.38 spl OAL for Rossi 92

[Cato Younger]

I'm still trying to get .38s to run consistently in my 92 chambered in .357. I'm loading 125 grain TCFP in .38 spl cases at 1.450 at the moment. and I'm trying to figure out what OAL might run a little better in it. Basically I get failures to extract, the occasional failure to chamber since the nose of the round is pointing sky high, and sometimes a double feed into the carrier. Any suggestions?

[Doc Fill 'Em 67797]

I don't have a '92 in .357 anymore, but when I had mine it seemed to work best with 158 grain bullets in 38 Special brass loaded to the same overall length as a .357 Magnum. Or you can try using 357 Magnum brass with the 125 grain bullets. The longer length seemed to work better for me.

[Pit Bull Tex]

My 92 is 357,I load 38s to 1.50 and never have a problem

[Marauder SASS #13056]

The 92's can vary a lot in their preferred length. I know some that actually like 38 Special length, but most prefer longer - up to 357 mag length.

 

I usually loaded rounds in 38 special cases and crimped in the top of the lube groove so that the bullet could not be pushed back into the case.

 

So experiment with some rounds and see what yours likes.

 

Also, if you put a thin shim under the left side cartridge guide, that sometimes helps.

[captqueeze]

I run mine @ 1.475" over a load of Trailboss. That's a 158 gr bullet LSWC (Keith looking bullet). Usually I look for the crimp groove and try to get real close to it.

[Phiren Smoke GUNFIGHTER]

Cato,

 

Sounds like the gun needs a good cleaning. This can be done very easily. Get some inexpensive spray brake cleaner remove the stock, open the action, hold it muzzle up and spray away. Pay extra attention to the magazine stop at the lower left front of the receiver and to the extractor at the top front of the bolt.

 

When done lightly oil the action as the brake cleaner removes all lubrication.

 

Once I was sure the action was clean I would proceed exactly as Marauder has posted. Most Rossi's seem to prefer a longer OAL, but I had one that would not cycle 357 rounds and would gobble up short 38's at 1.44" OAL.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Smoke

[Cato Younger]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I can say that the 92 is definitely clean. I'm obsessive about cleaning ( military habits I guess). I think I might try 1.50 and see what happens. I hope I can use the same powder charge though.

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I can say that the 92 is definitely clean. I'm obsessive about cleaning ( military habits I guess). I think I might try 1.50 and see what happens. I hope I can use the same powder charge though.

Depends on what your powder charge was at the shorter length. If it was at the very bottom of published data, you might have some problems due to the increased case volume and lower pressures.

[Frenchy Cannuck]

My 92 is 357,I load 38s to 1.50 and never have a problem

I was going to 1.58" in mine it never gave me a hard time.

 

Frenchy

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

Talk to Nate Kiowa Jones at Steves Gunz. He's the expert on '92s and cartridge OAL.

[Pit Bull Tex]

Nate at Steves Gunz is who set up and worked on 4 of my 92s and all of them run 1.50.

[Sedalia Dave]

Have you done any work to the ramp on the LH cartridge guide that the detent ball on the carrier goes into? If the carrier has to hop out of the lower detent it causes the nose of the cartridge to be pitched up and stovepipe. Longer cartridges are not as prone to stovepiping because the rear of the cartridge sits higher.

 

NKJ's video shows where to file on the LH cartridge guide to make the transition out of the lower detent less abrupt. Did this to mine it now it is not so picky about OAL. Shoots 125 gr LRN with a 1.45 OAL just as well as 158 gr LRN with a 1.48 OAL.

 

After working on the LH cartridge guide, my Rossi 92 doesn't have issues until the OAL gets down to almost 1.40 OAL.

[Cato Younger]

I have not done that. I will definitely look into it!

[Mean Matt McCord, SASS #24683]

Cato, I have been loading a 140 grain truncated cone style at about 1.52. It works very well for me.

[jrswanson1]

I have the same problem with 125gr .357 JSPs. I don't have this problem with 158gr LRN in .38 Special loaded to standard .38 Special length. Try a heavier bullet, you really won't notice a difference in recoil.

