357 levergun, rossi, marlin, 16" or 20" barrel, help!

[smittty]

I've wanted a 357 mag levergun for several years and regret not buying one of the newer Winchester 1894's.

I will be using this rifle for fun, maybe deer hunting and to keep as a bug-out-gun.  I have a 357 revolver and a lever in the same caliber sounds logical.

Here are my questions:
1.  Is one better/more reliable/accurate than the other?
2.  Do both handle 38 special equally well?
3.  If I use it for deer hunting does the barrel length make a substantial difference?  The marlin has 18.5" barrel and the Rossi/Puma comes in 16", 20" and 24".  The 24" is too long for my taste but is there a substantial difference in 357 mag ballistics from a 16", 18.5" and 20" barrels?  I like the 16" because it will stow easier but I'm open to longer barrel if it means I can't deer hunt with it.
4.  stainless vs blued...blued M92 is on sale at Big 5 for $399, stainless from my local dealer is $509.  Is the stainless worth $110 more?  The 1894C goes on sale at Big 5 for $379. 
5.  Is there another 1892 clone in this price range that I should consider?

Thanks,
Smittty

[Slufoot]

Hello smittty,
I have the Marlin 1894C and it has been a really sweet gun. I bought it for cowboy action shooting and I have slicked up the action. It's had the internals smoothed, a Magic 7 spring kit installed, and a one piece titanium firing pin installed. I've even modified the magazine capacity so that it will hold 10 357 Magnums in the tubular magazine.
99.9% of the ammo I've shot through this rifle has been light lead loads but I have worked up a load with the 180 grain Hornady XTP/HP. Hodgdons Lil'Gun powder will easily push this bullet to 1550 fps out of this carbine and this makes a good close range woods gun for deer. I have taken one deer with this gun a small buck at about 50 yards, put the bullet where it needs to go and venison is yours.

Sorry for blabbering so much!
I'll try to answer your questions in the order you asked.

1.  I wouldn't say one is better than the other, each one has it's advantages. The model 92 action is very strong but the Marlin action is plenty strong for the cartridges it's chambered in. The Marlin is alot easier to mount a scope on if your so inclined. A good friend of mine that shoots cowboy matches with me has the Rossi in 357 with the 24 inch barrel. It's a very nice gun and shoots very good also but there is no comparison in the smoothness of the actions but he has never done anything to his except shoot it. My gun will shoot 10 lead cowboy loads into about 2 inches at 50 yards.

2. My friend had trouble trying to shoot 38's in his Rossi so when I got my Marlin I went straight to for the magnum case. I had a Winchester 44 magnum model 94 and it was very finick about overall cartridge length so when I got the Marlin I went on past experience and loaded long. I have never fired a special case in my gun and I have never had a jam with it and I have fired thousands of rounds through it.

3. Like I said earlier, you can easily get 1550 out of a 180 grain bullet in the 18.5" barrel with Lil'Gun powder. I had a Ruger 357 Maximum revolver and it would only push this bullet to 1400 fps and I took 2 deer with it.

4. I'm old fashioned when it come to guns and alot of other things. To me stainless steel just ain't right on a lever action. I like blued steel and walnut on my lever actions. So to me if the guns were priced the same I'd choose the blued model.

5. I don't know of another clone in this price range.

Hope this helps!
GOOD SHOOTING!
Slufoot

[Swampman]

I'd get the Marlin if it were me.  My Rossi wouldn't shoot .38 Specials.

For a bug out gun, I'd probably buy stainless.

[Oldtimer]

My Marlin 94 has never had any problem with either .357 or .38 loads.  I have not tried to shoot full wadcutters, but the other bullet profiles work just fine.  I put a peep sight on mine, since a scope is not needed for the range of the cartridge.   I think a scope would unbalance the gun and negate the easy carrying.  A 158 grain bullet in the .357 comes very close to the origiinal .30-30 balistics.  With a pistol cartidge, barrel length will probably have less influence on velocity than individual variation between guns. You could probably find a tightly made 61 inch barrel that shot faster than a sloppy 24 inch barrel.  If in doubt, get ten yards closer and any velocity difference will be negated.  If I were to get a stainless rifle, I would have it black chromed, so it would look right.There are a number of coatings on the market that will protect a blued steel gun about as well as stainless, and cost a whole lot less.

[Oldtimer]

   Forget that 61 inch barrel.  Try the 16 incher instead,much easier on the wrists.

[Cayoot]

I have a Marlin 1894 in .357.  It's probably 10 years old.  It shoots both .357 and .38 without problems.  As long as I don't work the lever too fast, it will even feed full wadcutters.  Actually, I haven't found a boolit style it won't feed.

It is wonderfully accurate with a light .38 wad cutter load.  That and the easy carry/mounting that I have with it has turned it into my favorite rabbit gun.  In fact, whenever I go shooting at all, it always comes along.  That is my favorite shooter out of my entire selection.