Rossi Ranch Hand, do I really want one?

Sun_and_Steel_77 said:
I just recently switched from a .44mag to a .45Colt after reading how strong the rossi '92 action is.
The whole point for me is getting the most horsepower out of the Ranch Hand and since they don't make one in .454 Casull, I traded-up.

I kept adding H110 to a brand new Starline case under a 300gr bullet until I dared add no more with zero pressure signs. Where I stopped was so far above my Speer manuals max charge for ruger/contender loads that I wouldn't dream of posting it on here. I can't endorse the practice, but will simply say that I am NOT the exception to the rule or breaking new ground when it comes to hot-rodding the 45Colt and the Rossi/Puma clones are proven to handle 45-50,000PSI just fine,there are plenty of reliable sources out there to help you decide if you want to load hot.
I wouldn't dream of trying it with a Henry.
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thank you kindly for the tip.
 
IIRC a member name 240Z uses a rare earth magnet to attach a butt-stock extension to the ranch hands flat metal butt plate.
I sold him my original stock, and his idea seems to work pretty well for someone who wants the versatility of going back and forth between configurations.
 
Can-down said:
Nice rig Sun, Does Ramline still make the plastic 94 stocks? I bought a set a few years ago on the EE and fit it to a 20 inch Rossi and it's a pretty lightweight option!
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As far as I know they do, it's just a matter of buying them where and when you see them. I bought two sets at Nosalesports a couple years back 70-80$ per set IIRC. I'm usually on the lookout for them but can't say I've seen any recently.
When I initially started p$ssing around with the ranch hand I purchased a beater puma (complete with the ###y side medallion) off the EE as a spare parts gun for the R/H and intended to use the full-size buttstock off it.
I was never a fan of the curved steel butt-plate when shooting stout .44mag loads or the fact that the walnut fullsize buttstock made the little rifle butt-heavy so I adapted a Ramline synthetic and made a stunningly beautiful flip-flop recoil pad!:p .
The forward balance was an immediate improvement, and no offence meant to others who are using boyds etc. but I don't like how the walnut of the aftermarket stocks doesn't match the brazilian chu-wood fore-end in either grain or color. Krylon Fusion sticks to polymer like white on rice!
I'd have to check my notes but IIRC I dropped around 4-5 ounces by installing the ramline front and rear and because the buttstock is completely hollow there is beaucoup storage space.
I have a ton of hours into fitting the ramline buttstock and stock to metal fit at the rear tang looks like dog sh$t, it was nowhere near plug and play,but the fore-end required very little fitting work. As stated earlier this rifle is a straight-up workhorse for me and aesthetics take a back seat to function in this particular application.

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Can-down said:
Nice rig Sun, Does Ramline still make the plastic 94 stocks? I bought a set a few years ago on the EE and fit it to a 20 inch Rossi and it's a pretty lightweight option!
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Hey Can-down do you remember how the final inletting/finishing went in your case? How proud did the tang sit in relation to the stock?,what about the gap between the rear of the receiver and front of the buttstock?
I tried evey kind of filler/epoxy imaginable to fill in the gaps and nothing would stand up to the recoil.
In the end I heated staples red hot and pushed them into the plastic to use as stakes (think re-bar in concrete) to give the JB-Weld enough integrity. Would love to hear how the install went for you,and your thoughts on the finished product.
 
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Heres mine in 44 mag after a new coat of stain and tru oil plus some sight modifications. Polished the trigger spring surfaces with 3000 grit along with some internals to a mirror finish. A small shim made from a tim hortons lid for a trigger shim brought it down to about a two pound trigger that is very nice. I believe i clipped a coil and a half from the hammer spring and extractor. Cycles butter smooth. Shooting 240 gr xtp over 23.3 gr of w296 puts six shots in about 4-5 inches kneeling. More than happy with this gun far from useless in my mind. I wouldn't hesitate to take a crack at anything within 100 yards with it.



 
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two-dogs said:
I've been thinking about one in 45LC, if one comes along that has all the good mods already done to it, I just might buy it, if the price is right. How is the recoil of the 45LC? I understand that one can spice them up to near 44mag specs if needed. I think I like the fancy one that Henry makes the best.
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My .45 Colt RH can be a tad harsh shooting from the bench due to the brass butt plate. Stand up shooting is no bother though. By using cut down .454 Casull brass, one can make some very hot loads, but I load mine with cast boolits and use mid-range loads.

My .357 RH that I just finished installing XS sights on is much more pleasant to shoot than the big bores.:)
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Sun_and_Steel_77 said:
Hey Can-down do you remember how the final inletting/finishing went in your case? How proud did the tang sit in relation to the stock?,what about the gap between the rear of the receiver and front of the buttstock?
I tried evey kind of filler/epoxy imaginable to fill in the gaps and nothing would stand up to the recoil.
In the end I heated staples red hot and pushed them into the plastic to use as stakes (think re-bar in concrete) to give the JB-Weld enough integrity. Would love to hear how the install went for you,and your thoughts on the finished product.
Click to expand...

I relocated the hole that the bolt passes through to allow the stock to go forward and contact the rear of the receiver. I used some JB weld inside to fill in the old hole location and also bed the lower tang a bit. I then contoured the plastic a bit to melt it into the shape of rossi but it's not perfect by any means and could use some filler in a few spots. Mine is fitted to a .357 mag 20" carbine and so far the JB seems to be holding up but I have not put a a lot of rounds through it since I fit the stock.
Here's the only picture I have online....
 
Hey ShellShucker, Looks pretty good! Still waiting for a range report..... :)

How do you find the sight picture with the white stripe?

About the pain from your crescent style metal butt plate... you should consider shortening the stock a bit and installing a modern rubber recoil pad.

I think a shorter stock will look better proportionally on the ranch hand, and the rubber pad will make it more comfortable and I don't think the slightly shorter length of pull will be a problem.
 
Today's range results showed that the Rossi in .45 Colt was right on with the XS rear sight coupled with
the Marbles .531" high front. The brass butt plate on 'er only bugs me when shooting off the bench in a t-shirt.
As you'll see, I noted the sight as being .538", but it's 531. Too many numbers to care.f:P:
I find the white line XS front sight a tad thick, even when using the .230" aperture.

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The .357 RH shot 10 inches high using the XS front and rear sights. I will be swapping out the front
for a .570" Marbles to correct this. If the barrel contour of the .357 was the same as the .45, then
I could get away with using the .531".......Tinker....Tinker.:)
 
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