[Jeff Higgins]

You can't go wrong with either a Marlin 1894 or a Winchester 1892. Both are the traditional slab sided, tube magazine, side loading port configuration we all think of when someone says "lever gun". Winchester did make the 1894 in .357 mag as well, but the action is needlessly large for that (it's better as a .30-30).

The .357 mag makes for a fantastic lever gun round. One of the best aspects of this caliber is that the guns have proper rifling twist rates that will handle all popular bullet weights. The same cannot be said of the .44 mag and .45 Colt, which continue to be made with the old, traditional, 1:38 twist. Far, far too slow for standard bullet weights in these calibers. I do hear, however, that Winchester has corrected this on their newest Miroku made '92's. If so, and you want a bigger caliber, that would make that the one to get.

Back to the .357... Dirt cheap plinking, wonderful kids' training gun, and just plain good fun when loaded with .38 Specials. An honest close range deer rifle when loaded with appropriate .357 mag's. And a hand loader's dream, being one of the most versatile and easy to feed combinations going. Brian Pearce has tested and published loads with Li'l Gun and 158 grain bullets that pretty much equal .30-30 loads, believe it or not. Whatever you want it to do, a .357 lever gun will work pretty darn good.

As far as the Henry rifles, I hear they have really upped their game. They still make the cheap cast zamac receivers with cheap stamped sheet metal over the top, but they also make real, all steel receivers now as well. I understand those are fairly nice rifles.