.357 and .44 mag mares leg - who makes the best one?
- Thread starter mb5200
- Start date
John Wesley Hardin
CGN Regular
- Location
- 45.457 x - 77.239
Rossi 38/357 Mares Legs have many feeding problems.
The 45 colt & 44 mag are Ok .
All Rossi Mares Legs have sighting issues due to the front sight is too low and the back sight will not go low enough.
The Chiappas have taller and Better quality sights.Nicer fit and finish.
Best 44 mag Mares Leg is Henry .A US company ; problems more easily corrected, and good fit and finish
Between 2 of us we own all 3 brands.
You get what you pay for continues to be true.
If you can live with 6 o'clock hold or are willing to replace The rossi Sights ; cost plus labor and price is very important ; get a Rossi in 45 or 44 - if they are available again in Canada any time soon.
If you want a good shooter with less work get a Henry or chiappa in 45 colt.
They will also hold their value better in years to come.
I reload so I can make a 45 colt do what 44 mag factory fodder can do easily.
I would not buy a Rossi Mares Leg in 357/38. due to feeding issues.
The quality is not the same in these guns as in regular Rossi 92 rifles.
These were hurried into production in a new factory and are being pumped into the large American market as fast as possible to meet demand for a low cost Mares leg. Hence no Rossi Mares legs for The minor Canadian market
Regards
J.W. Hardin
The 45 colt & 44 mag are Ok .
All Rossi Mares Legs have sighting issues due to the front sight is too low and the back sight will not go low enough.
The Chiappas have taller and Better quality sights.Nicer fit and finish.
Best 44 mag Mares Leg is Henry .A US company ; problems more easily corrected, and good fit and finish
Between 2 of us we own all 3 brands.
You get what you pay for continues to be true.
If you can live with 6 o'clock hold or are willing to replace The rossi Sights ; cost plus labor and price is very important ; get a Rossi in 45 or 44 - if they are available again in Canada any time soon.
If you want a good shooter with less work get a Henry or chiappa in 45 colt.
They will also hold their value better in years to come.
I reload so I can make a 45 colt do what 44 mag factory fodder can do easily.
I would not buy a Rossi Mares Leg in 357/38. due to feeding issues.
The quality is not the same in these guns as in regular Rossi 92 rifles.
These were hurried into production in a new factory and are being pumped into the large American market as fast as possible to meet demand for a low cost Mares leg. Hence no Rossi Mares legs for The minor Canadian market
Regards
J.W. Hardin
I dont agree my Rossi Hand rifle 44 mag is mounted with a full stock and is giving me 3.8 inch groups at 100 metres, the short stock make it a different animal ,action is slick and the sight are right on, i took a nice buck at Anticosti last week with it... Cheers. JP.
[/IMG]
John Wesley Hardin
CGN Regular
- Location
- 45.457 x - 77.239
I dont agree my Rossi Hand rifle 44 mag is mounted with a full stock and is giving me 3.8 inch groups at 100 metres, the short stock make it a different animal ,action is slick and the sight are right on, i took a nice buck at Anticosti last week with it... Cheers. JP.[/IMG]
Yours is no longer a Mares Leg; nor is it a 357 mag as per the original question.
Nor does it answer who makes the best one if you only own from one manufacturer.
Personally I cannot see buying a mares leg then sticking a full size stock on it.
For 4 inches I would buy a Rossi Trapper and have a longer sighting plane and more velocity from my ammo.
J.W. Hardin
For hunting full stock... for fun at the range or at the lake short stock, best of both world ( Out of the 12 inch tube ,it push 300 gr cast at 1600 fps out of my 18.5 inch 77-44 it push them at 1640, velocity is not an issue here )... Cheers. JP.
wow, good for you.
I had a Chiappa and sent it back right away. Felt cheap, stiffest action I've ever seen in an 1892, and had a weird harmonic vibration that would cause the entire gun to vibrate and buzz for a long time every time the lever was opened or closed. Just got a Rossi Ranch Hand in .45 colt, very smooth action, groups great. Like people say, the sights need a bit of filing or replacement but I am very happy. The Chiappa looked nicer but the Rossi feels and works nicer if that makes sense.
John Wesley Hardin
CGN Regular
- Location
- 45.457 x - 77.239
Yes it does;the Rossi chambered in 45 colt is the caliber in less demand. my circle is of the opinion that a bit more time was and is spent on assembly on those of this caliber than of the 357 or 44 mag. The gun dealers we have dealt with have all stated that 44 mag was their #1 seller or the caliber that most prospective purchasers have inquired about.
The 45 colt is basically a reloading proposition if you want to wring out the potential of this cartridge. 45 colt factory ammo is loaded to the lowest common denominator in case it is used in guns of 1st generation .
The 357 or 44mag both offer +p ammo off the shelf.
J.W. Hardin
denis lefebvre
Member
- Location
- Now living in Espanola, Ontario
I just got my Chippa Mare's leg 1892 last week in 44 mag
Awesome and love it
nice fun little shooter ..over 25 rounds through it already
action is smooth ... sights are good but who needs sights with a hip shooter
make sure you wear ear plugs, the short barrel makes "noise "
compared to my Marlin 20'' barrel rifle
it's top eject ... a scope is not for this gun
keep it 50 ' or less and point in the right direction
Awesome and love it
nice fun little shooter ..over 25 rounds through it already
action is smooth ... sights are good but who needs sights with a hip shooter
make sure you wear ear plugs, the short barrel makes "noise "
compared to my Marlin 20'' barrel rifle
it's top eject ... a scope is not for this gun
keep it 50 ' or less and point in the right direction
I dont agree my Rossi Hand rifle 44 mag is mounted with a full stock and is giving me 3.8 inch groups at 100 metres, the short stock make it a different animal ,action is slick and the sight are right on, i took a nice buck at Anticosti last week with it... Cheers. JP.[/IMG]
Thats exactly what I was thinking of doing, putting a nice grained full stock on with a crescent butt plate. I figure that a 12" barrel should be more than enough for a pistol cartridge, but be short and handy in the bush or getting in and out of the tractor cab.
Recently sold a couple projects so I am gonna be looking at Mares Leg options. Pretty sure I will go with Rossi, the lack of side loading gate on the Henry seems to be glaring oversight. And the snarky attitude that Chiappa had in the RFID fiasco makes me rather hesitant to ever buy one of thier products.
The sort sight radius (and sight problems) makes it seem that a tang mounted peepsight (such as Marbles) would be an option for times when you have the time to make a slow precision shot. Or as much precision as can be expected with a short barreled lever gun.
Back to the OP, dont you know its sacrilegious to put a scope on a levergun
Actually with the full stock, the cheek weld is pretty good and the factory Buckhorn sight aligned themselves very good, before my hunting trip, i wanted to change them but after taking a buck with a perfect vital shot at 85 metres, they will stay... Cheers. JP.
