Rossi / Puma Question

[AMT8951]

Whats the deal with thw Win 92 Clones from Rossi and Puma? Are they the same guns? Are they any good?

[kiov]

I'm no expert, but i have the rossi. it's a nice gun and shoots to point of aim. i think for the price its a good deal. no problems at all. i did have mine slicked up for cowboy shooting and added an old-style peep site. it helps alot for my rather poor eyesight.

[PetahW]

[Whats the deal with thw Win 92 Clones from Rossi and Puma? Are they the same guns? Are they any good?]

South American Model 92 clone maker Rossi used to brand some of the rifles they made "Puma" for their at-the-time US importer LSI/Legacy, who owns the name "Puma".

Last year, in Italy, Chiappa (formerly Armi Sport, IIRC) started to make their own Model 92 clone, but with a higher finish than Rossi's, at 2x the price.
Chiappa guns are sold in the US by several outlets, like Taylor's, etc.

US company LSI/Legacy has started to buy some of the Italian Model 92's, having them branded with the name they already owned - "Puma"

So, you see, they're the same in the sense that they're all Winchester Model 92 clones, yet they're still different from each other.

Whether or not they're any good, is a subjective opinion - both my Rossi's have been perfect as issued, but not all buyers/users have had the same experience - which is why the Model 92 gunsmiths/upgraders are earning a good living.

YMMV.

.

[gak]

What others have said. Rossi 92s have been around since the 70s--initially imported by Interarms and that's where the "Puma" moniker started. Mid stream, some Interarms saddle ring carbines even had puma emblems on the receiver by the ring.


LSI started importing them as "Pumas" in the 90s when Interarms ceased, and brought us the danged safety atop the receiver. Around the same time as LSI (close enough) EMF and Navy Arms started importing them too with an "1892" name as well as "Hartford" (EMF), both without the mostly unloved safety and with better sights, especially on the carbines. Alas, EMF was "forced" to add the safety mid-2006, and Navy Arms got out of the '92 business the same year.


Many new 92s or "Pumas" you find online or the shelves are still new-old-stock Legacy (LSI) guns, though some retailers may be terming any Rossi 92 a "Puma" regardless.


I believe Rossi (actually Taurus/Braztech) uniquely is shipping brand new "Rossi" labeled 92s now. EMF may still list some 1892s, but once gone, they're gone (at least the Rossi made variety).


All my 92s are Interarms and EMF pre-safety, and have been great fun, reliable and accurate guns. Some periods had better wood or finishes than others, and some early ones were a bit stiff of (initial) action, but they've all ultimately been pretty good. All of course have the great/strong Winchester 1892-patterned action.

[smee78]

"Mid stream, some Interarms saddle ring carbines even had puma emblems on the receiver by the ring."

I just put one of these in 357 on layway at my local dealer yesterday and was curious about the cat emblem on it, now I know. I cant wait to get it off of law-a-way and get to shooting.

[oldcars]

I have an Interarms/Puma/Rossi in 357 with the goofy cat medallion on the side and besides that I love it! One of my favorite guns. With 38 specials it's quiet enough to use on varmints without ear protection and not regret it, never failed me in any way with hand loads or factory ammo, and with .38 special rounds you can just barely extract a spent casing and close the action easily on an empty chamber which is handy for packing it around. Great little guns! I just got a Winchester 1892 parts gun in 25-20 and I hope that when I get it put back together I like it half as much as the "copy"!

[eastbank]

i had a rossie 44mag in the puma model and it was a nightmare, rough as a cobb with feeding problems, i took it apart so meny time i,m a semi expert of the 1892 desing,i sold it and swore i would never own another. however a older rossie in 44-40 imported by navy arms(real walnut and ex blueing) was offered to me with a money back offer if i didn,t like it. this rifle has worked from day one without a bobble in over 1000 rounds. eastbank.

[blume357]

where is the best place to down load the take down and apart and clean instructions for one of these?

I have an Interarms one in 357 mag... no ring or cat emblem on it.

It like 357 mag but is a little finicky 'loading' with 38s.

Really really nice rifle that shoots better than I ever will.

[eastbank]

they take down just like a 1892 win.,i no longer take my lever actions down to clean them unless it,s realy needed(new rifle or if some thing broke). take the butt stock off and clean by spraying a good airosol scrubber into the open action and then work the action to move the loosened partical and then spray again to get the partical out. after that(let scrubber evaporate) lightly lube. i have over 1000 rounds thru my 44-40 and have only taken it apart once,right after i bought it with no problems at all. eastbank.

[smee78]

Blume 357 you may want to check out this sight, I have not used it but it looks like it covers all the bases.

http://marauder.homestead.com/Rifles.html

[wnycollector]

where is the best place to down load the take down and apart and clean instructions for one of these?

http://www.stevesgunz.com/dvd.htm

I have a puma 20" .44 mag. It s a very nice gun for the money (last fall it cost me ~$360 otd NIB). After ~500 rounds it has smoothed out nicely. With lightly loaded LSWC's is easy on the shoulder and pretty accurate. Loaded with buffalobore's 305gr ammo in breaks 1800fps My only upgrade is a barrel mounted peep sight from Skinner sights. I like the rifle so much that I am on the lookout for a .357 16" carbine!

