Thinking about getting another 357 lever action

[jeff43]

I been thinking about getting another 357 mag lever action rifle.I got a guy wanting to trade a Rossi 16" barrel 357 lever action for my Ruger blued Blackhawk 357/9mm convertible .I have one Rossi 357 lever action, and really like it.The only bad thing about these is if something breaks , where do you get parts?What do you think about this trade.I have another 357 Blackhawk also to shoot.

[DaveTN]

For some reason used .357 levers are hard to find and are usually listed at a premium in that caliber. The new prices of those two guns are within $50 of each other. So it boils down to what you want/need.

I would make the trade; but that’s because I have absolutely no need for a single action revolver.

Why would you not be able to get parts from Rossi?

[jeff43]

Yeah, your right about 357 lever actions being hard to find at a good price.I don't NEED another one,I have the Rossi and a Uberti 1973 lever.lol. I have two of the Blackhawk's in 357,blued and SS.I guess I just like trading around every once in a while,just afraid if I trade it off I'll regret it.Ive never tried to get parts from Rossi , but I've read they won't sell them.

[graycrait]

If it is a Rossi .357 lever gun pre tang safety get it!!!!!!!!! I traded one off some years ago and regret that.  

[jeff43]

It has the safety on it, which doesn't bother me.The Rossi I have now has it too.

[JAB]

I probably wouldn't trade unless your other Blackhawk is also a convertible model.  In my experience, those are even harder to come across than .357 lever guns.  I am not sure that Ruger is even still making them.  The ability to shoot the less expensive 9mm ammo and the fact you already have a lever in .357 would be the reasons I, personally , wouldn't trade.

 

In fact, even though I kind of want a .357 lever and don't have one (I do have one in .44 Mag to match with my .44 Mag Super Blackhawk), I probably wouldn't trade the convertible Blackhawk for one (again, unless the other .357 Blackhawk is also convertible.)

[jeff43]

My other Blackhawk is a SS regular 357 mag.

[Sidinman]

I have a puma Rossi & a convertible bh. I love 'em both.
No way I'd trade the bh, don't think they are being made any more.
And you are right about Rossi not sellin you parts.
And their quality of repairs of late have been poor.
Luckily I've had no trouble with the Puma.
I'd still consider buying another but would want to able to look it over
Same goes for the Remington made Marlins,
Or Remlins as they are being called.

[jeff43]

Yeah, I've decided to keep the BH for now.I was thinking they still made the convertible .

[Oh Shoot]

I probably wouldn't trade unless your other Blackhawk is also a convertible model.  In my experience, those are even harder to come across than .357 lever guns.  I am not sure that Ruger is even still making them.

Yeah, I've decided to keep the BH for now.I was thinking they still made the convertible .

 

Sure, they still make them. In both .357/9mm and .45colt/.45 acp

 

Can't necessarily find exact model you want at any given time, but they're not overly rare. Bud's had couple models of .357/9mm and .45colt/45acp last week when I looked for example. Right now have a couple of .357/9mm models, but reserved for "Team Bud's" folks right now.

 

Some new ones on Gunbroker too, including the Lipsey's flattop version too.

 

- OS

Edited April 28, 2015 by Oh Shoot

[JAB]

Sure, they still make them. In both .357/9mm and .45colt/.45 acp

 

Can't necessarily find exact model you want at any given time, but they're not overly rare. Bud's had couple models of .357/9mm and .45colt/45acp last week when I looked for example. Right now have a couple of .357/9mm models, but reserved for "Team Bud's" folks right now.

 

Some new ones on Gunbroker too, including the Lipsey's flattop version too.

 

- OS

 

I must have been confused.  Not an unusual occurance, really.  Maybe it was that Ruger used to convert .357 only BH revolvers to convertible guns for owners who wanted that and no longer do that.  Or maybe I dreamed the entire thing.

 

Still, I have never - not once - seen a .357/9mm convertible BH in 'real life' in any store, period, in my entire life as far as I know.  I have actually seen .357 levers on shelves for sale but not very often - and don't recall ever having seen a used one for sale.

[Oh Shoot]

I must have been confused.  Not an unusual occurance, really.  Maybe it was that Ruger used to convert .357 only BH revolvers to convertible guns for owners who wanted that and no longer do that.  Or maybe I dreamed the entire thing.

 

Still, I have never - not once - seen a .357/9mm convertible BH in 'real life' in any store, period, in my entire life as far as I know.  I have actually seen .357 levers on shelves for sale but not very often - and don't recall ever having seen a used one for sale.

 

Well, again, they're not common to see on a LGS rack, probably because they sell purt quick. ;)

 

But yeah, they've made  them for a long time, and yeah, they used to sell and fit a second cylinder for you if you only had the .357 or .45colt if you sent the gun in and paid about 150 bucks. Can't remember if they still will, there was a guy not terribly long ago who reported on that but damn if I haven't forgotten if he said yeah or nay on that.

 

There was even a 38-40/.40 S&W/10mm version at one time. I actually shot a 10mm BlackHawk once, I'm pretty sure it was a TGOer owned it too, can't remember who that was either. Hmmm.

 

I did buy mine (.357/9mm) from a LGS in 2009. After looking for one for better part of year locally off and on,  just happened to ask again at a particular gun store, guy looked in his distributor's inventory online, they had like 6 of them, he ordered it, had it in 3 days.

 

- OS

Edited April 28, 2015 by Oh Shoot

[TN-popo]

I've also been thinking about getting a 16" lever gun in .357Mag...just not sure which brand (but, I've always preferred Marlins).

 

I used to have a Marlin 1894P (16", .44Mag, and it was one of the special runs without those silly barrel ports).  I loved it.

 

I'd love to have the exact same gun in .357Mag.

AFAIK though, Marlin only offers the gun with an 18.5" barrel now.

Edited April 28, 2015 by TN-popo

[JAB]

I've also been thinking about getting a 16" lever gun in .357Mag...just not sure which brand (but, I've always preferred Marlins).

 

I used to have a Marlin 1894P (16", .44Mag, and it was one of the special runs without those silly barrel ports).  I loved it.

 

I'd love to have the exact same gun in .357Mag.

AFAIK though, Marlin only offers the gun with an 18.5" barrel now.

 

If I ever get one, I'd prefer a 16 inch barrel, as well.  For one thing, I just think that barrel length in .357 looks and 'balances' better.  For another thing, according to the info on Ballistics by the Inch, most factory .357 ammo shows gains up to about 16 inches of pipe (in some cases, pretty significant gains over a handgun, even one with a 10 inch barrel) and after about 16 inches the velocity gains are very small and some actually start to lose velocity   The results for .38 Special indicate that at least some factory ammo in that caliber also tends to lose velocity in test barrels over 16 inches in length while others show minimal gains.  Yes, I know that a handloader could cook up a round specifically for the longer barrel but, for me, the whole point in having a revolver/lever gun combo is the ammo sharing thing.  If I am going to be creating special rounds specifically for a rifle - which means sort of losing the ammo commonality thing - then I had as well just go ahead and get a lever gun in a 'real' rifle caliber and forget about it.  :2cents:

 

 

 

http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/327mag.html

http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/38special.html

Edited April 28, 2015 by JAB

[gregintenn]

[URL=http://s612.photobucket.com/user/gregintenn/media/for%20sale/IMG_2033.jpg.html][/URL]

Mine has no safety and a little kitty cat on it. I really like it, but would trade it for a pre safety Marlin in a heartbeat.

[jeff43]

All the Marlin 357's I've saw, people are really proud of as far as the prices on them.