local dealer trying to talk me out of buying a Rossi Lever for entry level cowboy...

Magnum Wheel Man · February 17, 2011, 03:21 PM

said none of his have run right... I have a very good retired gunsmith that still does projects for me, just to keep busy, so I'm inclined to buy one anyway...

so... how have current production Rossi's been ( specifically 357 mag & 45 Colt models ) ... still haven't made up my mind on cartridge

Water-Man · February 17, 2011, 03:45 PM

I bought a Rossi Puma M92 .357Mag about two years ago. It has been completely reliable and is accurate and has a pretty smooth action. I haven't had any work done to it but there's a guy, StevesGunz.com, who is supposed to be really good with them.

Hardcase · February 17, 2011, 04:28 PM

Mine's a .357, two of my buddies have .44 mags and all three have been perfect since we got them early last year. I hear that they're a pretty popular entry level gun for the cowboy shooters.

FWIW, I believe that ours are Braztech Rossis.

Noz · February 17, 2011, 05:01 PM

The book on the 92s is that if they will run they will run well.
If they don't Stevesgunz can make them sing.

Hawg · February 17, 2011, 05:41 PM

My 44-40 was stiff out of the box. I filled the action with white lithium grease and worked it a couple of hours and it's slick as a whistle now.

bedbugbilly · February 17, 2011, 09:35 PM

Hey Hawg - just curious . . . which side of your rifle is the grease zerk mounted on?

Sorry . . . couldn't help myself

On the serious side . . . that sounds like a good way to "break it in" - after you do that with the lithium grease, do you leave it that way or do you have to take it apart and clean it up after you've done a lot of shooting?

jcsturgeon · February 17, 2011, 11:42 PM

Looking to save some scratch when I can, I was looking into adding one of these someday soon. Good to hear they have a positive rep. The guy at the local Sportsman's Warehouse doesn't even carry them, but he had some nice things to say too.

Hellgate · February 18, 2011, 01:50 AM

Entry level my butt! I've been using mine since 1994. Now, if you are really skilled and have panther-like coordination a short stroked '73 would help you gain a second or two per stage. For some folks that is what's needed to win but geeze, I shoot in the Frontiersman category (cap&ball) so I don't scare anyone. Before short stroke kits were designed the original "gamer gun" for match winners was the '92 short rifle. That is the one with the 20" OCTAGONAL barrel which added some weight and stability when working the action to stay on target. If I weren't such a cheapskate I'd get me a coupla those but so far, for my purposes the two Rossi 92 carbines I have are doing well. They are sensitive to OAL which is different for each bullet shape but once you get the cartridge dialed in to the sweet spot OAL they are reliable rifles.

Hawg · February 18, 2011, 05:06 AM

Bedbug I had way too much grease it it to even consider shooting it that way. I just flushed it out with liberal amounts of WD-40 followed with Remoil. Before, I had to really slam the lever open to get the carrier to come up. Now you can hold it by the forearm out in front of you and work loaded rounds thru it with one finger.

Hardcase · February 18, 2011, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Entry level my butt!

That's what I get for listening to rumors!

WyomingWhitetail · February 18, 2011, 10:23 AM

well i can't comment on the actual rossi version but i have a puma 92 (the ones made by rossi) and its a great little gun and a blast to shoot. I guess pumas are now made by someone else and about twice the price but i would buy another rossi made 92 without a problem.

Magnum Wheel Man · February 18, 2011, 10:27 AM

I have to wonder if that isn't a financially motivated recommendation ( from my local dealer ) maybe he makes more money on the Marlins & Henry's he normally stocks ???

Water-Man · February 18, 2011, 10:31 AM

Yes. The new Puma is made in Italy and is almost twice the money.

MJN77 · February 18, 2011, 11:12 AM

New puma rifles are made by Armi Chiappa (Armi Sport) in Italy. I have actually heard some bad things about them, but I've no first hand knowlege of them. I do own an old Rossi puma .44 mag carbine. Had it for 16 years. One of the best rifles I own and I have Ubertis and Marlins and winchesters. I hunt with it and use it as a "farm" gun. If you get one I do not think you will be sorry IMHO.

zippy13 · February 18, 2011, 12:14 PM

Quote:

They are sensitive to OAL which is different for each bullet shape but once you get the cartridge dialed in to the sweet spot OAL they are reliable rifles.

