Why not a Puma 1892???

[Professor Honeyfuggler]

I sense that it is time for a musical interlude...

"She got a .38 Special but I believe it's most too light
"She got a .38 Special but I believe it's most too light
"Take my .32-20 now, and cut her half in two"

                        ".32-20 Blues" - Robert Johnson

Y'all dance now.

[Little Henry]

Well, I bought the 1892 (.45lc) and I shot it for the first time today.  It shot great without any problems.  After purchasing, I tore it completely down and used a fine stone to smooth it out a bit.  I didn't change the springs.  The receiver and bolt had a lot of rough and sharp edges.  After 3 hours of work, I oiled her up and reassembled.  Reassembling was more difficult than I expected, but I figured it out.  The extractor was especially difficult to keep in the bolt and pain in my ***.  In all, the carbine cost me $390 and is definitely worth the price. 

Use a dummy shell when you reassemble to hole the extractor in.  Makes it alot easier.

[ol' poke]

Dang!  This IS an old post.  Maybe the '92 has improved over the years......

IMHO, the '92 is the best bang for the buck!  I bought an EMF Hartford 24" Octagonal from NKJ 2-3 years back.  The ONLY time I had a misfeed or stovepipe was after I disassembled and reassembled and didn't put the cartridge stop spring back in correctly.  I fixed that and have not had a misfeed or stovepipe since.  I shoot ONLY blackpowder and thus hand load - OAL has never been a concern or problem.  In fact, I never even measure it, I just press the bullet in to the crimp groove and forget it.  She shoots what I feed her and hits where I aim her.  As far as difficulty in dissassembly/reassembly, Maurauder's website has instructions and shows the trick of using a spent cartridge for keeping the extractor tied together with the bolt.  It ain't all that difficult (just be sure to put the cartridge stop spring back in correctly!  )

Doan' git NO better 'an that!

Merry Christmas y'all!

ol' poke

[WyrTwister]

I planned on buying a Puma 1892 from a local gunshop on the 1st of May.  I sent an e-mail to a gunsmith for tuning (well known cowboy action gunsmith), and he recommend I not buy a 1892.  He said he'd pass on it and get a Marlin, because it was a better rifle.  I am not going to use it for cowboy action shooting, but for plinking and maybe hunting.  It probably wouldn't need an action job, because it feels alright to me now (seemed like a solid rifle with excellent wood to metal fit).  I am now kinda hesitant about picking it up now.  I am sure the Marlin may be the better deal, but I prefer the old look of the 1892.  What gives?  After reading some posts on this forum and others, some hate the Rossi 1892 and others love them. 

     I have Marlins and Rossis .  If you ever plan to scope it , get the Marlin .  Otherwise I sure do like my 2 Rossis ( .357 Mag & .45 LC ) .

God bless
Wyr

[kcub]

my .44 Chiappa Puma was junk

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,32150.msg443550.html#msg443550

[Camille Eonich]

my .44 Chiappa Puma was junk

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,32150.msg443550.html#msg443550

My Rossi was too and it came from "The '92 man" and went back to him several times.  For hunting or something where speed doesn't count go for it.  It you never plan to  have under a 20 second rifle run then go for it.  There's a reason that you don't see them in the hands of top shooters any more and short stroking of '63s and '77s are a very small part of that.

[WyrTwister]

I also learned from experimentation that small details like cartridge length and bullet shape in the cartridges made big differences in the reliability of different guns, especially shooting .38 Special in a .357 rifle. And I tried everything I could get my hands on. Took up handloading so I could try different combinations that I couldn't buy off the shelf (and also to have real lead bullet cartridges to shoot when none were available at the dealers). One day another old hand showed me the "lever action rifle" .38 Special loads he shoots (.38 special brass loaded bullet high to nearly .357 overall length), and it all clicked in. Most factory loads are a bit shorter than the max design length allowed by the industry standard, which is 1.55" For example I just miked two name brands of .38 Special round nose, and one averages 1.46" long and the other is 1.49" That's about 1/16" shorter than they could be. And that 1/16" makes them feed less reliably in a lever gun, especially in one chambered for the longer (1.59") .357 cartridge. That's one of the secrets of why the older model "yellow boys" chambered for .38 Special seem like more relaible guns, as long as you disregard all the other issues they have. They're using length appropriate loads, so they load smoothly..

