Here's my .02 regarding your choices:

1. Henry makes a fine rifle. In 2015 they plan to come out with a blued steel version of the golden boy. Look forward to seeing one, and possibly buying one.

I have:

1. Marlin 1894s in .44 mag
2. Marlin 1894c in .357 pre-safety
3. Marlin 1894 CB .357 circa 2007
4. Puma M92 in .44 mag CCH 20" octagon
5. Rossi M92 in .357 mag CCH 20" octagon

The best fit and finish belong to the 1894S and the Puma. The most accurate rifles in the stable are the Puma and the Rossi. The M92 action can be just as smooth as the Marlins with a little touch up. The 1894 is easier to disassemble - the 92 is more in depth, but easy once you know what you are doing.

I do not like the safety on the Rossi or the Puma, but don't care for the one on the Marlin either. I say if you find a Rossi you like - BUY IT!

Another option that is better than all is a Browning M92 in .357. If you don't require optics, it is the best.

I am not getting rid of any of mine. I like them all for different reasons. I do wish I had gotten the M92 in 24" barrels instead of 20".

JMO

 

Lot of great responses here. I think that in the end I am going to try to wait for a Marlin. I would have tried to contact the individual on Gun Broker who has a very well maintained Cowboy model to ask if he would be willing to part with it for $1,200 verses the $1,549 he is asking. However, I am a bit leery of faxing two forms of photo ID to Gun Broker just to ask a question... With all the ID theft, I guess I am a little paranoid... So I will keep looking...

If I going to spend that sort of money on a .357 lever action, I suppose that I will need to consider the Uberti 1873 Saddle Rifle tuned by Griner Gunworks that Evil Roy Shooting School offers too. Decisions, decisions...

My preference is to purchase the Marlin Cowboy on the Gun Broker, but I cannot get past the $1,549 starting price for a stock rifle...

Big THANK YOU to everyone that has replied and provided feedback to date, although I am still waffling as much as ever, the input has been most helpful and very much appreciate.

Frank

 

Marlin is the only one with both side eject and a loading gate.

FTW! :biggrin:

 

I have not had a problem with any Rossi I have owned. My stainless .357 is an absolute joy to shoot.

 

I have a 357 Henry and the weight is balanced well in the gun. Used it for this years Deer season and shot a nice doe at 84 yards. Action is smooth as butter !

 

Compared to a Marlin the Rossi;

1. Has top ejection so no optics.
2. Has no sling attachments.
3. Is way harder to disassble and reassemble the action for cleaning or maintenance.
4. Is more likely to need repaired, in my experience.
5. Cost less and easier to find.
6. Has a cheesy safety that shifts from safety to fire too easily and possibly unbeknownst to the user.

I would wait for the Marlin. I have no experience with a Henry but Chuck Hawks had a review of Marlin vs Henry vs Uberti in a lever action that is quite thorough.

 

Does your state have a private owner site? I looked around for over a month, and I wound up purchasing an 1894c manufactured in 1980 from an individual who posted it for sale on "Texas Gun Trader". Mine was well under $850 and it was purchased after the firearm and ammunition craze started.

 

Good input, thank you. I will review the feedback, etc, before making any sort of decision.

Incidentally, I found what looks like a beautiful 1894 CB in .357, but the seller wants at least $1,549. I realize that these guns are scarce, but even at today's prices that is a bit rich so the search continues...
Thanks again for the assistance!

 

Good input, thank you. I will review the feedback, etc, before making any sort of decision.

Incidentally, I found what looks like a beautiful 1894 CB in .357, but the seller wants at least $1,549. I realize that these guns are scarce, but even at today's prices that is a bit rich so the search continues...
Thanks again for the assistance!

That's about as high as I've seen them go for. I think most are closer to $1100 plus/minus a bit...

 

Buying a firearm sight unseen from some unknown person with a gunbroker listing is a gamble. You can maximize your chances of a legitimate transaction by only purchasing from sellers with multiple positive feedback and very, very few (hopefully zero) negative feedback.

I always read through the feedback to try to get an idea of who I am dealing with. There is also the ability to ask the seller questions via email. More than once I didn't like the vibe from either the online feedback or the email interaction and decided not to proceed.

 

One thing that has not been brought up in this thread. The Rossi 92 is one of the strongest actions out there,,, I believe it was designed to be made in a 454...with the only difference being the heat treating on some of the 454 parts..
My Rossi is not as smooth as my 1894. But my 1894 has had thousands upon thousands of rounds through it, and my Rossi hasn't.. So I don't know how much of the smoothness comes from years of use, and how much comes from just being a marlin.

I've got a 444 with low round count, and a 336 with low round count. Neither one runs nearly as well as the old worn out 1894...So I would expect that a lot of the smoothness comes from use,...although I have to admit my 92 has more rounds than the 444 and 336, but is not as smooth as either.

 

I have a Rossi 92 in .357 with a 24" octagon barrel and have put a few hundred rounds thru it with no problems. Not a Walnut stock but the guns I USE tend to get knocked around some. My 1894 in .44 mag is a Big 5 special with birch stock also. I like both equally.

 

I like my Rossi .45 Colt 16". Weighs just over 4 lbs empty. Great little knockabout gun. If I wanted A .357 Carbine This would be it till I found A reasonably priced Marlin. Sorry Guys I'm still not paying $800. for A standard Marlin carbine. Henrys are pretty...........heavy!

