# .44 Mag Lever Action



## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

I've been thinking about getting one. The three makes I know of are the Winchester, Marlin and Rossi. If you own one would you mind putting up a review on it. You can PM me if you like. Thanks for any input.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

I used to think that the only lever gun worth owning was the Winchester. Then I bought a Marlin. I got the 1894P. Don't get me wrong, I still think John Browning was a genius. But Marlin accomplished the same thing with half of the parts. You can clean the Marlin from the breach by removing one screw. And the side eject with the solid top on the receiver is a plus, too. Even from the 16 1/4" barrel I get 1900 fps from a 270 grain bullet. 2100 from a 180. Accuracy is adequate, but I could do better if I put a scope on it. I don't see irons so well any more. **** stygmatisms anyway.

Invite me on a rabbit search and I'll let you try it out.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Don't forget the Henry and I believe that Ruger still makes a 44 lever action.


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## cfarnwide (Sep 10, 2007)

Henry Big Boy. PM sent...


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## Frisco Pete (Sep 22, 2007)

Ruger doesn't list any lever action centerfire rifles anymore.

Of course the Winchester 94 in .44 Mag is no longer made, so you would have to look on the used market. I have a couple of friends with these and they are solid rifles built on the newer Angle-Eject receiver so they can be scoped. My main issue with them is that they are built on the .30-30-based action that is unnecessarily long for a pistol round. You have to work the action smartly or else you can get function errors. The twist is best for heavier .44 bullets. I think there are better choices now, unless you get a deal.

The Henry Big Boy is a great choice that is current made. It has the smoothest action out of the box of any competitor and nice walnut stock + 20" octagon barrel. A lot of people like the look of the brass receiver too that hearkens back to the original Henry & '66 Winchester. It is a side eject rifle. I have never shot one, but have heard good reviews. 
Negatives are the fact that it costs more than any other .44 lever gun and the fact that although side-ejection is good for scoping, the scope is a cantilever mount that only is attached at the forward end of the mount. Obviously there is a possibility that the rear could be bumped hard enough to rotate it sideways a smidgen - enough to screw up the zero. Most mounts attach fore-and-aft for a more solid system. If you don't scope it, it is a non-issue.

I have the Marlin 1894. Mine is the 1894C in .357 Mag, but it is basically the same gun as the .44 Mag version. I have also shot the Cowboy II octagon barrel versions as well. Like _Loke_ said, they are a very solid and well-made rifle. They are side ejection, solid top guns. There are currently several models to choose from (_Loke's 16" is discontinued_):

1. 1894 - standard 20" round barrel

2. 1894SS - same as above but in stainless steel

3. 1894 Cowboy - tapered octagon 20" barrel

4. 1894 Deluxe - a limited production 20" round barrel 1894 with "_highly figured, #1 grade fancy American black walnut woodwork and a richly polished deep blue finish. Each is hand assembled and tuned by a Marlin senior craftsman to ensure peak accuracy and performance._"

The Marlin action is not nearly as smooth as the Henry out of the box, but gets better with use. Personally, I had to wait 9 months a couple of years back for my 1894C. It was backordered at the distributor and must have had to wait for a production run. I don't know how the situation is currently, or if anybody has them in stock. However it was worth the wait when I finally got it. I absolutely love shooting that little carbine. .357 is a pussycat in a rifle - but it really cranks up the performance in the long barrel. With the popularity of CAS, there are a fair number of gunsmiths that can work magic on an 1894. On mine, I added an XS Sight Systems Ghost Ring system and removed the buckhorn sight.

Here is a picture of my 1894C, along with it's caliber companion S&W Model 66:


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Take a look here Al, this might tickle your fancy:
http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/ ... amily=022C

I shot one two weeks ago and it was really fun to shoot! The action seemed smoother than I remembered my 94 having and it balanced well. The one I shot was in .357 though...

