What barrel length for a .357/.38 gallery rifle

[swotty]

I'm considering buying a Rossi mod92 in .357/.38 . What barrel length do people favour for gallery shooting in this calibre?

[dodgyrog]

Don't buy a Rossi! I got one and it was rubbish. I have a Marlin and a Winchester now
18" Marlin (or thereabouts) and 24" Winchester - both equally as good as each other except the lifter on the Winchester is knackered and it gets used as a single shot!

[DavidRees]

Barrel length choice could be influenced by:
a) Which GR comps you wish to shoot
b) whether or not you like a muzzle-heavy gun, or one balanced around the trigger.

For events where you will be raising the gun from 45 degrees a lot, a shorter (and lighter) barrel often works best.

For precision, some (including myself) prefer a muzzle-heavy gun. If shooting Classic, using iron sights, a longer barrel has the advantage of a longer distance between front and rear sights, potentially increasing accuracy.

Balance and weight of the gun changes quite a bit when you put a scope on, especially if you favour high-magnification optics. Ask around at the club, and see if people will let you get a feel for their guns. Testing in a shop, without a scope, does not give you a good idea of how a gun will feel in use (except with iron sights, of course!)

[bnz41]

Dont buy a Winchester the lifter is broken on mine and NO spare parts.

Careful which Marlin you buy some were not made very well so I hear.

What about a Henry or Uberti rifles not cheap but seeing more being used on the range.

[sclg]

What about a Henry or Uberti rifles not cheap but seeing more being used on the range.

Very happy with my Henry. Very slick action.
I agree with the others about balance though. You really need to try things - and a scope can make quite a difference.

The Henry is heavy and - for me - great for precision shooting.
Anything rapid and I use my 106-year-old 44-40 Winchester carbine - really light and quick to point!

[KidsClays&Cartridges]

I've got one of the new Marlin 1894Cs in .38/.357 with an 18.5inch barrel. Love it. Excellent balance and performs equally well at 25 yards indoors or 100 yards outdoors. I tried it side by side with a Rossi and it just felt much better all round, especially the balance. I've shot a club Rossi with an 18 inch barrel quite a lot and it was fine, but if you can afford the additional cost of the Marlin, the new ones are well made and shoot well.

[swotty]

Thanks for the advice gents. Unfortunately my budget won't extend to the more expensive brands and it would be nice to have a new rifle for a change. Interesting that parts are difficult to get for the Winchester though, certainly sways me from getting a used one.

Sent from my Moto G (5) using "An application"

[Sim G]

Uberti for quality of fit and finish, but you’ve got to want traditional in a mind boggling array of models and calibers. But Henry Krank never know what they’re going to get delivered despite what they order!

Modern Winchester lifters break because of the crap metal they were made out of and the fact that the 1894 was designed for rifle length cartridges and not pistol calibers. You can still pick up spare parts, but mainly from “gun breakers” in the US but increasingly they are refusing to ship outside of their country.

There are some really good original, pre-WW1 Winchester’s around. Some not much more money that a modern made. But calibers are limited to those of the time and factory ammo is expensive.

Marlins are outstanding, but have their issues. Those made prior to 2011, “JM, North Haven” command a premium. Those made between then and 2015 are so hit and miss. But invariably, they’re crap. Those made after 2015 are getting really good with some really nice new models as well. But, an old one will cost you a grand. A new one will cost you a grand. A dubiously manufactured one will cost you a grand. It’s a mine field. I know, I have 17, mostly pre WW1.

Winchester ‘92 clones made by Armi San Marco, Chiappa et al, are fair quality but generally more “traditional”. 24” barrels, case coloured, crescent but plates and the like. But they’re cheap, and made for calibers often available.

Rossi. I owned one. A stainless, 24” octagonal, in .44. I had it for ten years. Shot the sh1t out of it. Sold it to a mate who carried on in the same vane. He then donated it to the club. It’s still going 20 years later. A mate has a 24 inch octagonal .357. Accurate and reliable but it’s only a year old and got the stupid safety in the bolt, but it doesn’t cause a problem. My current club has two Rossi’s. Both .357, one with a 20” barrel in stainless that also has a tube loading facility and a newer version with a 16” and blued. Both are club guns for probationers. They get hammered. Use factory PPU SWC ammo and they still tick along and are accurate enough that one of the members took one to Phoenix for the 1500 comp and didn’t embarrass himself!

Some may look down their nose at Rossi, but having been a shooter and collector of lever guns for several decades now, I honestly believe you won’t be let down by one. Their options are comprehensive so you’ll find one you like. My choice if looking for a Rossi would be a 20” short rifle, octagonal, stainless, in .357.

[Les]

I've had a Rossi with the octagonal 20" (blued) barrel, and it was an excellent rifle, but because it ejects from the top it's not really suitable if you want to put a scope on it.

I've also had a Marlin (blued) with a round barrel and a Henry (brass) with an octagonal barrel, and I think the Henry was better. It had a very smooth, slick action, and the trigger felt much better than the Marlin.

Accuracy-wise, there wasn't much between them, but again I favoured the Henry just because it was so 'easy' to use.

[ukrifleman]

Don't buy a Rossi! I got one and it was rubbish. I have a Marlin and a Winchester now
18" Marlin (or thereabouts) and 24" Winchester - both equally as good as each other except the lifter on the Winchester is knackered and it gets used as a single shot!

I do get exasperated when someone rubbishes a complete brand of rifles just because they got a `bad' one.
I have owned 2 Rossi 92's, a 24" oct barrel .357 and a 20" oct barrel s/steel 92 in 45 Colt and they both turned out to be reliable accurate shooters.

I sold the 24" 357 to a fellow club member, as I found the rifle too muzzle heavy for my taste.
He is very happy with his purchase!

The 20" has earned me several medals in inter club gallery shoots over the years and I wouldn't swap it for anything else.

Both Marlin and Winchester have had there build quality problems at various times over the years, so nothing is immune from the occasional quality glitch.

ukrifleman.