Rossi 92 45 Colt ?s

[oscarflytyer]

Mike asked me to post this in the general forum...

LGS has the Rossi 92 rifle in 45 Colt for $399. I know nothing about them. Pls school me! Specifically, cast SWC bullets, heavier than 255 grn cast SWC bullets and heavy cast Ruger BH level loads. Good/Bad/Ugly. Thanx!

Mike said to make sure the bbl is indexed properly.

[GRV01]

Get the serial and plug it into the Find My Model tool on Rossi's site to find year of manufacture

[Ohio3Wheels]

Except for plinking loads everything I shoot in my 92 45 Colts is 250 or heavier up to about 310 and they are Roger loads for the most part. Love mine.

Make smoke,

[Ranch Dog]

The main thing that I would look at is whether the barrel properly indexed with the front sight at the 12 o'clock position and not slightly off. From the posts on my Rossi-Rifleman forum, that is about the most unforgiving of an error on the manufacturing end of things. If the rifle isn't a Braztech or Taurus marked rifle, the latest manufacturer & importer of the rifles, parts are not available. The easiest way to tell whether or not it is a Braztech or Taurus is the front sight will be mounted in dovetail slot in the barrel, you can check it while looking to see if it indexed properly. Early A. Amadeo rifles have the front sight mounted on the barrel band.

Typically, the bluing is rich and the metal work good on these rifles. The wood is rubberwood, with the rifles having a waterbased stain. It is very easy to remove and refinish to your taste if it hasn't been done so already.

I've only shot one bullet in my 45 Colt, the TLC454-290-RF, sized to .452", and don't have any experience with the SWC nose profile. My rifle has the scout base on the barrel and deserves it as it is very accurate. You must remove the rear sight to see the mount holes. Rossi no longer offers their P892 base but NOE has a Picatinny base available.

I sold my Marlin 1894S in favor of this rifle, the Marlin action function could not compare to the Rossi and the Marlin 1894 action is not up to the strength of the 92.

[GasGuzzler]

Digging Roger loads. Damn autocorrect. I still favor the old models' quality but RD is correct, no support from current manufacturer.

[oscarflytyer]

Get the serial and plug it into the Find My Model tool on Rossi's site to find year of manufacture

Brand NIB

[oscarflytyer]

The main thing that I would look at is whether the barrel properly indexed with the front sight at the 12 o'clock position and not slightly off. If the rifle isn't a Braztech or Taurus marked rifle, the latest manufacturer & importer of the rifles, parts are not available. The easiest way to tell whether or not it is a Braztech or Taurus is the front sight will be mounted in dovetail slot in the barrel, you can check it while looking to see if it indexed properly.

Typically, the bluing is rich and the metal work good on these rifles. The wood is rubberwood, with the rifles having a waterbased stain. It is very easy to remove and refinish to your taste if it hasn't been done so already.

I've only shot one bullet in my 45 Colt, the TLC454-290-RF, sized to .452", and don't have any experience with the SWC nose profile. My rifle has the scout base on the barrel and deserves it as it is very accurate. You must remove the rear sight to see the mount holes. Rossi no longer offers their P892 base but NOE has a Picatinny base available.

I sold my Marlin 1894S in favor of this rifle, the Marlin action function could not compare to the Rossi and the Marlin 1894 action is not up to the strength of the 92.

Wow! First thing I note - sold Marlin for the Rossi!?! Just WOW! THAT is an endorsement! And was thinking as I looked at the Rossi that I liked the Marlin better, esthetically - but ugly is as ugly does!

These are NIB rifles on sale. $399. One I picked off the shelf - properly indexed. Yes, bluing looked good. Hate the wood finish! Glad to know what it is (what the hell is Rubber wood?!?! NO CLUE!), and that it can be refinished! Would HAVE to do that! I also know I can remove the worthless/nasty/useless receiver safety and replace with a peep sight - which I need anyway (~$60).

a 290 RF would suit me fine. But also already have the Lee 255 SWC and would greatly appreciate anyone's experience with that, or other/heavier SWC bullet. and wouldn't hate a simple 250ish RN plinker. Thanx

[Ranch Dog]

These are NIB rifles on sale. $399. One I picked off the shelf - properly indexed. Yes, bluing looked good. Hate the wood finish! Glad to know what it is (what the hell is Rubber wood?!?! NO CLUE!), and that it can be refinished! Would HAVE to do that! I also know I can remove the worthless/nasty/useless receiver safety and replace with a peep sight - which I need anyway (~$60).

Rubberwood is the principle hardwood of Brazil.

If you need a peep, do not wast your money on Safety Mounted Peep. Personal experience. Instead, buy the Skinner Barrel Mounted Peep.



I get that you don't like the safety, but even the safety plug that is offered will stick out like a sore thumb. I took them off, used the Safety Peep, used the plug, and ended up putting the safety back. If you do remove the safety, keep track of the spring and very, very small ball bearing. Rossi will not replace them and removing them will void the warranty on the rifle. Personally, I've come to appreciate it. I'm always manipulating the rifle in my reloading room, checking the fit of ammunition, or coming in from hunting and emptying the rifle of ammunition. Anyone who hasn't sent a levergun off either hasn't used that type of action much or is going to do it. This is experience talking.

