Rossi 92 .45 Colt

[Moon Tree]

Surprisingly, I found some American Eagle .45 Colts at Dick's Sporting Goods a couple days ago. They are 225 grain JSP with a hefty price tag of $45 out the door. Since they had brass casings I bought them to give me something to shoot in my new gun until my casings arrive.

Even with these low power loads I was feeling the metal butt plate after 15 rounds. I guess I'm getting old and soft. haha

It shot well considering I was shooting in 25 mph wind gust and with the factory sights. This at 50 yards.

[akuser47]

Nice shooting in those conditions.

[Moon Tree]

AK, thanks. It was a bit tough conditions but I just had to hear my new rifle go BOOM! Just like with my .357 one notch in elevation had me shooting 4" high and the next had me shooting 4" low. I chose the lower notch and tried to compensate with a coarser than normal bead. I was shooting with just one elbow on the bench. I like to replicate hunting situation with my target practice. Yeah, I know I would save ammo and time using sand bags or a lead sled in load development. But, what fun is that; spending 20 minutes on the range instead of 2 hours. haha At times the wind was blowing me all over the paper. The flyer came when I rushed a shot between gusts.

Even in the first 2, five round volleys the gun was grouping 3 of the 5 in less than a 2 inch cluster. So I know the rifle shoots better than I do. Once I change to a fiber optic front sight and a tang peep sight and begin to load my own bullets, I do some serious tweaking.

A man, his firearm and the bullet have to become one in this subtle dance for accuracy.

[Missionary]

Good morning
Looks like a good start to a long happy recoiled relationship.
Windy days do make the "wobbles" much easier to encounter.
But also check that forearm and front band. Those two areas can have the barrel in a bind which will throw the barrel harmonics all out of sorts as it heats. An interesting test is to remove everything attached to the barrel and shoot with a support just under the receiver. That will let you know a lot about the accuracy potential of that load / barrel combination in your hands. Naturally you now just have a single shot but nothing is there to hinder how that barrel wants to react to that load.
Mike in Peru

[Archer]

Good job getting out there and putting rounds on target.

I've got a couple lever guns I need to get to the range and put on paper myself.

[Ohio3Wheels]

Good you got out. I've found that my 45 Colt will just about the same with all of the commercial ammo I've run through it. It's particularly fond of Black Hills 255 RNFP pB when I can find it.

Make smoke,

[Moon Tree]

Missionary, when I took the wood off the rifle and reassembled it, the screws all lined up easily. The mag tube was perfectly parallel to the barrel. So, I'm thinking it probably good to go.

When I make a butt stock sock for the .45 to facilitate a sling like I did for my .357, I just might add a touch of padding.

[Missionary]

Howdy Moon
Sounds good up front. Maybe Rossi really is paying attention to the assembly.
Have leather cuffs on my 45's also. One I placed a rubber "formed to the butt plate" pad in there. Made a world of difference on my thin shoulder. 300 grainers still wack but leave my teeth still attached. Other cuff already was stuffed to fill the butt curve.

Have you checked the groove diameter at the throat area yet. My two 45's seem to prefer .454 cast as the groove is .453 at the throat. The muzzle on both are closer to .452+.

Last 45 Colt I handled the forearm was very tight on the mag tube and barrel. The barrel band had to be beat off with wood and a mallet. When loosened the old zero setting of the sights had to be reset.
Mike in Peru

[Moon Tree]

No, I haven't slugged the barrel. Looking back at the picture of the target, the picture makes the group look larger than it does in real life. Except for the flyer (which I knew was going to be low, left), Center to Center spread is 2 inches. The tighter 3 shot group is 13/16" C to C.

The recoil on these factory loads isn't bad, similar to my .270. But, I know that will increase when I shoot some stiffer hunting loads.

[Archer]

IF you are going to go to the trouble of slugging it remove the bolt and check the diameters at various locations. Throat, under the sights, roll markings and cuts for magazine or forearm attachment.
That might let you know if you want to lap or firelap the barrel.