894 in .357.

They have much cheaper wood, but are durable as any other. Good dependable shooters. And much cheaper. Haven't checked prices lately, but you can usually get them for under $350 new.

Marlin will allow you to decock it? Well.. true. Though I think there's plenty of holes in floorboards and rooftops that should be figured into that neat trick. I know my uncle shot out his engine with my dad's 336 back in the day.

I agree, one should never leave a 99 with one in the chamber for long. Leaving 5 in the mag and an empty chamber wouldn't be a problem though. Can rack that lever pretty quick.

Sounds like you really want a Marlin tho. Keep an eye on gunbroker.

No Big 5's around here that I know of. I'll keep looking though, might find a 357 online or at a pawn shop.

If recoil is not an issue and weight is, and if bears might come into the equation I would look for an older presafety Marlin 44 Mag at a minimum. They are noticeably lighter than the 336 and have a good bit more power than the 357. Besides, if you can even find a Marlin 357 these days they are bringing north of $750. A good used 44 can still be had for $500-550ish. I am not a fan of the Rossis. I have owned several and know they can be smoothed up nicely, but most I have seen were pretty rough from the factory.

I agree with shalwerbrook. Anyone can shoot a .30-30 or .25-35. And they go up in value. A .357 cal rifle is an odd duck without much use around bears.

The 356 will be for bears.
The 357, 44... will be for extended practice sessions. I just want the feel and controls to be similar.
The only reason to consider a 357 or a 44 a bear gun is to shoot yourself in the head and save yourself from being chewed on

If the Rossi's are modeled after the Win 94, then that is out. I have a Holosight on the 356 and will want to set up the practice rifle the same way. Top eject makes that difficult.

Love my Rossi 92 in 454. I want one in 357 now too. Fear not the Brazilian guns

Your nonsense knows no boundaries does it? The utility of a 357 lever is incredible.

It sure the hell is ! Load it with .38 specials and shoot small game for the pot without excessive meat damage. Switch to full power .357's and kill deer. Mine don't even need any sight adjustment when switching from .38's to .357's.

Mine was plenty smooth right out of the box and overall quality/workmanship is clearly superior to any of the new Remlin's I've seen.

Yup. Everything from screaming 110's or 125's to 180's the 357 options are awesome, add in the 38's and the multitude of loadings available are huge. Light, compact, accurate package that can sling 9 rounds as fast as you can work the lever. Hard not to like. Just about everyone I know and have read who have one love them.

All of the newer round barrel Rossi's are drilled and tapped for a scout type scope mount. I mounted a Bushnell Trophy red dot on mine and it worked great, although a red dot on a traditional lever action looks about as goofy as Herman Munster riding a tricycle.

although a red dot on a traditional lever action looks about as goofy as Herman Munster riding a tricycle. [/quote]

This may be true but I'm going for utility. Sometimes goofy makes me laugh

A Marlin 1894C .357 loaded with Hornady 180 gr. XTP's over LiL Gun is a stout load that can dispatch any Hog. So for what it's worth it may be useful for your situation. It is not Bear Medicine as in a Lever Action that would be a 45-70.

For your consideration:

New components have been a Game changer, not everyone has kept pace.

How long have 110, 125, 158, and 180-200 grain .358 cast and jacketed bullets been available? I didn't realize they were a new phenomenon. Mono and bonded in .224 yes, I realize those are relatively recent, and the light for caliber mono bullet has really been a game changer, I always thought that the bullet selection for 38s and 357s has always been fairly broad. But if that is in error it's freely admitted.

BGG,
My point was that not everyone has observed the on game performance of a Pistol cartridge using the Hornady 180 XTP launched with suitable for bullet weight powder like Lil Gun. The .357 bullet selection both for cast and factory have been abundant for decades. The application of the 180 grain loads for game is not as well known, perhaps actively used within the last ten years?. I have a Lee Gang Mould that should keep me in supply of 180's if my Jacketed bullets run short.

