Budget 38 / 357mag lever gun.

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hammo

hammo

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Once my renewal comes back next year, will be looking for a budget second hand 38 / 357 lever gun. Hoping to find a beater for £400 or less. What is best avoided? Chap at the club said some Marlins are poor, and watch out for shot out barrels on any make.
Not planning to fit a scope, will be gallery range plinking and fox aolq. Peep sights best for my eyes, struggle with v notch these days.
Anybody got recommendations or otherwise?
 
Tryed to buy a Marlin .357m 6 years ago at an auction it went for more than £400. To shoot out a barrel with pistol cartridges its 15-20000 rounds, my 38spl are about 40y old I dont know how many rounds but the barrel looks like new I`ll think its mostly shot with lead bullet target loads.
 
KimE said:
Tryed to buy a Marlin .357m 6 years ago at an auction it went for more than £400. To shoot out a barrel with pistol cartridges its 15-20000 rounds, my 38spl are about 40y old I dont know how many rounds but the barrel looks like new I`ll think its mostly shot with lead bullet target loads.
Click to expand...
Good to know, thanks
 
Avoid Marlin made made by Remington so anything between 2007 and 2020. Look for JM stamp on the left hand side of the barrel near the action. I dought very much you will buy JM stamped Marlin for £400.
 
Hammo you will be very lucky to pick up a Marlin for £400, even a poor one tends to go for more than that but you might just get lucky at an auction. Beware rifles that have had extensive use shooting gallery rifle. Parts do wear and experienced competitive shooters tend to carry a spares kit with them including a new carrier/shell lifter. Barrels are unlikely to wear out but check for bulges. Replacing the barrel on a Marlin can be done but isn't cheap.

For £400 you will be looking at a Rossi which is a copy of a Winchester 92. Earlier Rossi rifles were quite poor (personal experience) when Taurus took over the company I am told that quality improved but I have no personal knowledge of that.
I would definitely avoid a .357 Winchester as these are known to have problems with shell lifters after some use, and spares are notoriously hard to come by. I am informed that they do however work quite well in the larger calibres such as .44mag.

No personal experience of Henry and Uberti but both seem to have good reputations and both will be out of your price range.
 
This ^^^

Rossi's are a real bargain, and well made. The early ones (like the one I have in .44 Mag) had some strange wood (mahogany by the looks of it), but everything else was solid and well finished.
 
Would avoid the Italian budget options (Chiappa, Rossi and the like) due to reliability issues and a lack of spare parts, you will find it hard to find a "beater" marlin going for less £650, I bought a rather clean one with a broken sight for £750. Stick with the JM or Ruger Marlins, or a new Henry with the side gate. Havent had any experience on the new S&W guns, but from what I have heard they are similar quality to the Henrys
 
A few Marlins, but mainly Winchesters at the last couple of auctions I attended. All going for far less than you'd find in a RFD.

Sold as seen (or not) at auction, so go in with your eyes open, ask the auctioneer questions beforehand and remember to account for the buyers fees.

Regards

Mark
 
The Winchester 94 does not have an issue with the shell lifter.
It has an issue with the diameter of the cartridge head.
To overcome that Winchester added a flimsy pressed part to the lever. The lever acts on the bolt and cartridges in the magazine at the same time.
Without the clip a W94 in 357 will still function but topping up the magazine will not be available until the magazine is empty.
 
Seems to be a good amount on guntrader, various makers and a fair few around my skinflint budget. Even a couple of winchesters. Im not bothered if its a bit tatty, but must be functionally sound.
Ticket back early Feb so will start looking in earnest then.
 
I have a JM stamped Marlin and it cost £400 2nd hand a decade ago, I've probably put 10,000 homeloads through it since then without issue. Most problems people seem to have with them is loading the rounds too long or short stroking.

I wonder about 2nd hand prices. Now Ruger seem to be making decent new ones and with the cost of primers, powder and even lead bullets, along with some ranges closing, I could see them falling.
 
I have a Rossi m-92 I bought for $69 in '93 and it has been a work horse. 357 mag and 38 special loads of all types.-Muir
 
I wouldn't worry about remington made Marlins - they have too much of a bad rep, most of the issues are associated with the earlier guns and the later ones made closer to 2020 are better, even if the fit and finish of the woodwork is lacking.

My 2018 made 1894 CST is beautifully smooth, doesn't have the design issue that leads to the Marlin Death Jam etc.

My friend's similar aged Marlin doesn't have any issues either.

But yeah, all Marlins command a steep price these days sadly.
 
MidlandsPaperPuncher said:
I wouldn't worry about remington made Marlins - they have too much of a bad rep, most of the issues are associated with the earlier guns and the later ones made closer to 2020 are better, even if the fit and finish of the woodwork is lacking.

My 2018 made 1894 CST is beautifully smooth, doesn't have the design issue that leads to the Marlin Death Jam etc.

My friend's similar aged Marlin doesn't have any issues either.

But yeah, all Marlins command a steep price these days sadly.
Click to expand...
I wasn't aware the marlin jam design had been changed. How they done that then ?
 
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