Home Forums Lever Action Central Marlin Talk New ruger made marlin 357

Picked one up today. Was thrilled as I've been waiting for them to release them and didn't know they did. I almost passed thinking it was a 44mag. I really want to like this....I REALLY do, so I want to give it a chance. Here's my first take. Got it home and loaded 5 357 flat nose soft point 158gr. Wanted to see how it would cycle. IT DIDNT. Jammed up tight on first stroke! Had to take it all apart. The edges are razor sharp, so I'm typing this with band aids on my fingers. Lol. Get it all back together, seems to function, feed and eject just fine. Then I noticed the rear sight just flops around. Will figure out what to do with that, but for just shy of $1300, I expected better. Like I said, I REALLY want to like it, and I most likely will but,COME ON RUGER!!!!!

That’s disappointing. Glad I didn’t wait on one of those and just settled for a cheap Henry SS.

My Grail Gun .357 is a Browning 1885 Low Wall, but those are almost unicorns, but not all that much more money than your Marlin.

Lol. So much for those who thought Ruger would improve the quality of Marlins

Seems a bit premature to pass judgement based on a sample size of one and you're not even the person who owns/handles the gun. What's your agenda? Are you trying to sell JM Marlins at elevated prices by talking down the new rifles? A simple yes or no will do.

The thread in Lever General tells us that it's a sample of three. Not everyone that speaks to Ruger's well chronicled QC issues has an agenda. I looked at several new 1894s at the gun show yesterday, and they looked fantastic.

I've got one coming. I wish they'd brought out an SBL .357 first but the "C" will do. Then we'll see. It'll either feed or it won't. It'll either shoot small groups or it won't. I'm not going to bash it prematurely. I'm not going to make, or accept, excuses if it fails. (Some folks seem to have agendas that require doing one or the other. Best o' luck to them.) I hope to be able to report back by mid spring if not sooner.

I hope it works out for you. I handled 5 different 1894s at the gun show Saturday. They all looked great. The wood on one of them was exceptional. I'd have a hard time saying no to a stainless carbine 44 magnum.

NO agenda and I don't currently own any Marlins, JM, Remlin or Ruger made. Simply stating that many thought Ruger acquiring and producing Marlin rifles will be the holy grail. IMO they're not especially at the ridiculous prices they're selling at! The 1894 models were always the model with the most issues in regard to accuracy and function. My son recently bought a new Ruger made stainless 1895. It has the worst trigger I've ever felt on a Marlin regardless of who made it. Do your research and actually handle and shoot the Rugers before running your mouth! If you think they are the "holy grail" then you haven't owned many quality rifles.

I’ve got about 100 rounds on my Ruger Marlin 1894 44 mag, and it is night and day smoother than when I bought it. All I have done is shoot it and basic cleaning. The trigger has improved, so has the cycling. It’s going to be a smooth operator, and the accuracy seems promising.

I’m fiddling with a Skinner rear aperture and a Skinner partridge front sight, at the moment. My plan is to tune the front sight to the load so I can center the windage on my rear sight and have the elevation at its lowest setting at 50 yards. My cheap plinker load (240 LSWC HP38 10.2 grains) and my hunting load (240 XTP) are within an inch or so of each other at 100 yards.

have you taken apart the bolt completely by chance? I recommend it. I have seen the firing pin gunked up with what look like hardened grease leaving the firing pin slightly forward preventing reliable and/or smooth feeding on lever guns. not sayin "I know" but they can free up with use. good luck, I want them to be great.

I like my new Ruger/ Marlin. 357! Excellent, and I do mean EXCELLENT fit and finish. Accurate too. Federal 158 grain A. E. gets 1760 fps over my chronograph and 3 rounders at 50 yards hug the inch mark quite tightly.
My only complaints are a less than optimal trigger, it's not terrible though, and a very strong magazine spring.
Omo. Ymmv.

Even Ruger/Marlins could benefit from some polish/buffing

http://marauder.homestead.com/files/TUNING_M_1894.htm

I got mine back. Better but not great. Took it apart, cleaned out all the metal shavings and burrs. Works slick now. I don't mind doing that on something used, just disappointing that I have to do that on a new 1300 rifle. Oh well, life goes on. It's great now and time to move on.

Photos? I appreciate real world reviews, warts and all.

Photos of ??......qtips full of metal shavings? Video of my fingers bleeding ? Sorry, don't have any.