Best Value in a 44 mag Lever gun

[Dixie-Dude]

Who has the best value in a 44 lever gun?  I want light weight, prefer stainless steel.  Rossi, Marlin, or Henry.  I think Henry's are heavy for light all day carry.  Price is also a consideration.

[Ranger99]

. .  Price is also a consideration.

You closed yourself out right there
People have gone nuts, and will pay
whatever it takes to get a lever gun
in their hands, especially a pistol caliber

If you can find something for around
$1700.00, consider yourself lucky
(used)

Good Luck

[orerancher]

Not light, not stainless...but I'll never part with my marlin 1894...44mag...

[Dee]

3030 ammo is cheaper than 44 mag, or 357 mag

[Ranger99]

3030 ammo is cheaper than 44 mag, or 357 mag

I've killed deer with all of those
None were any more dead than the other

[Ranger99]

FWIW- last time I looked,  Bass Amateur Shop
had a used Remlin 44 listed online for $1650 00
blue/wood
Henry 44 blue/wood
$900 some odd
Not available at this time it says

Just have to pay whatever they want I
guess if you find what you want,  and
hope they haven't diddled with it

[Dixie-Dude]

Anyone use a Rossi? 

[Dee]

Anyone use a Rossi?

I had a Rossi several years ago in 357 magnum. It had a 26" octagon barrel., and was a copy of the Winchester Model 92. It shot extremely well.

[Dixie-Dude]

How were the sights?  I've read the sights can block a target at 100 yards.  The article said the front sight should be smaller.  I prefer peep or ghost ring sights, so may have to go 3rd party for sights.  Rossi does make a stainless one.  I had a chance to buy a Marlin stainless in 44 mag about 15 years ago for $500 and passed it up.  Should have bought it. 

[Dee]

I replaced the front beads with a post and put a Lyman aperture on it.

[Lloyd Smale]

lever guns used to be entry level guns. today the command more money then a good bolt gun. marlin prices are flat out insane. dont know about the rest of you but id find something else to fling lead before i dropped 1500 bucks on a flipping marlin. as to rossis. i had one in 357. it was a good gun. not winchester quality but it went bang every time i pulled the trigger.

[orerancher]

Anyone use a Rossi?

I have a brass frame  octagon barrel  Rossi in .45 colt, I really like it

[Dixie-Dude]

Older Marlins are commanding high prices.  Ruger hasn't really brought out the 44 mags yet.  They have the 30-30.  Hopefully prices will come down after they mass produce more.  Bolt guns are easier to manufacture than lever guns.  I just wanted a light quick shooter to match my 44 mag revolver.  Truck gun using the same ammo.  Thinking about a 16" barrel, maybe a 20". 

[Mule 11]

Blue book lists the ruger lever action in 44 mag. I bet they’re pricey now. If I really wanted something now I’d frequent gunshows knowing what I wanted and willing to pay and keep my eyes peeled.

[Ranger99]

I've used lever guns extensively over
most of the state where I've hunted,
and was never hampered by it in the least.
Probably the most distance was in
western Coke county where a 200-250
yard shot was fairly regular. I mostly
used the BLR I had and none of the
shots were that difficult. Other times
a regular Marlin 30/30 was fine for
most of the shots 150-175 and such.
Using a Marlin 1894 44mag and a
Handi 44mag I try to stay 100-110
or so
If you know how to hunt and how to
shoot you'll do fine

[darkgael]

I was just checking on prices for the Ruger 96 lever gun....not so many available. The asking prices were in the $1000-1300 range.
Years ago I played a bit with the Ruger semiautomatic .44, the Model 44. Rotary magazine, 4 shots.  A 10/22 on steroids.

[Dixie-Dude]

I wanted a Marlin 1894 in stainless steel, but haven't seen one in 15 years on the market.  I've seen stainless Rossi's.  Don't like Rossi's light colored stock, but not as expensive as a new Marlin.  Ruger makes a lot of stainless guns, wish they would make the 1894 in Stainless again.  I have a stainless Ruger Super Black Hawk I want to match with a stainless levergun.  I like cowboy guns, grew up watching all the 1950's-60's cowboy shows. 

[Dee]

I had a marlin 1894 Cowboy in 4570 several years ago. 26" octagonal barrel and a great shooter. In the way of being useful and practical, not so much.

[jedman]

Just yesterday I seen a nice Rossi M 92 in 44 mag - used but real nice for sale for $ 499.
If interested it’s at Johnson’s Sporting Goods , Adrian, MI
They had one in SS recently also but it’s gone now.
jedman

[Dixie-Dude]

I will probably get a 44 Rossi and replace the sights with peep sights.  Stainless Steel, and if the wood is ugly, maybe sand down the finish and stain it a darker walnut, and seal it with satin polyurethane, not the shiny version.  I did that on an SKS with the ugly yellow-orange finish.  Looks good with a darker finish.  I know it might take away some value, but if you hunt with it, it is not so shiny and still looks good. 

New blue Ruger Marlins are going to be around $1,100 or so which is kind of expensive and they haven't came out with a stainless version yet.  Very hard to find a Marlin Stainless. 

I can tape up the stainless versions for hunting and remove the tape after hunting season.   

[Ranger99]

  . . .I can tape up the stainless versions for hunting and remove the tape after hunting season.

You can just tape up what's closest to the
animal to avoid them spotting it

[Dixie-Dude]

First time I used a stainless steel rifle, my friend said he saw the glare 100 yards away.  So I taped it up.  It was/is a bolt action Ruger.  Shot deer with it over 30 years and all were one shot kills. 

[Graybeard]

I know it goes against popular conception but in reality it doesn't matter if the gun is blued or stainless. What determines the amount of glare from it is how highly polished the gun is. A highly polished surface is like a mirror regardless whether blued or stainless.

All of my stainless rifles have a dull almost bead blasted appearance and  have less glare than my blued guns which are far more highly polished.

[Dixie-Dude]

Got my Ruger stainless bolt gun back in 92 or 93, and it is polished.  So taping it up is the only way to stop the glare.  Yeah, Browning guns that are blue tend to be real shiny also, at least the older ones. 

[Lloyd Smale]

not only that but compared to a shiny blue or any stainless finish matte bluing is hands down the most rust prone

I know it goes against popular conception but in reality it doesn't matter if the gun is blued or stainless. What determines the amount of glare from it is how highly polished the gun is. A highly polished surface is like a mirror regardless whether blued or stainless.

All of my stainless rifles have a dull almost bead blasted appearance and  have less glare than my blued guns which are far more highly polished.

[Eddie Southgate]

Anyone use a Rossi?

Yes , but I recommend finding an older one until Rossi gets their chamber issues straightened out. Lots of the new ones bulge the brass like I have heard Glocks do. Would not like that and have heard that most who have sent them back for repairs have got them back still bulging but not as much. Lots of old Rossi's floating around and some are stainless . I had one years ago in stainless but .45 Colt . Sold it to a friend because I also had a 94 Marlin LTD in .45 Colt and didn't feel like I needed two and the marlin was just much nicer. Gave my son one of the old blued Rossi '92's that belonged to my pap in 44-40 and he thinks it's the best thing since sliced bread.

I'm thinking about buying one in .454 Casull since I have heard that they do not seem to suffer from the same issues as the .44mag , .45Colt and .357Mag new rifles do. Not all have the problem but it seem that quite a lot of them do.

[Eddie Southgate]

I had a marlin 1894 Cowboy in 4570 several years ago. 26" octagonal barrel and a great shooter. In the way of being useful and practical, not so much.

The 45-70 is a '95 , the '94 uses the revolver cartridges and the hyphenated WCF cartridges.