Rossi R92 vs Henry Big Boy vs Marlin 1894: The .357 Lever Matchup

Three rifles, one cartridge

All three of these rifles chamber .357 Magnum and also fire .38 Special, which is the whole appeal of a pistol-caliber lever gun: one cartridge for a revolver and a carbine, soft .38s for practice, and full-power .357s when you need them. That is where the similarities end.

The Rossi R92 is a Brazilian-made copy of John Browning's Winchester Model 1892. Rossi was founded in São Leopoldo, Brazil, in 1889, and Wikipedia's account of the Model 1892 notes that Amadeo Rossi resumed manufacture of the design in Brazil in the 1970s. The Henry Big Boy comes from Henry Repeating Arms, a company founded in Brooklyn in 1996 that now builds its centerfire rifles in Wisconsin. The Marlin 1894 is a side-ejecting design Marlin introduced in 1894; the .357 version, the 1894C, joined the line in 1979, and Ruger has built Marlins since buying the brand out of Remington's bankruptcy in September 2020.

Put simply: a compact Browning action, a modern American take on the tube-fed Henry, and a classic solid-top Marlin. You are choosing a design philosophy as much as a brand.

Side by side

Specs come from Marlin's Classic Series page, Ammunition Depot's Henry listings and published R92 listings; individual variants differ, so confirm the exact model number before you buy.

The Rossi R92: small, light and honest

The 1892 was Browning's scaled-down take on his big Model 1886, and it shows. The R92 is slim through the wrist and receiver, quick to the shoulder, and in carbine form it is one of the handiest centerfire rifles you can buy.

What you give up is polish. Owners commonly report that R92s smooth out with use, and fit and finish vary more from rifle to rifle than they do on the other two. Top ejection also makes conventional scope mounting awkward; most R92 owners stay with irons, a peep sight, or a forward-mounted optic.

The R92 lineup is wide, with blued, stainless and Cerakote finishes, threaded carbines, and large-loop versions. Ammunition Depot's Rossi page is the easiest way to see what is currently listed; at the time of writing the R92s there were mostly .44 Magnum and .45 Colt, so a .357 may take some hunting.

Best for: a light truck or trail carbine, new shooters on a budget, anyone who wants the 1892 feel. Skip if: you want a scope in conventional rings, or you have no patience for a rifle that smooths out with use.

The Henry Big Boy: smooth and modern

Henry's Big Boy is the rifle most new .357 lever buyers end up handling first, because it is widely stocked and the action is slick out of the box. It is not a copy of any historic design. Traditional Big Boys load through a removable inner magazine tube at the muzzle, which makes unloading simple and safe: pull the tube, tip the rounds out, and nothing has to cycle through the action.

The trade-off is reloading speed. Henry answered that with its Side Gate models, introduced in 2018, which add a receiver loading gate while keeping the removable tube. If you plan to hunt or shoot any kind of timed match, the Side Gate is worth the step up. Henry's centerfire levers use a transfer-bar safety with no crossbolt button; you carry with the hammer fully down and cock it to fire.

Henry also offers a 16.5-inch Big Boy carbine with a 7+1 capacity, the H012GMRCC, if you want the Henry action in a shorter package. It is heavier than an R92 of similar length; brass and octagon barrels add weight.

Best for: buyers who value smoothness, simple unloading and a strong U.S. warranty network. Skip if: you want the lightest carbine possible or plan to scope it in standard rings.

The Marlin 1894: the scope-friendly classic

Marlin's lever guns eject to the side through a flat, solid-top receiver. Marlin adopted that layout with the Model 1889 and kept it on the 1894, partly because a solid top keeps weather and debris out of the action. For a modern buyer the practical upshot is optics: a solid-top Marlin takes a conventional scope or red dot without fighting the ejection path.

Marlin's current Classic Series page lists the 1894 in .357 Magnum as model 70410, with an 18.63-inch barrel, a 9-round magazine, American black walnut and adjustable semi-buckhorn sights. It is marked limited availability, and it carries the highest list price of the three rifles here. Marlins have a crossbolt hammer-block safety and a half-cock notch, which some traditionalists dislike and others appreciate.

Our affiliate retailer does not stock Marlin rifles, so there is no buy link here. Check Marlin's own site for current models and use a local dealer. If you are looking at a used 1894, read our Ruger-era Marlin guide first; Marlins from different eras are not all equal.

Best for: shooters who want a scope or dot, a traditional loading gate, and a rifle that will hold its value. Skip if: you dislike crossbolt safeties or want the lowest buy-in.

Feeding any of them

Every rifle here will shoot both cartridges, but each one feeds differently. Lever actions can be particular about bullet shape and overall length, especially with short .38 Specials, so try a few loads before you commit to a case of anything. Flat-nose and round-nose bullets are the safest choice in a tube magazine, where each bullet rests against the primer of the round ahead of it.

For practice, plain lead or full-metal-jacket .38s are the soft, inexpensive option. For hunting-weight loads, look at 158-grain soft points in the .357 Magnum section, such as Magtech 158-grain semi-jacketed soft point. Light lead cowboy loads like Magtech Cowboy Action .38 Special are gentle in all three rifles.

The call

Pick the Rossi R92 if your priority is a light, compact .357 at the lowest buy-in, and you will run it with irons.

Pick the Henry Big Boy Side Gate if you want the smoothest action out of the box, gate loading, easy tube unloading and a transfer-bar safety.

Pick the Marlin 1894 if a scope or dot matters, or you simply want the side-eject classic and can find one.

Whichever you choose, treat it as loaded until you have checked the chamber and magazine yourself, and store it locked with ammunition separate.

Editorial note: This is an independent editorial overview built from manufacturer specifications, retailer listings and published sources. We have not performed hands-on testing of the products discussed, and nothing here is a performance guarantee. Verify specifications, compatibility and the law where you live.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links to Ammunition Depot. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial choices are not influenced by commissions. Check current price, stock and specifications directly with the retailer.