Rossi Puma Advise

[HPT]

Hi,

I am looking at a picture of a used Rossi Puma 44 mag w/20" round barrel and see that the front sight is part of the barrel band. The new ones on Rossi USA have a separate sight - when did this change? Can the front sight be changed or is there a replacement barrel band without the sight? I can cut a dovetail.

If the gun has this type of front sight is it pre-safety(can't see from the picture)? What's the chance it would be made in the oversize bore era?

Thanks for the help

[Dan Cash]

I can't answer your questions but will offer some suggestions:
I personally would file the sight off the barrel band and dove tail the barrel as you say you can do. simple fix.

I think that the gun is pre safety but not certain.

If you get the gun, you will want to slug the bore and measure the slug for exact dimensions. Should it prove to be over size, there are mould makers like Mountain Moulds , Accurate Moulds and Lead Bullet Technology (LBT) who will make a mould to fit your dimension at a very reasonable price. Unless the bore is radically oversize, it should not present a problem.

Remember, there are a lot of fish in the ocean so if this gun makes you uneasy, pass it up. There will be another very soon.
Dan

[HPT]

Thanks for the advise Dan.

If its a pre-safety model its definately a plus in appearance and I'll need to buy a mould anyways, so I guess there's not much to lose.

On another note, I was also thinking about a new model, but with the 24" octagon barrel that does not have the barrel bands. Does anyone have both (an old 20" model & a newer 24" model) and is there a difference in accuracy? Just wondering if newer guns shoot better or worse? Does barrel band guns shoot as well as rifle models without the bands?

[Boerrancher]

Both Rossi rifles that I have, the sight is on the barrel band and they are 20 inch barrels. I can promise you there is no way that you will be able to dove tail the sight into the barrel, or at least I wouldn't want to as the round barrel models are pretty thin up near the muzzle. The front sight on the barrel band is fine and causes no problems with accuracy. Both my Rossi's will cut clover leafs at 100 yards for the first 3 shots and never get any larger than 4 inches even when the barrel is smoking hot. There is no safety on either of mine, one has a saddle ring the other doesn't, the one with out the saddle ring is NIB. When I bought it, I took it to my private range, fired 3 rounds out of it and put it away. One of these days it will go to my middle boy or youngest daughter, the only two of my Kids who really enjoy shooting and hunting.

If you are looking at a Rossi don't let the sight on the barrel band dissuade you from buying it. Every Rossi Mod 92 I have had my hands on, 5 or 6, were top notch smooth running guns. I have never found one that had an over sized bore, and didn't shoot cast loads well. I would not hesitate to say that the Rossis that are made today are made just as good if not better than the original Winchesters. I have said this before and I will say it again, I have many guns of various cals and some are expensive custom builds, but if I was limited to just one gun, it would be my Rossi Mod 92 saddle ring carbine in 45LC. It is one of the few rifles that I have ever shot that truly becomes an extension of me.

Best wishes,

Joe

[Dan Cash]

Back again with more "advice." I have a 24" Puma in .45 that had a safety. The safety is reduced to a plug that one gets used to and does not detract from appearance or function. Wrok took 20 minutes, a drill press and file.

I do not load specifically for the rifle; it digests what goes in my revolvers. It is not the most accurate gun in the world but I lay that mostly to the miserable sights. I have replaced the rear with a ladder sight from Shilo Sharps. When the front sight is modified to accomodate the thin notch in the rear, it will likely do better. As it is, it is minute of dead deer, coyote or man at 100 yards.

Can"t answere if this short rifle shoots beter than a carbine as there is no experience on my part. One word of warning should you purchase this gun. Be sure you can return the gun if the barrel should be grossly oversized, example: .438 or more as opposed to .429-.430. While you can get a bullet to fit the bore, it might be too large to chamber and will sure swell your brass.

[Geobru]

I have a 44 with the oversize barrel. It slugged out at 432, so there isn't any problem chambering a 433 bullet. From what I have heard & read, that is the extent of the oversized bores.

[EDK]

Given a choice, I'd buy a new gun and definitely the octagon barrel WITHOUT the barrel bands.

Most authorities think that a gun with barrel bands is not as accurate as one with a fore end cap and the magazine tube holder dovetailed into the barrel. My personal experience is with 357 MARLINS agrees with that...BUT I was comparing a micro groover 1894C to Cowboy Rifles with 20 and 24 inch octagon barrels.

[Boerrancher]

There are a great deal of minor tweaks you can do to a lever rifle with barrel bands and often times make it shoot as good as a bolt gun, then there are some like my Marlin 1994c, that are just buggers to make shoot good. The biggest one is fore stock pressure on the receiver, make sure there is none.

Best wishes,

Joe

[crappie-hunter]

My Rossi 44 has the safety and also has a bore diam. of .433, had LBT make me a 280gr. lfn mold that I can size to .434 . That caused a slight problem with chambering an oversize round. To fix this I took some 400 wet or dry paper on a wooden dowel and a battery drill and just polished and smoothed up the very rear of the chamber fixed the problem.

The only issue that I have with the Rossi is the cresent but plate, looks cool but with a good stiff charge of H110 it is brutal on the shoulder. May try one of those leather covers one of these days and see if that helps.

