Rossi Puma 92 45 LC

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zipspyder

Moderator
Hey guys, just purchased the Puma 45 LC and just want to confirm you can shoot +P ammo out of it? Most of what I have read says you can but wanted to confirm with you experts. Plan on using it for deer and black bear hunting. Even standard 250gr+ (non cowboy loads) seems to be sufficient enough at 75-100 yards and closer.
 
Yeah I should state it is new/old stock although that is somewhat nit picking and not really relevant to the question. Shooting my Pietta 1860 Army 44 with 45LC cowboy loads at 750 fps they certainly go through a fair amount of wood and imagine they can take a deer at bow range.
 
I haven't ran a bunch through it, but I have ran some of my 325g Keith Lead over 25g of H110 I usually save for my Ruger SBH, out of my Rossi 92. Scared the hell out of me when I touched the first one off with the amount of "thump" it had. Now I never called Rossi, shame on me, but assumed the 92 action would hold. It may be worth a phone call as I only ran a few through. I'd hate to have it explode and hurt someone.
 
Why is it that the first thing everyone does after buying a gun in 45 Colt is start trying hot rod the cartridge? If they wanted 1800 FPS they should have bought a 44 Magnum. I guess they are bedazzled by that big 'ol case and want to fill it with powder. What purpose is served by hot loaded 45 Colts from a carbine? It's not a long range hunting rifle.
 
Because a 44 magnum can't do what a hot 45 colt can do.....

Why is it when someone buys what they want to do with what they want people bitch and moan about it for no good reason? But alas, there some of you are!
 
@ SaxonPig you should probably read and really think about what I actually posted again vs making something up and generalizing people. I think standard loads would be fine but it is nice to know the carbine can do it.
 
Because a 44 magnum can't do what a hot 45 colt can do....
Click to expand...

Now, you are dreaming...

It must be bad to be a Colt fan and have to always try to make it better than the .44mag...when it just ain't so.
 
They made the same gun in 454 Casull (I have one) so you’ll be just fine with +p loads.


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A .45 Colt can be loaded hotter than a .44 Mag.
The larger case allows higher performance without exceeding .44 Mag pressures.
Denis
 
I have the Chiappa 92 in 45LC and tried some hot loads (22gr of N110 with a 250grFP). No issue, no overpressure signs, just a little recoil (mostly like shooting a 22LR) compared to the usual CAS load. Actually used that loads for a couple of side matches where we had to break logs before the other cowboys.
A Chiappa tech guy I met at their premises in Italy, said to me that the action will never fail. Should you do something really bad like shooting an hot load with a ball in the tube it might crack the barrel but not the action.
 
Now, you are dreaming...

It must be bad to be a Colt fan and have to always try to make it better than the .44mag...when it just ain't so.
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It's a reality. No need to be butt hurt on anything. Here's some info if you don't want to hear it from me. I'm not bashing any caliber, but for hand loading you can make the 45 colt anything you want so long as you have a strong gun to take the "Ruger only loads".

https://www.johnlinebaughcustomsixguns.com/writings

Getting back on topic, I forgot that they make the Rossi 92 in 454 and I do believe it's the same action as the rest of them. Again I'd verify with Rossi but I think you're good to go.
 
45 Colt vs 44 Magnum: If you have a gun in 45 Colt that is strong enough to shoot at the same pressure as the 44 Magnum, then yes, the 45 will outperform the 44 Magnum. However, the more typical Ruger Blackhawk is considered to be about 80% as strong as the Super Blackhawk as far as pressure is concerned, yet will deliver performance from the 45 Colt that is equal to the 44 Magnum. Going to a modern 1892 Winchester, I have no doubt that you could get away with even more pressure, but you are on your own; you can only blame yourself if something goes wrong. I'm a 45 Colt guy that reloads, sometimes into the, "Ruger Only", realm. I have no need for a 44 Magnum and have never owned one. But if someone wanted advice as to which would be the better choice for them, I readily say that it depends, but 2-out-of-3 shooters would be better served with the 44 Magnum if they are capable of handling that much power. But there is a lot of overlap. To a savvy handloader, both are great. Paco Kelley has plenty to say about loading for the 45 Colt in leverguns here: http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/45coltlevergun.htm
 
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The 44 mag and 45 LC are pretty close in power as far as lever guns go when you pick the right ammo. I'd be happy with either but wanted a cowboy lever for some time now. Would rather not have a 44 mag in pistol. I have a S&W 40 cal that has enough recoil already. :D
 
Back to zipspyder, who started this thread: Reading between your lines, I'm guessing that you buy ammo and don't reload; is that right? Reloading is what brings out the best in any caliber, especially the 45 Colt. While I have no doubt your Puma can handle some really stout +P loads, I'm thinking you would find the hottest loads from some of the niche manufacturers will be much more powerful and punishing than you need or want. You will find that your Puma is stronger than your shoulder as you get the snot kicked out of you. If you go that route, you will definitely need a good recoil pad. The standard 45 Colt load for many decades launched a 250 or 255 grain lead bullet at about 860 feet per second from a revolver. There has been a relatively recent trend to deviate from that standard in both directions: Low power loads meant for the popular cowboy-shooting-games; and quite the opposite, very high-pressure, heavy-bullet loads intended only for firearms that are much stronger than original Colt revolvers. But there is a wide performance gap between the standard loadings and the often-called, "Ruger Only", heavy loads. There seems to be little, if anything, that's being offered by the ammo companies, that falls within that performance gap. Yet there are some 45 Colt enthusiasts, myself included, that reload their own ammo, who have discovered that much of their favorite loads are in this realm of +P, but definitely not in the, "Buffalo-Bore", power level. Just because you can load your gun to the gills doesn't mean you will like it that way. Your Puma is likely quite a bit lighter than my Marlin, which means it will kick harder, all else being equal. My Marlin is probably stronger than my Vaquero and I have loaded both pretty heavily at times. Those loads in the Marlin have substantial recoil. Your Puma can likely handle hotter loads yet, but you will find that it kills on both ends.;) If you do reload, I might have some further suggestions.....
 
Amazon.com lists several sources for brand new paragraph indents, all delivered painlessly to your home for immediate use. :)
Denis
 
@ Pathfinder45, you are correct I mostly buy factory ammo but I do reload for my .308 and .303 British. I've done some research and it looks like I will be reloading the 45 colt as ammo is pretty pricey even though I can afford it. Nothing wrong with saving money. One thing I've never done is crimp the bullets, which seems like a necessity for the lever actions. My thought is kind of like yours where I think the standard 860 fps ammo will take game just fine. I also think lead bullets will be more accurate than off the shelf copper bullets. I'll have to see how accurate my rifle is first.

Anyhow I picked up the Puma yesterday. Aging these lever guns is almost impossible but I'm pretty sure it was made by Rossi between 1980-1985. It's a pre safety button model and built pretty sturdy. The action is a little rough but I plan on buying a spring kit for it. I have some Winchester 250 gr cowboy loads I will be putting through the rifle today as I'm curious what my chrono says vs what's on the box @ 750 fps.
 
Its funny, the 45Colt was the whole reason I started reloading in the first place. I reload for a older Rossi Puma, Marlin 19894 and Ruger Redhawks & Blackhawks. I haven't found any reason to go beyond regular loading requirements, I know there are published Ruger only loads but I haven't needed to go to them.
 
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