I have a chance to buy a Puma 92 in 44 Rem Mag. Do any of you have one? How do you like it? I'd like the Good and the Bad.

Best regards,

I have 2, one in 357, the other a 480 ruger.
The 357 is an older model, I cant find out just how old. But it is wonderfully smooth, feeds anything but 38 wadcutters, light triggerpull,and is as accurate as I can shoot iron sights. The 480 is one from a batch Legacy arms had made up in 454 casull and 480 ruger. It is a little heavyer reciever, as there is not as much metal removed. It came with Hi-Viz sights, that I replaced. They shot high for one, and blotted out a basketball at 50 yds.
It was not anywhere near as smooth as the 357, but a little polishing and 400 rds or so, helped that out. It is not quite as accurate as the 357, but does feed a variety of bullet shapes just as well. With over 1200 rds through it now, and no issues, I find it one of my favorite carbines, that will handle anything in the woods. 355 grn LFN cast @ 1800 has become my standard load.

I have three of them...

Carbine Stainless Steel in 45LC (That I converted to Take-Down), 24" rifle in 454 Casull and a Brass Frame / SS barrel rifle in 45LC.....All are fantastic firearms. The brass frame is easily the most accurate lever action I own. All three have very smooth actions and I can report zero issues! Not one of them cost me over $550!






www.rvbprecision.com

RoyB,
If I knew you kept your guns on the back fence I'd come swipe that 454 on you! I'd like one as a mate to my 480.

It's a real bugger keeping them dry!

I have a Rossi Puma 92 in 44 mag...serves as my atv gun...open sights, with my eyes, good to kill javelina out to 50 yards. They are fun to shoot and easy to pack..I do NOT reload anymore, but factory ammo shoots wel.

I have one in 45 Colt and I think it is as good as any Lever on the market

I have a .45LC and it's smooth and accurate. I like it a lot.

when getting the rossi's make sure you can look at it and feel it operate.
make sure the metal to wood fit is reasonably good,and that it operates fast and slow.
listen for the lifter to go up and down and click into place.
look at the lock-up lugs and see if they are burr free.
make sure the sights are clean and centered and not bent.
look inside the action for debris and shavings.
quite often the new ones need to be broken down and cleaned really well.

you are the final inspector.

other than that enjoy it, i have several different ones and like them all and wouldn't hesitate to buy another one in a different caliber.

Appreciate the heads up Lamar.
Can I assume that the Rossi Puma has quality control problems that we need to be aware of? Didn't Taurus buy Rossi?
Maybe quality will improve.
The Puma 45LC can easliy be punched out to take the 454 Casull.
Can the Puma handle the 454 Casulls pressure?

The Legacy Arms Puma chambered in 454 Casull was not just a 45 Colt rechambered. It has a tube feed magazine similar to a 22 rimfire to prevent the screw holding the magazine tube near the muzzle from shearing off. The unknown is whether or not the bolt locking lugs of the 454 Casull were a different alloy or specially heat treated to prevent peening due to the higher bolt thrust of the increased chamber pressures.
Some of the Rossi's were a little rough in the action parts but there are numerous articles on the web detailing how to smooth them up. The safety is an abomination that is easily rectified. The butt stock of my 454 split in the tang area but Rossi's contracted warranty gunsmith in Maryland replaced it. The stocks are birchwood stained so dark they look like they are spray painted black. The receiver needs to be drilled and tapped if you add a receiver sight but this was easily done for an XS sight. For my choosen load, a .600 tall front sight is needed. These are all minor improvements that are well worth the effort so you can sling a 340 grain LFNGC at 2182 fps from a 5 3/4 pound rifle.

I just got one of the Taurus owned carbines in 44mag and it is quite nice. Fit and finish are supurb. I cannot find a single thing to bitch about. The wood...it may be birch but it could fool me as it looks just like walnut. I have two others in 480 Ruger...one blued and one NIB stainless I have not shot yet. The blued one has great open sight accurracy with factory 325gr XTP ammo. No complaints here.

I have a newer Rossi 92 in .357. Compared with my 1911 vintage Winchester M1892, a lot of the external metalwork could stand to have the sharp edges buffed off- especially the barrel band and front edge of the reciever. When I first got it (used), I had to file about 1/16" off the top of the hammer to keep it from binding the bolt while cycling. The hammer would bottom out, and taking some metal off of the top where the bolt rides over it solved the problem. Once the extra metal was removed it became about as smooth as any other late production lever gun. Other than that, it drives tacks with .38 Special ammo- which it feeds as well or better than .357. I like it a lot.

Porosonik.

I've got an early 70s .357 SRC that has a chrome/nickel plated action and is engraved.

When I got it it wouldn't feed better than about 50%. But after a thorough "tuning" I shoot Cowboy Action (SASS, Western action ??) with it. Haven't had a jam in 500 rounds.

Mostly it was spring work and a detailing of the action that got it going.

Spring kits are available.

I've never owned a Rossi, but I talked to a guy who owned one of these in .454 Casull. The main complaint he had was about the Brazilian hardwood cracking, but he was running some extremely hot Casull loads through it. He did rave about the strength of the M92 action, though.

quote:

Originally posted by someoldguy:
I've never owned a Rossi, but I talked to a guy who owned one of these in .454 Casull. The main complaint he had was about the Brazilian hardwood cracking, but he was running some extremely hot Casull loads through it. He did rave about the strength of the M92 action, though.

When I spoke with Setve of "Steve's Gunz" when he did my Rossi, he said that was a problem.

So he "bedded" my stock.

If you are worried about this call or email him

Snake

I am considering getting one of the 454 carbines. I am curious to know if I can safely use the same ammo(handloads)I run in my Freedom Arms Mod 83? It would be really cool to be able to use the same loads in both my wheelgun and a carbine sidekick.

Andy

No. I would not run the higher level FA handloads thru it. I believe a medium loading would be ok and not stretch the frame. Remember, the higher end 454 loads are 50,000+ psi and no levergun of this frame size can withstand that level of pressure.

One o' these in .480 is such a temptation. Man, what a great hog and black bear recipe!

Bill,

I have two of them in 480. One is blue and it is a tack driver with factory 325gr Hornady loads and the other is a NIB stainless I have at Reeder's shop to get vapor honed and some engraving done on it. I agree it is a great bear/hog rifle. Short, fast handling and a hammer.

Woodrow, what is vapor honing? Had not heard of it. Will look it up at Reeder's site.

It is a sort of bead blasting but re-using the bead media after it is in almost a powder form, hence the word "vapor"...makes for a nice matte finish to either stainless or blue with just the slightest "sheen". I like the look.