357 magnum Archives

Gun owners chose their firearms depending on many differing criteria. Size, looks, caliber and so on can all be the deciding reasons why someone selects one model over another. Today I wanted to go over a subject that will help narrow some of the selections and make it easier to pick out your next firearm, or pair of firearms; Lever guns and revolvers.

my Marlin 1894 chambered in 357 magnum and Ruger LCR also chambered in 357 magnum — A handsome pair the **Marlin 1894** and **Ruger LCR**

Consistency

I have several firearms chambered in the same cartridge, if you are reading this you probably are in the same boat. Having multiple firearms chambered in the same cartridge simplifies a few things for gun owners.

The most obvious way that occurs is through uniformity. Instead of buying ammunition for each individual firearm, you can buy for two or more guns. If you have an AR-type rifle for defense training, and a bolt action varmint gun both chambered in 223 Remington its easy to feed them both from the same box.
Today I want to specifically take that thesis out of your gun room, and into the wide open spaces where your guns are likely to be used.

Paired Up

Identically chambered guns can simplify things when in the field. If you are a cowboy, or perhaps just a modern rancher you might find yourself frequently armed with both a pistol for short work, and a rifle for more significant things.

Having a pistol on your hip is a valuable tool for many of us, but it’s often not enough in big open country. Having a rifle or carbine on your horse or ATV in case a pesky coyote should give you an opportunity can be a lifesaver.

If both of these firearms are chambered in the same cartridge it will simplify and speed up your daily loadout. A .357 Magnum chambered revolver is more than enough for pistol range shots. As well a handy little lever-action rifle chambered in .357 as well is certainly enough for dispatching the occasional errant coyote.

Ammo was courtesy of **GunMag Warehouse**

A handy little pistol like the Ruger LCR .357 magnum is easily carried and less intrusive for someone with work on their mind. And to go with it, a short and quickly fired lever gun like the Marlin 1894 gives more range and power for things that are beyond pistol distances.

The two of them together make a great pair, giving you options without complicating things with multiple cartridges, magazines and such. Both firearms could also easily shoot .38 Special ammo, to further lighten the load for someone with a job to do.

Shop Marlin Lever Guns Here

A Bigger Set

ruger super redhawk alaskan .44 Magnum — Shooting the Super Redhawk Alaskan in 44 Magnum

Perhaps you don’t live in flat Texas ranch country though. And maybe you have bigger worries than two and four legged coyotes. Suppose you live in the cold north, where bears and wolves roam as freely as you and I. For such an outpost, I think I’d be a little more comfortable with something a bit more stout than a .357.

Keeping the theme of our first pair, I would feel much better with something like a .44 Magnum. The heavy hitting magnum loads carry more energy should you need to defend yourself. Or if you happen to get the opportunity to take a game animal unexpectedly.

I love the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan for this role, its short, robust and carries enough power to kill just about anything. It’s also comfortable as far as big revolvers go, which is a must if its a firearm you intend on having on you at all times.

Shop Ruger Revolvers HERE or HERE

winchester 1894 .44 magnum saddle carbine — The Saddle Carbine 1894 in .44 magnum is a blast to shoot

As a companion for the Redhawk, I chose the Winchester 1894 Saddle carbine chambered in the same 44 Magnum. The short and quickly pointed rifle is easily brought along on most any activity where you’d want a rifle. Its easily kept in a vehicle or stashed on an ATV. Whether you are guiding a river fishing trip or cutting firewood the little rifle can provide an extra measure of security. As with the .357, the .44 magnum can be downloaded, or even shot with .44 Special loads for increased economy. Continue Reading Here…

THE PERFECT PAIR

These perfect pairs don’t have to be all wheels and levers, there are other cartridges and firearms that can make a good match as well. It just depends on your specific application for your firearms.

These are just the ones that I thought of, and their convenience as it applies to things. I can see myself doing. As if you didn’t need one, it could always serve the purpose of adding another gun to your collection. With the added benefit of running on the same ammunition as guns you already have in inventory.

FINAL WORDS

If economic and convenient shooting is something you find yourself thinking about, pairing up your firearms may be an easy way to reduce costs and streamline your daily shooting logistics.

Buying fewer differing cartridges in bigger numbers is something we can all appreciate in today’s ammunition market. I suggest you put together your own perfect pair. Or perhaps even a trio of firearms to see if it improves your shooting bottom line.

-CBM

Lever Action Attraction

What seems like forever ago, my little brother snagged a Model 94 Winchester from the local gun shop. It was chambered in .44 Magnum, and lets just say we all fell in love with that short and sassy little lever-gun. Ever since then I have been dying to get something similar for myself, but life has a way of dictating your gun purchases doesn’t it?
So when the opportunity to get a Marlin 1894 in .357 Magnum came my way, I was not going to let my dream go unlived. But would it be everything I had hoped for?

