Rossi 92 hangs up with 44 mag cartridges

[SFC]

My Rossi 92 (has an action job and is very smooth) hangs up when loading a 44 mag cartridge.  What I mean is the cartridge seems a slightly too long and hangs up - you really have to force it in the barrel.  I have tried several brands of ammo and most don't hang up, but comes very close.  Others simply hang up because, I believe, the cartridges are too long.  I have a moderate amount of experience with lever action rifles and I know you are supposed to operate the lever like a man and not "sissy" like.

I have about 350 rounds of 44 mag (Magtech, American Eagle) ammo and have thought about filing the nose down a bit for a smoother loading or selling my current supply and buying slightly shorter rounds.  Will removing some lead from the nose affect accuracy, if I remove it uniformly?  Please give me your thoughts.  Thanks

[Abilene]

I think trying to shorten the lead bullet in every round you shoot would be an exercise in frustration.  And yeah, it would be very difficult to do this and not affect accuracy, without using machinery (just my opinion - never tried it). 

But most '92's have the opposite problem.  They like ammo at max OAL and choke on shorter rounds, like running .38's in a .357.  Did the rifle already have the action job when you bought it?  I'm wondering if it was set up to run .44 Spcls?  I would try some of those to see how they feed.  If you do need to stick with magnum brass, it can be reloaded with the bullet seated deeper, as long as you get a good crimp into the bullet so it doesn't sink deeper into the case under magazine spring pressure.

[Trailrider]

Are the rounds you have trouble with factory or handloads? HOW are the rounds hanging up? Is it failing to feed, with the bullet nose catching on the breech end of the chamber? Or is it a matter of closing hard when the round is almost chambered? If certain factory rounds are catching as they try to enter the breech end of the chamber, then the shape of the bullet may have something to do with it. You may need to stick with the factory rounds that don't have a problem. If your handloads are having the problem, you may need to switch to a shorter-nosed bullet. What weight bullets are you using? I shoot a 213.5 gr (nominal 210 gr.) in my .44 Magnum Rossi, the same bullet I use in my .44-40 Rossi.  If you handload, you may need to trim you brass back a bit, and seat the bullet deeper. A firm roll crimp will keep the bullet from backing into the case, but you will need to have a bullet that has a crimp groove in the right place. Hope this helps.

[SFC]

The rounds are factory loads.......the nose of the bullet hangs up on the inside of the breech roof.  The round seems to be at too steep of an angle to enter the breech.  I may try some 180 grain rounds next.....have been using 240 grains. 

[cpt dan blodgett]

My 92 Rossi circa 1995 did not like to feed 240 SWC very well either.  I found it did help a lot if I put a good roll crimp on them.  To me good meant the straight rough front edge of the case had to be crimped enough that the chamber had a rounded edge running against it.  205 round nose flat points fed much better.  Your original post did not state if the bullets were SWC or RNFP.

[Trailrider]

Master Craft Bullets is showing a 205 gr. bullet that looks similar to the ones I used to order (have had a sufficient number for quite awhile) that were listed as 210 gr (213.5 gr actual weight). Their website says not to use them in M1866 or M1873, but if its the same bullet, I've used them in my Navy Arms Henry. They work fine in my Rossi .44 Mangle-em, as well as one in .44-40.