[Jeff Higgins]

I consider myself somewhat of a lever gun man...

Henrys are cheaply made junk. They have cast receivers hidden inside a sheet metal outer receiver. Every one I have ever seen or handled just screamed "cheap toy".

Rossis are one step up the "junk" ladder, right there with Uberti. Both simply make cheap imitations of other companies' products.

Marlins are my personal favorites, both their 1894's and 1895's. The '94's are chambered in common revolver calibers, such as .38 / .357, .44 Special / Magnum, and .45 Colt. '95's come in .45-70 or .450 Marlin. 336's are great guns as well - same action as the '95, but chambered in .30-30.

Winchester, of course, is who everyone thinks of first. They made some great lever guns, with the 1892 (chambered in revolver calibers) and 1886 (.45-70, .45-90, .50-110 Express, and other rifle chamberings) being my favorites. The 1894 is ubiquitous among lever guns, being the "thutty thutty" that set the standard for all. It's also found in a myriad of other chamberings, including many revolver and short rifle calibers.

Savage is another great name in lever guns. Not as traditional as the Marlins and Winchesters, they are often overlooked. Too bad, because functionally and ballistically (if not aesthetically), the Savage is superior to both.

There is no reason to buy cheap junk, or cheap imported junk, when looking for a good lever gun. The three American manufacturers mentioned above have made such a dizzying variety of lever action rifles in the last 140 years that literally anyone can find one that suits their tastes and budgets. The Marlin '94, Winchester '92 and '94, have all been offered in .38 / .357 at one time or another.

The Marlin is still cataloged, although with the recent move of their production facilities, they are not currently delivering them. There are plenty still in the pipeline, though. If I were in your shoes, looking for a cheap to feed, accurate, well-made, and good looking lever gun in .38 / .357, I would be tracking down a Marlin '94.