Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

Suggested cartridge length for Browning 92


Marshal Hangtree

Recommended Posts

A good friend of mine is slowly getting into SASS and hopes to shoot his first match with me and the Panhandle Cattle Company this weekend.  He has one new NMV in .38/.357, and his old Browning '92 in .38/.357.  He'll borrow another revolver from another pard, and use my SxS.  We plan to get him started reloading in the very near future, so I was wondering what would be a good overall length in either .38 or .357 that would give the least amount of feeding issues with the '92.

 

Thanks y'all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have my load notes here at the office, but I have a friend in another state that was fighting feeding issues running 38s. We talked about it and I suggested he tried loading them to .357 lengths as a test, and all his feeding problems went away

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My experience in my Browning 357 Magnum model  92  It took a little experimenting to find a combination that worked

 

Browning 92 357 testing 2015 and 2016

1.525  Badman 130 gr rnfp crimped in groove in 38 case  ok in Browning

1.528 Badman 130 gr  rnfp in 38 case  ok in Browning

1.505 to 1.538  col  357 with 140 Horn worked fine 2016

1.540 col  357 with 140 gr Hornady Cowboy works fine in Browning.  2015. 

1.535  Bayou 147 gr. Fp  crimped  in groove in 38 case ok in Browning

1.580 Badman 157 gr rnfp in 357 case  ok in browning

1.485 zombie 158 swc  jams in Browning  38 case

1.518 col zombie 158 swc. Jams in Browning  38 case

1.525, 1.530 1.538, 1.540, 1.542,  1.550  col  158 gr swc Zombie ok in  Browning

1.568 col 158 swc Zombie jammed  in Browning

1.60 COL 158 swc Zombie hopeless in Browning

Original 158 rnfp in .357 case with black powder sub for col of 1.60 will not work in Browning  92   

 

Some   SASS wire shooters say Browning .357 likes 1.585 RNFP 158 gr   another post Browning .357 does not like TC bullets, not 125 likes 158

 

 December 2019 function testing. of  Browning :

 These did not work. 1.409 fp,  1.515 horn 140 cb (3) 1.425 fp, 1.455 fp,  (2) 1.475 fp,  (2) 1.538 9mm 147 fp all in 38 Special cases

 

These worked 1.460 fp  (2) 1.475 fp, 1.505 fp in 38 Special cases  1.520 rnfp, in .357 case The two 1.475 looked just like the 1.47 that did not work.  1.480 fp  (2) 1.502 fp  in 38 worked.  (3) 1.585 Badman 1.580 Bayou, 1.545 Lucky 13 swc, (2) 1.572 Hornady cowboy worked in 357 case every test round in 357 case worked

 

Good luck. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Every Browning/Rossi 92 I have used has been highly cartridge length sensitive and has really benefited from running 357mag length ammo (1.590").  For SASS I use a 175gr bullet that is specifically designed to be loaded in 38 brass but have an overall length equal to 357mag.  The 175gr load works reliably and feeds great, but is a "heavy" bullet by many SASS shooters standards.  If you want to shoot lighter bullets I would highly recommend simply loading 357mag brass. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

92s can be rather finicky about OAL and bullet profiles. All I have ever seen did not semi-wadcutters. 

 

My Rossi 92s like 38 special brass with an 125 grain LTC loaded to an OAL of 1.510. I tried some 147 gr LTC that had a really long nose loaded to the same 1.510 OAL and had feeding issues at speed.

Mine will also shoot heavier RNFP bullets loaded to .357 mag lengths. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Browning 92 ran great with 1.54 oal, with 158gn RNFP. I tried lighter, including the TC bullets, but never had much luck. It seemed that the lifter threw lighter bullets too high and I got stovepipes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

     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 or really short 38’s.. The really long 357’s are too long to clear the cart  stop coming up or they tend to hit the top inside of the chamber before they make the turn into the chamber.

    The most common problem with the shorter 38's is the gun will throw out, flip or stovepipe live rounds with the empty's. 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. (One of the things Rossi did years ago was redesign the cart guides by changing the angle of the rim slots so the back end comes up sooner. So they tend to be less ammo sensitive than other pistol cal 92 leverguns)

   Also, bullet shapes can make a difference. Bullets other than the round nosed flat point profile they were designed for can cause issues. The truncated cone or TC style bullets will work but can end up too long for some guns.

For 38’s, this is what I have found to cycle best. A 158gr elongated round nose flat point seated above the crimp groove and just crimped into the side of the bullet just above the lube groove. This allows them to be loaded to a 1.5” OAL. You can do the same with the 44 spec. too.

 

DSCN0526.thumb.jpg.904f33d532b520e4021415f66182b2fa.jpg

 

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

 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 now. (had a fire I believe)

 Here is the new source.

 

Contact 

CUSTOM AMMO & RELOADING SERVICES,LLC

817-326-3855

Email;  landjb7@charter.net

 

Larry Benningfield

 3110 Marble Court

 Granbury, Tx 76049.

 

they sell this ammo and will also reload your brass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What he said .

If they flip out the top they're too short. If you have to jiggle the lever to get them in they're too long.

Joe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks to everybody for the responses.  Unfortunately, my friend won't be able to make it down until next month, so hopefully we'll have some experimental time before the next match to iron out the correct length for his Browning 92.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.