[Desert Dog]

Just wanted to let everyone know that I received my Puma 454 yesterday and I am completely impressed with it. :D

The tube loading like a .22 is very bizarre, but I understand why the did it that way, otherwise the recoil would shear the mounting pin. The tube on this gun actually screws in several turns. The gate loading works flawlessly anyway, so I should not need to unscrew that tube very often.

The fit and finish is quite good, although the wood at the joints is a little rough (easily fixed) The blue is beautiful, and very deep looking. Some people say they do not like the dark wood that comes on these guns, but I like it. The action is very tight, but seems to be loosening nicely. It fed .45 LC's flawlessly.

However, I do not like the sights. The sight picture just plain sucks. Looks like I may be doing some shopping at Ashley Outdoors... :D

Factory .45 Long Colt loads are powderpuffs, not recoiling much more than a .22 LR. My steep handloads are a whole different story. The recoil is pronounced, but more of a push, than a jolt like a high power .30 + caliber rifle (.338 Win Mag. comes to mind) . :what:

I was very impressed with my high power loads and how little drop at 200 yards. A 250 gr. RNFP over a healthy dose of H110 was only dropping 4-6" at 200... And the accuracy is exemplary, although it was not sighted in at all from the factory.

I have not purchased any factory .454 Casull yet to run through it, but I have shot 80 handloads through it so far, bullet weights ranging from 250 gr. RNFP's to some 370 gr. WFN thumpers from Cast Performance, over powders from Unique to H110/W296. I am totally impressed. Recoil on the heavies is completely controllable.

I took it down for the first time last night to clean it and give it the Tetra gun grease treatment, and just this little exercise smoothed up the action immensely. Yes, it has a VERY nice action. Very smooth now. I think the spring rates are fine. Nice trigger with very little creep.

I cannot wait to go shoot it again... :D

Mike

[RAMMUNITION]

Tell me does it have a lock or ext safety or is it true to the 92 design?

[iamkris]

Good to hear. There has been some debate whether the Puma was strong enough for this load. I for one have a lot of faith 9in the strength of the 1892 action.

I own a stainless Puma 92 in 45 Colt, 24", octagonal barrel. I've stripped the stocks and oiled them. They come out like a dark poplar or light walnut. The whole package is now quite attractive.

Here's some things you might want to consider doing to your rifle:

Sights: yes the Rossi sight are abysmal. I replaced them with a Marble's full buckhorn in the rear ($17 from Brownells, I use it as a ghost ring) and Marbles brass beaded blade up fron ($11 from Brownells)

Action: First thing - replace the mainspring and trigger spring with a set from Bunkhouse, Wilson or other. Next go here: http://www.marauder13.homestead.com/irons.html 1/2 way down the page are disassembly instructions and a guide for slicking up the action. Easily done by a home gunsmith.

I love my rifle now and the effort expended wasn't really all that much. Accurate, reliable, affordable and gets lots of comments at the range.

[Desert Dog]

It is a politically correct rifle with redundant safeties... the stupid one on the bolt and the half-cock hammer position... :scrutiny:

The stupid one will eventually be lost. :rolleyes:

The Tetra gun grease slicked up the action nicely. I took it completely apart... only the lifter and loading gate were left in the action, cleaned all components with Ed's Red, relubed with Tetra, and reassembled. I did run a XF Arkansas over the grooves and guides lightly to clean up any burrs, I also polished up all the shiny spots on the lever and the bolt with Flitz. I did not touch the locking bolts however.

I will shoot it like this for awhile before I go changing out springs, and I think I will try the "Taylor" trick of putting a shim under the trigger spring to lighten it a little. The lockup is snug but fine to me.

I will look in the Brownell's catalog for sights though. I looked at my Ashley catalog this afternoon... :what: I had forgotten how expensive they are...

The chrono is going out with me next weekend to see what these loads are doing out of a 20" barrel....

Mike

[iamkris]

Steve Jones (www.stevesguns.com) specializes in 'smithing Rossi's. He charges $40 for unidioting the safety (replaces it with a plug). Good guy, good work.

[Desert Dog]

Thanks for the info, but I do pretty well as an amateur gunsmith, and that safety removal looks pretty straightforward. The plug shouldn't be hard to fabricate.

Thanks for the replies...

Mike

[jchedj]

Being new to the world of lever action and fixed sights can anyone tell me how to safely remove the fixed rear sights that come with a Rossi 1892 PUMA 24 " Stainless Steel octagon barrel ?

I want to replace those fixed sights with Marble's Tang sights , and in the process I don't want to damage my new rifle.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you may provide.

[Colt46]

I've got one in .45
Cannot say enough good about that gun.

[Seafarer12]

I have a Navy Arms .357 and it is a slick gun. Its one of my favorites. I replaced the hammer and ejector springs along with a dremel and jewelers rouge to polich some parts and its slicker than owl snot now. I really like it. Thinking about getting an EMF in 44 mag one of thses days. No goofy safeties.

[Omaney]

Steve Jones (www.stevesguns.com) specializes in 'smithing Rossi's. He charges $40 for unidioting the safety (replaces it with a plug). Good guy, good work.
Or they will sell you the plug for about 19 bucks. I'm ordering his DVD and some parts soon to slick up my 92.

[Seafarer12]

I thought about buying the DVD but decided not too. The 92 isn't that hard to work on once you figure out how to take them down. A trick for you, use a spend case to load the ejector spring so you don't have to hold the carrier closed with your finger. Once I figured that out it was cake. I used a Lee Gunsmithing spring kit. I didn't mess with the lever spring or trigger spring just the hammer and ejector spring. My next upgrade wil be a metal mag follower to replace the plastic one. A Win 92 follower for 32-20 will replace the one for the .357.