Im having a hard time choosing. Both seem to have those who sing their praises, or have issues with them. Thoughts? Its to be a companion to my super blackhawk, and I would likely be shooting both 44spl and 44mag out of them. They will likely accompany me on camping trips from time to time for defensive duties.

I'm in the same boat but I am going with the Henry Big Boy steel model. I know most people want a loading gate but it doesn't bother me, in fact I wish the lever actions I hunted with loaded like the Henry. I did look at a new Marlin recently and it looked to be very nicely finished, much better than I have seen in probably 5 years. I prefer both over the Rossi, mostly due to fit, the Rossi length of pull is too short for me other wise they seem like decent guns.

My Marlin 44 mag with my Super Blackhawk 44 mag.




 

I'm in the same situation / quandary.
Are you going to scope it? The Marlin or Henry have solid-topped receivers already drilled and tapped, thus are better choices for scoping.
Are you going to shoot cast bullets? The Marlin's microgroove rifling can be a bit more fussy about shooting cast bullets well.
Are you going to shoot heavyweights? Both the Marlin and Henry have 1:38 rifling twist, while the Rossi is a bit quicker at 1:30. Ideally, they'd all be rifled 1:20, but that's not happening any time soon. The difference between 1:30 and 1:38 twist is probably more theoretical than real, but "conventional wisdom" holds that the Marlin and Henry may have trouble stabilizing bullets heavier than 270 gr., while the Rossi might be good for 300 gr.
You already know about the QC issues with "Remlins" and the occasional Rossi.
You already know about the issues (real or imagined) with the Henry's tube loading.

Since I intend to shoot 270gr cast almost exclusively, and want to maximize handiness (irons only) and minimize weight, my not-yet-set-in-stone order of desirability is Rossi / Henry / Marlin. But I'd still like more guidance from those who have lived with them for a while.

Marlin would be my first choice and is . I saw an older very nice used one locally for around $675 . This is the direction I would go. The post above covers the differences perfectly .

Rossi is lighter, slimmer, and a bigger pain to dis and re-assemble. (because it's a Winchester 1892)

Marlin is heavier, clunkier, easier to take apart, and better for mounting a scope.

Henry is heavy, ugly, and has no loading gate.

I have a Rossi in .357 and .44 mag.  Absolutely love both guns.

I bought my son a Marlin.............................. I wouldn't waste my piss on it if it were on fire.






But that's just my opinion.

This will be iron sights only, leaning towards Rossi. Any issue with shooting 44spl in it?

Don't know ....... never have.

They might not feed too well, so it might be better to stick to the full length case.

I have a Rossi 16 inch and a new Marlin.  Both cycle special ammo fine and build quality on mine are comparable.  

Marlin: heavier and padded butt makes it  more comfortable for max power handloads.   Easier to mount a scope or different sights on.  
Rossi:  small and light.  Much cheaper.  16 inch barrel is much more compact. Factory ammo is still comfortable for all day shooting.

I Wouldn't sell either.  If I had to pick one and price wasn't a factor I would go with whichever one I could see in person, both have reports on the interweb of lemons, so I would avoid buying sight unseen if possible.  

Octagon barrel Rossi has a longer length of pull it the round barrel is too short for you.  I have also noticed a significant  variationin trigger pull in the Rossis I've fondled in stores.

Edit: new Marlins all have cut rifling barrels.  Micro groove went away when production moved to Remington factory.

Mine takes 44 spl no problem.  Have about 400 rds through it from various manufacturers.

Find an older JM marked Marlin with Ballard rifling.  I have a 1894CB Limited in .44 mag/.44 special and I love it.  Very accurate.

My Rossi '92 in .44 Mag is a lot of fun.  I've never been a lever gun guy, but I am a gun guy and a history buff, so the '92 model appealed to me.  I got the long barreled version- 24" iirc.  It is a blast.  My cast handloads, using Missouri Bullets 240 gr. hard cast bullets, shoot like a dream, and my lever gun buddies agree that the action works great.  It's easy to shoot from the shoulder while cycling the action.

Funny, that is my experience also, as well as my opinion.