Hellgate,
My Brazilian Puma was a closet queen for many years; but, now I have access to a new range. Tried it with home cast .38 and .357 SWC's and got feeding failures. Any suggestions for bullet type and OAL? -- I'm thinking of trying some jacketed FP's or HP's to get it broken it. TIA

Hellgate · February 18, 2011, 12:50 PM

Zippy,
Here's how I work up a load:
Pick your bullet, load up 5 dummy rounds without primers or powder with the bullets seated way out (like 1.7" long). Load them into the magazine and rack them out rapidly. WRITE DOWN the OAL and brief description i.e. "rough", "hangups", "stovepipes," etc. Then go back and reseat them to a deeper OAL like 1.65, 1.63, 1.60, and on down to where you start getting rough feeding again. Write down findings each time or you WILL FORGET the last or best OAL (BTDT). You will find a "sweet spot". Mine was 1.61" for BOTH my Pumas for the SWC and 1.56" for the RN). After finding the right OAL, THEN fiddle with the powder charge from the bench over sand bags at 25 or 50 yds using 3 or 5 shot groups of each charge. I use a muzzle loading 6 bull target and keep a notebook with sections for each gun with a list of favorite loads for each gun including OAL. For the Rossi Pumas I find the best feeding OAL first then work up the powder charge. I use my Rossis exclusively for CAS/SASS matches where reliable feeding is paramount. I also have fire lapped both rifles and groups shrunk by about 30% afterwards. I do the opposite for the deer rifles (get most accurate powder charge then fiddle w/OAL that is most accurate AND feeds well). I've had OAL changes shrink groups by 50% in my 30-06.

AlanS · February 18, 2011, 03:09 PM

I got a NIB Rossi in .357 in August and haven't had any real issues. Occasionally a case expands too much and it takes more force on the lever to extract it than is normal, but other than that it's a great gun. The action isn't as smooth as on my Henry lever action, but works just fine anyway.

Noz · February 18, 2011, 05:11 PM

Best bullets for any lever gun are round nose flat points and truncated cones.

bedbugbilly · February 18, 2011, 05:59 PM

Hawg - thanks for the info on what you did - I'm filing it away in my "little black book" as I'm hoping to pick a lever action up this next summer in 357 - to go with my New Vaquero - so I can shoot 38 spl in both. I had a Winchester 94 in 30/30 that was made in '67 - so it was one of the "newer ones". The durn thing operated like an engine that someone had thrown a handfull of bolts in to - it just never seemed to work smoothly. I finally sold it. If I'd known your trick, it probably would have made a big difference in it. I was always amazed at the difference in quality and operation with the 94 my father-in-law had that was made in the 20s (I think). Putting his next to mine was like setting a Mercedes next to a Yugo. I wanted his 94 in the worst way but he gave it to his son (my b-in-law) shich is where it should have gone - except he ended up selling it to buy car parts - but then he's an idiot anyway. Thanks for the advice - greatly appreciated!

zippy13 · February 18, 2011, 11:15 PM

Thanks for your recommendations.

Model-P · February 19, 2011, 12:59 AM

Very logical, Hellgate, and excellent advice. Thankyou.

torquewrench · March 28, 2011, 05:05 AM

I got a Rossi 44 mag lever action last year. It hits about a foot high at 100 yards with rear sight set to minimum elevation. Front sight is fixed/welded on. So, it makes a nice bang stick.. That's about it. Low quality..

Snakedriver · March 28, 2011, 07:18 AM

I've had a Rossi M92 SRC in .357 Mag. since the early 80's and it has been a great rifle. Light, accurate and 100% reliable. I haven't experienced any feeding failures in mine, it seems to handle .38's and .357 Mag's with the same good performance. I would recommend it to anyone and I don't consider it an entry level gun.

Jbar4Ranch · March 28, 2011, 08:33 AM

I started with a Rossi Puma 1892 .45 Colt, then went to toggle links, and now am on a Marlin and Spencer kick. My daughter has won her category at the Montana state championship two years running with a .357 Rossi SRC just like the one pictured above. She shoots 125 grain .38's through it and has never had a hiccup.

Hardcase · March 28, 2011, 09:50 AM

Quote:

I got a Rossi 44 mag lever action last year. It hits about a foot high at 100 yards with rear sight set to minimum elevation. Front sight is fixed/welded on. So, it makes a nice bang stick.. That's about it. Low quality..

That's weird - my buddy and I got our Rossis last year - mine is a .357 and his is .44 mag. Both of ours have dovetailed front sights. Not the greatest sights - we both added Lyman tang sights, so I keep telling myself that I need to get some kind of a front bead sight.

Quality-wise, we're very happy with ours. We shoot pistol cartridge metallic silhouettes with them once a week, plus two weekends a month. Complete reliability - and before I put the tang sight on, the only problem that I had with 100 yard turkeys was that my tired old eyes couldn't see that doggone far!

