.357 Magnum Leverguns - Pros and Cons

Lever actions can be picky about cartridge OAL and bullet shape/profile to the point that not all .38 is going to run smoothly in a .357. My experience is with a Henry .327 and it wouldn't run at all with 85gr .32 Mag handloads, but it would with some 95gr SWC bullet I used. I would do some research into which lever guns are known to run well with .38 before buying.

For .357, there should be no issues, but people like the cheap ammo and .38 is quite a bit cheaper and also more fun to shoot.

I don't see myself moving up to .357 from .327 as I like the flat shooting of the .327 and it's well suited for small game. If I want more power in a lever action I can step over .357 and go right to an 1892 action in .45 Colt and throw some hot reloads in it or even see if the Matt's full wadcutter bullet will feed in it.
 
I bought a Rossi as my daughter's hunting rifle, and I love when I can snake it away from her and play at the range. No recoil, noise isn't abusive, accurate and just plain fun.

Only downside is the same as all lever guns I've used, the small loading gate is tough for me to get the round all the way in with my sausage fingers.
 
I bought a Rossi as my daughter's hunting rifle, and I love when I can snake it away from her and play at the range. No recoil, noise isn't abusive, accurate and just plain fun.

Only downside is the same as all lever guns I've used, the small loading gate is tough for me to get the round all the way in with my sausage fingers.

I always leave one round partially out and finish pushing it in with the next round, works well for me (just have to deal with first and last rounds).
 
I bought a Rossi as my daughter's hunting rifle, and I love when I can snake it away from her and play at the range. No recoil, noise isn't abusive, accurate and just plain fun.

Only downside is the same as all lever guns I've used, the small loading gate is tough for me to get the round all the way in with my sausage fingers.

This will show the process.

 
I tried the same with the Marlin...since it isn't as fun to shoot as the others. Maybe there's something wrong with it because I can feel more in the lever itself when I shoot it. I can't see anything amiss. Just never felt anything in the lever in any other lever gun when shooting.

I thought about this some more and realized what the problem is. Recoil energy normally enters the bolt and then transmits to the frame through the locking lug. From there it goes to the whole gun. However, part of the lever hooks over the locking lug to unlock the bolt while levering. If something is out of adjustment so that this part of the lever limits the movement of the locking lug rearward under recoil, rather than the frame, then the lever will get the jolt and not the frame. I just now sent it off to Ruger to see if they can fix it.
 
For joy! For joy! I picked up a 357 Henry today... Tomorrow's gonna be a range day!!!
-mike
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I picked up my new BB X in .357 last week. The synthetic stock was loose upon opening the box and after 30 factory rounds the hammer pivot screw backed out almost 5 full turns. How did you make out?
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I picked up my new BB X in .357 last week. The synthetic stock was loose upon opening the box and after 30 factory rounds the hammer pivot screw backed out almost 5 full turns. How did you make out?
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Sorry to hear that. I've shot a couple of boxes handloads through mine now. I have to drift the front sight a little to the right but other than that it is sweet shooting the rifle. Not much recoil even with hot handloads. Next step is bring the Boss to the range so she can try it out. She held it at home and said it was too heavy. I suppose with a sand bag on the bench she should have some fun with it too.
-mike
 
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I picked up my new BB X in .357 last week. The synthetic stock was loose upon opening the box and after 30 factory rounds the hammer pivot screw backed out almost 5 full turns. How did you make out?
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I've had good luck with my Henrys. Fit and finish have been consistently very good. No issues with feeding anything I've tried. Good to very good accuracy after sight adjustments coming out of the box.

My Henry X in 357 has been perfect. No issues of any kind after sight adjustments.

I'm surprised to hear about your problems. Call Henry, they'll make it right.
 
The synthetic stock was loose upon opening the box and after 30 factory rounds the hammer pivot screw backed out almost 5 full turns.

Hammer pivot screws very frequently do loosen in the Marlin-based actions, which includes the Henry Big Boys. Never had one back out even a whole turn, but I keep after them, so in a shooting session they're always starting from tight. They're a little bit of a pain to degrease and locktite properly, and once a little oil or grease gets on the threads of the pivot threads or the threads in the frame where they screw in, loosening over time is certain. I haven't seen it so much in other designs.
 
