Given the choice between the Marlin 1894 and the Winchester 1894, both in pistol calbiers, I would go with the Marlin over the Winchester any day. Reason is that the Marlin was designed from the begining to be chambered in pistol length cartridges. The Winchester was designed around longer .38-55 and .30-30 cartridges. The Winchester is a good gun in the caliber it was designed for but I've heard scads of functioning problems with the pistol caliber Winchester rifles among the SASS crowd while the Marlin is one of the top rifles in SASS where pistol calibers are being used.
My other reason for going with either a new Marlin over a new Winchester is that the idiot button on the Marlin can be removed with a $9 replacement pin that looks like a screw head. Problem solved. A lot of your Winchesters these days have an idiot button in a recessed crater in the side of the receiver that looks like crap! :x Even if you could replace the idiot button, you are still left with that crater and rebounding hammer the lawyers thought Winchester ought to have on there to keep you from hurting yourself. Funny, I grew up with an old Winchester .30-30 and never managed to blow my head off even without that god-send of an idiot button they put on them these days. Hmm, must have been the safety in my head rather than a safety button on the gun.
The latest generation of Winchesters have a sliding tang safety that is better but is still unneccessary and a rebounding hammer as well.
Now if you want another option, Rossi makes a copy of the 1892 Winchester. Here you have a Winchester rifle that was designed for pistol length cartridges and they work rather well. Matter of fact, the Rossi 1892 is another very common rifle in SASS competition. I happen to have an older Rossi carbine in .45 Colt and the wife has a rifle from EMF in .357 Magnum. I've never had a problem with mine but the wife just got hers so it's too soon to tell if there are any problems with hers. It doesn't seem to have a problem cycling .357 magnums through the action but how well it's going to shoot has yet to be seen. If it's like mine, it should be pretty good. If you want one with an idiot button, go with the Puma 1892 but if you want one like they were originally designed, go with an 1892 from either EMF or Navy Arms.
