Puma/Rossi Lever in .454 or .45LC ?

[hawk45]

First post.. great forum.

Looking to add a lever action to my stable to go with my Blackhawk. I will mostly be shooting .45LC just for fun and maybe as a packing rifle. Would I be better to get a dedicated Puma in .45LC or go with the .454 that can shoot both? May be nice to have that extra power if I need it.

Thanks,
Hawk

[Warhawk]

I've had a couple of Rossi's in .45 Colt. With moderately heavy handloads the recoil was all I wanted in the little carbine. I certainly don't need any more power, the 45 Colt handloads are approaching 45-70 trapdoor loads as far as power. Add the ugly recoil pad on the .454 version and I would pic the .45 every time.

Check with Bud's Gun Shop online for some great deals on Rossi's right now.
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/prod ... s_id/86095

[hawk45]

Also, do you like the round or octagon barrels for balance/weight?

[stew71]

Hawk, I have the 24" octagonal barreled Rossi in .45LC. It's a fine rifle and with high-end loads will take down anything in my neck of the woods out to 100 yards. I find the longer barrel balances very well and it carries in the hand like a lever gun should. Plus the longer barrel will give you a bit more velocity which can help when hunting of course. The wood and case-hardening on mine is 1st rate and makes for a very pretty rifle. I usually use it for wild pig and for bear & cougar protection while pre-season scouting for deer.

I've never tried one in .454 so I can't speak to that aspect.

Good luck.

[madman4570]

No brainer .454

[BigSky56]

the 45 LC is all you need pistol or rifle Ive got big browns in my back yard fact of the matter for bear defense I use a 357 with 180 BB. A 22 in the ear can kill a grizzly so a 45LC will do the job too. danny

[Ysabel Kid]

Welcome aboard!

I went with a '92 in .45 Colt and sent it off to Steve Young (Nate Kiowa Jones here) for a couple modifications. Among other things, he removed the hideous "lawyer-special" safety, and slicked-up the action. It is the smoothest lever-action I own. I highly recommend this!)

[AJMD429]

I like the .454 better because it is sturdier (arguably not sturdy 'enough' for full-house .454 loads on a regular basis - JUST LIKE many say the S&W Modal 29 isn't strong enough for full-house .44 Mag loads, by the way).

It also has the ported magazine tube that facilitates quicker and safer unloading (and maybe loading), which I like (receiver is ported normally for loading-gate loading as well). The cartridges don't get scratched up as much that way, either.

I use 'Ruger-Hot' .45 Colt loads in mine, and lighter-end Casull loads, but it is nice that if I really wanted to, I'd be able to shoot normally-hot Casull loads.

The only disadvantage is if you always use .45 Colt brass in the longer chamber you get crud build up, and if you use the longer brass but don't have a Casull revolver mate for it, you'll need separate loads and recipes. Of course that assures your 'hot' loads won't be fired in the non-Casull gun, if that is a concern.

Either would be a good gun, though.

[Buck Elliott]

get one in .45 Colt. Then you can load up or down to your heart's content, and not have to worry about all the silly things Rossi did to their guns to try to make them work as .454s...

Leave the .454 to beefier guns.

THAT'S the real "no brainer..."

[hawk45]

Thanks everyone.. I've noticed some of the Rossi/Puma's are around $500 and some around $800. What is the difference between the grades? Is it just cosmetic (better wood, finishes, etc)?

[NonPCnraRN]

I would get the 45 Colt since you have a Blackhawk. Either gun will handle more than you will if your shooting session is Blackhawk only loads loaded to the max. Now if you had a New Vaquero or Colt or Colt clone I would say get the 454. That way more powerful rounds can't find their way into the New Vaquero. Your ammo belt will use the same size loops for either. But since you have a Blackhawk, I would shoot Blackhawk only loads in either the revolver or 92. If you fit your carbine with an efficient recoil pad ie Limbsaver or Pachmayr Decelerator , heavy loads will be tolerable. But if you are shooting many Blackhawk only loads through a carbine with a steel buttplate you get sore in a hurry with those heavy loads. IIRC the reason why the Puma 454 is loaded through the mag tube is that the cartridges are too long to be loaded through the loading gate. You can load 45 Colts in the 454 through the loading gate but 454s need to be loaded through the mag tube like a 22.

[olyinaz]

The Rossis run around $500 (sometimes much less) and the Pumas can run up in the $800s or more if they happen to be Italian made vs. Brazilian made. The Italian made guns do not have the annoying bolt safety, they have much nicer wood and their metal fit is better with smoother actions out of the box. They're also a bit more authentic with correct sights, a more correct hammer and more correct barrel bands. I don't suggest that they function any better, they're simply a bit nicer.

Browning also makes an 1892 replica (Miroku Japan made I believe) and they're very nice but no more so than the new Italians I've seen lately.

I'll throw in a vote for .45 Colt. The .454 bucks like a mule, the one I tried didn't like to feed many .45 Colt bullet shapes, and the stock either came cracked from the distributor or it cracked first time out shooting (not sure) which is a problem others have had as well.

