Best LEE mold for ROSSI '92 .357mag

[derek45]

I did some more polishing and stoning beyond the video

maybe 3 hours....not sure


It went really well, only trouble i had was the last step, getting the hammer/trigger screw back thru the receiver

I ended up putting a very very slight chamfer on the hole in the hammer that the screw goes through.

then it went right back together

I bought his ejector spring also, and it smoothed things up too.

The video is pretty basic, instead of saying, "take twenty thousands off", he draws a picture on graph paper next to the actual part, and says "make it look like this"

LOL

I'm not complaining, it's perfect for the kitchen table gunsmith.

Very easy to follow along.

I brought my laptop out to my bench, and followed along, pausing the DVD while I did the work.

Would recommend the DVD for sure.

need to test it out live fire...

Now I have an excuse to go out and shoot it again

[Jeff H]

Jeff:
I only have a little over 100 rounds of jacketed through the rifle and haven't started any cast work yet. I have so much thought invested in the 180 that it HAS to shoot well - I didn't need the rifle until I saw the bullet design!
PM me and I'll send you some to try.
Tony

Tony, that is very generous and I appreciate it, but if I liked them and couldn't get the mold, I would be miserable. Right now, I have to stick with $20 LEE offerings and maybe save up for the 17 grain RDO this summer.

[Jeff H]

I loaded some more of the 125 grain LEEs again today. They shot exceptionally well in my 16" Rossi, but would not feed into the chamber. I seated them a tad deeper to an OAL of 1.537" and crimped on the front driving band as far forward as I could. I gave them a medium roll crimp, just enough to dig into the lead but not bulge the cases. They cycle through and feed perfectly now. I can see a LEE taper crimp die in my future.

Anyway, I wanted to share that in case anyone else had the same problem with that particular LEE mold.

For the rest of the story, these were seated over 5.5 grains of W231 with a small Winchester pistol primer. These are pretty mild in my Rossi in .357 brass, but that charge is a fuzz over +P if used in .38 brass, so mind your data when you verify what I just stated in your loading manuals. Mild or not, it will smack a lot harder than a .22 LR and is just what I need for close-range coyote, skunk and 'coon patrol when I take the lap dogs out to pee after dark.

[robertbank]

Jeff consider buying a Dillon crimping die. They are really easy to clean up after loading cast boolits.

Take Care

Bob

[357shooter]

Anyone try a Lee 105 SWC in a Rossi Lever? I'm guessing that if it worked out well someone would have mentioned it already. Had to ask anyway though.

[Jeff H]

Jeff consider buying a Dillon crimping die. They are really easy to clean up after loading cast boolits.

Take Care

Bob

I will look at that. Thank you.

Anyone try a Lee 105 SWC in a Rossi Lever? I'm guessing that if it worked out well someone would have mentioned it already. Had to ask anyway though.

I have given most of my molds to my best friend - told him to keep them and I'd get a handful from him once in a while if I needed any. I believe that I might have had that one but I intend to check with him this weekend for his .357 mold inventory. If one of us has it, I will try it and let you know. I gave up the .36s so long ago, I can't remember what I was last using.

[derek45]

I ordered the LEE 6 cavity 158gr SWC, and cast a bunch tonight.

I loaded up a 357 dummy, with a real good crimp, and was surprised it would not feed.

the rifle functions great with these old commercial bought 158gr SWC's

LEE on the left, commercial on the right

[Jeff H]

I ordered the LEE 6 cavity 158gr SWC, and cast a bunch tonight.

I loaded up a 357 dummy, with a real good crimp, and was surprised it would not feed. ........

Too wide at just the wrong spot, I'll bet. On a hunch (actually based on what will/will not feed in mine), I voted for the 140 grain because of the nose. Is there enough of the driving band to put a taper crimp into? I managed to push the 125 LEE back just a bit and it started feeding pefectly. I hate crimping over the front band. May just be superstitious, but I like keeping that front edge of the front band sharp and would worry about set-back in the case. Probably penty of tension with my dies, but I still don't like doing it.

Edit:
Oh, and thanks for posting that tidbit. I would rather have 158 grains than 140 grains, but we have to mind that nose shape. Not to say that 158 WON'T work, because the nose isn't radically wide, just a tad wide at just the wrong spot, but something should work. I have crimped into the front driving band on other stuff and it just gives me one more grease groove is all.

[fecmech]

The Lee TL 158 swc feeds just fine in both my Rossi's and the Lyman 358429 loaded to an oal of 1.638. I load the Lyman to that oal so that it fits my Ruger gp100 cyl by a light taper crimp on the front drive band. At that oal it feeds great and shoots well with max loads of wc820(296). Runs a little over 1600 fps.

