Just KNEW I shouldn't have gone to Big 5 today

[Buckshot]

................I ended up buying a blued Rossi Puma in 357. I was in just after Christmas and they had one there that said: "After Christmas sale, $399". I have one (colorcased) octagon 24" barreled one in 45 Colt. I thought about it and thought about it then called Big 5 and talked to a female sale being. I asked the caliber and she said it was in 45 Magnum. I figured 44 mag or 45 Colt. I asked and she said she thought it was the only one they had. I figured they just wanted to move it out. Whatever.

I did some calling around about one in 38/357 and got prices from $439 and up. I just let the idea die. I had a couple errands and they were on the right side of the street in the direction I was headed. Lo and behold they had M95 Steyrs on sale for $85 :-). Drat! Well I already have 4 if you count the 30-40 conversion, but $85 isn't bad. However they had a Puma lever action with that dern $399 sign on it again.

While waiting I noticed they had a Stevens (Savage) 110 in 30-'06 for $379, not on sale. Hmmmm, having a half dozen 30-'06's isn't a BAD thing, I don't believe. If I bought this one it would only be number 4 anyway, and it WAS $20 cheaper. Thinking, thinking :veryconfu So anyway the helpfull sales being arrived and took the rifle down, and it WAS a 44 mag, darn it. But looking at the ticket hanging from the lever had 357 and 45 Mag :-) written on it. Egads! I asked if they had one in 357?

Got that deer in the headlights look. I then got a "I'll have to check". So the mature adult part of me was thinking I hope they don't so I can save the $400 this is going to cost me. But the child in me was hoping that they DID have one in 357 because I really really DID want one, after all didn't I?

Well they did have one and in 10 days I will have one also [smilie=w:

Then we can begin that sphincter puckering experience of taking a new rifle to the range to begin some load workup, for the euphoria, or headaches/heartache it always causes.

..................Buckshot

[square butte]

20 inch or Trapper? Iv'e benn thinking hard about a .357 EMF Rossi Trapper. Almost burned a hole in my hat yesterday thinking about them. Can't see a good reason not to get one.

[Linstrum]

Yee Gads! Buckshot! YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T HAVE A ROSSI M92 IN .357 MAGNUM UNTIL JUST NOW? Okay, well, now you can join the club! I bought mine back in 1979, approximately when they were first imported by Big 5, they didn't have the great big hoop for the lever handle back then, but they did have the saddle ring and I took it off because it was dinging up the side of the receiver. I got my Rossi to go with my Smith & Wesson model 19 .357 Magnum with 6" barrel.

I hope yours is as nice as mine, it puts five 358156 gas-checked slugs into a ragged hole at 50 yards, pushed with 9.2 grains Hercules 2400. I bought the Hercules 2400 for the two guns back in 1979, too (I haven't tried any of my Alliant 2400 in it yet, but I would imagine it would be the same, though).

I had to do some minor re-machining and tuning-up on it, first to the front sight to get the blade sitting on top of the barrel muzzle, it had been rotated off just a tad. I also re-worked the trigger spring and honed the sear to lighten up its pull from 10 pounds to about 2.5 pounds with a smooth let-off. Doing that also made the half cock much more secure as a safety since without stoning the surfaces I could still pull the trigger in half-cock and have it go off if pulled hard enough after letting the hammer down from full cock. Now the trigger is smoooooth. I cycled the action a few thousand times to get it broken in and smoothed out. It is one of my favorite little rifles, I really like its classic looks.

Besides, my great grandma was being courted by John Moses Browning at the time back in Ogden, Utah, when he was designing that rifle (they didn't get married, darn it) and I couldn't afford an original 1892 Winchester. This one suits my purpose quite nicely, though! Beautiful little rifle, I hope yours serves you well.

[Trailblazer]

So $399 is a good price? A friend called me yesterday to ask if I would recommend he get a Marlin 30 AW in 30-30 for $299 or the Puma in 357 for $399 from Big 5. I declined to make any recommendation except to say that I would prefer the 357 as a plinker because of hopefully cheaper ammo and the availability of carbide dies which is a big plus to me.

We went to the range Monday and I took my 30-30 and a bunch of leftover odds and ends of cast bullet loads for it. I started him shooting at the 100 meter pig swinger and he started whacking it the 3rd or 4rth shot and hit it consistently after that-offhand of course. He had so much fun he wants to buy a levergun now.

That 357 does sound like fun!

[DanWalker]

I fed mine 9.5 grains of 2400 under just about any cast boolit and it shot them great.
It was pretty peppy with 15.5 grains under a 150gr swc.....Notes say velocity was 1800+ fps.
Had to sell the gun to help pay for my move to WY 6 years ago. Being poor sucks!

