Rossi Ranchhand 45 Colt

[ironbrew]

I haven't even got it yet (but I have got it paid for etc.). I have the full length stock for it so basically a 12"bbl carbine. I'm looking for molds and loads for this unit. My molds are all for the 45-70 so looking forward to setting up another mold. I personally am a fan of heavy and slow. If anybody has any feedback on the rifle, the loads, the boolits, I'd appreciate hearing them.

[farmbif]

my Rossi 45 colt only needs one mold, mp 454640 lube sized at .454. and one powder and one load 20 or 21 grains 4227 with either winchester or magnum primers.
the ranch hand is an 1892 winchester clone action that is good and strong. you can get all kinds of molds for 45 colt but I'm pretty sure you will find the 452664 or 454640 or bullets with similar design will feed in the lever action much more trouble free than semi wadcutters. and velocity of 1200fps with proper sizing, .454, and good lube you shouldn't have and issues with leading. and 265 grains of lead at 1200 fps, its a good potent load that is very accurate in my gun.

[00buck]

Is the ranch hand considered a pistol with the 12 inch barrel?

[ATCDoktor]

Is the ranch hand considered a pistol with the 12 inch barrel?

The Ranch Hand is considered a pistol in the U.S. but the OP lives in Canada so matching the Ranch Hand with a stock (for him) is not an issue.

That said, I live in the states and have navigated the NFA process of converting my Ranch Hand to an SBR and find it to be a handy utility carbine great for plinking and short range suppressor use.


I don’t cast for the 45 colt but I find that mine shoots ok with a 255 grain commercial cast flat point sized .452.

[Baltimoreed]

I rebuilt a 1894 .45 colt Marlin carbine into a Trapper and have found it a fast little rifle. As I use it in cas I load it with ten .45 Schofield brass loads.

[indian joe]

Brand new Rossi 20" carbine advert in our local gun rag wood stock version 44mag = $949 AUD - plastic about $100 less - new japchester = $1750ish
I reckon I would take a punt on the Rossi at that rate -thought they would be more $'s than that

[ironbrew]

I rebuilt a 1894 .45 colt Marlin carbine into a Trapper and have found it a fast little rifle. As I use it in cas I load it with ten .45 Schofield brass loads.

Could you tell me more about using the 45 Schofield instead? I've never heard of this before...

[ironbrew]

Is the ranch hand considered a pistol with the 12 inch barrel?

In Canada the mares leg and ranch hand (at least with 12"bbl) is not considered a pistol, so I have no issues and am breaking no laws. Sorry. I should have clarified in my original post, but occasionally our laws are more... understanding... than yours. That is extremely extremely rare.

[JoeJames]

In Canada the mares leg and ranch hand (at least with 12"bbl) is not considered a pistol, so I have no issues and am breaking no laws. Sorry. I should have clarified in my original post, but occasionally our laws are more... understanding... than yours. That is extremely extremely rare.

Just wondering, without doing the research; how's Canada on suppressors? I have read they are no big deal in certain European countries.

[Harter66]

Just a couple of notes from my limited use of a 16 and 20" example in the Rossi M92 45 Colts . The 20" is circa 1984-86 while the 16" is a 2013 .

I loved the 16" so that I "needed" a 20" and I was successful in finding one . I shot the 16" a lot , took it hog hunting and ugly reared its head just about then . Apparently I'm the only one that has either experienced or is willing to talk about it so bear with me . I developed a great load for the 452-255 at 265 gr but I wanted more meplat so I used the on hand 452-252 at 261 gr . At 4,000 ft MSL things were going great I had the hog slayer express load going on out to expected ranges but it didn't hold at 100 yd not a big deal with expected max distances 65-75 yd . Checking sights at at 110 ft MSL in high humidity the 252 SWC was all over and the full power 255 RF wasn't a lot better . I fell back on the loads that were only doing about 850 fps in the 7.5" BlackHawk instead of the 1050 fps loads . I was gaining right at 200 fps MV in the carbine . The light loads were enough for what we took and more importantly they hit where or very close to where the sights were .

Back home I did a bunch of shooting and went to a 454424 . That was an answer ! Wrong , but it tightened up groups and all was well until I got on a real marked and ranged range ....... At 75 yd golf balls were in a world of hurt but at 100 the 1/3 scale bison .......well I couldn't see hits so I changed hold . 8' high and left . I backed down and right until I was holding on the golfball at 85 yd and I hit just over the buffs nose , I pulled back and down to a ball at about 75 yd and hit the ball . What's nuts is that I repeated this whole thing about 10 times . Back home I set up and explored just exactly what was going on . Round holes out to 75 yd in 5 yd steps from 65 yd , at 80 they were opening up , at 85 I had ovals approaching profiles .
What makes this weird is that the BlackHawk didn't do that even with hotter loads that were almost that of the carbine . The 92' has a 1-32" while the BlackHawk is 1-16" . Strelok predicts transsonic at 78-82 yd with available BC and Chronograph information . Which matched what happened on paper .

The end conclusion is that at least with the 3 45 rifles and 2 companion pistols that the 1-32 twist doesn't provide enough gyroscopic stability to get down through transsonic but the 1-16" will . 1-20" seems to work with paper patch in the 45-70 also . Yes I did shoot patched pistol bullets in it .

If you're going to shoot for keeps you need either a load that stays supersonic all the way to the target or you need one that doesn't ever go supersonic with the Rossi M92 1-32 twist .

Also both Rossi chambers suck you'll be neck sizing if you want to keep the case life .

[Baltimoreed]

.45 Schofield cartridge is a shortened .45colt with a slightly larger rim. Was designed to work with the topbreak Schofield S&W revolver. I load them with a 255 gr flat nosed bullet so I can squeeze 10 into my mag tube. My marlin and rebuilt Uberti run them fine but some 45colt rifles won’t cycle the shorter rounds.

[ironbrew]

Just wondering, without doing the research; how's Canada on suppressors? I have read they are no big deal in certain European countries.

Apparently suppressors are the equivalent of allowing the private ownership of nuclear weapons. I'd really like to be able to reduce the noise level to my ears, but... not legal and I highly doubt it ever will be.