Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Browning 71 vs Winchester 1894

Hello Campers. I require some help on deciding which gun to buy and thought some of you might be able to help out.
I've been after a light, fast handling and reasonably hard hitting rifle for deer and boar in the woods for a while now.
Originally, I had a Winchester 71 .348 in mind, fitted with a Williams peep sight and when a Browning 71 carbine with a peep sight showed up on eGun I thought it was my time to strike.
Needless to say I wasn't successful in my effort to win the auction. Then a Winchester 94 Big Bore in caliber .356 Winchester caught my eye and a little later I found another Browning 71, this one a rifle.

Now I am here and looking for some advice on this situation. I'll lay out the facts as I see them:

Browning 71:
- New in box
- Caliber .348 Win.
- Open iron sights
- 24" barrel
- Drilled and tapped for receiver peep sight
- No safety
- 995,-€

Winchester 94
- Like new, barely used
- Caliber .356 Winchester
- Open iron sights
- 20" barrel carbine
- No safety
- Angle Eject model, drilled and tapped for scope mount
- Comes with reloading dies, cases and 75 rounds of ammo
- 1235,-€

Which one would you recommend and why? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Respectfully - Neither... get a 30-30 lever action. Killed TONS of deer and hogs with it.
Cheaper
More available ammo
Same range with iron sights as what you asked about

Edit... I have had 71's and like them for VERY HEAVY work... elk, moose water buffalo etc... thy are OVERKILL and heavy for deer and hogs.

The Model 94 will come closer to meeting your criteria of "light & fast handling". I love my Model 71 rifle, but it's not as light and handy as my 94 carbines. Ballistics between the two are negligible, but .358" bullets may be easier to find than .348". I don't know what the firearms market is in Germany, but it would seem that's a pretty good price on the 71. The 94 may be priced a tad high but comes with a few extras. It's a tossup, best solution would be buy both!

Between those two I would jump on the Browning 71 but that's just me and my preferences.

You can put a scope on the 94.

The 94 is a handier rifle and the difference between the two cartridges is minimal.

How easy is it for you to find brass for either? At present, I can find both here in the USA but sometimes it can be challenging unless you are willing to pay a premium on an auction site. With either, I would suggest that you stock up when you can because quite a while might pass between production runs.

I have been looking for an AE in 356 Winchester for quite a while but they are usually overpriced, IMO. Original Winchester 71s that are in good shape are always overpriced (again, just my opinion). That looks like a good price on the Browning.

I don't think you can go wrong with either though the 71 would be my choice.

I’d go 71. Those Brownings are nice!

I have both and the 94 is definitely lighter. I live in Alaska and my .348 is being turned into a .348 Ackley Improved so I can toss 250 grain bullets at close to 2,500 fps mv for big moose and big bears. For what you want the .356 Win. and 220 grain Speer flat nose should work and you could always load the Hornady Flex Tip for deer. I prefer a pistol grip stock on my lever action rifles and believe they handle recoil better, my Big Bore .356 Win. has a straight stock.

Since I load my own ammo there is nothing either can do I can't do with my wonderful Marlin 1895 in 45-70. Marlin hit a home run with that model in that caliber and it is a hand loaders dream for components and every body makes ammo for it. You can scope it, red dot sight it or peep sight it and it is much easier to break down for cleaning.

Although I have never owned one I believe the Browning BLR in .358 Winchester is a good idea, especially a take down light weight version , with the pistol grip stock of course.

I'm a 71 guy.
Love the 348. Either Browning or a vintage Winchester for me.
Enjoy!

I have both as well. I like both but IMO, the 71 is a better rifle while the 94 is lighter and handier. My 71 shoots the 200 Barnes X and Hornady along with the 250 Barnes well. My 94 shoots the 200 Hornady RN and 180 Speer very well. Given the choice, I'd take the Browning.

The OP is looking for a "light fast handling" rifle. If I remember right, my old 71 was neither of those things. I carried it elk hunting and it was pretty dang heavy for a lever gun. The 94's are much lighter and quicker handling. I'd also opt for a good 30-30, for some of the reasons already given, over the 356.... That would be the "no brainer" approach. IE: Best option. If the OP is truly a rifle "loony", he'd be buying both of the rifles he's asking about. What he's got here is really a catch 22...

