Todays replica rifles

[E.J.W.]

I own a new Cimmaron 1892 replica in 44 mag. I read on another site this past weekend that any replica arms should only be fired with the same "power" loads as the original production arms were intended for. I took this to mean that I should not try to run any loads hotter than 1000fps (lead) through the gun. I thought the modern replicas would withstand jacketed high velocity loads? Hopefully some one can shed some truthfull light on this subject.
Thanks.

[Don H]

Does the owner's manual specify what loads are safe for the rifle?

[DPris]

It depends on the replica.
Replica Henry, 1866, and 1873 rifles still use the relatively (note I said RELATIVELY) weak toggle action of the originals that worked fine with the original loads & their pressure equivalents.
You'll find .357 versions of these, but even with modern steels I would not push them too far.
The 1892 was a completely different action, and much stronger.
The 92 replicas are being made by more than one maker (talking maker, not importer), and overal quality has been variable.
I've found the Brazilian Rossi 92s to generally be rough inside, but more reliable than the Italian 92 versions I've tried.
I'm not familiar with which maker Cimarron's using for their 92s, but the Rossi guns have been chambered successfully in magnum calibers & they even produce a version in .454 Casul. Cimarron typically contracts for the higher grade Italian imports (each importer cuts their own deal with the same makers), and I'd imagine that if the gun in question is chambered for .44 Magnums, it should safely fire them. It's a combination of design and materials; the design can handle magnums & I doubt either the maker or Cimarron would be interested in selling a gun that wouldn't hold up to the pressures that people will inevitably shoot in it.

Long answer to a short question. :)
Denis

[E.J.W.]

Thanks for the replies.
Don,
no, the manual does not specify anything other than use only the correct ammo/caliber for the rifle.
Dennis,
Uberti is the current maker/importer of the Cimarron. I have sent my question into Cimarron's customer service dept.
I shoot with a friend who has a Winchester Trails End in 44mag. He has put jacketed loads through his Winchester with no issues. His reply when I asked him..."It's an American made Winchester"

Thanks

[DPris]

Didn't know Uberti was making 92s now.
Good bet to check with Cimarron's CS department.
And, you can shoot .357 & .44 Magnums through the domestic Winchester 94s till your arms drop off. :)
Denis

[CraigC]

What Denis said.

The 1892 is the strongest leveraction design this side of the 1886, its daddy. In a modern reproduction the .45Colt can withstand loads that will turn a big Ruger into shrapnel, up to 50,000CUP. I'll leave it to you to find the load data. ;)

[44 AMP]

Factory chambered in .44 Mag? Then the "proper ammunition" is .44 Magnum. There is no question about the old design, or the steels it is made of. The maker has taken care of that worry for you. If they chamber it in .44 mag, it is safe to shoot with .44 Mag, or the maker is liable, the same as with any other gun. And and all factory made .44 Mag ammo should be safe to use in that gun. And it will handle all reasonable handloads. And by reasonable I mean up to factory pressures. Go beyond that and you are entirely on your own.

As a general rule, with reproduction guns, it is best not to exceed the specs of the ammo they are made for. In other words, don't try and turn your clone SAA chambered in .44-40 into a .44 mag. Bad things can happen if you try that. But if the factory chambers it in .44 mag, then go ahead and shoot it at that power level. Rifles have a larger safety margin, but you can exceed that in some situations. Maybe your rifle will take it, and maybe it won't. Do you really need to find out?

If you really want to hot rod an old cartridge, the best (and safest) way to do it is in a modern designed firearm, made of quality modern steel, and chambered for the old cartridge. A good example is a Ruger No.1 or No.3 rifle, chambered in .45-70. There you can load up to the safe working limits of the rifle and the brass, which is considerably more than the original factory loadings in velocity AND pressure, to the point of being dangerously unsafe to fire in an old gun, or even modern reproductions of old guns.

[Hawg]

The Rossi 92 can take it. I have one in 44-40 and I can load it to .44 mag pressures but the brass doesn't last long because it's so thin.

[CraigC]

I'd suggest doing some reading over on Leverguns.com if you want some insight into what these guns are capable of.

[Webleymkv]

If the rifle is chambered in .44 Magnum then it's a pretty safe bet that it'll run with any .44 Magnum ammo made by the big three (Winchester, Remington, or Federal) so I'd either shoot factory ammo in that range or keep my reloads in that range.

[gak]

Armi Sport/Chiappa is the maker for all Cimarron and Taylor imported 92s. Talk to Steve Young, aka Nate Kiowa Jones at http://www.stevesgunz.com about these - he likes 'em but has some internal parts reservations, which he has and can address. He also hangs out at www.leverguns.com frequently and you can catch him (and others knowledgeable) there. Otherwise DPris had it down pat.