Rossi .454 lever action?

monster

monster

Joined
Jun 13, 2001
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I'm seriously considering buying one of these in the stainless carbine configuration as a pack and or brush gun, any of you guys own or fire one? I'm looking to get as much input as possible before I commit to this purchase.

Thanks
 
I have had one for a little over 2 years now. I have only fired about 200 rounds through it but have had no problems. The only thing I don't like is that I have heard from reliable sources that if you fire 45 lc lead bullets through it you will get lead build up as a 45 is shorter that a 454. If you do not remove the lead and fire a 454 you can blow up your barrel. Not an issue if you don't shoot 45 lead bullets though.
 
Save your money and buy a Marlin lever gun in 45 or 45-70. Rossi's strong selling point is their price.
 
Txknifefan said:
Save your money and buy a Marlin lever gun in 45 or 45-70. Rossi's strong selling point is their price.
Click to expand...

+1 If you are going to hunt larger game then get the .450 Marlin carbine. If you are going to carry a rifle might as well shoot a rifle cartridge.
 
Rossi makes a fine little rifle. I have been shooting a Rossi M 92 in .357 for better than 10 years, with zero problems.

Nakadnu, put your mind to rest, a little carbon buildup in the chamber will not result in a KaBoom!
 
I own a Rossi carbine in .45 Colt. With the proper loads, it will handle any of the 4-legged creatures here in Texas. If you are dealing with larger varieties of animals, then the .454 Casull should serve you well in California. These are well-made, strong little rifles, and easy to carry to boot! Excellent choice! You won't be sorry you bought it.

Regards,
Ron
 
I find that if I shoot Buffalo Bore in my 92 it kicks like a mule and it causes the tube magazine to come loose from the barrel!
 
I have the M92 in .45 colt and while I've been tempted to run Buffalo Bore loads through it I'm just not sure if it will handle the pressures generated by their ammo. The main reason I want the .454 lever gun is to carry with my .454 revolver as I like the idea of carrying a rifle and side arm in the same caliber. About every other year I like to visit my nephew in Montana and this combination is something I would like at the ready when we are out and about in the remote areas near his home hiking and horseback riding.

I do wish that Marlin offered a lever gun in .454 as my past experience with them has been very favorable. Thanks for the input guys, keep it coming!
 
Montana huh? Then seriously forget the handgun round in the Rossi and invest in a rugged reliable, proven perforner, like a Marlin only in a true rifle cartridge as has already been suggested. Get a RIFLE cartridge! Everything in life is a trade off. In this case performance/effectiveness vs a nice to have. Do you want something that has a higher degree of effectiveness or a little bit of convienance? So you have to carry less 454 and now a bunch more of your rifle cartridges. But now you wont "feel safe" but will actually have the capacity to "be safe". The 454 is only a back up anyway. A rifle if by your side at all times will solve all your Montana back country problems. A handgun, even a handgun chambered carbine is questionable. Is that the level of protection you really desire?

Montana like the rest of the west is "big boy" land and can be very unforgiving and not play fair. If/when life throws you a problem you need to be able to solve it with a few rounds from a rifle and not play games with a slightly, very slightly, souped up pistol round. In a Rossi it isn't even very souped! If you choose the Rossi in 454 then essentially all you have now are a pair of pistols and one has a longer sighting radius and just happens to hold a few more cartridges. Monster get a real rifle cartridge brother!
 
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Yes the more I research the more I'm considering the Marlin in 45-70 but dam how I like shooting my .454 :)
 
Just think of the 45-70 as a 454 on steroids. Which it essentially is when using the heavier bullets and loads like from Buffalo Bore for example. Take advantage of the better options in the 45-70 or 450 Marlin.
 
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CricketDave does alot of cowboy action shooting. I've picked his brain on the less-expensive levergun manufacturers and I remember him saying something about Rossi having good manufacturing quality and design, though they get much better with a few minor tweaks in the right hands. I've got an old 336 I picked up at a pawn shop for less than 200 bucks, and it's a nice little carbine. It's no Henry or Winchester but for a reliable truck or field gun, they perform. Pay attention to the bluing and the pivot screw.
 
You could sell the 454 and get a 500 S&W. I don't know if there are any lever guns chambered for it but it is pushing 2600 ft-lbs at the muzzle, so if you could handle it you wouldn't need a rifle. And if you could get a carbine in it you'ld be looking at 3000 ft-lbs at the muzzle.
 
There are alot of custom lever guns that come in .50 Alaskan-if you reload you might be able to get away with buying one box of pills for both...
 
This is a quote from the book Cartridges of the world. Page 293
10th edition, revised and expanded.

Auother Frank c. Barnes/ Edited by Stan Skinner

Kp Krause publications
Library of congress catalog # 00-104630 ISBN 0-87349-605-1

Quote; Firing lead 45 colt loads ina 454 can leave a “lead-ring” deposit in front of the chamber. If this deposit is not removed before chambering and firing full power 454 loads with the unusually hard bullets used in such rounds, the cylinder can be damaged beyond repair. This is not conjecture - it has happened. Unquote;

I am not trying to be an a- hole just trying to help a guy out and maybe avoid damaging his gun or worse. Maybe Kaboom is too strong of a word, maybe kapow or poof or kabang is more appropriate.
 
As to "underpowered" .45 Colt rounds, here is a quote from none other than John Linebaugh:

"I have personally taken about 10 antelope and 1 mule deer with a .45 Colt. My wife has taken around 6 antelope and 5 mule deer with her .45 Colt. She uses a 4 3/4" Seville and the handload is a 260 Keith cast at 900 fps. This load will shoot lengthwise of antelope and mule deer at 100 yards. In my estimation it kills as well as the .270, 30-06 class rifles if the shots are placed properly. If I were hunting heavier game I'd step up the velocity to 1200 fps and in extreme circumstances, (elk, hogs, bear) go to the 310 gr cast slug. This load, 310 at 1200 will go through elk like so much air. These loads can be managed by anyone who is serious about handgunning big game. My wife is 5' 1" and goes about 100 lbs with her gun on. She likes the power the .45 gives her with a minimum of recoil and blast. She has hunted with me for 15 years now and is a very serious handgun shooter. I think the .45 Colt has a lot to do with this as it gives her big bore power without big bore recoil and blast. My sons also shoot the .45 Colt a lot and I had the pleasure to watch my oldest son at age 14 take a nice mule deer buck this year with a 5 1/2" Colt SAA at about 90 yards range. The load, 260 Keith at 900 fps. Its plain, no bells or whistles, but it works every time."

Not my words, but his.

Regards,
Ron
 
The only thing I sacrifice with my 45s is trajectory. Rossi makes a fine rifle and can't see what benefit you would get with the marlin or the 45/70. Been shooting my pre safety rossi with buffalo bore and heavy reloads and lots of my favorite, 20gr of 2400 and a 255 keith, for over 10 years with no problems. Chris

12218Picture_357.jpg
 
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