[Hawg]

Mine is an older Rossi 44-40 imported by Interarms. The action was a little rough when I got it but I filled it with white lithium grease and worked it a couple of hours and it slicked right up.

[eastbank]

here is what my older navy arms 92 short rifle in 44-40 with original lyman tank sight(20" oct. barrel,with no safety) looks like. i have done nothing to it since i bought it but add the sight and sling and i have fired at least 1000 reloads thru it with out a bobble. i would like to buy one in 38-40 if one was to be had. i have original 1892,s in 25-20,32,20,38-40 and 44-40,but i only hunt deer with the larger calibures and only shoot them to check zero before hunting season. eastbank.

[Nevmavrick]

I'm one of those guys that think the factory never builds what I want, but come close. I'm a fan of the M92 Win, but prefer the Winchester way, order what you want: pistol-grip or straight stock, octagonal, 1/2-round, or round barrel, 1/2, 3/4, or full magazine, whatever barrel-length, and several, optional sights, not to mention several calibers. I realize that's WAY to expensive for the factories to produce, so I have to figure out how to get my "order" in...my way.
I came across a Rossi(Puma) .357 that someone with similar ideas had, and was
able to get it.
The other guy liked the shotgun stock better, so cut off the "horns" of the "blackpowder" stock, and installed a recoil-pad, so it wouldn't "skitter" across the floor when put behind the kitchen door.(I'll get flamed for THAT one)
He also liked, like me, the 1/2 mag, so cut it at the front of the forestock. It holds 5 rounds.
I prefer a slightly longer barrel, so will be installing a 21" tube, shortly. I've already got the Lyman tang sight.
The final step...I came across a deal on a .256 Mag reamer, so I will soon have the modern version of the .25/20 WCF without ruining a collectible.
If you have a slightly different idea of what a rifle/carbine SHOULD be, this is a good place to start, especially if you can do part/all of the work yourself.
Have fun,
Gene

[kiwi56]

I bought a lever action Rossi in 357mag and quickly followed that with another in 44mag, for limited range say under 200 yards they are ecellent loads of fun to shoot and an excellent home defence Weapon. Mine were both accurate enough to hit a 6 inch diameter steel gong at 170 metres with ten consecutive shots and on paper have been able to put five into two inches at 100 metres

[blume357]

what I needed to know was two things.

Is the 'Puma' mentioned the exact as a winchester 1892?

Also my Interarms Lever action 38spl -357 mag is a model #92 SRC it doesn't say or show a puma anywhere on it. The guy at the gun show I bought it from claimed it was a 'Puma made in Brazil' I presume this is so, but no where on the rifle does it say "made in.... anywhere." or imported or such.

[eastbank]

they are not 1892 win,s, but are close. that being said, some parts may be fitted to a win 92 but the just never sound or feel like a win 92,but then they cost only a fraction of what a nice 92 win would cost. i like mine in 44-40. top rifle is a 92 win in 32-20. eastbank.

[gak]

Blume357 said:
Also my Interarms Lever action 38spl -357 mag is a model #92 SRC it doesn't say or show a puma anywhere on it. The guy at the gun show I bought it from claimed it was a 'Puma made in Brazil' I presume this is so, but no where on the rifle does it say "made in.... anywhere." or imported or such.

-------
"Puma" was the moniker used by Interarms/Rossi during that era--and as such is an Interarms-derived term. The emblems occurred only on a certain batch--a few years in the middle there somewhere. When Legacy Sports International (LSI) "took over" from Interarms in the 90s, they kept the name. Others (EMF and Navy Arms primarily) imported virtually the same Rossi (with some "improvements" such as wood or sights)--but did/could not call their guns "Pumas." (Instead just 1892 and/or Hartford (EMF) etc). Since Interarms--and then LSI--was the largest importer/distributor of Rossi 92s, a lot of folks assumed (or regardless)--and ended up calling any Rossi 92 a "Puma"--and it stuck. 1n 2008/2009, LSI terminated its relationship with Rossi but kept--and applied--the Puma name to its new Italian (Chiappa/Armi Sport) line of 92s. Cimarron and Taylors (primarily) also import these same Italian 92s, but they are also not "Pumas." It's just a name by a particular importer that's become--in manys' eyes--synonymous with virtually any imported '92, but mostly Rossis since there's a lot longer history of 'em vs the Italian 92s.

[Bigjfb]

Mine is from mid 80s, .44 mag. Has a canadian quarter in the slot where the medallion was, looks pretty good.

Shoots apretty tight group at 100 yds, just not where the sights are aiming. The mag tube works loose as it did for other folks too.

I took mine down and slicked up by polishing all the contact points and trimming a spring or two. Very smooth.

Kicks like a mule

I like it

[Ranger325]

Here's my Italian '92........................ JBs Mare's Laig.



Regards,

[ISP 5353]

I have one of the older .44 Mags that has been a great shooter since day one. The action is very smooth.

[FrankenMauser]

ignore me.... misclick