My first question would be if you need the scope or not....The 94 Big Bore can be fitted with a scope or peep sights. The Model 71 only has the option for the peep sight.

First off I'd like to thank you all for the numerous replies! I think I have made up my mind to go with the Model 71.
Not for any particular reason, mostly the reason that I just like the looks of it better and think I can handle the bigger rifle as I'm a fairly big guy. That and it's just the better deal.
There probably lies a '94 in my future and thanks to this thread I know it'll be a .30-30 (Although it's technically not permitted for boar here).
Neither cases nor bullets should be a big problem. I found more options for sale here than I expected. Now I'll just have to go through with getting my handloading license and I'll be all set for winter drive hunting season.


My dad bought an 1895 Marlin in .45-70 in the 70s, it has a 3-9x on it. It might be worth it to try and revive that gun with some economical training hand loads. After all it was the gun that gave me the lever bug

You could knock a few inches off the barrel and ditch the rear site. Mount a reflex site in the dovetail.

It’d be hot ass for driven pigs!

I'd agree with MM above, since it's a reproduction and not an original, I would shorten the barrel to carbine length (20"). That would give you a handier and quicker handling rifle. I'd probably put a Lyman receiver sight on it but the receiver mounted red dot would be quick into action. I think someone on the forum has one set up like this.

I believe that is Turnbull’s mount

You are correct, I shoulda mentioned that.

https://www.turnbullrestoration.com/gun/fastfire-receiver-mount-model-1886-model-71/

He also has one for the 1894 that fits in the rear dovetail. No extra holes. Not sure how different a M71 is but I’d prefer not to drill extra holes, even a repo.

Been wanting to put one on my 30-30. Seems like a fun and handy set up.

Browning M71s are drilled and tapped for receiver sights. Not sure the 94/92 barrel dovetail mount would work on the 71 barrel contour?

I've been on a number of those drive hunts back when I was stationed there years ago. Both guns are more than adequate but cool points are given to any gun chambered in 348 Win. Ammo availability as well as reloading supplies may be difficult. Maybe Frankonia would be able to get you components.

Thanks, Dinny

Hello again, after a lot of back and forth with my local government, I think I might actually be on track to become a real handloader.
With this perspective I went out this weekend and picked up my .348 Winchester, the Model 71 Browning. Reads "Morgan, Utah" on the side, so this one might not be a Miroku.
Also handled one of those new Miroku Winchester 94AEs in .30-30 with that tang safety. A nice little gun, but for now the 71 is my absolute favorite. Although that .30-30 made a wicked noise when working the lever
Now I'll just have to get my hands on one of those Lyman sights and the reloading components so I'm fairly confident this one will be dropping boars this winter. I found a nice feller at the shooting club who said he'll show me through the reloading process.
Anyways, here's my beautiful new rifle :

You won't regret that choice. A few custom loaders in the states make some good ammo for it. I shoot choice ammo out of my original 71. Would love to try a miroku sometime.

Very nice, congrats!

You have a nice Browning rifle, don't be in a hurry to make a mistake by cutting the barrel. Totally unnecessary.
Your Browning also will NOT have an extra tang safety-which you do not need. Just like the original 86/71
designed by John Browning. Sights like the Lyman 66 are perfect.

You will enjoy the 348 WCF, it is close to a lever actioned 35 Whelen. I only have 6 of the Winchester versions made
in the 30s and 40s. Good shooting. Viel vernugen beim Browning!!

The Brownings were made by Miroku and are very well made and no extra safeties on them

Nice gun by the way, you will not be disappointed. As for barrel length, I had a Browning carbine and now have a rifle length Winchester 71 and the longer one handles better in my opinion.

My Miroku was slicker than my Winchester.

I like my Browning carbine. I handled the original Winchester's and, IMO, the Browning's are put together better. Mine currently wears a Burris FF3 sight.