February 17, 2011, 03:21 PM	#1
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	local dealer trying to talk me out of buying a Rossi Lever for entry level cowboy... said none of his have run right... I have a very good retired gunsmith that still does projects for me, just to keep busy, so I'm inclined to buy one anyway... so... how have current production Rossi's been ( specifically 357 mag & 45 Colt models ) ... still haven't made up my mind on cartridge __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

February 17, 2011, 04:28 PM	#3
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	Mine's a .357, two of my buddies have .44 mags and all three have been perfect since we got them early last year. I hear that they're a pretty popular entry level gun for the cowboy shooters. FWIW, I believe that ours are Braztech Rossis. __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

February 17, 2011, 09:35 PM	#6
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	Hey Hawg - just curious . . . which side of your rifle is the grease zerk mounted on? Sorry . . . couldn't help myself On the serious side . . . that sounds like a good way to "break it in" - after you do that with the lithium grease, do you leave it that way or do you have to take it apart and clean it up after you've done a lot of shooting? __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

February 17, 2011, 11:42 PM	#7
jcsturgeon Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2009 Posts: 291	Looking to save some scratch when I can, I was looking into adding one of these someday soon. Good to hear they have a positive rep. The guy at the local Sportsman's Warehouse doesn't even carry them, but he had some nice things to say too. __________________ The Beatles were wrong, happiness is not a warm gun. It's a new gun.

February 18, 2011, 01:50 AM	#8
Hellgate Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2010 Location: Orygun Posts: 869	Entry level my butt! I've been using mine since 1994. Now, if you are really skilled and have panther-like coordination a short stroked '73 would help you gain a second or two per stage. For some folks that is what's needed to win but geeze, I shoot in the Frontiersman category (cap&ball) so I don't scare anyone. Before short stroke kits were designed the original "gamer gun" for match winners was the '92 short rifle. That is the one with the 20" OCTAGONAL barrel which added some weight and stability when working the action to stay on target. If I weren't such a cheapskate I'd get me a coupla those but so far, for my purposes the two Rossi 92 carbines I have are doing well. They are sensitive to OAL which is different for each bullet shape but once you get the cartridge dialed in to the sweet spot OAL they are reliable rifles. __________________ With over 15 perCUSSIN' revolvers, I've been called the Imelda Marcos of cap & ball. SASS#3302 (Life), SASS Regulator, NRA (Life), Dirty Gamey Bastards #129 Wolverton Mtn. Peacekeepers (WA), former Orygun Cowboy (Ranger, Posse from Hell)

February 17, 2011, 03:45 PM	#2
Water-Man Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 2,126	I bought a Rossi Puma M92 .357Mag about two years ago. It has been completely reliable and is accurate and has a pretty smooth action. I haven't had any work done to it but there's a guy, StevesGunz.com, who is supposed to be really good with them.

February 17, 2011, 05:01 PM	#4
Noz Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2009 Posts: 643	The book on the 92s is that if they will run they will run well. If they don't Stevesgunz can make them sing.

February 17, 2011, 05:41 PM	#5
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	My 44-40 was stiff out of the box. I filled the action with white lithium grease and worked it a couple of hours and it's slick as a whistle now.

February 18, 2011, 05:06 AM	#9
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	Bedbug I had way too much grease it it to even consider shooting it that way. I just flushed it out with liberal amounts of WD-40 followed with Remoil. Before, I had to really slam the lever open to get the carrier to come up. Now you can hold it by the forearm out in front of you and work loaded rounds thru it with one finger.

February 18, 2011, 10:23 AM	#11
WyomingWhitetail Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2011 Posts: 221	well i can't comment on the actual rossi version but i have a puma 92 (the ones made by rossi) and its a great little gun and a blast to shoot. I guess pumas are now made by someone else and about twice the price but i would buy another rossi made 92 without a problem.

February 18, 2011, 10:27 AM	#12
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	I have to wonder if that isn't a financially motivated recommendation ( from my local dealer ) maybe he makes more money on the Marlins & Henry's he normally stocks ??? __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

February 18, 2011, 10:31 AM	#13
Water-Man Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 2,126	Yes. The new Puma is made in Italy and is almost twice the money.

February 18, 2011, 11:12 AM	#14
MJN77 Senior Member Join Date: April 27, 2009 Location: on a hill in West Virginia Posts: 789	New puma rifles are made by Armi Chiappa (Armi Sport) in Italy. I have actually heard some bad things about them, but I've no first hand knowlege of them. I do own an old Rossi puma .44 mag carbine. Had it for 16 years. One of the best rifles I own and I have Ubertis and Marlins and winchesters. I hunt with it and use it as a "farm" gun. If you get one I do not think you will be sorry IMHO.

