Lever Action (Revolver-Cartridge) Carbines

[WAYNO]

Been lookin' for a stainless Marlin .357 for a long time. They are just not to be had.

So, next choice is the same thing in Blued. Not gonna find one of them either, at the corner gun store.

Rossi is trying hard to fill the niche, but their quality is still lacking enough that I just haven't had the nerve to buy one.

Next, enter "Chiappa". They now have have a pretty extensive line of lever action carbines and rifles. Apparently made in Italy. Some may turn their nose up at an Italian gun, including me, but I'll be the first to admit that some Italian guns are some of the finest in the world.

Anybody tried one of these little Chiappa .357 or .44 Carbines?

WAYNO.

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[Joe13]

I was going to recommend Henery but then saw the Chiapa has a side loading mag and not a muzzle loaded mag.

That's a big plus to me.

Always wanted a .357 shorty lever rifle.

 

[Member 34319]

I've got a Puma in 357 and absolutely love it. I'm not sure if it is related to Rossi at all, but definitely a worthy brand to look for as well.

If your into front loading tubes, the Henry Big Boys are usually readily available on the shelves at big box shops.

 

[WAYNO]

I've got a Puma in 357 and absolutely love it. I'm not sure if it is related to Rossi at all, but definitely a worthy brand to look for as well.

If your into front loading tubes, the Henry Big Boys are usually readily available on the shelves at big box shops.

The Rossi (Puma) is hit or miss on quality. If you've got a good one, that's great. Not ready to take the gamble. And the Henry, also no thanks. Just wish I could find a Marlin, and I wouldn't have to settle on next best.

WAYNO.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Rossi isn't that bad, really! We see a lot of the Rio Grand lever actions in the S.A.S.S. events because the are cheep yet well made and nobody cares if you hack one to customize it for your shooting style!

 

[UserNameInUse]

Joe 13, I couldn't agree more. Lever guns need to load from the side.

I've been through the same process looking for a .44 mag Marlin and got tired of looking. I'm hoping someday one will fall in my lap.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I kinda had my eye peeled for a blue .357 Marlin starting around 20 years ago. No luck.
Never had a side loading lever gun. All tube fed .22's and Browning and Savage centerfires.
Come to think of it, those .22's sure loaded sweet and fast.. you'd probably bend a .22 slug sideways trying to load it through a gate.

 

[Member 34319]

The Rossi (Puma) is hit or miss on quality. If you've got a good one, that's great. Not ready to take the gamble. And the Henry, also no thanks. Just wish I could find a Marlin, and I wouldn't have to settle on next best.

WAYNO.

I thought it was by Rossi. I wasn't sure, it also has an Interarms stamp. No Rossi stamp on it. It also doesn't have a safety like a lot of the Rossi models I see out there. I never did look it up on the web.

Trust me, if I found the Marlin or the Winchester, I'd buy that before this. This guy just was at a local shop one day and it wasn't too expensive. However, now that I have it, I love it. One of my favorite guns to shoot.

 

[Member 34319]

Found this. Might eliminate some of the concerns of finding a Puma and wondering if it is or isn't Italian vs Brazilian.

The story of the Rossi 1892, as best I can tell... - SASS Wire - SASS Wire Forum (http://www.sassnet.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=218209&page=1)

 

[Member 34319]

The more I read it sounds like the earlier Rossi's were made in Italy and imported via different names including Chiappa.

If that helps broaden the search.

There is always gunbroker. I've seen Stainless Marlins on there for close to 1k. Even the stainless modern Brazilian Rossi's are a pretty penny on Gunbroker. 6-7 hundred.

Also, there were s few levers in 357 on here a while back, I'm not sure if they all sold, I recall a Winchester. May be worth a search and a private message to the seller.