I own a older Marlin .It is the "cowboy" model with the octagon barrel with the cut Ballard rifling . Very nice rifle , great fit and finish . This works well with cast bullets , I have used both 200gr and 240gr . I have read the twist is unsuitable for anything above 240 in weight but have not tried . Love the power , my warm pistol loads are 240s with 2400 powder are very accurate in both pistol and rifle , about 1150 in my 6 1/2" S&W and over 1800fps in the Marlin .

The standard marlins have "micro grove" and work well with jacketed but are more difficult to develop good cast bullet loads for .

My marlin is listed for both 44spl and 44 mag but doesn't feed 44 spl worth a darn (because of length?) . Not a issue for me as I reload and have a 44spl equivalent load that I load in 44mag cases.

I am not at all a fan of Rossi handguns but I do like my 357 levergun. I grabbed this used and it has some wear but I don't believe the finish was ever as good as the older Marlins but the feeding and function is all one could ask from a lever . I shoot a wide variety of loads in both 357 and 38 cases and it feeds them all well. Some real sharp semi-wadcutter bullets are a bit rough but they will still feed fairly well , if you want a lever to function real smooth just stick with rounder bullet profiles .

The "new" Marlins made in NY don't impress me much . Beware used guns , the early NY production was horrible . The more recent Marlins are supposed to be usable but fit and finish is not so hot .


My advise would be to search out a older Marlin with rifling to match ammo you plan to use . Cut rifling for cast bullets or stick with jacketed , plated or coated with micro-grove . For a new gun Rossi is good to go .

Honestly I don't know lots about the Henry , I guess I could live with the tube loading but they look difficult to mount optics or appeture sights and with my old man eyes I can't see regular irons well .

Do the centerfire Henry guns have the plastic internals that the rimfire Henry's have?

I have the Rossi 16" carbine.  Fun to shoot.  Top eject so if you ever decided to put a scope on it you would need a scout setup as the ejecting brass would be blocked by a scope mounted over the ejection port.

Ordered a 16in 44mag Rossi. Should be in Tuesday.

I bought my 16 in 357 Rossi sight unseen from buds.  I did a brake cleaner flush and lube,   cut a few inches off the Mag spring and demurred the loading gate.  
The only disassembly was the stocks and Mag tube.

Also hated the sights. That's a work in progress.  Trying fire sights today.    

All in all I like it.

FWIW, I bought a "Remlin" 1894 in 44 mag several months ago. Fit and finish are very good. The action cycles smoothly  and it had fed every type of ammo I've fed it without issue to date. I honestly can't say the quality is that far off from the one I had many years ago. Overall I'm pleased with the quality.

It has arrived. No problem cycling snap caps. Fit and finish feel good.

Mine does fine with special loads, but has had issues in the past with the magazine tube coming loose with heavier loads.

Rossi, some are gtg out of box some need a bit of tinkering. Check out rossirifleman.com for the pre buy checklists if you can buy it in person and inspect it. Rossi 92 rifles can be made beautiful, and are cheap enough so you don't cry when scratched. I think the marlins are great and if you can afford one then great. but me I love my rossi it only took a tad bit of tuning to dial here in. This is my R92 rossi in .357 and she is slick and accurate. With a fast improvised paracord sling I rigged as demonstration.

Marlin is the better quality rifle but the Rossi isn't far behind.  Marlin better for scope.  Rossi looks better and more nostalgic and feels like a real Winchester 92.  If you get the Rossi have the action tuned up and you will have a keeper.  It's a favorite of Cowboy action shooters.  If I were buying one I would go with the Rossi myself.

Love my Rossi 16" barrel 44 mag,  no regrets other than I wanted SS to match my Super Blackhawk
My Rossi eats everything I feed it, 44 special or mag what ever

If I come across a  SS model at fair price I get another

I agree with the top two above me. hard to beat the deal of decent Rossi if you know what to watch for. Keep us posted to what you get and how it works out for you. I agree if I come across a ss r92. I will buy it as it will get polished to match my vaquero.

I have a Marlin 1894S in 44 Mag. Bought it used from a coworker that tried it one year for deer hunting. he was about 5'6" and 100 lb. A few shots with it and he was ready to get rid of it. Been mine since about '93 or so. I love that rifle.

Ordered a 44 Rossi today 20 inch round barrel stainless.

 Most people don't realize it, but the SAAMI o.a.l. .44 Special is .005" longer than that of the .44 Magnum. (1.615" vs. 1.610")