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Old July 19, 2018, 11:28 PM   #1
Bucksnort1
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Lever Gun

I bought my first lever gun in .357. It is a Rossi. I wanted it for burning up a bunch of ammo. My question is. Is it accurate to say this rifle can take more pressure than a .357 revolver? In all the years I've been reloading, I don't recall seeing separate recipes for rifles (except maybe cowboy shooting) or for any rifle shooting a handgun cartridge.
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Old July 20, 2018, 01:49 AM   #2
Model12Win
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NO.

Don't do it. It is not accurate to say that. Follow normal .357 reloading procedures.
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Old July 20, 2018, 06:52 AM   #3
2damnold4this
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I certainly wouldn't go over published data. If you want more power than a .357 in a rifle, get a .44 magnum.
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Old July 20, 2018, 07:31 AM   #4
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Yes, maybe.

I think the Hornady manual has separate loads for rifle-level loads, and Hodgdon's online data does, too. In some cases the data is the same because it is probably at max SAAMI levels. I would not stray beyond published data.
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Old July 20, 2018, 08:03 AM   #5
Drm50
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I don't know if I would use loads hotter than standard in a Rossi. Marlin or win
different story.
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Old July 20, 2018, 08:14 AM   #6
ligonierbill
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Hornady does indeed have sections for both rifle and revolver, and they tested in a Rossi 92. Guess what! For most bullet/powder combinations, the charges are lower for the rifle!

Think about it. A revolver, even the Colt Python they tested, has a cylinder gap that will tend to drop the pressure a little bit. Rifle chamber has no such thing. Also, the bullets themselves are designed for a certain velocity range. The Hornady testers got plenty of velocity out of the 16" rifle barrel.

The '92 action is pretty strong, but the effect of running overpressure rounds will be cumulative. You won't blow it up, but you may well ruin it over several years.
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Old July 20, 2018, 10:24 AM   #7
Bucksnort1
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I am just curious and had no plans to stray from published loads. I will use my revolver load data I've used for years.
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Old July 20, 2018, 10:40 AM   #8
Bill DeShivs
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The Rossi rifle was/is made in some calibers much more powerful than.357!
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Old July 20, 2018, 11:13 AM   #9
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With published data and factory loads you will already get around 400fps more velocity than from a handgun. How much more power do you need?

And like Bill stated the gun has been chambered in more powerful rounds so yes you could probably increase the power a bit but to what end? If the loads you are using now won't kill what you are shooting at do you think another 100-150fps will make it better? I doubt it.

Just enjoy it for what it is. My Marlin is my favorite of all my guns.
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Old July 21, 2018, 08:55 AM   #10
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I don't actually believe that the two lugs and slotted action provide a terribly strong lockup. Lock the thing in a rest, slide a rod down the barrel, give the rod a sharp tap. Watch the action twitch like a frightened squirrel.

I don't think that the thing will kaboom, but imo, the fact is that the thing isn't a terribly strong action, and it may stretch and warp after a long run of rounds that are past maximum.

The revolver is pretty simple and strong as a rock. The cylinder does nothing but hold the round in place against a monolithic breech block, and contain the discharging powder. The rossi barrel shouldn't blow out, it's heavy enough to support the round. It would take a heavy, heavy round to blow the action out. the dual bars can take the pressures and energy that a .357 can generate. excessively high loads still and probably will eventually blow primers, stretch the action parts, put unnatural wear on load bearing parts.


But in any case, IIRC, the strongest loads possible for a .357 are with 296, and that is almost a crushed load. Trying to pump fullest possible velocities out of a faster burning powder is futile and kind of dangerous in any situation. So, my point is, that the fastest possible round in a .357 may be already possible with a 296/2400 load?
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Old July 21, 2018, 09:18 AM   #11
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using 158 grain bullets, a check of hodgdon data shows 4227 and 110 all three generating about 1,700 fps at about 40,000 with about 16 grains of any of those three powders.

Any of the other listed powders top out at about 1,200 fps with pressures about 1K lower. Load data is about the same for both rifle and handgun. It's thought by some that you can't generate dangerous pressures with 110, but why would you trust that?

My thoughts are that you should use 110 at the full load capacity with a 158 grain bullet if you want a powerful load. You cannot generate an equivalent load safely with other powders. the rifle will be able to handle those pressures as they are within saami specifications.
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Old July 21, 2018, 02:38 PM   #12
Bucksnort1
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briandg,

Thank you for this information.

Other responders. I could have purchased this gun in 44 magnum, for which I load, or another more powerful cartridge but I wanted .357 to burn up a lot of ammunition I have and will load in the future. The rifle is for fun and plinking and I'm sure it's powerful enough to kill any paper target. I'm at that age where I need to think about what to do with all my reloading components. One thing I can do is have fun shooting. I don't want to burden my daughter and her husband with trying to figure out what all this is worth. There will still be a lot of components for them to worry about.
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Old July 21, 2018, 03:26 PM   #13
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Quote:
I don't actually believe that the two lugs and slotted action provide a terribly strong lockup.
I have no idea where you came up with that information but the Rossi has been chambered in some very stout rounds including the 454 Casull round. And its a scaled down version of the Winchester model 1886 that was chambered in many large bore rounds including the 45-70 and is known as a strong action.

Read the last line in the third paragraph.

http://www.gunblast.com/SteveYoung.htm

Here is some information on the 454 round the Rossi has been chambered in. I don't think you have to worry too much about wrecking your gun with higher pressure loads. I don't see the point in over pressure loads but the gun platform is plenty strong.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.454_Casull
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Old July 21, 2018, 03:44 PM   #14
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I found this article you might like. The site this came from is a good place to spend some time if lever actions turn your crank.

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/rossi.htm
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Old July 23, 2018, 07:14 AM   #15
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Quote:
I have no idea where you came up with that information but the Rossi has been chambered in some very stout rounds including the 454 Casull round. And its a scaled down version of the Winchester model 1886 that was chambered in many large bore rounds including the 45-70 and is known as a strong action.
The Winchester 92 action is more robust than the Marlin 1894 action, because of the locking bars. The 1886 is a whole 'nuther animal altogether... it is simply bigger and stronger than it's peer, the Marlin 1895.
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Old July 23, 2018, 08:58 AM   #16
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My question is WHY?
These posts always make me scratch my head, and maybe even laugh a bit.
I bought a new gun chambered in "X". Can I build up handloads exceeding recommended maximum pressure because I didn't buy a gun chambered in "Y".
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