.356 in a Win 94 big bore...any opinions???

[drdougrx]

Just wondering.  I'm looking for something a bit different and would like a win M94 lever gun.  My buds recommend a 30-30 and be done with it.  I'd like something with a bit more umph for hunting.  I have alot of rifles and own or have owned my share of 45/70's, so, I was thinking of some bigger caliber in the 94 platforn that wasn't a 45/70 or a 444.  I'm not crazy about the 375 big bore (unless someone can convice me that it's worth the expense).  Reloading is not a problem.

What do you think?

[wsjones]

I kind of want one myself!  It seems like an excellent caliber and I've thinking it'd be a cool hog rifle.  Unfortunately we should have wanted one a couple years ago when they were relatively cheap - now they're like gold.  There are a couple on Gunbroker right now.  I believe the earliest ones had sort of a monte carlo stock (ugly, in my opinion).  I also believe (but don't know for sure) that the earlier models didn't have a cross bolt safety but the later ones did.  I'm thinking the ones without cost more today.

Good luck.  -WSJ

[DennisB]

Doug:  Get one if you can find it.  I had one and foolishly traded it off on something else.  Easy to reload, power to roll a white tail out of its tracks.

[Graybeard]

Unless you just gotta have a Winchester get a Marlin in .35 Remington and ship it off to SSK Industried a sponsor of this site and they will convert it to .356 Winchester for you. They've done several for GBO Members in the past. I hope to get my "round tuit" one of these days to send off one of mine. I've gathered up several hundred new .356 Win. hulls for this project but just haven't gotten around to shipping the gun to have it converted yet.

[wsjones]

Re:  Graybeard's advice to contact SSK to rebore a Marlin 336 35 Rem.

Just this week I got an e-mail reply from them about my inquiry about whether they did that conversion and how much it might cost.  The answer was yes, they do the conversion; they prefer a new or like new rifle to work with; cost is "about $225."

-WSJ

[drdougrx]

SSK.....no kidding!  Any reason why they cannot do a Winchester??? 

[handirifle]

Did Winchester ever make a 35 Rem?  I think the Big Bore models are the only '94's that can handle the 356 pressures.  They came in 307, 356, 375 and I think 444.  Last there was the Big Timber in 450 Marlin.