.454 Lever Guns

[tygar]

Hi, I was looking for input from people that have a .454 Lever Gun.

Is there any differences between the Legacy Puma, Rossi or any others, how good they are, what bullets/loads you are using & IF anyone has made a .460 S&W out of one. I was told by the Legacy gunsmith when they had their HQs in Alexandria, VA as Interarms that he had done the conversion & it worked OK.

The question I also wondered about was what bullets are people using that work well on their rifles.

I have always preferred the 260 & 300 in my pistols since this is what Dick Casull told me are best back in the 80s & have been using them to good effect since then. His load was all the H110 you could stuff in it & still crimp the bullet.

But today there are lots of new powders & others may work better in the rifle & also bigger bullets may work better, & since I am new to pistol bullets in rifles I thought I'd ask you experts.
Thanks
Tom

[Ranch Dog]

Hi, I was looking for input from people that have a .454 Lever Gun.

Greetings and welcome to the forum! I guess I can hold my hand up, I have one.

Is there any differences between the Legacy Puma, Rossi or any others, how good they are, what bullets/loads you are using & IF anyone has made a .460 S&W out of one. I was told by the Legacy gunsmith when they had their HQs in Alexandria, VA as Interarms that he had done the conversion & it worked OK.

That question covers a lot of ground!

A. Rossi 454s would not have the "pigtail"safety bolt mounted safety, also the earliest rifles would not have a sleeved threaded magazine tube. Personally, I've not seen this early of rifle.

The Braztech rifles have the "pigtail"safety and improved tube plus a keyed hammer lock. I've come to like these features and want them in my R92s. The standard magazine tube in a 454 would be a real deal breaker for me.

I have not read of a 460 on these forum pages.

The question I also wondered about was what bullets are people using that work well on their rifles.

I have only shot cast bullets of my design in my rifle. I have been shooting a 290-grian round, flat nose bullet that I designed for 45 Colt leverguns but have a 330-grain R92 454 Casull specific bullet design sitting at Lee Precision waiting to be cut.

I have always preferred the 260 & 300 in my pistols since this is what Dick Casull told me are best back in the 80s & have been using them to good effect since then. His load was all the H110 you could stuff in it & still crimp the bullet.

I prefer Lil'Gun, I see faster velocities and tighter groups.

But today there are lots of new powders & others may work better in the rifle & also bigger bullets may work better, & since I am new to pistol bullets in rifles I thought I'd ask you experts.
Thanks

Don't know if we are experts but I know we are always ready to share and learn! A search should bring up 454 Casull specific topics.

[pricedo]

I have a pre-safety, post 2000ish CNC factory retooling, post double threaded magazine configuration Amadeo Rossi M92/454 carbine that I have refinished and am immensly pleased with. It's so smooth I just have to snap my fingers or whistle and it will cycle a round.

I'm apparently vastly in the minority but in my fast encroaching senility I do not want extraneous safeties & gizmos other than the JMB half cock safety (did the job for 100 years) on a gun I'm holding when mama blacky, grizzly or 900 pound mrs polar bear rounds the corner looking for an easy meal for her hungry cubs or is just in an ornery mood and wants to kill & devour something small, tender & hairless (like ME ).
Behind the times I admittedly am as I rely on the legacy concept of muzzle control to keep from shooting myself or others based on the worn out theory that the bullet won't go where the gun ain't aimed. This concept is apparently no longer in vogue and is the reason I kinda have a tendency to stay away from hunt camps where body sweeps with loaded firearms are a far too common occurrence especially when booze is present. I must really be a dinosaur cause I won't tolerate booze in my hunting camp. There's a time and place for everything & booze and guns in the same mix is a recipe for disaster.
Different strokes for different folks.

My Amadeo Rossi M92/454 (the Braztech guns are R92s) is a good travelling companion for my Ruger SuperRedhawk revolver (7 1/2") which shoots the very same ammo according to another old western legacy concept of a rifle/revolver combo shooting the same ammo.

[Trailboss]

I have a pre-safety, post 2000ish CNC factory retooling, post double threaded magazine configuration Amadeo Rossi M92/454 carbine that I have refinished and am immensly pleased with. It's so smooth I just have to snap my fingers or whistle and it will cycle a round.

I'm apparently vastly in the minority but in my fast encroaching senility I do not want extraneous safeties & gizmos other than the JMB half cock safety (did the job for 100 years) on a gun I'm holding when mama blacky, grizzly or 900 pound mrs polar bear rounds the corner looking for an easy meal for her hungry cubs or is just in an ornery mood and wants to kill & devour something small, tender & hairless (like ME ).
Behind the times I admittedly am as I rely on the legacy concept of muzzle control to keep from shooting myself or others based on the worn out theory that the bullet won't go where the gun ain't aimed. This concept is apparently no longer in vogue and is the reason I kinda have a tendency to stay away from hunt camps where body sweeps with loaded firearms are a far too common occurrence especially when booze is present. I must really be a dinosaur cause I won't tolerate booze in my hunting camp. There's a time and place for everything & booze and guns in the same mix is a recipe for disaster.
Different strokes for different folks.

My Amadeo Rossi M92/454 (the Braztech guns are R92s) is a good travelling companion for my Ruger SuperRedhawk revolver (7 1/2") which shoots the very same ammo according to another old western legacy concept of a rifle/revolver combo shooting the same ammo.

Well spoken Pricedo, I agree on all points.

My 92 has just the half cock safety and is very safe.
With the half cock safety, the 92 is fast to action against bear and such.
I'm old school also and keep the muzzle in a safe direction.
Was taught to treat the firearm like it's loaded at all times.
No booze while hunting/shooting.
I have a rifle/revolver set with my M92 and S&W 357.
Don't have a 480R revolver yet to match my M92, but hope to have one someday.

[tygar]

Hi, thanks for the responses.

I also have had lots of levers that used half cock for safety & it is just fine. I have had several Wins with the tang safety 1886, 1895 & on double rifles & shotguns. They are OK, you get used to them, but that safety on top of the bolt is totally unsat for me. Would not have one.

What velocity are you getting in the various .454s & with what bullets?

Keep the info coming.

Thanks
Tom

[pricedo]

I don't have a beef with the innocuous "pigtail" safety per se and would not remove it from a gift rifle but there are better things Braztech could be expending production overhead on like quality control and a decent waterproof finish.
It's all about priorities.
Injuries & deaths involving guns whether accidental or criminal are a result of human behavior.
The idea that a suffocating infrastructure of controls whether legal (gun laws) or mechanical (useless safety devices on guns) can change human behavior is ridiculous.
You're either careful and responsible or you aren't.
The JMB half-cock safety is perfectly adequate and no number of lawyer safeties on a gun is going to prevent an irresponsible, careless idiot from having or causing an accident.

[Trailboss]

I took the pigtail safety off my Rossi M92 480 or rather modified it to look like a plug and not engage. I've developed muscle memory for using the rifle as it's originally designed and feel safer continuing that practice. Haven't shot a 454 yet but the 480 provides quite a thump. I would trust it for any animal found in north America.

[pricedo]

I took the pigtail safety off my Rossi M92 480 or rather modified it to look like a plug and not engage. I've developed muscle memory for using the rifle as it's originally designed and feel safer continuing that practice. Haven't shot a 454 yet but the 480 provides quite a thump. I would trust it for any animal found in north America.

Regardless of your views on safeties I can promise you that the Rossi 92/454 with full power loads will be putting those shoulder muscles to the test.
Hope it doesn't knock the memory out of them.