February 18, 2011, 12:50 PM	#16
Hellgate Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2010 Location: Orygun Posts: 869	Zippy, Here's how I work up a load: Pick your bullet, load up 5 dummy rounds without primers or powder with the bullets seated way out (like 1.7" long). Load them into the magazine and rack them out rapidly. WRITE DOWN the OAL and brief description i.e. "rough", "hangups", "stovepipes," etc. Then go back and reseat them to a deeper OAL like 1.65, 1.63, 1.60, and on down to where you start getting rough feeding again. Write down findings each time or you WILL FORGET the last or best OAL (BTDT). You will find a "sweet spot". Mine was 1.61" for BOTH my Pumas for the SWC and 1.56" for the RN). After finding the right OAL, THEN fiddle with the powder charge from the bench over sand bags at 25 or 50 yds using 3 or 5 shot groups of each charge. I use a muzzle loading 6 bull target and keep a notebook with sections for each gun with a list of favorite loads for each gun including OAL. For the Rossi Pumas I find the best feeding OAL first then work up the powder charge. I use my Rossis exclusively for CAS/SASS matches where reliable feeding is paramount. I also have fire lapped both rifles and groups shrunk by about 30% afterwards. I do the opposite for the deer rifles (get most accurate powder charge then fiddle w/OAL that is most accurate AND feeds well). I've had OAL changes shrink groups by 50% in my 30-06. __________________ With over 15 perCUSSIN' revolvers, I've been called the Imelda Marcos of cap & ball. SASS#3302 (Life), SASS Regulator, NRA (Life), Dirty Gamey Bastards #129 Wolverton Mtn. Peacekeepers (WA), former Orygun Cowboy (Ranger, Posse from Hell)

February 18, 2011, 03:09 PM	#17
AlanS Member Join Date: November 3, 2010 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 25	I got a NIB Rossi in .357 in August and haven't had any real issues. Occasionally a case expands too much and it takes more force on the lever to extract it than is normal, but other than that it's a great gun. The action isn't as smooth as on my Henry lever action, but works just fine anyway.

February 18, 2011, 05:11 PM	#18
Noz Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2009 Posts: 643	Best bullets for any lever gun are round nose flat points and truncated cones.

February 18, 2011, 05:59 PM	#19
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	Hawg - thanks for the info on what you did - I'm filing it away in my "little black book" as I'm hoping to pick a lever action up this next summer in 357 - to go with my New Vaquero - so I can shoot 38 spl in both. I had a Winchester 94 in 30/30 that was made in '67 - so it was one of the "newer ones". The durn thing operated like an engine that someone had thrown a handfull of bolts in to - it just never seemed to work smoothly. I finally sold it. If I'd known your trick, it probably would have made a big difference in it. I was always amazed at the difference in quality and operation with the 94 my father-in-law had that was made in the 20s (I think). Putting his next to mine was like setting a Mercedes next to a Yugo. I wanted his 94 in the worst way but he gave it to his son (my b-in-law) shich is where it should have gone - except he ended up selling it to buy car parts - but then he's an idiot anyway. Thanks for the advice - greatly appreciated! __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

February 18, 2011, 11:15 PM	#20
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Thanks for your recommendations.

February 19, 2011, 12:59 AM	#21
Model-P Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2009 Posts: 727	Very logical, Hellgate, and excellent advice. Thankyou.

March 28, 2011, 05:05 AM	#22
torquewrench Member Join Date: February 3, 2011 Location: Kennesaw, GA Posts: 62	I got a Rossi 44 mag lever action last year. It hits about a foot high at 100 yards with rear sight set to minimum elevation. Front sight is fixed/welded on. So, it makes a nice bang stick.. That's about it. Low quality..

March 28, 2011, 07:18 AM	#23
Snakedriver Senior Member Join Date: September 3, 2010 Location: SW. Florida Posts: 135	I've had a Rossi M92 SRC in .357 Mag. since the early 80's and it has been a great rifle. Light, accurate and 100% reliable. I haven't experienced any feeding failures in mine, it seems to handle .38's and .357 Mag's with the same good performance. I would recommend it to anyone and I don't consider it an entry level gun. __________________ Fear is a reaction................Courage is a decision!

March 28, 2011, 08:33 AM	#24
Jbar4Ranch Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 1999 Location: Near Helena, Montana Posts: 1,719	I started with a Rossi Puma 1892 .45 Colt, then went to toggle links, and now am on a Marlin and Spencer kick. My daughter has won her category at the Montana state championship two years running with a .357 Rossi SRC just like the one pictured above. She shoots 125 grain .38's through it and has never had a hiccup. __________________ Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets replaced... SASS 47015

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