RE: availability of a 357 rifle
Marlin puts out a few .357mag rifles, the 1894C is the non-cowboy model, these can be had for $300-800...Rossi puts out the Rossi Puma .357mag, ~$400...Winchester puts out a few .357mag Win. 94's (although I HIGHLY recommend against them!!), ~$300-600...AWA puts out a repro Colt Lightning in .38Spcl (**A pump gun), ~$750 and Taurus is planning to put out a "Thunderbolt" rifle of the same design in .357mag or .38spcl in 2006 last I heard...Uberti puts out reproduction Henry, Winchester 1866, and Winchester 1873 rifles in .357mag, .44-40, and .45colt, these run between ~$750 and $1300, and are absolutely outstanding...H&R 1871 puts out a .44mag (ok, not quite .357mag) single shot that can be had for about $125 last I knew...I also believe that the T/C Encore rifle can be had in .357mag.
Of course, the above prices are for new guns, I bought a Win 94 trapper (BIG MISTAKE) for $150 in pretty new condition once, and I bought a Marlin 1894 for $180 in like new shape two years ago in .357mag.
I think you, like most guys that want a .357mag rifle, just want a fun plinking "toy", and don't want to pay rifle prices for it...good used Marlins can be found (harder and harder because of Cowboy action shooting) for pretty cheap in the right places.