Puma Lever Rifles

Stainless would be better if this would be a hunting rifle. But for Cowboy Action shooting I'd think it would stand out as a pretty harsh anacronism..... :D

Wasn't there any old west cowboys carrying nickel plated? I wouldn't be at all surprised that the wealthier ones did.
Fact is I will be shooting CAS with Stainless Steel Vaqueros, Puma 92 and SxS 12ga Coach gun, Nothing like a consistant theme.;):D
 
I sympathize with you, stainless is very forgiving though. I have been using stainless Vaqueros now for at least 10 years and I'm very happy that I went that direction.

About 2 months ago, I bought a stainless Puma with a large loop lever, to go with my other 6 lever actions. I am looking forward to the comments when I show to my first match this spring!
 
Hey Garand,
Which one of the... 7 now I guess, do you use the most? My Puma is my 1st. Bucky 45 tells me that you never get rid of your 1st lever gun, right now I'm inclined to beleive him. I'm thinking the next one will likely be a 73 Uberti.
 
I started Cowboy action, with a 1994 mfg Winchester Wrangler in .44 mag, dumped it after 18 months of problems then got a Marlin M1894S in .44. Its seen 12,000 plus (conservatively) rounds through it.
 
just got mine last week, courtesy of a cgn named rustywood. took it to the range today, figured i'd share my first impression.

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mine is a .45 colt. the fit and finish (of the exterior) seem nice, the rifle is solid! i used an rcbs trigger scale which read 5.5 lbs consistently.

i took remington 250g rn, winchester 255g rn, and winchester 250g fn "cowboy action loads" to test it out. i set up targets at 25 and 50 yds, and took 5-shot groups.

win super x: total bust. no matter which one i took from the box, couldn't get a second into the rifle. the first always hung up inside preventing the gate from opening for the second. not sure why, because the bullet profile seems identical to the remington.

remington: tough to feed through the gate after the fourth or fifth. also, the edges on the gate are pretty sharp, got some good gouges in the fingers trying to shove the remingtons in.

win cowboy loads: flawless. fed perfectly from the first to the tenth.

left to right: win cowboy/rem/win superx

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the cowboy and remington seemed to perform much the same:

25 yds:

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50 yds:
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i wasn't very precise with my shooting, i shot from the bench but without bags or support, and i shot offhand. real-world like. nothing spectacular, but give me a break, i just got it. with some practice, i think it'll be an all-right shooter. just need to tear it apart now and try to clean up some of those nasty edges.

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half-hour and 100 bucks later, this is one to handload for.
 
Mine is identical except it's a 357mag. I ran thru a box of Federals .38spl 158grn and 2 boxes of remanufactured .38spl 158grn Cowboy from Wolf Hoffman they worked very best. I don't reload yet the Wolf are much cheaper at about .28 cents a piece.
I really think the gun is a great bang for your buck.
 
I shot my first indoor Cowboy match of the year last Sunday and shot the Puma. It was fun, it will just take me a little time to adjust to shooting a large loop lever and the difference front sight. Good rifle, I'm impressed.
 
Wading in on the conversation, I started in CAS (one year ago)with an older Puma 357. using 38 specials, both the Mrs. and I had a very good time shooting it and the rifle was very reliable. As it turns out, we both have a bit of gamer in our blood and the Mrs. moved into a new Uberti 73 with a short stroke kit. I caved and purchased a second Uberti 73 with pistol grip. Both have short stroke kits installed and after shooting them a bit now, prefer them over the Puma. They are a heavier rifle, sit more solid during rapid fire and the short kit is a thing of beauty. I shoot the Puma the odd time but find I short stroke it often, having gotten used to the 73. Will probably sell the Puma.
 
Can anyone tell me the OAL for a Rossi/Puma 92 with a 20" barrel? I am about to buy one to carry in a scabbard on horseback and I am trying to decide between the 16" and the 20". I could not find the OAL on any website. They just give the barrel length.

Thanks,
 
I have read on the net that some Puma 92 owners have had the fore stock crack. Apparently it is a common problem. Have any of you fellows had this problem? If it cracks would there be any warranty on that or would you even be able to get a replacement?
 
I have read on the net that some Puma 92 owners have had the fore stock crack. Apparently it is a common problem. Have any of you fellows had this problem? If it cracks would there be any warranty on that or would you even be able to get a replacement?

I read the same thing before I bought and was a little concerned. But in doing more research I found that it was quite a while back I haven't heard of any problems as of late. I also heard that the company was excellent to deal with. All in all I felt good enough to get one no issues yet.:)
 
I sold my 2 pumas but there are a number of folks in the 2 clubs I shoot at with pumas. None of them have had the problem you mention.
 
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I noticed in the Legacy International site that Chiappa is now making 1886 Winchesters! With no tang safty, and no rebounding hammers, like the current Winchester production. Finally, I have been waiting for the Italiens to start making these.

According to the Chiappa website, they will be making them in 45-70, 45-90 and, a first for an 86, in 444 Marlin.
 
I have two Pumas, one in .357Mag and the other in .44Mag. I installed a recoil pad on the .44mag to save my shoulder. With loads running anywhere near factory the gun was painful to shoot with the curved butt plate. With the recoil pad is it far more pleasant and similar to shooting the .357mag.

I have installed the Skinner rear peep sight and intend to add a FO front on the .357mag. The .44mag will just get a Skinner peep. The Buckhorn and notch and post sight may work for younger eyes but those days are long gone.

If I could find a decent mount I would consider installing a red dot sight on both.

Both are fun guns to shoot and accurate with both cast and plated rounds.

Take Care

Bob
 
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