The second biggie is bullet shape. Flat nose round points are traditional, and seem to be the most common for CAS lever guns, but flat point conical (or truncated cone) seem to feed a little easier, and factory cartridges with that shape, such as the Black Hills Cowboy line, seem to enjoy a good reputation. I'm no Elmer Keith, but I've noticed that these little things do add up. I decided not to load all the way up to .357 length because it limits magazine capacity in my gun to 8 or 9 rounds, but loading to 1.54" with flat top conicals works like a charm.

And to give full disclosure, I'm not a high speed "gamer" and never will be. I just love the cameraderie and the "bang and clang" of CAS shooting. And I'm mostly shooting in competition with myself. I concentrate on trying to shoot clean matches and trying to betteri my previous stage times, so absolute maximum top speed is not even on my radar. Minimum equipment hassle on the range is.

So that's why I chose the '92.

And as always, your mileage may vary.

     I load both a 230 grain RNL ( .45 ACP mold ) and 200 & 255 grain RNFP bullets in .45 LC .  Mostly because that is the molds I have .  They feed fine in the .45 LC Rossi  .

     I load RNL in .44 Mag for the Marlin .44 Mag .  It does not much like the SWC's I used to cast for the wheel gun .

      I load RNL in .357 Mag & .38 Special brass for the Rossie .357 Mag .  It does not much like the SWC's I used to cast for the wheel gun .

     I seat and crimp the RNL bullets in the groove closest to the bullet nose , in .357 brass .

      I have 10-20 times as much .38 brass as I do .357 brass .   I seat the RNL bullet one grove further back ( closer to the base of the bullet ) with .38 brass .  This gives me an OAL ~ that of the ammo loaded in .357 brass .  Feeds better that way .

     So , my experience has lead me to the same conclusion as you have described .

     I did try some factory .38 Specials loadsed with 125 grain Flat Point FMJ bullets .  Feeding was acceptable / workable .



God bless
Wyr

     

[Camille Eonich]

The off topic post were split from this thread and moved to the appropriate forum.

Please try to stay on topic.   

[Holden A. Grudge]

I love my rossi 92.  Partly because it is one I had on had before I started so naturaly it is what I started with.  I did have it slicked up a little.  It is .357 and I shoot factory .38 out of it.  I have found that pretty much any RNFP or truncated cone will feed without issue.  The only ammo I have had a problem with is full RN. (yes I know RN in a tubular magazine is not a great idea).

This rifle has served me really well and although I am no speed demon, I haven't outrun it yet.

[dogngun]

I had an old Rossi Puma '92 in .357 magnum about 10 years ago. Great, handy rifle, handled .38 Spls and magnum loads with no problems, fast and slick action...I was foolish enough to trade it, and I think I will get a new one later this summer for my 64th birthday...I  seem to be concentrating on all .38 and .357 in my old age, and all the Rossi' guns I have owned over the years have been first rate.

I carry a Rossi DA revolver every day while my Smiths stay home.

mark

[joec]

I have the Rossi 92 with hard case finish, 20" octagon barrel in 45LC. All I've done to it is go with http://www.stevesgunz.com/ spring and magazine plug in metal instead of the plastic one. I also in the kit with the CD and did a bit of the smoothing out but not some of the other things he does. Mine shoots excellent and is more accurate than I am. For a gun that cost me $412 new in the box I love it.

[cpt dan blodgett]

I have 2 rossi 92s  One a 20 inch blued carbine I bought in 1995.  It came out of the box really stiff.  I used to shoot 245 grain semi wad cutters out of it in both 44 mag and 44 special.  The rifle did not to feed rounds with out a pretty good crimp,  otherwise the front of the case would drag on the chamber.  The rifle feeds 200 grain flat point round nose bullets very well in 44 mag, but if that bullet is put in a 44 spec case the rounds get thown out the top when the elevator flips up.  This did not occur with the longer 245 grainers.

The old rifle slicked itself up over time.  My biggest problem is the old rossi rifles had a .429 bore that was then rifled in my case ended up with a .434 or .435 depending on how the slug was measured.  Had trouble with rounds key holing at 50 yards for sure.  3 - 4 inch groups at 25 yards from a rest.  Have considered sending it to braztec to get rebarrelled but have found that if I shoot deparado soft lead bullets the rifle will shoot 5 -6 inch groups at 100 yards, not a tack driver but well within SASS requirements.

My other is a 24 inch octogon barrelled I bought from Nate Kiowa Jones.  Really slick and it shoots 3 -4 inchs at 100 which is minute of heart on a deer.

Rossis eject better if you open the lever like you mean it vs kinda easing it forward.