Rossi '92

[richhodg66]

OK, I've had one for years, don't shoot it as much as I should, but it's always been decently accurate for what it is; a short barreled lever gun with open sights. Mine pre-dates the godawful safety gizmos they have now.

I have never experiemented much with it, just similar loads I shoot in revolvers and have never tried anything but .452 for sizing.

My brother, who isn't a caster bought one at a gun show this past weekend, his is a longer barreld one and has the safety (I think someone sold a ghost ring sight that could replace that, am I wrong?). ANyway, trying to figure out what to tell him for shooting it. I actually need to cast more.45 Colt bullets and recently got one of the Lee six cavity molds of their 255 grain RFN. I have mostly used an old four cavity Saeco design of about 250 grains, but have grown to really like using the Lee six holers more, so this one will get used soon.

Experiences with .45 Colt lever guns, anyone?

 

[Jeff H]

Not in 45 Colt, but 357 Mag. Mine shot very well and I am passively shopping for another.

The one thing you might look at is the twist. Mine shot 125 through 190 grain bullets very well, but 200 grain would go fully sideways at 25 yards. It had a 1:30 twist, but a marvelously bright bore with a .355" groove. Anything from .355" to .359" shot well and no leading. Never a care as to diameter.

I don't know if that translates for the 45, but maybe something to look at.

That rear sight: https://store.stevesgunz.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_14

I D/T'd mine for a Williams receiver sight, which was simple and easy with the flat receiver. I got a NOS sight for a Remington 740(?) really cheap ($22) and modified the curved base to fit the flat receiver. I also removed the off-center bead on the front sight and soldered in a square brass insert, with which I got along much better than the bead.

 

[Ian]

I have no experience with the Rossi, but Marlin and others are famous for a one turn in 38" or so rate of twist which can be problematic for stability past 50-75 yards.

The Lee 255-grain RF design is actually one of the best, all-around, off-the-shelf moulds one can get for the .45 Colt cartridge. The crimp groove is a little far forward for my liking, but the bullet chambers and cycles in all my leverguns and shoots pretty well without a lot of fuss.

I designed a 260-grain bullet having a slightly smaller meplat than the Lee 255 and a crimp groove location which brings the cartridge overall length to near 1.600", it works even better but you HAVE the Lee 255 so use it, just watch your reloading data for overal length since the Lee occupies a little more case volume than the Lyman 250 RF. Going from memory here, using 454190 loading data from the Lyman manuals should keep you in the safe window regarding case capacity, but review the differences between the Lyman Cowboy bullet (452664???) and 454190 and use the data with the lower charge weights with the Lee 255.

 

[RBHarter]

I have a pair , 16&20" barrels . The 454424 , 452-252 types need to stay subsonic because they upset at transonic and depart line of flight . No there isn't another explanation for the behavior. The RN and RNFP may do better but I stopped the pursuit after several efforts to go heavy low pressure 1000 fps trials failed to cooperate.
Your 800-850 fps pistol loads will sing in the rifles gaining about 200 fps with Unique.

Both the circa 1986' and 2013 M92's have 1-32" twists and want a 1.600 OAL.

In case you want to get silly my 453-350 MM custom on 19.0 H322 does 650 fps in a 7.5" Ruger BlackHawk and 1230 fps out of the 16" , QL puts it under 25 kpsi and well within the M SN Rossi's. The M Actions were for the 44 Mags and 454s . If it's not an M I would keep it in the 14-16kpsi standard Colts loads .

It's $1200 to fix the twist and give them a pretty chamber at .454 instead of the .454 mouth .49? body .

Also at 24" the MV is the same as the 20" barrel with Unique.

 

[waco]

My brother has a Henry Big Boy steel in 45 Colt. I just bought a new mold with him in mind because my RCBS 45-270-SAA will not cycle in his rifle. I just got a few cast and powder coated.

Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds

www.accuratemolds.com

 

[Brad]

Looks a lot like the Lee 255 RNFP. Shoots well in my 45 Colts.

Wasn't always the best past 50 yards but…..

 

[RicinYakima]

Had an early Winchester 94 Trapper in 45 Colt. It would shoot 200 SWCs very good to 50 yards if not loaded over pistol standard loads. 250s were six inch pie plates at 50 yards, and progressively worse farther than that. FWIW

 

[fiver]

i have 4 or 5? 45 Colt lever guns.
the Rossi's will shoot the 250 gr rnfp's just perfectly fine with whatever powder you wanna put in them.
i've used everything from clay's to 4895 [literally bout everything]
they even take rounds that are some over saami length like a champ.