The Marlin 1894

Since the late nineteenth century, Marlin has been manufacturing leverguns and other firearms for the American public. It has seen several ownership transfers over the past decade or two, and the latest one will hopefully be a good and final one. The 1894 is perhaps one of Marlin’s most popular models over the years, but there are many others that have also graced the shooting public. The 1894 is like many of Marlin’s firearms, a lever action repeater. Probably the most distinguishing feature of the model is it’s side ejecting receiver. This has made Marlin leverguns very popular with users of riflescopes, as it allows a more generous mounting area. The rifle has an eight round tube magazine that loads from the side of the receiver through a loading chute.

OPENING THE BOX

When I received the rifle, I set straight to fiddling with it. It’s practically impossible to pick up a lever gun and not jack open the action. The gun seemed just a bit stiff, which I’m sure was more about it being brand new than anything else. A few hundred rounds would surely loosen it and make it run like warm butter.

The rifle featured handsome checkering on both grip areas on the walnut stock. On the breach end of the barrel, there is the traditional buckhorn rear sight. A hooded front post sits at the tip of the barrel. I like the old lever guns without the modern safeties, but this one is at least minimal and doesn’t stick out terribly. Plus, the gun still has the half-cock safety.

THE AMMO SITUATION

I am lucky to have prepared for the ammunition crisis years ago, and my storage has plenty of components to make dang near anything I need. With a good stash of .357 and .38 special brass and bullets, I knew I wouldn’t have to get gouged at the local gun shop.

In just a few hours, I had built up a nice supply of .38 special ammo loaded with soft-shooting 160-grain wadcutters as well as a small pile of .357 Magnum cases that I loaded with a warmer charge underneath 125-grain Hornady XTP bullets. Both of these loads worked great in the little Marlin and made for hours of plinking fun.

A man reloads his Marin 1894 lever-action rifle — Loading the tubular magazine is quick and easy

TO THE RANGE!

The 1894 is obviously meant for up-close business, making shots beyond 100 yards more about luck than focused effort. The accuracy of the 1894 was still very useful, and it proved enough for squirrels at 60 yards anyway. In just a few minutes, I had gotten quite accustomed to loading and shooting the rifle. Much like shooting .22s, this became quite addicting. Hitting targets the size of soda cans under 60 yards became a quick game for us, and it was even more fun when we stretched it out to 100 yards or so.

The report of the rifle was surprisingly soft, as was the recoil. I wouldn’t recommend shooting it without hearing protection, but it barely felt like you needed it out in the open country. The recoil was soft enough that only the youngest of shooters would shy away from it. This also made follow-up shots easy and fast.

The Marlin 1894 is in my mind the perfect little camp rifle. Whether it is used for kids plinking at cans or for the serious hunting of deer-sized animals, the rifle is more than adequate for the task. This little gun would be a perfect companion for a hike through the forest. Its petite size and light weight make it ideal for walking. With the ability to shoot light loads like the .38 Special or hard-hitting loads like the powerful .357 Magnums, you can use whichever ammo best suits your purpose.

ACCURACY AND ACTION

I wish I could have gotten a scope mount for this story. I think it would have been a valuable addition. But I found it very easy to hit what you are aiming at within the range of this rifle even using the factory iron sights. Accuracy with the provided sights allowed me to obtain 1.5-inch groups at 50 yards, which I consider acceptable for the purposes that fit this rifle. I’d imagine that I could probably tighten that up a bit more if I had a scope mounted to the rifle.

The flawless function of the 1894’s action attests to the reason these rifles became so popular in the first place. Positive feeding and extraction from shot to shot could be felt in your loading hand, and stuffing the stubby little cartridges into the feeding chute made you feel like you were in a John Wayne film.

Continue Reading Here…

A man shoots the Marlin 1894 lever-action rifle at the range — The lever-action design allows you to feel the mechanical action of the gun while shooting. The 1894 is also soft shooting and great for plinking

CONCLUSION

I suppose you could say that the Marlin 1894 fits perfectly into the space I dreamed up for it. It’s a solid-functioning rifle with easy and soft-shooting characteristics and relatively inexpensive ammunition that can be as powerful or soft as you want it to be.

Unlike gas-operated semi autos, lever guns rely on the input of the shooter to cycle cartridges. So, shooting subsonic ammunition or the full-power stuff will not affect its function, making these rifles very useful for any number of shooting tasks. I think Marlin has enjoyed its reputation for very good reason, and hopefully they keep making these beautiful rifles for another hundred years.

-CBM