This gun isn't a cloverleaf gun at 100yds but certainly is less than 3" with this jerk at the trigger.

Kills whitetails with authority.

I have installed a lyman 17a front sight ,with a slight amt. of modification to the sight, and soldered a blank leaf on the rear sight then drilled the blank to make a rear apeature sight . Looks homemade but works perfect.

The Rossi is the sweetest handeling lever gun that I have ever had the privelege of owning.

Buy it and have fun.

[northmn]

I had to use a needle file and file down the rear sight on the Rossi I had as it shot high even with full bore 357's. I can make a better rear sight for my eyes anyway. I also ahd to do some work on the forestock to relieve pressure. It never was a real tack driver but lots of fun.

DP

[frnkeore]

I have a Rossi with a 20" round barrel in 45 Colt. I heard in a conversation that when they are used a lot, such as CAS that some of the internal parts wear out pretty fast. Has anyone heard of this? I don't use mine much so, I doubt it will ever wear anything out but, I would like to know if they are prone to this.

Frank

[HPT]

Thanks for all the responses.

I ordered the brand new .44 cal Rossi Puma with the 24" octagon barrel yesterday. It is the model with the case hardened receiver. The seller measure the bore at .429" and sent me this picture. He says the case hardening looks much better than what the picture shows



Now I'll have to get some moulds & start casting - any suggestions on .44 moulds or loads?

[The Ranger]

i think i got my '92 in '08, paid $310 for it at an auction and it was new in the box. mine is 44-40 20" round barrel, front sight on the band. when i got it home i was looking through the box and there was a little Rossi flier dated 1995. so i'm assuming it's '95 production, if that helps to figure when they changed. it's also pre-saftey and has a steel magazine follower, everything the cowboy shooters change, well not quite.

i love carrying this gun in the woods, the balance and handeling are superb. i worked up some good deer loads and the wife carried it this season, she may have claimed it from me, i might have to look for another.

[AnthonyB]

I'm working on a 92 in 357 Mag with safety now. Bought the gun several months ago and put a few hundred jacketed through it, then ordered the video, springs, peep sight safety replacement, and green front sight from Steve's Gunz. Managed to lose the ejector collar while doing the modifications detailed in the video, and will look for another few days before ordering a replacement. I loved the rifle before the mods, and think it will be a truck favorite once all is done.
I have a Browning 92 in 44 Magnum that hasn't seen much use - full power loads are unpleasant with the crescent butt. Not so with the 357, and I can't see the need for much more power east of the Mississippi.
Tony

[blackpowder man]

I have the 24" octagon cased hardened with safety. Bore slugged .430 IIRC. I absolutely love mine. Wouldn't part with it. Shot a couple of CAS matches with it and it fed .44 mag brass as fast as I could lever it. Also lots and lots of rounds down range with it. Only negative is fat front sight makes long range work require more concentration. Easily remedied. Good luck with it.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have both types, no real difference noticed by me in use. Some guys report that the dovetail can cause a tight spot. If I was buying and there was a choice of dovetail versus barrel band sights, I would probably prefer the dovetail type, but I wouldn't get in a sweat about it.

I have an early vintage Uberti 1866 which has really been through the wars (owned by aprofessional fisherman in the Northern Territory for 20+ years). I threw it up to the shoulder one day in a cowboy shooting event and saw that the foresight was wayyyyyyy off to the left and the barrel band and mag tube were twisted around. Must have been squashed up in the trip to the range. I reached forward, twisted it back and was good to go, lol. I look before I go to the firing line now but it hasn't happened since

[KCSO]

I take the barell band and cut off the sight and re shape thhe band smooth. I then silver solder a split lug on the barrel and insert a brass or silver blade so the gun looks just like a 92. A little touch up blue and you are in business. If you dovetail in a sight make sure it fits right! Too tight a dovetail on the 44 and you can put a wrinkle in the barrle that will be a real accuracy spoiler.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Too tight a dovetail on the 44 and you can put a wrinkle in the barrle that will be a real accuracy spoiler.

That must be the 'tight spot' the guys were referring to. There doesn't seem to be much meat there on any 92 barrel I've ever seen.

[Snyd]

Both Rossi rifles that I have, the sight is on the barrel band and they are 20 inch barrels. I can promise you there is no way that you will be able to dove tail the sight into the barrel, or at least I wouldn't want to as the round barrel models are pretty thin up near the muzzle. ...

hmm, my 20" 454 has the front Hi-Viz site dovetailed into the barrel behind the barrel band. Factory setup, I bought it new. Shoots great. Old pic...

[Old Goat Keeper]

Well I have a Rossi in 454 and that barrel is mity thin. If you are NOT a competant gunsmith I'd recommend having one do the dovetail work. Yeah a tight spot is bad enough but if you cut it to deep you gonna have to shorten the barrel or may have it blow up on you. BTW, my 454 has a pad on it and NOT the cresent butplate and with full power loads it kicks a bit! I'd not want one with the cresent butplate or to shoot one! when it hurts it is no longer fun.

T-o-m

PS. It has the safety if that helps any.