 

I've got both an older JM 1894C and a Navy Arms/Rossi 1892 in 357 Mag. Both have excellent fit and finish and both function flawlessly. The Marlin is a little smoother than the 1892, but then it's 20 years older too. The Marlin is pretty accurate, but that 1892 with it's heavy 24" barrel is a tack driver. The 1892 is heavier, but still a lot lighter than the Henry I examined. Both the 1894C and the 1892 have a permanent home here.

 

Helpful thread, thank you for starting and sharing. I am in the same position as Excellent959.

I so want to purchase a Model 1894 chambered in .357. My preference is the Cowboy or CSS model. Can't seem to find either one anywhere - ugh! Wish I had been interested in this rifle when they were still around!! :hmmmm:

If I could find a JM stamped version in like new condition, I would be willing to pay a good sum of money for it. I am still looking with the hope that I find one someday soon...

In the meantime, I am considering other options. I like the Henry except it is a bit heavy and would prefer to load through side of the receiver as opposed to the tube at the end of the barrel.

Anyone have any suggestions for where I might find a like new Marlin 94 Cowboy or CSS? Or perhaps I should be looking for another manufacturer/rifle in this category like a custom Uberti 1873? Any assistance would be most appreciated.

Thank you,
Frank​

 

... My preference is the Cowboy or CSS model. Can't seem to find either one anywhere - ugh! Wish I had been interested in this rifle when they were still around!! :hmmmm:

If I could find a JM stamped version in like new condition, I would be willing to pay a good sum of money for it. I am still looking with the hope that I find one someday soon...

.....

... Anyone have any suggestions for where I might find a like new Marlin 94 Cowboy or CSS? Or perhaps I should be looking for another manufacturer/rifle in this category like a custom Uberti 1873? Any assistance would be most appreciated.

Thank you,
Frank

Frank,

As you've discovered they (Marlin Cowboy and CSS) are few and far between. However if you do a search of gunbroker.com's completed auctions you will find that examples of each are out there and have sold recently for not terribly exorbitant prices, at least by the standards of today's market. They are a pretty penny removed from the prices of 10 or even 5 years ago so one does have to get over that hurdle which I agree may not be possible.

 

Oh and my rossi Rio grand has the best action out of them all

 

My JM 357 is the BOMB! Zero complaints. Tho my Henry 44 is a piece of artwork.

 

Marlin 1894CS I have handled and shot both of the others Rossi forget it and the Henry Rifles are heavy turds won't handle like a Marlin, also do not settle for a Remlin get only a JM stamped Marlin there is no comparison... for about 700-750 you can pick up a nice one look in the classified section lol lol pics at bottom of first page it is a 1983 gun.....

http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/rifles-sale-wanted/128550-sale-marlin-1894-357-magnum.html

 

lol.........I was just about to say I saw one on here for sale today.

 

The henry does look nice, but the weight is a concern...

 

My brother in Mississippi has a Henry in 357 and 44. I have shot both and they are good shooters. Smooth too. He's had the 357 for 2 years ran over 500 rounds through it with no troubles. I know that's not a hugh amount but it's a first hand example. I have an 1894C and 1894CSS and love them both. Myself I prefer the Marlin, especially my CSS.

 

The Henry in my mind is no doubt worth the money and if it only came in blue steel receiver I would own one. The Ross is a clone of the Win. 92 and it ejects from the top so scope mounting is questionable. I use my brother's 336-44 mag. if I feel the need for a pistol cartridge carbine. If RM starts making 1894-357 mag I would buy one, in my view it is a real Marlin design rifle and it hasn't been made by John Marlin way before I was born.

T:biggrin: NY

 

Hold out for a Marlin. I have two Rossi's, one in 44-40 and one in 45 Colt. I have had several .357 Magnum Rossi's but sold them to friends that wanted them. Rossi's are pretty stiff out of the box but can be made to be very smooth. The difference is in the action, a Marlin has a short lever throw versus the Rossi which has a longer lever throw. You can really tell the difference in how easy it is to work the lever of a Marlin. I have shot a friends' Henry Big Boy, it wasn't bad, but it's not a Marlin. Keep looking, you can find a Marlin. They sell for less than $750 on Gunbroker all the time.

 

I think with $850 and some time and patience finding a decent JM 1894c would be very likely.

Here is fairly nice looking one with a "buy now" of $895 on gunbroker (includes a low-end scope which you might be able to sell for a couple of bucks...) Marlin 1894 Carbine - 357 / 38 - Nice! Not 94 : Lever Action Rifles at GunBroker.com

I'm not suggesting that's the one to get; only trying to give an idea of what's out there.

A check of the completed auctions shows a couple recent sales for $650 and $660 and several in the $700 range.

I would think with $850 you'd definitely be in the running for a nice one.

 

I think you get what you pay for. I would hold out for a JM stamped Marlin. Save up your money and be ready to pounce on one when you see it. If you see one and think about it too long it will go to someone else.

 

Had a Marlin sold it have a Henry but in 22 and have 3 Rossi 1,357 and 2, 44 I like the Rossi as good as any of the others..

 

I was going to buy a Marlin originally but none of my local dealers could find one for me, and I didn't think I would like a Rossi for a few reasons. I heard their quality was hit and miss, I heard their customer service left something to be desired, and I didn't care for the top eject. I ended up buying the Henry Big Boy in 38/357 and don't regret it a bit, it's a great shooter and well made.