Puma 357 Mag. Question

[Buckeye]

I have one on order a 16in barreled one..anyway How do they handle 357 Mag 158gr SWC's , Thanks ahead for any responses..
mike

[OI phones in...]

Like Butter?

I feed mine everything from cheap factory to cheap "bulk" reloads to my own cast bullets.

Not much it won't feed if it meets SAAMI spec...

[Buckeye]

Thats good news..
thanks

[deafrn]

Right out of the box, my Rossi-made Puma handled bullets that some of my Marlins choked on when new, and I have had good results from both makes with the same 158 gr loads.

[Tycer]

Mine is not finicky at all.

[Pete44ru]

Mine also eats pretty much everything I've fed it



- and is accurate to boot, once I peeped it.



.

[rjohns94]

Mine likes everything within specs.

[Terry Murbach]

DO NOT BET THE RANCH ON IT FEEDING SWC BULLETS !!! HOPEFULLY IT DOES, BUT IT IS NOT SET UP TO DO SO.

[Buckeye]

DO NOT BET THE RANCH ON IT FEEDING SWC BULLETS !!! HOPEFULLY IT DOES, BUT IT IS NOT SET UP TO DO SO.

Opps!
We where all havin' fun....then along came the flying Monkeys !!!


Terry ..please tell me of your SWC mishaps with the Puma 357 ....

[COSteve]

DO NOT BET THE RANCH ON IT FEEDING SWC BULLETS !!! HOPEFULLY IT DOES, BUT IT IS NOT SET UP TO DO SO.

Is that just speculation or do you have any specific information that you could share with us?

[Terry Murbach]

DO NOT BET THE RANCH ON IT FEEDING SWC BULLETS !!! HOPEFULLY IT DOES, BUT IT IS NOT SET UP TO DO SO.

Is that just speculation or do you have any specific information that you could share with us?

I NEVER EVER N-E-V-E-R SPECULATE ABOUT GUNS !!!

[Buckeye]

I totally respect Mr. Murbachs response,,but I would still like to him explain...before i order a bunch of SWC's ...

[Griff]

Terry's experience matches mine with the Rossi. Both of mine have this issue. A round, flat nose will completely eliminate the problem. The symptom for the problem with SWCs will be especially evident as you lever rounds from the magazine upward into the chamber. If you have to shake or roll the gun from one side the other it is usually caused by the squared edge of the bullet catching on the mouth of the chamber.

[Buckeye]

Man ,i was so much wanting to use 158gr. HPSWC..
Well guess I'll go with LRN

[Tycer]

Now that you mention it.......

My gun has been "relieved" around the chamber mouth....

I forgot. Sorry.

[OI phones in...]

Man ,i was so much wanting to use 158gr. HPSWC..
Well guess I'll go with LRN

I shoot the Lyman 358156 SWC (HP and no HP) with NO problems whatever... and my Rossi has not had the throat relieved.

[O.S.O.K.]

If the hang-up is on the chamber mouth, then just radius it a bit. I mean JUST RADIUS IT A BIT. I can speak with a little authority on that one having done it sucessesfully myself.

That's usually where it sticks if it's going to no?

[Terry Murbach]

Man ,i was so much wanting to use 158gr. HPSWC..
Well guess I'll go with LRN

NO NO NO, YOU MISUNDERSTAND. IT IS A 50/50 CRAPSHOOT WHETHER THE SWC BULLETS WILL FEED OR NOT IN YOUR LEVERGUN. YOU HAVE TO TRY 'EM OUT TO KNOW. IF THEY DO FINE, IF THEY DO NOT, FINE TOO AS YOU CAN SINGLE FEED A '92 SO SMOOTHLY AND QUICKLY FROM THE TOP IT IS SPOOKY.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF 158gr LFN BULLETS THAT GO THROUGH LEVERGUNS LIKE PPPPHHHFTT THROUGH A GOOSE AND WORK JUST AS WELL ON GAME AS YOUR FAVORED SWC BULLETS.

[NonPCnraRN]

The FN bullets from Beartooth have a larger meplat than their Keith style bullets. I would go with the larger meplat and more rounded profile of the FN bullets.

[JerryB]

Reckon that I am fortunate that my Rossi .357 and .45 but feed all my swc reloads.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

OK, here's the deal with 92's and SWC's. There are so many different brands and shapes and OAL`s of 38`s and 357m SWC's out there that is impossible for one gun to cover them all. So as TERRY said, "It's a stuff shoot". The 92 tends to do a better job of feeding SWC's than a marlin 1894 does. This is because the 92 kind of rolls them up, then over into the chamber, where the 1894 pretty much feeds them straight in. The problem with the SWC's is the bullets cutter band can hang on the chamber mouth going in. If the 92 chamber mouth is slightly ramped and the carrier comes up enough and the OAL is correct the 92 will feed them every bit as good as the RNFP's. The older InterArms Rossi's were notorious for not having any ramping and the carrier detents inside the frame weren't consistent so they were notorious for stuttering on the SWC's. If your 92 won't feed them before you do anything to the gun the first thing to try is changing OAL. If your SWC's are in 38spec brass you may need to set the bullet out more. Short 38's tend to flatten out before the bullet inters the chamber. If you load them to about 1.5" OAL that will help. Really long 357's will sometimes hit the top inside of the chamber before they break over and go in. Try shortening them some. Also, to get the OAL with a lead bullet you don't have to crimp in the crimp groove. Just crimp right into the side of the bullet where you need it.

In essence pistol cal leverguns are very much like semi-auto pistols, there is some ammo they just won't feed but like the pistols, feeding can be improved.
BTW, because they feed straight in the 66 and 73 clones really hate SWC's.

[Buckeye]

Thanks for the imput ..i just sent the $$$ out today for the little carbine ..sooo.. it should be late next week or early the week after..being a new model it seems promiseindg SWC will work...
I can always go with the FPRN..or just RN
my last Puma 357 handled everthing.. but never tried the SWC in 357 just 38 Spl.

i'm gonna wait till the little carbine rolls in ad take her to the range ..for some feeding tests ....then order the bullets...cheaper by the 1000 ...

When i get some pasos saved I'm thinking serious bout sending it to Steve for a good work over ....