[derek45]

Overall length and semi wad-cutters,......this reminds of 1911 stuff.

( something I'm much more experienced with )




I loaded one of my new LEE 158SWC's into a 38 special case and it FEEDS LIKE BUTTER

I prefer .357 mag brass, even for bunny fart loads.

[zxcvbob]

Another one to try is 148 grain DEWC's. I'm waiting for the weather to warm up so I can work up a magnum wadcutter load -- my Marlin feeds them just fine (.357 brass) and I can load 2 extra rounds in the magazine.

In .38 Special brass, wadcutters are too short to feed unless I crimp them extra long.

[Lonegun1894]

My 20" rossi loves the 158 rnfp. I usually get 2-3" groups and 100 and no keyholing issues. I haven't tried loading it very light so that may be why I haven't had the keyholing problems mentioned. But I also dont get any leading in mine with my loads either. Best bet is to try the different bullets and see what your rifle likes.

[derek45]

My 20" rossi loves the 158 rnfp. I usually get 2-3" groups and 100 and no keyholing issues. I haven't tried loading it very light so that may be why I haven't had the keyholing problems mentioned. But I also dont get any leading in mine with my loads either. Best bet is to try the different bullets and see what your rifle likes.

that's good to hear.

any idea on your velocity ?

[exile]

Off topic, but I would be very interested in you efforts to create a magnum wadcutter load. I have a Lee TL wadcutter mold and would like to try magnum loads out of my .357 Blackhawk. Could you seat these out to 1.590" in a revolver? Really interesting idea. Maybe it needs another thread of it's own?

exile

[357shooter]

Off topic, but I would be very interested in you efforts to create a magnum wadcutter load. I have a Lee TL wadcutter mold and would like to try magnum loads out of my .357 Blackhawk. Could you seat these out to 1.590" in a revolver? Really interesting idea. Maybe it needs another thread of it's own?

exile

There's some bigger loads in the Lyman Cast Bullet guide I believe.

The DEWC and plain base WC like the Lee work well in my guns at 1.40 inch OAL. Which of course is in 357 brass. The hotter loads didn't work out as accurate as the lighter loads. I find a SWC to work better and sold off my wadcutter moulds.

Lot's of folks love them though, so give it a try. I don't have the Lyman manual handy or I'd post some of the 357 loads.

Added: the length of to the face of the front driving band is what will run into fit problems. 1.590 might work, might now. I load SWC to 1.620 all the time and it works great. Even then the front driving band becomes an issue.

[Jeff H]

The Lee TL 158 swc feeds just fine in both my Rossi's and the Lyman 358429 loaded to an oal of 1.638. I load the Lyman to that oal so that it fits my Ruger gp100 cyl by a light taper crimp on the front drive band. At that oal it feeds great and shoots well with max loads of wc820(296). Runs a little over 1600 fps.

The 358429 is a classic and it wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit to shoot more of those.

Curious about what you're pushing the TLs to, as I like the TLs but haven't tried one in the Rossi yet.

[357shooter]

Just got finished shooting some 358429 (the NOE version, they fit my revolver too) over 11.8 grains of H110. Very nice, very accurate. Although it was an indoor range and short range. The 357446 and 358477 didn't like the H110 all that much. Probably my charge, or they just don't work as well as the Keith.

[Lonegun1894]

that's good to hear.

any idea on your velocity ?

I haven't put these over a chrono, but assuming Speer #13 can be trusted, should be about 1600 fps with 14.5 grs of 2400, or around 1400 with 7.5 grs Unique. Both loads shoot equally well in mine.

I tried some other loads over a chrono and got velocities up to 2050 fps (still no leading), but those exceeded the loading manuals so I haven't loaded any more of them and dont plan to, even though they did not show pressure signs. I just wasn't comfortable going to that far over the manuals I have.

[derek45]

COOL

Thanks

Very Good to know.


I've been messing with this rifle all night, put the factory ejector spring back in, still won't feed LEE 158 SWC.

I lightly polished the face of the ejector and it almost feeds them now.

the ejector is HUGE in the '92 and is what pushes the round out of the cartridge guides and into the chamber.

I stopped and re-assembled the rifle.

Came into the house, and Rossi USA's website seems to be down.



Does anyone know if ROSSI sells replacement parts for these?


I would like an extra ejector to experiment with.

[Lonegun1894]

Anytime. Just hope it works as well in yours as it does in mine. Works in another Rossi 92 as well as it does in mine. As an aside, my last deer was shot with the Lee 158 RNFP Unique load out of a 4" Ruger Security Six at 45 yds, and took three steps before going down for good.