44 Magnum or 45 Long Colt in Lever Gun?

[bamboomaster]

If you reload, .45 Colt, if not .44 Mag. I like the .45 Colt for both the SAA and carbine.

We've got a couple of "JM" Marlin's in each caliber and enjoy them both with plinker and "Hammer of Thor" reloads.

One other lever-action you can sometimes find at auction in .44 Mag is a Browning made by Miroku (Japan). Superb quality...

[TonyF]

A 45 Colt out of a lever action rifle can do just about anything a .44 magnum can do (exterior and terminal ballistics). If you go with 45 Colt you might want to select a ruger HG in the larger frame so you can shoot the heavier "ruger" loads as you see fit.

Remington really mangled the Marlin name when they closed the north haven facility and moved production to Illion, NY. Don't know what the current status of Marlin (Remington) quality is these days.

You mentioned a new purchase. If you decide to expand into the used market, be advised that Winchester chambered the Model 1894 in pistol calibers but that some specimens have exhibited issues due to the fact that the internals of the 1894 were designed around the longer .30-30 and .25-35 cartridges, etc. and the pistol calibers are much shorter in OAL.

The Marlin 1894's are pistol caliber specific as are the Winchester and Rossi Model 1892's.

[Ronin]

Don't buy a Henry if you intend to shoot SASS. They aren't designed to take the punishment of running them fast in competition. I know this from experience with my Big Boy Steel. Great rifle, just not for competition.

My wife has a Puma 92 in 44 mag. Works well, but needs some action smoothing. Easy enough to do DIY if you have the patience. Recoil from the gun can be stout with hotter loads. It also runs .44 spcl, so that's what she shoots, mostly. My preference for shooting 44 mag out of a levergun would be a JM Marlin 1894. I just like the way the Marlin handles 44 better than the Rossi/Puma. Which is ironic because I prefer my Rossi 92 in .357 over my wife's Marlin 94 in .357.

[MD66948]

I would go with the 44 mag.

[Seabee CO]

Regardless if you reload or not, 44 all the way. Greater bullet availability, performance and resale value.

[ItchyTick]

44

[Swamp Fox]

I can’t speak for the .45 but I have read that they work well for deer at limited range. But I have two Marlin model 1894’s in .44 magnum, one with a scope and one without. Both with JM stamps made in the factory in North Haven, Connecticut in the early 1990’s. Using the leverEvolution 225 or 240 grain Remington soft nose, they have killed deer quickly. But all my shots have been at 50 yards or less. They say the Hornady leverEvolution give you a better chance at longer shots.

[Marcus99]

44 mag. I'm a 45 colt fan, but if I had it to do over again I would go to a 44.

[PAwhitetailbowhunter]

I reload A LOT of 44 Mag. Using either 240 grain bullets or 300 grain bullets. I very much enjoy shooting double action revolvers in 44 Mag and my Marlin 1894 in 44 Mag. I sure like 44 Mag...Almost as much as I like .41 Mag.

[Gunplummer]

I have a new Marlin 44-40 barrel laying around. If that ain't cowboy, what is? I have a Marlin .44 and am thinking about it. Anyway, cost wise and re-sale wise, hard to beat a .44 Marlin rifle.