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Thread: What Do You Feed Your 92 Levergun ?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy sandog's Avatar
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    What Do You Feed Your 92 Levergun ?

    Not really looking for load or caliber recommendations, but I was curious as to what shape bullet your 1892 likes best, and what doesn't feed smoothly.
    My 1894P (O.K. not an 1892 but fires similar cartridges) Marlin .44 feeds a WFN bullet so smoothly you think it couldn't have possible fed, but it did. It doesn't do well with SWC, RNFP are pretty good.

    I've had original and newer 1892's in .25-20, .32-20, .44-40, .44 Mag. and .45 Colt.
    This 16" stainless Rossi is my first .357 lever, and I'm liking it. Perfect size round for the desert.

    You would think that a RNFP bullet would feed well in the Rossi .357 and a SWC would not feed that smoothly.
    But the opposite is the case. 158 gr. RNFP don't feed very smoothly at all, but some lead SWC I shot today fed GREAT.
    All of the different bullet shapes are seated around the same OAL, 1.560" for the RNFP to 1.575" for the SWC.

    Last week I tried some heavy full wad-cutters. They are 173 grain so seated to the crimp groove, about 3//16" sticks out of the case.
    Those fed great for about 5 rounds, then the short OAL of the wadcutter ammo would intermittently cause a misfeed, one of the short rounds would be on the carrier and another would poke out of the magazine enough to tie up things.
    But it seems the overall length of the round is more critical than the bullet shape.

    I have some MBC 180 gr. coated Pugnose WFN coming, we'll see how those do.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    in most my pistol caliber lever actions the 667 or 640 bullet design works best but in my old ugly Rossi 92 in 357 the 358156 loads and shoots real well. it just plain works great accuracy and pushing to max velocity no problem. lube sized to .360 in 357 mag brass roll crimp on the top crimp groove 17 to 17.5 grains of 300mp is what ive been loading

  3. #3
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    I've got '92s in .44-40, .45 LC, .44 Mag. The .44 Mag looks just like yours in the photo--Rossi stainless. Very true that some rifles can be individuals when it comes to feeding and bullet shape preference. I've tinkered with all of mine until they feed well with the RNFP. I try hard to use the same loads in my SAA-type six guns and levers to simplify reloading.

    DG

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    Wife shoots a Rossi '92 in cowboy action. 158 grain round nose in either 38 special or .357. It doesn't care. 158 grain round nose flat points work equally well.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master Castaway's Avatar
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    In my 45 Colt Winchester, a Lee 255 gr RNFP and a generous dose of 4227 or H110. 4227 isn’t as fast, but gives me the best accuracy

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    [QUOTE=sandog;5414758]Not really looking for load or caliber recommendations, but I was curious as to what shape bullet your 1892 likes best, and what doesn't feed smoothly.
    My 1894P (O.K. not an 1892 but fires similar cartridges) Marlin .44 feeds a WFN bullet so smoothly you think it couldn't have possible fed, but it did. It doesn't do well with SWC, RNFP are pretty good.

    I've had original and newer 1892's in .25-20, .32-20, .44-40, .44 Mag. and .45 Colt.
    This 16" stainless Rossi is my first .357 lever, and I'm liking it. Perfect size round for the desert.

    You would think that a RNFP bullet would feed well in the Rossi .357 and a SWC would not feed that smoothly.
    But the opposite is the case. 158 gr. RNFP don't feed very smoothly at all, but some lead SWC I shot today fed GREAT.
    All of the different bullet shapes are seated around the same OAL, 1.560" for the RNFP to 1.575" for the SWC.

    Last week I tried some heavy full wad-cutters. They are 173 grain so seated to the crimp groove, about 3//16" sticks out of the case.
    Those fed great for about 5 rounds, then the short OAL of the wadcutter ammo would intermittently cause a misfeed, one of the short rounds would be on the carrier and another would poke out of the magazine enough to tie up things.
    Check that your stopper is functioning correctly - should be blocking that next round unless they are way short

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by sandog View Post
    Not really looking for load or caliber recommendations, but I was curious as to what shape bullet your 1892 likes best, and what doesn't feed smoothly.
    My 1894P (O.K. not an 1892 but fires similar cartridges) Marlin .44 feeds a WFN bullet so smoothly you think it couldn't have possible fed, but it did. It doesn't do well with SWC, RNFP are pretty good.

    I've had original and newer 1892's in .25-20, .32-20, .44-40, .44 Mag. and .45 Colt.
    This 16" stainless Rossi is my first .357 lever, and I'm liking it. Perfect size round for the desert.

    You would think that a RNFP bullet would feed well in the Rossi .357 and a SWC would not feed that smoothly.
    But the opposite is the case. 158 gr. RNFP don't feed very smoothly at all, but some lead SWC I shot today fed GREAT.
    All of the different bullet shapes are seated around the same OAL, 1.560" for the RNFP to 1.575" for the SWC.

    Last week I tried some heavy full wad-cutters. They are 173 grain so seated to the crimp groove, about 3//16" sticks out of the case.
    Those fed great for about 5 rounds, then the short OAL of the wadcutter ammo would intermittently cause a misfeed, one of the short rounds would be on the carrier and another would poke out of the magazine enough to tie up things.
    But it seems the overall length of the round is more critical than the bullet shape.