 

[Bret4207]

My Rossi '92 is an older Puma 44mag. Can't help on the 45 Colt iteration, but I can verify they tend to need some dulling of very sharp edges! That knife edge on the loading gate is covered in dried blood and skin on mine!!! Good shooting little rifle though. I really want a 357 version and wish I could get one in 32-20 or 32 Mag.

 

[Snakeoil]

Those twist rates go back to the original Winchester black powder days. You would have thought that replicas meant to shoot modern ammo would have altered the twist rate to provide a bit more flexibility. Some want to hunt with these guns. Not every replica 92 is sold to CAS shooters. Even my Marlin Cowboy in .45LC has a 1:38 twist. I would have expected the .44 mag Marlins to have a faster twist rate, but they are the same, 1:38.

.44 mag in handguns uses 1:18 for many and 1:20 for some. I guess you need a faster rate since the bullet is only affected by the barrel for a very short time compared to a rifle. I have to admit I never paid any attention to the twist rate in my Marlin Cowboy until today.

Here is a list of calbers and twist rates by manufacturers that I found. It does not have all the OEMs, but it pretty good as a quick reference.

Twists

Twist Rates of common firearms.

www.castpics.net

 

[Glaciers]

Well years ago I went down the 44 mag road. With what’s out there now, and a fresh start, I’d go 45. But… I’m not starting over.

Looks a lot like the Lee 255 RNFP. Shoots well in my 45 Colts.

Wasn't always the best past 50 yards but…..

I shoot 250’s to 320’s and I don’t care about past 50 yards. Any bear that’s a problem is usually “right there”. Beyond 50 I have other choices.

 

[fiver]

my first few deer up here in Idaho were all taken with one of the 45 lever rifles i had.
i didn't have a 'real' hunting rifle at the time, so i took what i had [shrug] it worked.

 

[Jeff H]

My Rossi '92 is an older Puma 44mag. Can't help on the 45 Colt iteration, but I can verify they tend to need some dulling of very sharp edges! That knife edge on the loading gate is covered in dried blood and skin on mine!!! Good shooting little rifle though. I really want a 357 version and wish I could get one in 32-20 or 32 Mag.

I bled more on the Rossi 92 I had than on all the other guns I've ever owned combined. The loading gate was especially vicious. I learned a lot about the 92's working with that gun, and feel like I reduced the weight of it by a significant amount removing burrs and rough spots!

That said, I will state with confidence that mine was a fluke. Anyone else who had bought one about the same time had only minor corrections to make. Once it was tuned up though, it was the slickest, fastest long-arm I'd ever owned.

 

[RBHarter]

I've lapped and polished all the stuff but neither of them will run RP brass or nickel it hangs up on the rise . As a geewiz I tried some Schofield cases , not shortened Colts but wide rim Schofield's . Only 3 would go in the magazine but they came right up like the Win , PMC , FC , Hornady , and Starline .

I kind of wish some of those that so cussed and trashed that short Hornady brass would have sent me 2,3,500 pieces to make Schofield from . But no "I'll keep it for a rainy day" ......

 

[Brad]

My Marlin 45 Colt feed SWC smooth as can be. Never had a problem with it feeding any bullet as long as it wasn’t too long.

 

[Winelover]

My Rossi 92 is of the 38/357 persuasion. It feeds ever bullet design, I've tried. Before I plunked down the green, I took dummy rounds into the LGS and cycled mixed 38's and 357's with SWC's. Nary a hiccup.

Mostly, feed it Accurate's 158 RNFP. Rossi, prefers large bullets, sized to .360 diameter.



Heaviest bullet used is the NOE 180 RNFP.

 

[richhodg66]

One other consideration, he has always been a black powder guy and is getting even more so. Talking to him, it seems the one he bought is stainless steel to better facilitate this.

I know a lot has been written about black powder cartridge shooting, but it seems like al alloy of 20-1 or similar is what a guy would want for this in .45 Colt (?). Obviously, bullet lube would need to be different.

 

[sundog]

Holy Black, you say? How about the old school 454190 with a deep, fat lube groove and a good BP lube of your choice?

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I have a 16" 357 and a 20" 45 Colt. Both bought used and have the safety's on top. Both work well and are smooth. The 45 is very smooth. Someone was inside before I got it and I smoothed up again. It will feed empty cases. So short isnt a issue but too long surely is. The 454424 seated to the crimp groove will cycle but... not 100%.

I have shot up to 300g well even tho it has a very slow twist.

CW