I've had good luck with my Henrys. Fit and finish have been consistently very good. No issues with feeding anything I've tried. Good to very good accuracy after sight adjustments coming out of the box.

My Henry X in 357 has been perfect. No issues of any kind after sight adjustments.

I'm surprised to hear about your problems. Call Henry, they'll make it right.
My .357 Big Boy All Weather stopped feeding. Sent it out to them and they fixed it and sent it right back. Works great again.
 
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Henry customer service said the stock screw is intentionally shipped 3/4 turn loose on wooden stock models to allow for expansion during. They did offer to take the gun back for warranty service or send me a new screw. Not wanting to deal with the hassle of shipping it back, I asked for the screw which landed 3 days later.

I do like the rifle but must admit it was a bit disappointing for my first outing. My buddy said they should include a screwdriver in the box . . .

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Nothing not to like about the .357 lever except you shoot too many rounds because its damn fun. I have a 1894 late model Remlin that I won't part with. Beautiful wood, skinner peep....just a joy to shoot.

I don't bother with 38's. I just load .357 because I don't feel like messing with dies and keeping two sizes of brass. Its not like it kicks much more than a .22 with target loaded .357, and you don't have to worry about any feeding BS.

I've thought of an 1873 short rifle might be a nice addition.....

Levers in handgun calibers are just fxcking fun.....
 
I thought about this some more and realized what the problem is. Recoil energy normally enters the bolt and then transmits to the frame through the locking lug. From there it goes to the whole gun. However, part of the lever hooks over the locking lug to unlock the bolt while levering. If something is out of adjustment so that this part of the lever limits the movement of the locking lug rearward under recoil, rather than the frame, then the lever will get the jolt and not the frame. I just now sent it off to Ruger to see if they can fix it.
They did fix it. All it took was a new lever, which they obviously could have shipped me if we'd known that was all it needed. Still, I don't think I'm a Marlin 1894 guy. I'm going to sell it, maybe get a Miroku 1873 instead, if anything. Probably should put the 2-piece firing pin back in before I do, since the 1-piece firing pin disables one of the safeties.
 
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Update: I wish I had good news but the rifle is going back to Henry. 17 rounds through it today and the screw backed out a full turn. I'm shooting factory loads, nothing fancy. This is the second hammer pivot screw which I blue loctite-ed. It is sad because I really like the rifle and it is fun to shoot, but can't accept this flaw. Not even 50 rds through it total.
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Update: I wish I had good news but the rifle is going back to Henry. 17 rounds through it today and the screw backed out a full turn. I'm shooting factory loads, nothing fancy. This is the second hammer pivot screw which I blue loctite-ed. It is sad because I really like the rifle and it is fun to shoot, but can't accept this flaw. Not even 50 rds through it total.
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bummer. Does Henry not test fire it???
 
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Update: I wish I had good news but the rifle is going back to Henry. 17 rounds through it today and the screw backed out a full turn. I'm shooting factory loads, nothing fancy. This is the second hammer pivot screw which I blue loctite-ed. It is sad because I really like the rifle and it is fun to shoot, but can't accept this flaw. Not even 50 rds through it total.
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If Henry can't come up with a fix, you might want to try Vibra-Tite instead of Loctite. Vibra-Tite is painted on the screw and allowed to dry, then installed. It's designed for resisting vibration, as the acrylic on the fastener remains softish and relies on friction to hold. Also makes it removable/adjustable. Loctite dries hard, but if recoil breaks down that hard material it stops working. Their VC-3 is probably the right one to use. Don't paint it on the first couple threads if at all possible. That first install after applying, it's much easier getting the threads engaged. After the first install, it doesn't really matter.