    I have some MBC 180 gr. coated Pugnose WFN coming, we'll see how those do.
    38/40 gets the RCBS cowboy mold,
    44/40 feeds LEE 200grain, RCBS RNFP, CBE wide flatpoint the 44/40 is an original 38/40 is an original I converted from 25/20 both those rifles are UNfussy

    had a Rossi in 357 mag, it was picky as to what fed nice - the LEE 158 grain worked - drive it like ya stole it was helpful with this Rossi - slow feed didnt work so good.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy Sam Sackett's Avatar
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    I use a Rossi 92 (old 1980’s Interarms import) and it feeds the RF and TC bullets as fast as I can work the action. It also will feed full wadcutters if you make them in the correct length. It will feed SWC if I work the action slower, but speed up and it jams every time. OAL cartridge length is the key for this rifle. I kept making up dummy rounds, starting long, trying them out, shortening them by about 10 thou, trying again until I hit the sweet spot. Then kept going shorter till they wouldn’t feed. Then load to the middle of the range that fed OK. Takes time, but works.

    Sam Sackett

  9. #9
    Boolit Master


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    In .44WCF in Win '92 or Uberti 1892, 1873 or .44Mag Win 1894; I feed a N.O.E. #TL432-247-RF. This bullet feeds in every rifle I've tried it in.
    I crimp over the ogive and I've NEVER used a Lee fcd. Just the Good old Lyman dies from the 1960's.
    I HATE auto-correct

    Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.

    My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.

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  10. #10
    Boolit Master Handloader109's Avatar
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    My 92 rossi in 357 loves flat nose, especially 38 special loads. 140 to 158 grain. I've a couple of bullets I cast and the load, feed and shoot great. Haven't a rn so can't say about that

    Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy Pereira's Avatar
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    Have an original Win. 92 in 25-20, I load fn cast and sp jacketed, no problems with either.
    Have 2 Rossi 92's one in 357 and the other in 45 colt.
    The 357 has ate everything you can think of without issuse, the 45 I have only shot cast rn and rfn and no problems.

    I also have a Marlin 1892 in 32 colt, it's heeled bullet like a 22, only found rn and a few jacketed sp's.

    RP


    Monte Walsh "You have No idea how little I care".

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy

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    I have a Rossi puma 92 clone, in .357. I feed it H&G # 51 SWC. No feed problems in .357 or .38 spl.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
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    Most of these pistol caliber lever actions have a slow twist rate. If your barrel is decent without tight spots under dovetails and such, they will shoot plain base just about as good as gas checked.

    My current Rossi 357 had a constriction under the rear dovetail that was pretty bad and it even shot the GC bullets inaccurately. Same lot of GC ammo would do 2 " at 100 for 10 shots was shooting 4" in the new stainless gun. I firelapped it about 15 shots and the GC ammo shot much better, but still shot bad with plain base.

    When I pulled the bolt and looked from the breech end I could see all the tooling marks along the barrel and about an inch in front of the throat there was a perfectly polished ring where the lapping bullets were cutting. That gun ended up getting about 50 firelapping shots before the constriction was gone. At that point there was finally a little bit of cutting in front of the constriction, telling me that the constriction was gone. I have never had to lap a gun that much before. Maybe the Rossi stainless steel is harder than the carbon steel. Now this gun shoots the 158-RF into 3 MOA at 100 yards for 10 shots and 2000 fps muzzle velocity and the GC 154 NOE shoots 10 shots into 2" at the same speed.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master



    Tazman1602's Avatar
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    I haven’t seen anyone mention:

    www.stevesgunz.com

    About ten years ago I had a Rossi 1892 .357 that did_not like certain bullet profiles and I got pointed to Steve’s site, bought his DVD and spring kits and ended up with five Rossi’s that feed/function perfectly.

    Art
    ”Only accurate rifles are interesting”
    ——Townsend Whelen


    In a time of universal deceit , telling the truth is a revolutionary act
    —- George Orwell

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    I had a '92 Winchester in 32-20 from 1913 that reliably fed the RCBS, 98 gr., SWC and shot wonderfully. It was one of my favorites until my oldes son asked for it. I replaced it with an 1889 Marlin in the same cartridge. I prefer the '92.
    "In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'

    The common virtue of capitalism is the sharing of equal opportunity. The common vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery

    NRA Benefactor 2008

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    My Win 92 in 25/20 gets the Lyman 65gr gc but shoots everything I have tried in it without problems. My Rossi puma in 454 Casull loads either the Lee 300gr or the Lee 452 230gr TC without issue as well.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master AntiqueSledMan's Avatar
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    Hello Sandog,

    I've been using the Lyman 358156, a gas checked semi wad-cutter with no issues.
    They also feed well in my son's 1894 Marlin.
    I've never had any issues so I never tried anything else.

    AntiqueSledMan.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master

    pworley1's Avatar
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    Most any round flat point design works well in all of mine.
    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  19. #19
    Boolit Bub
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    My Rossi 92 ( pre safety) eats any 255 gr bullet I feed it ( 45 Colt )

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have an Interarms 65 (R92) in .44-40. It feeds well with bullets cast in an Accurate 43-215C, or a similar bullet from Matt's Bullets.

    I also have a Rossi 92 in .357. The only magnums I've shot have been Fiocchi factory 158 grain JHPs (which AFAIK are Hornady XTPs). If worked briskly, .38s with 158 grain bullets like to fly out the top of the action, but .38s loaded with Matt's 178 grain Keith feed smoothly. The Keith design has a long nose that brings the shorter .38s to a length it likes.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check