Rossi Rifleman

Picked up a 5.5" Cimarron by Uberti Evil Roy edition in .45C. I'm a Ruger fan but I actually like this gun more because of the "real" hammer with firing pin, etc. It still has the coloring I prefer on the Vaquero, better grips, smoother action and I couldn't find an original full size Vaquero locally.

Some may know I have been looking for an original full size version of the Ruger Vaquero in .45C with the 5.5" barrel in CCH color scheme and for sale locally by an individual for a price I can afford....too many caveats. Instead I got this. One of the main attributes of the upscale Evil Roy edition (as compared to the standard model P Cattleman) is the professional action job and spring selection they receive in addition to the hand-checkered grips.

I've had brass, dies, and even two molds for .45 long before I got this so it was an easy step to come home with this gun for the first time yesterday and cook up a cylinder's worth of first meal. Not an ideal mold for the cartridge but for now it will do. Lyman 452374 (better suited for .45ACP) at 225gr, Used brass with 6.8gr W231 and a WLPP at 1.600" OAL and crimped with a Lee FCD.

I plan on getting the Lee 452-255-RF mold and use some Titegroup too.

Looks great so old school and its realistic compared to my Ruger Vaquero. Does it have the hammer transfer bar safety for the hammer. If not carry on an empty chamber.

It operates like a Colt. No transfer bar. This is a good thing in my opinion. It's not much of a carry piece but it does have a second detent on the cylinder pin that blocks the hammer when locked to the rear if you're so inclined. It's invisible from the outside and allows a perfect trigger unlike a New Model Ruger (of which I also own in .357). It's a four click hammer and the cylinder chambers actually line up with the loading gate.

Nice! I have an Uberti Cattleman and love it! I'm not about to feed it the same loads I use in my Rossi 92 though, they're MUCH too stout for my comfort in the Uberti.

Nice looking pistol GG!

It's only about 2" left and 1" high at 30' by my shaky but repeatable hand using very VERY crappy Fiocchi 260? grain dookie loads I had to buy if I wanted to try it.

I shot at a home made spinner with 4" discs in a cow pasture after a three hour old man league softball practice. On 4" discs at 30' I hit about half of the shots.

Not sure if that's good. It's very sweet.

Looks like fun. I have to admit I'd like one in a Bisley.

Oh dear....an old model Rossi 92 in .45, blued with a 20" barrel (just like my .357) has come up for an OK price.

.45 Colt 260 gr LRNFP from my brand new Lee 452-255-RF I got from RD. Used a very mild 6.5 gr (average) W231 because that's what dropped out of the closest dipper (039) I had. All my automatic PMs are taken on turrets and I was too lazy to adjust the Uniflow so I charged from a dipper and with a green funnel for the first time ever. It dropped between 6.4 and 6.7 on the first 30 in a row so I stopped weighing them. I know that looks under minimum for some but since the mold drops heavy and I didn't see 260 gr lead loads I went forward. They're actually short too (1.57") so maybe it'll all work out. I'm sure the rectally cramped reloaders hate my approach.

Funny thing is the bullets as dropped were about .458" at the base. I was shaving a little on the first go so I lowered the flare plug about 1/3 turn and passed all the cases back through a second time for MUCH better results. Of course I closed them off after seating by putting a good crimp on with the Lee FCD (pistol) die.




Well, they flop a little maybe. Obviously these are slow. I'm not an expert but who has loaded a .45 that hits POA from 40' (forty feet POA) that might be tumbling? They made 5/8" or bigger holes in the sheet metal case of a Dell CPU but would not shoot through the removed hard drive. The hard drive did in fact HATE the shots it took. Lots of energy dispersed. Big dents, folds in the frame, slugs stuck within. I wouldn't wanna be shot with it especially since it hits POA from FORTY FEET from a 5.5" barrel single action revolver.

That is a good looking bullet! Good to see it at work in North Texas rather than sitting idle in South Texas!

One way to reduce diameter, believe it or not, is to smoke the heck out of the cavities with a butane lighter or stick. With the base being larger, keep the mold base us as you smoke it and smoke all the cavities uniformly. Carefully remove all the soot from between the cavities of the mold block with a cloth tightened around your fingertip. Carbon buildup is a heck of a tool. On other molds, it is a great way to reduce your gas check shanks if they are too big as well.