[Charlie Whiskers]

_{Some Rossi's just don't like 38's. I had one that used to spit out about 2 or 3 live rounds per stage. Finally another shooter that had the same problem with 1 of his 2 Rossi's told me to try loading 357. I used the same 158 gr RNFP and same powder charge. After that it'd run as fast as I could run it and not spit out live rounds.}

[Nate Kiowa Jones #6765]

OK, The first thing to keep in mind, all leveraction, pump action and semi-auto guns are ammo length and bullet shape sensitive. Some more than other. For instance, you don't think about it much if you are dealing with a rifle cal. like 3006, 308 or 223 and even 30-30.Those are bottleneck calibers. Bottlenecks always feed better than straightwall ammo, whether it is a rifle cal or a pistol cal. That's because you have a small diameter bullet going into a really big hole by comparison, the bottleneck chamber being much like a funnel. The original Winchester 92's were designed to work with bottleneck ammo in the 1.5" to 1.6" OAL with round nose flat point bullets. Ammo like 44-40, 38-40, 32-20 and 25-20.

What that means is they may not work well with really long 357’s. (They tend to hit the top inside of the chamber before they make the turn into the chamber)

or really short 38’s. The most common problem with the shorter 38's is the gun will throw out live rounds with the empty's. Or, stovepipe them. This is because the shorter 38 coming on to the carrier from the tube can bounce forward enough that the rim is too close to the rim slots in the guides and when you lever it fast the carrier just catapults them up or out with the empty.

Avoid bullet shapes other than the round nosed flat point lead they were designed for. the TC style bullets can end up too long because the side is straight then angle in farther out on the bullet.

 

After 20+ years of dealing with the Rossi 92's this is what I have found to work best. A 158gr elongated round nose flat point in a 38 case seated above the crimp groove and just crimped into the side of the bullet just above the lube groove.

 

 

 

For years there were commercial reloaders that offered CAS ammo and have offered 1 1/5" long loaded Cowboy leveraction 38's.

For years I directed my rifle customer to "T" ammo for his 1.5" cowboy 38's. But, Roy retired so I was recommending Ammo Direct.

Well, they are out of business at least temporarily. (had a fire I believe)

Here is the new source.

 

Contact

CUSTOM AMMO & RELOADING SERVICES,LLC

817-326-3855

Email; larryb7@suddenlink.net

 

they sell this ammo and will also reload your brass

[Gran'pa Jef]

I only use .357 shells in my Rossi with 125gr bullets. It works perfectly. Although the magazine of the Rossi has the right diameter for .38 ammo, I don't want to take the risk of jams! Thus, I don't use .38sp shells in any rifle.

So, use .357 shells & don't worry!

Jef

[Cato Younger]

Thanks for more great info, guys. Fantastic write up, Nate. BTW, I had considered loading .357 cases for the Rossi, but it is, after all, a backup gun. I didn't want to have to load a different case just for this gun when I might be able to tweak my .38 loads and run my ammo through all my guns. I might be aiming too high! lol

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Make sure all action/rec'r screws are tight.

When you say extraction issues-I don't see how that's an OAL loaded ammo issue with the empty case com'n out of the chamber. Feed'n maybe a OAL concern.

I think you may have and extractor issue. NOT all ammo related.

The 3 or 4 92 I have fired with my loads all ran fine with a OAL 1.470"

LG

[English Bob]

I load to 1.48-1.50 to run with my Rossi 92.

 

The 1.44 OAL stock ammo from the SASS web site will definitely not run.

 

.357 runs great.

 

I was looking for something in-between and that OAL seems to work OK for me.

[English Bob]

BTW, I tend to do a light roll crimp into the very top of the lube groove to get that OAL on the particular bullet I am using now (crimping in the crimp groove gives an OAL of less than 1.44). Is that an acceptable practice?

 

I make sure the crimp goes into the "shoulder" at the top of the lube groove so I am not crimping on the lube itself. The result is a good crimp and a perfectly smooth transition from bullet to shell case, but I did have one friend tell me it is an absolute no-no to crimp in the lube groove

 

Thanks in advance for the advice.

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

Nate Kiowa Jones explained it well and several others have mentioned what I have experienced. I found that the 1.52 length ran well in my 92 (sold years ago) and currently runs well in my 1873s and Marlin.

 

A .357 with a 125 gr. bullet came out to 1.52 and for the last few years I have been running a 158 gr. in a .38 case crimped like the picture Nate posted.

[Dewey Cheatem, SASS #75620]

125 gr at 1.50 works great in my wife's.

 

DC