Henry vs Rossi cycling heavy .45 Colt

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TTv2

TTv2

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I've been wanting a .45 Colt lever action for a long time and it's next on my list, but I'm having trouble choosing between Henry and Rossi. One the one hand, the Rossi is less in price, but also lesser in accuracy, but it seems to have an action as strong as a Ruger Redhawk, so strength is not a question, but IDK how it does cycling the heavy bullets (anything 300 grain and up).

Then the Henry is going to cost more, but be more accurate, however the strength of it is in question. Checking Buffalo Bore's website, it seems it can handle some of Buffalo Bore's +p ammo, but it has issues with 300 and 325 grain bullets cycling.

The heaviest bullet I'm looking at using is the 300 grain XTP, maybe a 315 WFN-GC. Also, I'm thinking the lightest bullet I'd shoot is 200 grain, so I'm also not sure if shorter 200 grain bullets will have issues cycling.
 
TTv2 said:
I've been wanting a .45 Colt lever action for a long time and it's next on my list, but I'm having trouble choosing between Henry and Rossi. One the one hand, the Rossi is less in price, but also lesser in accuracy, but it seems to have an action as strong as a Ruger Redhawk, so strength is not a question, but IDK how it does cycling the heavy bullets (anything 300 grain and up).

Then the Henry is going to cost more, but be more accurate, however the strength of it is in question. Checking Buffalo Bore's website, it seems it can handle some of Buffalo Bore's +p ammo, but it has issues with 300 and 325 grain bullets cycling.

The heaviest bullet I'm looking at using is the 300 grain XTP, maybe a 315 WFN-GC. Also, I'm thinking the lightest bullet I'd shoot is 200 grain, so I'm also not sure if shorter 200 grain bullets will have issues cycling.
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This exact issue is why I don't yet own a 45 Colt lever gun to match my beloved Redhawk.

The Henry & Rossi both have issues cycling heavy loads.

The Marlins have too slow a barrel twist to shoot them accurately.

The only ones that won't have an issue are the Winchesters, but I really want something in stainless to match my Ruger.

The only option that checks all the boxes is Big Horn Armory. Problem there is $$$.

It never ends.
 
Alaskan Ironworker said:
My rossi 92 in .454 cycles 360 grain hardcast wide meplats just fine. Not sure if a .45 colt version would be the same or not.
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Man, I'd like to get ahold of one of those to match my 44mag carbine.

TTv2 said:
One the one hand, the Rossi is less in price, but also lesser in accuracy, but it seems to have an action as strong as a Ruger Redhawk, so strength is not a question, but IDK how it does cycling the heavy bullets (anything 300 grain and up).
Click to expand...

I don't know if that's a quirk of the 45 models, but my 16" 44 will put five rounds of warm 240gr XTPs into one hole at 50yrds
 
The best (reasonably priced) lever actions in current production are the Henry models. A little heavy but I think they're as strong if not stronger than the Marlins. I know I've put some seriously powerful loads through my Henry 45-70 and it hasn't hurt it at all.
 
I have a Marlin, a Rossi, and a Winchester. My dad has a Henry. They don't shoot 200 grainers too well. I don't load above 255 grain on any of them. Henry doesn't like them loaded as long as the others. If it won't fit in the tube it won't cycle. Take my word for it. By fitting in the tube I mean the load like cut out in the tube. I don't shoot hot in the Winchester, I do with all the others. They all work well. The Henry is the heaviest and the Rossi the lightest.
 
I just looked at a Rossi 357 mag. The end of the forearm stock looked like it had been sawed off and didn't looked like it had been finished. The safety on top of the receiver seemed cheaply made and assembled. It felt like it would come right off. I just wasn't impressed. A 45 levergun purchase is in my near future so I am looking at Winchester or Uberti, maybe Henry.
 
NorthBorder said:
am looking at Winchester or Uberti, maybe Henry.
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Of those three, only one is American made. That makes a difference (to me). The winchesters are beautiful , just something about a gun made by people who can't own them and likely have never shot anything. The ubertis are nice but they're expensive too.
 
Henry in 45 colt is sensitive to COAL. Rossi handles this better, perhaps because they share action parts with their longer cartridge 454 casull?
 
pirkfan said:
Henry in 45 colt is sensitive to COAL. Rossi handles this better, perhaps because they share action parts with their longer cartridge 454 casull?
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They don't any more, Rossi dropped the .454 a long time ago and are not currently making them, so IDK how much of the R92's they're currently making in .45 Colt share parts with the previous models chambered in .454.

But, that's a good point for the older ones, however I'm looking at getting new, current production models.
 
TTv2 said:
They don't any more, Rossi dropped the .454 a long time ago and are not currently making them, so IDK how much of the R92's they're currently making in .45 Colt share parts with the previous models chambered in .454.

But, that's a good point for the older ones, however I'm looking at getting new, current production models.
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FYI
https://rossiusa.com/firearms/lever...0-9-rounds-stainless-steel-brazilian-hardwood

They're back & I'll be buying one as soon as they're available.
 
js8588 said:
FYI
https://rossiusa.com/firearms/lever...0-9-rounds-stainless-steel-brazilian-hardwood

They're back & I'll be buying one as soon as they're available.
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Thanks for the info, I don't check the Rossi website much (because it's poorly done and doesn't even list all the models they have) and I also see they're making a pump .22, which I'd love to have, but Henry's is... spendy, so now I have another option.

As for the .454, I'm down with it if I can get one in a 16" barrel and will feed .45 Colt with 250 grain bullets. I think I can live without shooting 200 grain SWC.
 
Ill second that, the twist rate isnt right for the heavier stuff. Mine cycles the 360 grainers fine, but its much more accurate with 300 grainers or less. Mine likes 300 xtp mags fine.
 
The .454 should be industry standard 1-24" which is not ideal but should work with heavy loads. The .45 is going to be 1-30" and that's just too slow.
 
Doesn't sound like whatever I go with will do what I want with acceptable accuracy.
 
Anything, including the slow twist Marlins will do fine up to 300gr. My 1894S model shoots sub-MOA. It's the heavyweight cast bullets well over 300gr where you run into issues with cycling and twist rate.
 
Will the 454 with say 250gr-300gr bullets do anything you can't do with the 45 with top end hand loads?

Realistically, what's the velocity difference? I know in sufficiently strong actions you can get near 454 performance with the 45, but how close are we talking?
 
IMHO, the biggest advantage to the .454 is the cartridge length that it will cycle, not necessarily pressure.
 
CraigC said:
IMHO, the biggest advantage to the .454 is the cartridge length that it will cycle, not necessarily pressure.
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Yeah, I'd be buying it exclusively to shoot heavy 45 Colt. I don't need to shoot 454 (and if I ever need to, I'll just buy a 45-70...but 9.3x62 has that niche covered for me already).
 
I’ll go up to shooting the 270 gr Montana Bullet Works SWC in my Rossi .45 Colt...it seems to work fine. I haven’t shot 300 gr bullets in it.

stay safe.
 
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