They are very good guns in a great cartridge...but...the trigger hole in the lever is so small that it's really tough to get your trigger finger into if you have any type of glove on.
Darrel

Thank you all for the replies. I've now got a Lyman 66 in the mail for it and have ordered 100 cases as well as a box of the Hornady FTX bullets and some dies.
Compared to the Marlin it definetely rattles less and it has a much shorter bolt throw as well as a steeper grip. I have a feeling this rifle and I are going to get along just fine.

Great choice! I would stock up on either the Hornady FTX or Flat Points as word is Hornady is discontinuing both. Stock up while you can.

I just looked at several reloading sites and they don't list any .348 Hornady bullets anymore.

Yup, Hornady doesn't list them on their site. Maybe we're in luck and they aren't discontinuing them permanently.
From what I've heard the Hornady bullets are really popular for the .348.

Have you thought of a BLR in 358 - straight grip? I had one for a while, wish I still have it. I have a pre-64 in 32 Win Special that is very handy. I also have a big bore 94 in 375 Win, which would be comparable, I think to the 356.

I want a Model 71 in 348 an original. But for what you are asking - I think the 356 would be the best choice,.

I came too late to this party, but congrats on your new 71. When we lived in Germany, some Miroku-made guns were marked Miroku, but they would have been marked Browning in the States. And then the BLR I bought from Frankonia Jagd was marked Browning, but I think I remember they advertised Miroku-marked versions too. That was a lotta years ago, though.

For your purposes, had I been earlier, I think I'd have recommended a BLR in .308. Or maybe a Savage M99 in .300 Savage (or .308). Or maybe a SAKO Finnwolf in .308. I've owned each of those (.300 Savage M99), .243 Win Finnwolf), all good actions, with varying degrees of balance and sighting equipment possibilities and so forth. I used a .308 BLR when I hunted there; would have been fine for boar (although I never got one, good for elk, overkill for gams and reh.

Boar in Germany can be big, but a .308 would be enough. (The guy next to me on a circle drive got the one that went past us, maybe about 500kg IIRC, and he was using a .308.) Rehbok, tiny. Gams, tiny. Rotwild, not so huge. The .358 and .356 would be OK, especially for boar, but trajectory is not quite as favorable for a mountain hunt -- if you might do that sometime. Ditto the .348, handicap compounded by the sighting equipment. I have an original family pass-down M71 DeLuxe rifle (24" barrel), 1937 serial number, with the bolt-mounted aperture and with the optional recoil pad. VERY VERY nice balance, about the right weight for the cartridge (recoil, etc.), VERY fast sights... but for me, they're good for closer work, not so great for a rehbok at anything over about 125 meters... and even that would need the right presentation in the right light... It'd be great for driven boar, can't say as I'd think it useful for other typical game animals over there in typical circumstances.

All that said, the rifle you like is the rifle you need... and you can just work around the other issues.

Mine is mostly used for anti-bear duty, these days. And I don't get out in bear country all that much...<sigh>...

-Chris

Thanks for the insight. I'm really surprised how many members here used to go hunting in Germany and are well aquainted with the local customs.
I might take mine to the local Frankonia in Würzburg to have them install a sling swivel, the guns they have in stock have sadly taken a turn for the worse, though. Black plastic gets boring for me after a while.
Personally I rarely shoot at more than 150m and I don't plan on taking it up a mountain, my 8mm is a little better suited to that for now.

Hawk bullets makes several 348 bullets from 165 gr up to 250 gr. You might check them out. I purchased some 180 gr. From them to work up a load. I have 2 model 71 Winchesters one in standard 348 the other being made into a Ackley improved version.

Hoeram

Thanks for the advice. I might want to check if they can ship here.

My choices are:

1st. - The Browning Model 71. You can never go wrong with the .348 and you don't have to drag an animal very far. It's powerful and it reeks class and styling. The build quality is excellent and a pleasure to own.

2nd. - I would look for a Marlin Model 336 chambered in .35 Remington. It's a killer too all out of proportion for it's balistics. It get's the job done.

I was stationed near Wurzburg, just up the Rhine at Ashaffenburg...I miss Hey Lands Bier.....what'd I'd give for one of their Krystal Weizens!

Barnes still makes their 220 and 250 grain original bullets and Woodleigh a 250. I'm not sure how difficult it may be for you to get there though, but a few to consider.