A little imagination is needed with this thread. Just thought this would be a good gun to keep in the truck. If I had the money, time, equipment to build one I would give it a shot. It would be tough to mount a folding stock though. I did this with paint and didnt know how to angle the stock to make it look better. Sorry. It would be hard to get the angle just right. Im stuck between the .357 and 44 mag. I like the .357 because of the cheaper .38's for plinking. The .357 has great man stopping power but is on the lower end of the scale if you ever had to take out large game. Thats why I think the 44 mag would be a great option. 16 inch barrel of course. No ports on the barrel just incase you ever had to take a defensive shot close to your face, like pressed up to your driver side window. I dont like hot gun powder in my eyes. I know they have trappers out there that have the 16 1/4 barrel but they are very expensive. The folding stock is on there for storage porpuses not for looks. What do you guys think?
instead of a side folding stock how about a topfolder like for shotguns just make room for the hammer to go through the top of the stock... it wood be an awesome truck gun... now ya got me thinking...
__________________ 12-21-2012: Party like theres no tomorrow!!!
A buddy of mine had a Winchester lever gun in .44 mag and I really liked it. It was pretty accurate, and a very compact rifle. I think for a truck gun I would prefer the .357 over the .44 just for cost of ammo and the ability to shoot .38sp as well.
ALR I only have an idea what that means. Im gonna guess that it means since a .38 is shorter the bullet wouldnt sit as far forward allowing powder and lead to fill the voided area? I just checked the Marlin website and they are listed as .357 mag./.38 spl* and .44 mag/ .44 spl The * behind the .38 sp- *Consult Owner's Manual for details on ammunition use.(Specifications subject to change without notice)
Good catch ALR. I just downloaded the manual. I guess if you use .38's in your .357 mag for plinking your gonna have alot of cleaning to do...
Ammunition Note
If your rifle is chambered for 44 Rem.
Magnum, it is designed to handle 44 Rem.
Magnum factory-loaded ammunition
(except wad cutters and shot shells). It will
also function with 44 Special cartridges
that are within the length parameters
shown below. (NOTE: Since 44 Special
cartridges are shorter than 44 Rem.
Magnums, their use can cause a lead
buildup in the forward part of the chamber.
Be sure to thoroughly clean the chamber
with a wire brush after using 44 Specials.)
Minimum overall cartridge length — 1.535"
Maximum overall cartridge length — 1.610"
If your rifle is chambered for 357 Magnum,
it is designed to handle 357 Magnum factory-
loaded ammunition (except wad cutters
and shot shells). It will also function
with 38 Special cartridges that are within
the length parameters shown below.
(NOTE: Since 38 Special cartridges are
shorter than 357 Magnums, their use can
cause a lead buildup in the forward part of
the chamber. Be sure to thoroughly clean
the chamber with a wire brush after using
38 Specials.)
Minimum overall cartridge length — 1.400"
Maximum overall cartridge length — 1.590"
If your rifle is chambered for 38 Special, it
is designed to handle 38 Special factoryloaded
ammunition (except wad cutters
and shot shells). It will function with 38
Special cartridges that are within the
length parameters shown below.
Minimum overall cartridge length — 1.275"
I think you have a great idea. I love the shorter barrel and black furniture. The stock kills it though. I know you said you're going for form over function, but please, try to figure something else out. lol
I like the idea of just a "shorty" stock. Or perhaps drill it and add a sliding extension, similar to a collapsible stock, but with two rails and some kind of locking mechanism.
First off, I'd go with the .44 Magnum, the idea being to have a truck gun that would let you take on game targets of opportunity. The .44 Magnum has enough oomph to deal with coyotes, feral hogs and even deer if the range isn't too long. If you're worried about muzzle rise when you're shooting, you can always add an inch to the barrel and magnaport it. (We can do that, this being a Zen rifle at this point.)
The reservation I have about the left-folding stock is whether you'd have enough grip area to be able to use it like a Mare's Laig cut-down Model 94 when the stock is folded. (I'm assuming a snap shot at a hog charging in or from cover.) Thoughts?
You could shoot .44 Special for practice. Not as inexpensive as .38 Special, true; but since I'm after power and performance in the field, I've opted for the .44 magnum chambering in the Zen truck gun. I'm presuming the action is a Marlin?
I actually like the power to weight ratio of the .357 compared to the .44. .44 ammo is nearly twice as heavy as .357. Might not matter for a truck gun, but if the truck breaks and you have to walk, it may. My idea for the truck gun is a stainless .357 Marlin 1894 LTD. (16” barrel). I don’t plan to mess with a folding stock. If I need to make it shorter, I will just remove the stock. I installed a receiver sight, probably will not go with a scope or red dot, although a case could be made for a long Weaver rail on top that would permit the use of QD scope mounts for normal scope, long eye relief scope or red dot and still have the iron sights. One reason to pick the .357 is mine are very accurate; my .44 is the least accurate Marlin I have.
lol