It does make Loctite look like the inexpensive option, though. You may have seen fasteners painted with this or similar in other commercial applications that see repetitive loads or vibration. (Snowboard binding screws, for instance.) Vibra-Tite will do it at home.

vc-3.jpg
 
If Henry can't come up with a fix, you might want to try Vibra-Tite instead of Loctite. Vibra-Tite is painted on the screw and allowed to dry, then installed. It's designed for resisting vibration, as the acrylic on the fastener remains softish and relies on friction to hold. Also makes it removable/adjustable. Loctite dries hard, but if recoil breaks down that hard material it stops working. Their VC-3 is probably the right one to use. Don't paint it on the first couple threads if at all possible. That first install after applying, it's much easier getting the threads engaged. After the first install, it doesn't really matter.

It does make Loctite look like the inexpensive option, though. You may have seen fasteners painted with this or similar in other commercial applications that see repetitive loads or vibration. (Snowboard binding screws, for instance.) Vibra-Tite will do it at home.

vc-3.jpg

I have used Vibra-Tite VC-3 with mixed results. It would still use it in some applications, but my experience has been that it works better in theory than in practice. The main problem I have had is very inconsistent results.

Sometimes, even with a good amount of VC-3, it does not get much bite. The screw goes in almost as easy as with nothing, and it ends up with some resistance against loosening, but not too much. Other times, a screw with VC-3 feels very stiff going in. It can even be hard to fully tighten, and this can happen even with not too much VC-3. In these cases, the screw is indeed secure. But the screw ends up not easy to loosen, or reinstall, or generally work with.

I tried various ways to apply VC-3 more consistently, and in varying amounts, but I was never able to get consistently satisfactory results. However, for a screw that needs to be removed, adjusted, or fiddled with, I may still prefer VC-3 over loctite. When the VC-3 works well, it does what it is supposed to, and gives a firm screw that be loosened and retightened, and hold firmly each time. Loctite is not great for screws that need to be removed and replaced.

Regarding the screws in the picture with a commercial thread locker, I have found that to be quite different than VC-3. It looks slightly like VC-3, but on close inspection, it is much more plastic like, and it looks and feel different. Those screws work well in some applications.

Overall, I am surprised that a screw is continuing to loosen with blue loctite. In most applications on firearms, blue loctite works well. As mentioned, I have VC-3, but I mostly use blue loctite. Did you carefully clean and degrease the threads before using loctite? This can be important for getting a proper bond. I usually degrease with alcohol, but if it is working poorly, acetone might be better.

If blue loctite is really not working, the factory warranty is a reasonable choice.
 
Overall, I am surprised that a screw is continuing to loosen with blue loctite.

The magnitude of the problem was pretty astonishing to begin with. Without loctite and without really making sure that the threads are degreased, it would be normal (IME) for the hammer pivot to loosen 1/8 of a turn after 100 rounds, especially with a brass receiver. There must be far more friction between the hammer and hammer pivot pin than there should be in this case. He's replaced the pivot. If I were on my own without warranty, I'd probably try replacing the hammer.
 
Thank you for the replies and suggestions. Yes, I did clean thoroughly with denatured alcohol and allowed for drying time before reassembly. Did not try acetone. The factory CSR had suggested blue loctite and alcohol to clean, so I followed her suggestion in case I needed to send it back - which I did.

"The magnitude of the problem was pretty astonishing to begin with."
Yes, I agree. This is a new gun with less than 50 factory rounds through it. Notification came today that Henry has received the firearm. I packaged it well and attached a tag to it with a detailed description of the issue.

Please understand I'm not upset with the brand, just disappointed. I like the rifle, it is fun to shoot.

"There must be far more friction between the hammer and hammer pivot pin than there should be in this case."

This was my guess as well, but since it is new I'm not going to mess with it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Just a follow-up.
I received my rifle back from Henry today. The turn around time was quick and they packaged it well. The service department replaced that hammer pivot screw and put quite a few rounds through it, many more than I had. I can tell because they didn't clean it afterward and I'm glad they didn't, that way I knew they fired it more than just a tube full.
They ran the new screw home tight for sure as the last thread of the screw protruded through the receiver and is sharp. Think I'll use a sharpie and make a witness mark to see if it rotates out again.



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