WW

Understood. I wasn't being a smartass, I really don't know how long the heavier bullets have been around. I load the Rem 180 SJHPs over 13 grains of H110 over a slightly shortened 357 case in my Marlin and my 586. It hits same or close enough POI as had cast 148 wadcutters over 7 grains of Unique. Both are easy recoiling rounds out of the Marlin and neither is bad out of my 586. I'd really really like to try a 180 grain hard cast with a wide meplat and see what kind of penetration it offers. If I draw a B (doe) tag this fall I plan on seeing what the Rem bullet will do to a shoulder at 100 yards or so. Thus far all I've shot with it as far as game is a badger.

If I can get a 180 grain hardcast to shoot well, and it penetrates as well as I think it will, I'd have no qualms having it as a personal defense gun in any situation I'm likely to come upon. Of course given my druthers it'd be my .44 or 45-70 levers, but I really dig my 586 and carry it quite a bit. Having a light handy lever that shoots the same round is a no-brainer.

I think 180 gr. .357 bullets first became available shortly after Remington and Ruger introduced the .357 Maximum cartridge. They aren't and never were needed to make the .357 carbine an effective deerslayer. I started killing deer with my 1894c back in 1982 with 158 gr. jacketed SP's and HP's from Remington, Winchester, Hornady and Speer and they were and still are plenty effective.

I'm sure they are effective. So are the multitude of other calibers and their attendant bullet selections. So for that matter were soft lead bullets and roundballs, steel arrowheads, stone arrowheads, and pointy sticks before that. Moot point.

My guesstimate of the time line was way off. I had steered clear of the .357 for rifle use when the Marlin chabering first came out cause of reports of poor bullet performance when pistol bullets were pushed too fast. I later read that those reports were actually associated with converted Winchester 1892's so that goes back as ways as far as jacketed bullet technology goes. Then started to read that the jacketed bullet ticket for the carbine was the Hornady 180 XTP that was built for the .357 maximum and could take the carbine velocity. Of course cast lead with the the right BHN do well. There is no doubt other good loads based on what game or intended purpose you have in mind.

Two points. First you can have a round in the chamber of a pre-mil Savage M99 without it being cocked if you hold the trigger back when you close the lever. Holding the trigger back keeps the sear from setting. When you decide to shoot you just have to half work the lever to cock the action. Don't work it too much or you'll flip the chambered round out. Get one and play with dummy rounds. You'll figure it out.

Second, if you're looking at Marlins look for a one in .41 Mag. They made a few runs of them and they work just fine. Just like a .41 Mag in a handgun they split the difference between the kick of a .357 and a .44. Closer to a .357 as to kick and closer to a .44 Mag as to results. The .41 actually shoots flatter than the .44.

Does this leave the firing pin pressing against the primer of the chambered round?

If it does, that's bad juju.

No, firing pin is retracted inside of the bolt when uncocked and held back via a spring.

Thanks for that info. I'm not really a 99 guy, didn't know if it was set up with a rebound spring or what.

It looks like the 357 Marlin is gonna be out of my price range.
The Savage 99 will probably be too heavy for my wife also, and too complicated for her ( & me) to operate at 200% adrenaline.
I'll keep looking for a 41 or 44 Marlin. Maybe I can find a hardware store brand or Glenfield. Did they make them in pistol cals??

I haven't hunted with a levergun since 1966 (savage 99,.303 Savage)but I've sold a pile over the years,mostly Wins,but Marlinn and Savages as well.The only one that intrigued me was the BLR.I am NOT a Browning fan but for some reason it struck me as a well thought out,versatile lever action.Agree ,disagree? I don't know anyone who shoots one anymore, Monashee

I owned a Browning 92 in 357 that I sorely regret selling. I traded it and a whole bunch of guns including a Colt Python 4" stainless for cash for a Bobcat purchase. I need the Bobcat but I loved that Browning 92.