The action isnt quite as smooth as a Henry though


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Gentlemen : Thank you for all the replies. CF PM back at ya. The Marlin is in my price range and I have a store looking for me. Of the one's I have personallyy seen I would love the Henry. The cost of the Deluxe Winchester is to far out there for a shooter Wyoming/Montana truck gun. And Pete that is what I'm after. A match up for the S&W 629. Again , thank you all. The lever guns are something I know very little about.


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

Ditto to the Marlin....

Never owned one but I have owned the .45 in a Rossi and a Winchester. Both firearms, with the unpredictable power of the .45, spewed powder back into my eye's. As far as I'm concerned, both of these firearms are a piece of junk and shouldn't be sold on the market. Yeah, they look cool but the craftsmanship is nothing like the old 30-30 Winchesters. 

I have heard good stuff about the Marlins. How about a Browning B-92 ?


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

A buddy of mine had the Browning 92. It was a fun little gun. Good luck finding one on the used market. The Rossi is a copy of the 92. Not the same gun as the 94. The lock up is completely different, and the 92 is designed for the pistol length cartridges. I personally don't care for the 94 in a pistol chambering. But that is just me.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

I bought a Browning 92 new back in the early 80's, and it remains one of my favorite rifles. It has taken a couple deer, a couple of bear, and hundreds of jackrabbits. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the new Winchester 92's are made in the same factory in Japan that made the now discontinued Browning 92's. 

I dunno, but I personally think the John M. Browning designed Winchester Model 1892 was as close to perfection in balance and feel as any gun that has ever been produced. That is why it remains one of the most copied designs even after all these years. Of course you're not going to find an original Winchester in a .44 mag, .44-40 WCF is as close as they came, but it is availible in most of the clones.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

It is possible to find a Winchester 92 in 44 Mag. There have been many gunsmiths that made their house payments in the late '50s and '60's converting the 44WCF and 38WCF model 1892s to 44 Mag. 
The model 92 was also called the model 65 in later years and was given a pistol grip and curved finger lever, and was also called the model 53. I believe that these were only chambered in the smaller calibers like the 25-20, 32-20, and 218 Bee.


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

I had a Winnie 94AE in .44 Mag for a few years & loved it. I could get 5 shots into minute of deer at 125yds with open sights. The springs were always tighter than I'd like but that was fixed after cutting off a coil or two. I never got around to using it for deer, but worked up a good jackrabbit load of 9gr of Alliant #5 behind a 205gr lead slug. Accurate to 50yds & almost no recoil. For big game, I had worked up 25gr of H-110 behind a 240gr JHP that would rattle the air when it went boom. Was a lot of fun to throw one of them in with the plinkers just to watch people's reaction to the sudden thump. :twisted:


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

Loke said:


> The model 92 was also called the model 65 in later years and was given a pistol grip and curved finger lever, and was also called the model 53. I believe that these were only chambered in the smaller calibers like the 25-20, 32-20, and 218 Bee.


I know this is off subject, and probably no one really cares, but to call the Winchester models 53 and 65 the same as the model 92 is pure blasphamy. Sorry Loke, but you put tears in my eyes 

The Winchester model 53's and 65's were built on the 92's action, but the look and feel were different. You mentioned the curved pistol grip, which was an option on the 53 but standard on the 65. They were also only produced with half magazines unlike the 92 where barrel length magazines was the norm (I know, half magazines was an option on the 92's, but they don't really count). The model 53 was avalible in the .44 WCF but the 65 was only chambered in the calibers you mentioned.

Either way, neither the model 53 or the 65 really took off in sales. Only 25,000 53's and 6,000 65's were ever made. Compare that to the over 1,000,000 original model 92's that were produced. Just goes to show you, it's tough to improve on perfection.

Whew, I feel better now.... 8)


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

Then again, to call the current model 94 the same rifle that John Browning designed would be blasphemous as well. Some things shouldn't be "improved".


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