I'm looking for a short levergun in 45 colt to serve as a camp/truck gun. I want the gun to be distinctly different looking from my guide gun, so a second Marlin is out.

I've looked at Winchester's short-barreled offerings, and one of them has a bizzarre lever configuration that doesn't pivot at the point expected. Can anyone tell me if this is the Ranger, Trapper, or both? Also, is this receiver as strong as the Marlin?

I'm also considering the Rossi Puma. I haven't been able to access their Web site, so I don't know if they offer anything in a barrel length shorter than 20". Since they make a rifle chambered for 454 Casull, I assume their 45 Colt offering is very strong. Can anyone give me some background information on the Puma (price, performance, ease of handling, etc.)?

Thank you for your time and experience.

Bought the Puma .45LC at a gun show about 2 years ago...a dealer, his stock was NIB, but ran into him at a local show rahter than his shop.

Was my second entry into the Rossi/Tarus lever guns...can PROMISE it is a WHOLE BUNCH beter than the old ones just marked "Rossi". Taking the 45 apart for a side-by-side comparison between the new rifle and the old .357 Rossi (old enough to be imported by Garcia) was an education...no complaints about the construction of the modern Puma...the old Rossi's insides always reminded me of a corn-cob.

Some slight complaints about the externals. Take a hard look at the front sight...about 1 out of 4 of the rifles have a front sight not sitting straight up. Related to that, the front barrel band (and sight) are often not as solidly mounted as they could be. The stock finish on some is rather "muddy"...some like the look, but if you don't, it's an easy one to refinish.

All easy fixes...and perhaps it was a quirk of the rifles two years ago when I bought mine...but was lucky enough to sort through several (picked the traditional blued steel).

Accuracy has been good...have only fired cast bullet reloads, it's never seen a round of factory loads so I can't comment on that. My needs are met with 250gr. of lead at 1350-1400fps...deer are small here, and this load exits...making it exit faster doen't seem to be real productive. 90% of the shooting is with a 250gr. bullet loafing along at 1000fps. Open iron sights and 1 1/2 50yard groups are about the limit for both my eyes and this rifle.

Price...been 2 years...$249.

My LSI lever is chambered in .454

It is probably my favorite lever action since I drag it everywhere. Accuracy is well into minute of critter at hand. The action just keeps getting smoother and it seems to chamber everything I have run through it (Colt and Casull) The little bugger does jump around a bit with Buffalo Bore's 360grain hardcast .454's.

Mine developed a forearm split from recoil under the heavy loads but was easilly repaired.

I kind of like the 20 inch barrel (for now) but believe the 16 1/2 would be pretty neat. The 20" is easier to get through customs at the Canadian border when I take little road trips.

Scotty

Thanks for the input.

Ribbonstone, I can get a Trapper for $300 + tax. Do you consider this a good purchase?

Coldfingers, what's LSI? Do the Canadians think a levergun with a 16.5 inch barrel is a pistol? I'm glad our laws aren't that stupid (yet).

No one answered the question I had about the bizarre fulcrum of the lever.... I'm referring to the pivot point of the lever. Marlin's pivots at the bottom center of the receiver, while the Winchester I looked at pivoted at the forward part of the receiver through what looked like fragile linkage. Is this configuration reliable? Is it only on the Trapper? Is it only on the Ranger? Is it something I'll have to live with if I purchase a 16" barreled Winchester levergun?

Thank you.

$300 is reasonable...does depend on condition. Have to admit, I forgot to check out your information to get a location on you...kind of a regional variation going on, with some "hot beds" of lever gun interrest, and others where they are just another used rifle sitting in the rack.

The 1894 action the trapper is built on was designed for longer cases (30-30 length) and was adapted to the shorter .45Colt case. Reliable...been the same basic design for 110years now.

Lever placement, pivot is just the desgin of the Winchester, the internal system just runs differently than the Marlins. May look odd to you, but the result is a pretty compact reciever (more noticable in the top-to-bottom measure).
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OH..Arizona...middle of the old west, full of escaping Californians (some full of the whole "western experinece"...mixing Tofu with their camp-beans). Yeah, from the location, $300 seems about right.

LOL! Yeah, we have Californians (I'm a transplant, but won't admit to it :-) ). We also have transplanted Texans! hehe....

The price on the Trapper is NIB. I guess I'll have to get used to the Winchester lever toggle, since it points so well from either shoulder.

Thanks a bunch for answering my questions! I don't miss MT so much, knowing there's people here of the same caliber as Jackfish.

God bless you all!