Here's an article I downloaded a few years ago. I did a copy and paste from the pdf I have but you can wade through it. It might still be online somewhere.
UPDATE: Here's a link to an archive. Might be easier to read
www.thefreelibrary.com/Short+shots%3a+a+quick+look+at+three+great+new+guns+from+Legacy+Sports...-a099145185Short shots: a quick look at three great new guns from Legacy Sports International | Guns Magazine | Find Articles at BNET 3/8/09 5:32 PM
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Short shots: a quick look at three great new guns from Legacy Sports International
Guns Magazine , May, 2003 by Holt Bodinson
A Model '92 In .454 Casull!
Rossi's little Puma Model '92 carbine chambered for the .454 Casull was the surprise of the 2002 Shot Show. Many said putting a cartridge rated at 65,000 psi into a lever action design dating back to 1892 couldn't or shouldn't be done. At first, I was a bit skeptical myself.
Having owned and hunted with Winchester '92s in .2520, .32-20 and .44-40 my whole life, I vividly remember the days when converting original '92s into .357 and .44 magnums was the rage. Many of those conversions did not work out well. The result was a lot of fine, original 1892s shot loose with battered locking lugs and lug seats when stoked with higher pressure cartridges.
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Frankly, there's no Winchester design that gets my adrenaline going faster than a Model 1892. Featuring two large, vertical sliding locking lugs that secure the bolt to the frame, Browning's design is inherently strong and slick. The design is essentially a miniaturized Model 1886 Winchester, long renowned for its strength and smoothness.
When the Puma .454 arrived, the first thing I did was to call Glen Ruh at Legacy Sports International to ask him how Rossi had been able to adapt the 1892 design to the hot Casull cartridge. Ruh explained that the metallurgy and heat treatment had been modified to handle the high pressure and that the carbine had been thoroughly torture tested by H.P. White Laboratories using standard factory ammunition.Looking at the new .454 carbine, there is very little to distinguish it from the standard Puma line of 92 carbines, except for a rubber recoil pad and a magazine tube that can be unscrewed and loaded through a loading port, like a .22 rimfire. It sports a 20-inch barrel secured with two barrel bands, weighs 6.25 pounds, and holds nine cartridges in the magazine tube.
One design feature that is now common to the whole Puma 92 line is a small safety lever on the top rear of the bolt. The standard sights consist of an adjustable flat-topped rear leaf mated with a square front blade, giving a clean, clear sight picture. The stock is made of stained hardwood. When measured on a Lyman digital trigger gauge, the trigger pull averaged 5.5 pounds. The carbine is also now available in stainless steel.
So, how did it shoot?
The first surprise was how well the carbine moderated the recoil of the .454 Casull round that can be rather taxing in a handgun. The recoil from the carbine won't bother any experienced shooter. If I had to make a comparison when shooting Hornady's hot 300-grain ammunition, my sense would be that it's about on par with firing a 150-grain load From a 71/2 pound 7mm Rem. Mag. rifle. I initially tested three factory loadings at 50 yards with the following results for three shot groups:
LOAD VELOCITY GROUP
Winchester Super-X 250 gr. JHP 1,583 fps 1 1/2" Winchester Supreme 260 gr. 2,275 fps 1 1/2"
Partition Gold
Hornady 300 gr. XTP-Mag. 2,030 fps 1"
Talk about power packed in a small package!
Focus for a moment on the Hornady loading alone. Both Winchester and Federal offer a 300-grain loading for the .45-70 with a quoted velocity of 1,880 fps. Here we have a pistol cartridge (albeit working at higher pressures) exceeding the velocity of a .45-70 by 8 percent and muzzle energy by 16 percent. By any standard this is remarkable performance from a 20-inch barreled carbine. Wait until Rossi chambers their Model 92 rifle with its 24-inch barrel in .454. Ballistic performance and accuracy will both improve.
The carbine did have one glaring fault, however, its sights. The current carbine sights are impossible to zero at 100 yards. With the rear sight set in its lowest notch, the carbine still shot 11 inches high at 100 yards with the 260-grain load. With the sight set in its highest notch, the carbine shot 5 inches low with the 250-grain load.
I've urged the company to drill and tap the receiver for a Lyman or Williams receiver peep sight. The Puma rifles, not carbines, are already drilled and tapped for tang sights. Glen Ruh responded that the company is aware of the problem and is working with Hi-Viz to come up with a better
Short shots: a quick look at three great new guns from Legacy Sports International | Guns Magazine | Find Articles at BNET 3/8/09 5:32 PM
sight system. Stay tuned, but in the meantime, if you want a carbine, plan on installing a receiver sight.
Rossi and Legacy have pushed the envelope with their '92 in .454 Casull. The little Puma would make a great woods gun for leer, bear and even elk. And it's just plain fun to shoot!
Howa's Thumbhole Varminter Supreme
Remember the Howa? Imported for many years by Interarms, this extensive line of Japanese made rifles were noted for their well designed actions, accurate barrels, sound workmanship, and reasonable prices. The basic Howa action also proved popular with many gunsmiths because it was very accommodating and, with minor modifications, capable of handling a variety of cartridge types.
Well, the Howas are back. Imported now by Legacy Sports International, the new Model 1500 Howa line is marked by the addition of numerous new models with the options modern shooters demand.
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