Rossi 92 . . . Maybe it is me

[wv109323]

I would try an entirely different boolit. I have one 158gn. mold that will not shoot.

[azrednek]

Not trying to brag but my shorty Puma Rossi will print pretty clusters at 50 yards, bench rested shooting gas checked 38156's. I used 2400 but can't recall the load, most likely a max or near max published load. I never did any serious shooting with it beyond 75. I also did fairly well casually plinking 38's using the Lee 125.

Can't recall the mold number but I got excellent results using a Lee round nose. I'm guessing, think it was in the 150-165 weight range. I do know for certain my castings were from straight clip-ones. Best I recall I used it with a medium load of Herco taken from an early 80's Hercules manual. At the time I was shooting the Lee slugs not sized rolled in Lee goo and dusted with Motor Mica.

This paragraph I'll brag a little. About 10 years ago I rolled a running Coyote with Shorty at about 35 yards. Got'em with a jacketed factory 38+P.

[Ed in North Texas]

Without knowing what caliber you're referring to, it's hard to answer your question. I had one in .44 mag with the 20" octagon barrel that loved 250gr SWC over Trailboss in a .44 Special case. I could reek havoc on the 8" gongs from 100 yds all day long. That crescent steel butt plate was hard on the shoulder when shooting mags though...

I'm sure it is heresy, but my 92 in .45 Colt didn't make friends with my over 70 shoulder. I looked into buying a butt stock from Taurus, but was told Taurus doesn't sell the Casull butt stock. Went to Boyd's and bought one of their pre-finished stocks. Steve's Gunz has these IIRC. Drop in fit, though I think the stock was actually for the Winchester, maybe not. But there is lots of extra wood once the screw is tightened. If I wanted to refinish, there's extra to sand off. Takes the sting out of the warmer .45 Colt loads and the crescent butt. I guess I'm just a wuss, but shooting crescent butt rifles and some of the old military black powder rifles (.50-70 Remington RB, .577-450 Martini Henry, etc.) leaves me with a lot of respect for the men of the late 1800s. Don't know how the Welshmen stood for the repeated volley fire at Rorke's Drift (other than fear generated adrenaline, and maybe a heavy uniform coat).

[TCLouis]

Crescent buttstock gone.
Buckhorn rear sight gone.

Tang sight installed (front sight centered and tang sight is almost out of windage)

Loaded nothing but upper level loads with 4 different boolits today, all except the 357429GB tightened right up at 50 (well 2 - 2 1/2" tightened). As FEMECH and others have said, it appears that one has to push to upper level loads with lighter weight boolits to get the Rossi to perform.

Backed off .5 grain (PROMO) on one of the plain base boolits and group became a pattern. 5.5 had promise, 5.0 was not even in the race.

Tomorrow it is WC 820(N) (AA#9 speed) it works good in 7mm TCU, 7.7X58, 30-06 so maybe it will perform here also.
Funny it works just fine in all of those with standard Winchester SP/LP primers, but in 357 Mag and 44 Mag I have to use magnum primers to light it off.
In the two pistola cartridges some fire "normally", some hang, some reduced power(by sound), and some just burn off some of the deterrent coating leaving brownish colored powder and stuck boolit. This has been tried multiple times with the same result. Standard pistol primers work in the TCU and the rifle cartridges. Go figure!
Something I have never figured out, but rather just go with it, but since I have a lot of the WC 820(N) I wish it did not require the Mag primers because I have few and they are needed for the cartridges I shoot most.

[ironhead7544]

I would slug the barrel. Get some slugs from Lead Bullet Technologies. They slip on a cleaning rod and are easy to push through. You will feel any restrictions. No hammer needed.

If it seems OK, then I would put 200 rounds of J-word 158 gr with a max charge of 296/H110 through it to smooth the bore. If that doesnt work, it is probably the barrel.

Had a couple of 357 Magnum Rossi rifle from before Braztec took over. Both were very accurate with cast boolits from their 16" and 20" barrels.

Had a number of later model 357 and 44 Magnums from Rossi. I found they were a crapshoot with 50% chance of being OK.

[hornady308]

You are not alone. While my 357 Rossi has been very easy to deal with, I have a 45 Rossi that was a nightmare. I finally found ONE cast bullet that works really well in that rifle (Lee 250 RF). All other bullets, sized to the same point, whether heavier or lighter, simply would not group well. I don't understand, but at least I have one design that works so well that I can use it for hunting out to 100 yards without worry.

[Eddie Southgate]

My sons 44-40 seems to shoot about anything you stick in it really well .

Eddie

[azrednek]

FWIW, my Puma Rossi 38/357 carbine shot clusters benchrested at 50 yards. I used a Lyman 38156 loaded with 2400 but can't recall the charge. I never did much with the Rossi past 50 yds. The Lee 125 did surprisingly good using published 38 Special data. I do recall the 38 load shooting at 75 yards using Kentucky windage was all over the target but much better than expected at 50 or less yds.