[Scrounger]

I fed mine 9.5 grains of 2400 under just about any cast boolit and it shot them great.
It was pretty peppy with 15.5 grains under a 150gr swc.....Notes say velocity was 1800+ fps.
Had to sell the gun to help pay for my move to WY 6 years ago. Being poor sucks!

....In

[Boomer Mikey]

It must be contagious, I've wanted one of the 45LC color case 24" octagon EMF Hartford 1892's ever since Buckshot got his and planted the idea of the 45-70 lite loads with the Lee 340's... I finally saw one on GunBroker this morning and in a weak moment purchased it for $465.

I have 2 Puma Stainless M92's in 357 Mag, a 20" carbine and an octagon 24" Western rifle and a Navy Arms Stainless 20" Short rifle in 357 Magnum to boot; talk about a nice, quick handling rifle! All of the 357's have been good shooters... my 20" carbine shoots 1/2" 50 yard groups with my cowboy load of a Speer 158 grain SWC lead bulk or the 158 grain SWCHP lead bulk bullets and 4 grains of TiteGroup in Remington cases with WSP or Federal SP primers.

I have another set of the Stainless M92's in 44 Magnum too... be careful with those; my PUMA's have oversize 0.433" - 0.434" groove diameters. I sent one back under warranty with a 0.435" groove diameter and they replaced it with one with a 0.433" groove diameter. I heard that EMF refused to sell 44 Mag rifles from that run of barrels some time latter.

The Rossi 1892's are very strong actions that can become as slick as glass with a little TLC. I prefer the EMF 1892 Hartfords over the LSI PUMA's as fit and finish is better with real walnut stocks.

Darn you Buckshot! :mrgreen:

My local gun guy found a used Marlin 1894FG 41 Mag lever gun to go with the Weatherby Vanguard Varmit Special 223 I ordered last month too.:roll::roll:

Boomer :Fire:

[Nrut]

"and they were on the right side of the street in the direction I was headed"

Didn't you use that line not all that long ago to buy a rifle?....Or was that someone else?...[smilie=1:

[Trailblazer]

My friend bought a Puma 357 at Big 5 yesterday. He went in and it was marked $499. He told the sales person he saw it last week for $399 and the friendly salesperson sold it to him for $399. I will get to try this one out in a couple weeks!

[Buckshot]

..............Boomer Mikey, you have my most sincere and heartfelt apologies! Other then that, the only thing I can think to say is, IT SURE TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!

...............Buckshot the repentant

[Boomer Mikey]

..............Boomer Mikey, you have my most sincere and heartfelt apologies! Other then that, the only thing I can think to say is, IT SURE TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!

...............Buckshot the repentant

I think I came close to clicking on the Buy It Now button at least 50 times and chickened out at the last second... then I couldn't decide between the 24" rifle and the 20" short rifle for a few months. I purchased dies, cases and molds last year; this is my first 45 LC, even had enough time to order the 454190, and Collar Button group buy molds and receive them.

Oh, Well, I did the 357's and 44's first... those are my cowboy match guns.

Now to order sights, a Lyman 454190 and Lee 457-340-F. Say, I've got a huge pile of 305 grain 0.459" Bear Creek boolits I can resize...... have fun! :bigsmyl2:

Boomer :Fire:

[Griff]

I think I came close to clicking on the Buy It Now button at least 50 times and chickened out at the last second... then I couldn't decide between the 24" rifle and the 20" short rifle for a few months. I purchased dies, cases and molds last year; this is my first 45 LC, even had enough time to order the 454190, and Collar Button group buy molds and receive them.
Oh, Well, I did the 357's and 44's first... those are my cowboy match guns.
Now to order sights, a Lyman 454190 and Lee 457-340-F. Say, I've got a huge pile of 305 grain 0.459" Bear Creek boolits I can resize...... have fun! :bigsmyl2:
Boomer :Fire:I'd also recommend the RCBS 45-225-CAV and the Lyman Four Cavity Pistol Mould 452664 as they have fairly big lube grooves, and once you get the feel for the .45 Colt you will feel the need to try the "True Powder" and abandon the heathen stuff. :twisted:

The RCBS boolit feeds exceptionally well and is quite accurate in both my EMF 1873 rifle and EMF 1892 "Short Rifle".

[charger 1]

Sorry to interupt fellas, but man oh man I couldnt help noticing that pumas wood. I've been after wood for my prewar 94 (rear ecspecially) and as all know the prwar 94's and 92's wore the same wood. I wonder how close of a repro it is? As in I wonder if the wood would interchange. Anyone ever held the puma next to the real deal to see if the wood looked the same?

Sorry, back to your regularily scheduled program