Regards,
Oly

[Terry Murbach]

I HAVE BOTH A ROSSI ' 92 SS 45COLT AND A ROSSI '92 BLUE 454CASULL. THE LATTER WILL BE LONG GONE AND FORGOTTEN BEFORE THAT SLICK LIGHTWEIGHT 45COLT MOVES ON TO GREENER PASTURES WHEN THEY CARRY MY SWEET PINK PATOOTIE OUTTA HERE FEET FIRST FOR THE LAST TIME.

[O.S.O.K.]

If you'd be willing to go with 44 Mag, you can get one from Buds Gun Shop for $365 delivered to your dealer - and a really nice one too - 20" octagonal barrel, walnut furniture, cressant buttplate, color case hardened finished receiver. They have the same thing with 24" for $389 delivered. While supplies last. This is a close-out deal.

Stainless 45 Colt $429 - read the descriptions - don't look at the pic as they don't match up perfectly.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/inde ... /3a/page/2

If you're a handloader, then I would go with the 45 Colt - you can load this round to whatever power level you want. A hot loaded 45 Colt with 300 grain bullets in a carbine will do 1400-1500 fps. or more. With a good bullet, that's enough for brown bear. What more do you need? And when you consider that you can get it for $420 delivered in stainless steel - why would you pay $800 or more for the 454? IMHO

[JerryB]

I have a Rossi .357 carbine and a .45Colt carbine. (20") I think the .45 Colt will handle anything in the USA with the right load.

[hkfrost]

What do you guys think of the 16" Rossi's?

[AJMD429]

What do you guys think of the 16" Rossi's?

My daughter got her first deer with (formerly) my .44 Mag Rossi 16" stainless, so it became hers. I bought a blued one to replace it, but we swapped, since she likes the blued better than stainless. Now we're both happy! Very handy, plenty accurate for our purposes, and no complaints.

We replaced the rear sights with the Marble's "Bullseye" sights - faster and less obstruction of view than the factory open sights or any peeps we've used (in the photo we hadn't slipped in the elevator/adjustor yet, as we were still experimenting with different sights - careful work with a dremel tool and a piece of fiberoptic converted the factory front to a nice 'fiber-sight').

IIRC the reason why the Puma 454 is loaded through the mag tube is that the cartridges are too long to be loaded through the loading gate. You can load 45 Colts in the 454 through the loading gate but 454s need to be loaded through the mag tube like a 22.

On my .454 Casull I can load them in both ways (a couple different factory loads so far).

Truthfully, if I'd been able to get a .45 Colt in stainless, with the tube-loading feature, I think I would have, but I don't think they made a tube-loading .45 Colt (although they did make .44 Mags that way...) or at least I never came across one. I agree that a stout "92" or "Blackhawk" level .45 Colt should drop anything I'd care to shoot; I mostly like the tube-loading option.

[Buffboy]

The 454s load through the side port just fine on mine but it's had the Steve's Guns treatment. I do find the screw out tube handy for unloading though it does look a bit odd. As I have a 4.5" barrel 454 pistol I do most of my loads in 454 cases. Most of my loads for this set up are not full house 454 loads though I've shot such in both. My favorite being a load that's about equal to top end 45 Colt "Ruger" loads.

If it were me, I'd get the 45Colt. I'd load the Ruger loads for both, you'll likely find that's about all you want for recoil in either and they'll do the job just fine on the power end.

[Griff]

I'm a avowed .45 Colt fan... er... fanatic! I have two Colt SAAs, an 1873 Uberti, an 1860 Henry and a Rossi '92 all in .45Colt! The Rossi has the strongest action, and can handle pretty much anything I'd want to load in it. Mine is the 20" Rifle version with the octagon barrel. It weighs nice for heavier loads, yet still handles well with the shorter barrel.

, and Welcome to THE Forum!

[gak]

Regarding the $800 (+) "Pumas," +1 to the comment on the Italians...it's confusing a lot of folks now. Legacy (LSI) terminated its relationship with Rossi (or vice versa?) about a year ago, and is now selling Armi Sport/Chiappa 1892s but retaining the "Puma" moniker it's used all these years. Most of the new Puma-branded guns you see for sale are still of the Rossi manufacture--NOS leftover LSI's.

[1886]

I had a pre safety Rossi stainless "limited" 92 chambered in .45. What a lovely little rifle. I let her get a way. Read some or all of the articles on the index page about the potential of the .45 in a carbine. Certainly enough gun to make a lion cough up a lung. If the .45 in a carbine in not enough gun, grab a B-86 S.R.C. chambered in .45-70 and unleash some 500grs at 1600+FPS. 1886.

[hawk45]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I am a reloader, so I think I'll take your suggestions and just stick with the .45LC version. I would prefer a 20" octagon blue version if I can find one..

[O.S.O.K.]

Well, you might consider quickly posting a trade offer - that rifle that you want for a stainless version - which is on sale from Buds... should save you some $$$ just a thought...

[Nixterdemus]

[quote="O.S.O.K."]...

Stainless 45 Colt $429 - read the descriptions - don't look at the pic as they don't match up perfectly.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/inde ... /3a/page/2

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What is different w/pics shown? Are you saying this is really a two brl band carbine as opposed to a non brl band short rifle? I ordered one yesterday and don't want to wait till x-mas to find out...

Whatever, it's all good. I'm happy & confused so all is on the level in my world.