 

[RVTECH]

I sold a Winchester Trapper .357 last year after many years of grief with it and it's 'known' cycling/feed issue. After lots of work (and at least a couple complete tear downs) I got it to work better but still not perfect. Also I Never did care for the way it 'fit' me and length of pull was too short. Anyway I bought a Henry and am very happy with it. It functioned nearly perfect out of the box, glass smooth and a great trigger - and it fits me MUCH better. The tube load system took a little getting used to but there are some advantages to it with short cartridges such as never pinching a finger or having to keep pressure on the round in the gate so it doesn't pop out while the next is retrieved to insert. Also unloading is faster and safer.

 

[PaulB47]

I have a 16" Rossi .357 stainless and like the gun. Don't shoot it much though. Makes a good "truck" gun, very handy. It's not too hard to take apart and smooth the action, but it ain't trivial either. The safety doesn't bother me, and I think there are ways to get rid of it if it did.

Guns like this are never going to be that impressive compared to a scoped bolt gun, but they sure are a lot better than virtually any handgun. More power and more practical accuracy.

 

[ditchtiger]

Really do not care for the new lever guns with a manual safety. Have seen a few older ones go through the shop. Be patient and one will turn up again.

 

[flashpan]

Wayno
You might look at "SASS Wire Classifieds" The cowboys are buying and selling lever guns all the time.

 

[RVTECH]

Really do not care for the new lever guns with a manual safety.

Another nice advantage to the Henry - no safety.

 

[MountainBear]

I'm going to have a shot out .30-30 bored out and rechambered to .35/30-30. It will be .357 bullets in a .30-30 case. It's a savage 99, so the capacity isn't there either way. But it will be nice to use up pistol caliber bullets.
I've always wanted a pre-lock Marlin in .357, but they are just getting too expensive, so this is the next best thing for me...

 

[OutlawHoss]

So I've always loved lever guns, and I remember when the .444 Marlin came out, it's all I wanted. That was along time ago. I had a Marlin 336 .30-30, and generously sold it to a friend in need of a decent rifle. It shot ragged holes at 100yds with my handloads, and a 3-9x40 scope.
A in 2012 I bough a Marlin 1894 in .44MAG off Gunbroker (I think). It was made in Connecticut, after the Remington take over, but before they moved to the Marlin production to NY. It's internal design is the classic Marlin as it was made on Marlin's equipment before they made major changes, many would argue for the worst.
This particular gun had some flaws, the most egregious being a really ugly barrel, with visible manufacturing blemishes, etc. But with judicious break in and load development, I'm happy to say most recently I can shoot a large ragged hole at 60 yards, of 10 rounds no less. With a DNZ one piece scope mount, Vortex Crossfire II scope, and a Hornady XTP 240gr over 24.5gr. of W296, it is a formidable gun.
So my point is, lever guns can be every bit as deadly in the right hands, and accurate too, within practicable ranges. It is hit and miss sometimes with make and quality. Next lever gun will be my favorite .444 Marlin, if I can find a pre-remington made specimen. The carbine lever action rifle is the penultimate in utilitarianism, and having at least one in a caliber shared with a favorite revolver, the venerable cowboy double, somehow makes one feel they have 'arrived'. So be patient and you'll find one that speaks to you.

Regarding the manual safety, if you simply must not have one, there are many easy kits to convert new guns to a saddle ring, which I think is definitely an awesome option. For hunting, I like the safety.

 

[MountainBear]

The safety on an exposed hammer lever action should be a captive half-cock notch. Nothing else. Just my $.02

 

[TOVO]

Marlins that shoot a pistol round bring top dollar to the Cowboy Action croud. They run better than most brands high speed.

As stated above Rossi is hit and miss. Not sure about Henry's and Winchesters can be

 

[Ura-Ki]

FYI, there are some mods to remove the safety on the Rossi and a few others ( if I remember) that can be done with basic skilz! That Rio Grand is a pretty slick little carbine and once worked over a little. All the S.A.S.S. folks love um, so finding one might be a tough bet!