I never used the cross bolt safety on the Marlin's until I set one off, my 1894F 41 Mag. I had shot a hog at night from my yard and wanted to empty the rifle before taking it in. I only had a couple of rounds left in the tube. In the moonlight, I tilted it to see if it was empty and thought that was stupid as it was pointing at the house my grandkids and daughter lived it. I swung the barrel up, closed the action and used my thumb to let the hammer down as I relieved the trigger and it went off. Put a .411" hole right through the carport of my very nice barn/carport/garage. About a year later I was having the insulation replaced on that building under warranty, and the crew asked me if I wanted that panel replaced. I said no, I wanted the reminder.

At the time I sponsored Texas Youth hunts on the ranch, and we used the garage as the hunt headquarters and the carport for eating on picnic benches. After the safety briefing by the huntmasters, they always ask the landowner to say a few words so I would hand every kid a .411" 265-grain bullet, tell them the story, and ask them not to ventilate anything other than a deer or hog.

Next, for the rifle, buy a couple of cans of nonchlorinated brake cleaner and make sure you have a supply of your favorite gun oil. Remove the buttstock and flush the action out with the cleaner until the cleaner runs clear. These rifles are packed with grease for the boat ride north and this grease will harden and cause all kinds of problems. Spray your action dripping wet with the gun oil and then lever the action and actuate the trigger catching the hammer 100 times. Open it up and flush it out until it runs clear. Do this five times for a total of 500 cycles. More if the action flush is still not clear. Get both cleaner and oil in the firing pin hole and up under the carrier. Everywhere inside the receiver. This will take care of the break-in. After a minimum of the 500 cycles, oil it and blow it out with compressed air. You will have a very slick levergun.

Don't worry about spring kits or anything else other than your sights until you shoot it.

[GRV01]

Get the serial and plug it into the Find My Model tool on Rossi's site to find year of manufacture

Brand NIB

Mine was NIB when i bought it in 2016, manufactured in 2013. Wifeys was NIB when i bought it in 2017, made in 2015

Rossi also changed their model numbers from the R92-52xxxx depending on caliber to the new system of 92(3 digit caliber code)(two digit bbl length code)(two digit finish code) and many of us are wondering if tbeyve changed or updated the model any from the old numbers to the new

Further i concur with RD to save your money on all those springs and kits and instead change the rear sight (Marbles Bullseye is great and only $20) and buy some snap caps. After the brake fluid clean out and relube just cycle that action (helps if you have your kids play "find the snap cap!" for you) ovrr and over. Itll smooth out out just fine, esp after putting a few dozen rounds through

Most of all, enjoy!

[RBHarter]

I have 2 . An older circa 82-86' with the barrel band sight and a 2013 .
If the SN has an M in the prefix then the Ruger loads will be fine , the M is/was to denote 44 and 454 actions . The 92 design is a tank anyway but no sense flaunting disaster .

The chambers in both are cut very full and not as smooth as they could be . They are also very long like 1.305 for a 1.285 cartridge . They have a 1-32" twist .

Moving along .
Directly to the question I had no problems with the Lee 452-252 SWC , 454424 Lyman or NOE copy or a 429421 opened up to .448 and paper patched . As far a shooting goes the 452-255 RNFP was the best .
I also shot the Lee 458-340 sized .454 .
I shot the 340 with H322 an undocumented load but projected to be 18-20kpsi and it was most likely in that window velocities were actually pretty stable also but the first load out of the 16" barrel was nearly 1300 fps which wasn't where I wanted to be . That's awesome that I could drive a 340 gr bullet that fast out of a 16" barrel and that was my start load . The trouble is in that as long as the bullet starts subsonic or well above supersonic all is fine on target . But if the bullet has to decelerate through transonic speeds then the SWC takes off for Jones's . I have a great gun smith that is going to fit it with a new Green Mountain barrel with a 1-16 twist . That probably seems like over kill for a $500 Rossi but I really want to love these 2 rifles and the fact that my 1230 fps loads that run 1050 fps in the RBH depart the flight line at about 45° up and right on a 3 axis plot between 78-82 yd but let's me shoot golf balls out to 75 just boils my beer .
My goal with the 340 was to keep it about 1050 at the muzzle to keep it viable at 100yd .

1 last note of interest .
Neither of them will cycle Remington brass . They will cycle the larger rimmed Schofield Starline brass and CBC , Win ,PMC and Starline Colts brass even Hornady . Both also hold me to 1.650 for OAL .
The Rem brass hangs on the rim in the lift grooves . I suspected soft brass at first but even after polishing the corners nickle plated cases from RP won't feed . So it has to be something about the Remington brass . Which is fine by me the BlackHawk doesn't like it either .

I will second the advice about the many cycles unless you want to tear it down and lap the parts with steel wool and oil or the cratex drimel tool and some sort of polish . I thought about a teaspoon of Dupont machine lacquer rubbing compound and just running it until it was black then cleaning it up and calling it good . The older gun is slicker except for the last bit where it cams up into the locked breach .