Rossi Rifleman

This isn't a one is better vs. the other comparo, I'm just thinking aloud here about which caliber I'd get next. As of now, I have one lonely .357 Rossi 16" carbine matched to a '73 .357 Ruger 4" SS. Eventually, I hope to stock many more of the Rossi leverguns in my "gun family"!

I would like to enter the "40+ club" of wheelguns soon enough, and I think that's my hurdle. My initial plan was straight-up .44 Magnum, with one of the classic big Rugers of some flavor matched up to a new/ newer Rossi 92 in the same caliber.

However, now there are some really powerful loadings of old .45 Colt and indeed plenty of wheelguns to match. I think I'd probably be happy with either caliber. Also, I'm not worried too much about the availability of ammo, since really I'd be OK using the old Lee Loader and that is another side of the hobby I like.

Maybe the real decision would be more along the lines of, which Rossi can I find first? But I thought I'd ask the Rossi crew here their thoughts on the matter.

Adam

(hey I'm gonna follow the roll-out of that new Rossi LR this summer too!)

I'm a .357/.38 and .44 Mag guy but there's a lot of .45 Colt guys out there.
My thought process went something like this:
1) ANY production .44 Mag firearm should be able to fire ANY standard commercial .44 Mag loads.

2) I CAN probably fire .44 Special in a .44 Mag if I need too. (BUT .44 Special is often more expensive than .44 Magnum. You run the risk of a carbon ring a-la .357 Magnum/.38 Special but that's not usually a problem and you may also run the risk of feeding system length limitations in some firearms.)

3) I CAN produce my personal lower power reloads in .44 Mag cases without endangering anyone if they happened to get loaded into someone else's .44 Magnum chambered firearm.

4) for .45 Colt standard pressure ammunition is very similar to .45 ACP.

5) I could load heavy .45 Colt loads BUT it has been reported that .45 Colt brass is often thin and may be weaker than .44 Mag brass. I have SEEN .45 Colt balloon head brass. .44 Mag brass should be produced with .44 Mag pressures in mind and was NEVER produced in balloon head form.

6) Not all .45 Colt weapons can handle heavy loads. SO any heavy loads I produced or that I acquired from specialty ammunition vendors might be hazardous if they made their way to those weaker firearms.

7) I can get .44 Magnum ammunition in ANY Walmart. At least in my local area .45 Colt is a specialty round that is available only in more well equipped gun stores or by mail order.

8) Locally .44 Mag is more economical than .45 Colt

9) Most of the .45 Colt I see for sale retail is low power lead bullet rounds. Most .44 Magnum is reasonably high powered semi jacketed or jacketed SP or HP ammunition. ( I could go hunting with .44 Mag without reservations I would probably have to load special for .45 Colt hunting.)

10) I am not concerned with 'authentic period' caliber(s) and even if I were .45 Colt was not typically a rifle chambering for the early lever action rifles.

So once I went with .44 Magnum the only reason I haven't further expanded to .45 Colt is that I didn't want to add yet another caliber of ammunition stock and reloading components plus dies and progressive toolhead...

All valid points and I own a '92/Black Hawk pair in 45 Colt. In the years I've been loading 45 Colt (I had the BH 1st) I've yet to encounter a balloon head. I load pretty much the same for both guns except for hunting loads. I'm using the 300 grain Lee gas checked boolit that drops at about 315 with my alloy. I tried the same loads in the rifle and the revolver and when I got to the load the rifle likes my hand wrist and elbow didn't like the revolver at all. So the BH gets 4 grains less, it's accurate for deer out to 50 yards and while I wouldn't want to shoot it all day it's tolerable.

I really want a '92 in 44 mag it's just that I want it to match the Colt which mean octagonal barrel and 20". I'd take a 24" and the receiver wouldn't have to be case hardened. Maybe some day .

Make smoke,

Honestly, I'm leaning towards a Ruger .44 Mag/Rossi 92 .44 Mag, and for the reasons you guys both described. Certainly, once a bit more wealth flows into my coffers, I'll be interested in the myriad of other chamberings - but for now, I'm most likely to "pull the trigger" on a .44 before a .45 UNLESS a sweet deal presents itself!!!

Adam

Greetings
To be honest the so called "44" is a real caliber .43. So the caliber .45 is a good step up.
I sold all my 44 mags 30 years + ago when the first caliber .41 mag came home. Shortly things were expanded into the 45 Colt. No regrets ! 45 Colt in a Ruger, Dan Wesson or other solid, strong frame will do easily what the "44" mag can do.
The Rossi rifles are the same... 45 Colt will easily do all the "44" can and give you a bigger hole to boot.
Nothing wrong with the "44" but the caliber 45 is just that bit in diameter better. No corn cruncher will realize the difference with two equally placed cast bullets.
Mike headed to ILLinois

I've only run into the balloon head stuff a time or two but every once in a while you run into an artifact in spite of it being rare.

IF you reload OR you are willing to buy premium ammo .45 Colt can indeed be a step up from .44 Mag.
IF you stick to spec ammo or normal factory fodder then it is essentially high priced .45 ACP.

20 thou diameter is not insignificant but it isn't an order of magnitude either.

I'm as big of a Ruger fan as I am a Rossi fan. I bought a BH .357 SS with 6 1/2" barrel, then got a Rossi .357 20" blued RB. I love both. Then I bought a Rossi .45 colt so I needed a matching BH. Here's were Ruger misses the mark for me. I would have like to have a 6 1/2" barrel as I feel it covers both my needs as hunting revolver and a "carry around the farm" piece. They don't make them. Also, SS would have been nice. The 7 1/2 barrel would be great for hunting, but a bit long for farm carry. I settled for the 5 1/2" blued barre .45 colt.

NOTE: The blued BH's don't have pinned front sights. They are welded to the barrel. One can't easily change the front sight to a fiber optic sight. The original front blade will have to be ground away and dovetail cut in it before a fiber optic front sight can be installed. It looks like it the same way for the .44's, also.

They don't make a hunter (SS fiber sight) in .45C?

Hunters are Super BlackHawks and are 7.5" barrels.
Ruger has made some nice models over the years but like all manufacturers they limit the number of barrel lengths they offer. More recently (past 10 years +/-) they have also curtailed a lot of the options. I am really disappointed I didn't snap up quite a few Bisley offerings including the little .22 LR before they stopped manufacturing them.

They have also made a number of models lightweight. Not exactly a bad thing but it makes TC and BlackHawk loads either lighter charges OR a less encompassing terminology.

I bet you won't notice the 1" length other than preference. The fiber sight is another story.