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I'm looking to get an EMF or Puma 92 in 45 colt with a 16in barrel. Prices are about the same. Is there a difference in the quality, fit, and finish?

Are they all made by the same company? Rossi as well? Navy Arms? It seems all these 92 clones come from Brazil. Are they all made at the same plant?

I'd like to know the definitive answer on this question also. I do know that an Italian company makes an 1892 copy (as well as 1876 & 1873 copies). It is called Armi. I am interested in their takedown version of the 1892.

I have a Rossi stainless 1892 in 45 colt and it is well made. The action could stand to be slicked up a bit, but it is fine for my uses. Mine does not have that safety on the top of the bolt, although to me that safety is not all that obtrusive to make me not want to buy one (a Puma).

I believe this to be correct. Rossi was purchased by Tarus and they still make the Rossi line of rifles under the Rossi name. Tarus also makes the EMF 1892's. Armi San Marco reportedly makes a copy of the 1892 but I have no idea who may import and market them. Urberti makes copy's of the 1873, 1866 and Henry but so far has not entered the 1892 market. I don't think the quality between EMF and the Puma will differ, fit and finish should be similar unless the importer spruces them up some, like Cimarron does with the Uberti pistols.

From THE expert, a Model 92 gunsmith, importer, and customizer:

Nate Kiowa Jones wrote:

OK,Here's some Rossi 92 history.

For years dating back to the 70's the Rossi 92 made in Brazil was imported by InterArms of Alexandria VA.
Somewhere in the late 90's the owner of InterArms passed away.
It is my understanding the heirs didn't care to continue with the operation of InterArms, so the stock on hand was sold off at a reduced price. (I bought new Rossi 92's at that time for $190).
About that same time period, Rossi sold off their gallery gun, the pump 62 and the revolvers to Taurus, so some folks thought there would be no more Rossi 92's available.
About the time this was all coming down, Navy Arms had started importing the Rossi 92's.
Then not long after, the ex-employee's of InterArms started up Legacy Sports International/LSI and began importing the Rossi 92 - They were even in the same old building as the old InterArms company and were using Puma as the model name.
Then, (I don't remember exactly when) LSI moved to Reno NV.
During this period (mid 1990's to 2000), EMF was importing the Armi San Marco Italian made 92's.
ASM's QC went down, so EMF ask me to help them decide how they should order some 92's from Rossi. EMF has been importing the Rossi 92's since about 2000 and up until about 2006 the EMF 92's didn't have the ugly safety.
Now they do but EMF still has them.

Since late last year when Taurus acquired Rossi and have taken over the distribution, LSI now carries the Armi Sport/Chiappa 92 but it's still called the Puma Model.
The Armi Sport/Chiappa 92 is a re-incarnation of the Armi San Marco guns. Chiappa is doing a much better job as far as fit and finish is concerned - But they did bring forth some reverse engineered design flaws that plagued the ASM 92's.
I've made some suggestions to them that I believe will help clear up these problems, but haven't heard back from them, so don't know if the problems have been corrected.

The Rossi 92's are still available but will be imported by Taurus USA of Florida and distributed by Rossi USA under the name BrazTech.

.

Clears things up some, but... Were all the Brazil made 92s made at the same plant and just marked Rossi, Puma, etc.?

Do new Pumas come from Italy but the older, lower priced ones come from Brazil? Are the EMF hartfords from Brazil or the ones imported from Italy?

I assume quality will be the same for Rossi, EMF, or Puma that are all priced around $500. I may just order whichever is cheapest in stainless off Gunbroker and not worry about it.

.

Why not buy a Rossi in 454 Casull? You could then shoot 45 Colt and 454 Casull, two in one.

I don't want a 92 that has a rubber recoil pad on it, plus I already load 45LC for a blackhawk.

[Were all the Brazil made 92s made at the same plant and just marked Rossi, Puma, etc.?] - Yes.

[Do new Pumas come from Italy but the older, lower priced ones come from Brazil?] - Yes.

[Are the EMF hartfords from Brazil or the ones imported from Italy?] -
See Kiowa's remarks - they are Italians w/issues.

[I assume quality will be the same for Rossi, EMF, or Puma that are all priced around $500.] -
You know what "assume" does, don't you ?
Different Brazillian Rossi "brands" come from different eras, and are set up differently - especially with the addition of the bolt top safety on some later models.

[I may just order whichever is cheapest in stainless off Gunbroker and not worry about it] -
AFAIK, all stainless Model 92's are made by Rossi in Brazil.

.

[Are the EMF hartfords from Brazil or the ones imported from Italy?] -
See Kiowa's remarks - they are Italians w/issues.


Well, Kiowa's remarks don't answer the question.
"During this period (mid 1990's to 2000), EMF was importing the Armi San Marco Italian made 92's.
ASM's QC went down, so EMF ask me to help them decide how they should order some 92's from Rossi. EMF has been importing the Rossi 92's since about 2000 and up until about 2006 the EMF 92's didn't have the ugly safety."

I still don't know if the EMF Hartford was the Italian model or the Rossi model. Did EMF always call their 92 a Hartford or just the later ones from Rossi?

Here's more confusion.

The Braztech-Rossi site says the puma M92 is manufactured in Spain by Rossi and imported by Legacy Sports.
Braztech-Rossi

Legacy sports says the puma M-1892 is made by Chiappa Arms in Italy.
Legacy Sports

So are any still being made in Brazil?

Nate is a pretty knowledgeable and respected smith.

Check out his site , his contact info is there , he can clarify whatever is current among those brands and models.

http://www.stevesgunz.com/

Look at EMF's site they indicate that Tarus won't make the Hartford model for them anymore and imply that when present stocks of that rifle are gone there will be no more. The history of these 92 replicas is kind of like trying to unscamble eggs. Always a lot of debate over who made what and where the actual manufacturing site is located.

I have had a Puma Model 1892 Stainless Steel rifle with 16" barrel in .454 Casull for several years. I bought it because I was setting trail cameras in upstate New York and getting lots of bear pictures. The pictures were of boars, mostly well over 300#s, with ripped ears and other scars. They looked huge! Since my neighbor shot one close to my trail camera that weighed 465#s field dressed around the same time, I knew there were some bruisers there.

As I went to the cameras to reload and retrieve the film, being in very tight slash on a small game trail, the hair on the back of my head stood on end. Fear of being eaten by an animal will do that to you. I wanted to carry a powerful sidearm, but not being a NY resident, I cannot get a license to carry. About this time, Davidson's, the big arms supply house, offered a batch of my PUMA rifles into the market and I immediately bought. The first two they sent, would not feed the .454 Casull. Leveractions are notorious for poor feeding if the feeding gap is improper, and I guess my first two were. (BTW, Davidson's was great. Never batted an eyelash and sent a new rifle quickly each time.)

The third rifle I got and still have is a well made and machined weapon, instantly liked by people who see and handle it. It is shiney, attractive, well made, AND, one powerful piece. It cycles and feeds very well and smoothly. The black stained wood stock, with a needed recoil pad present, is different, but appropriate on a SS rifle. The front loading feature on the under-barrel magazine is a nice feature. I'm ambivalent on the safety, but it is there. It is super convenient to carry and I really like the rifle. Three hundred yard shots? Probably not, but don't get to close to the wrong end.

I note one of the previous writers suggested getting the Casull and using the .45 Colt as well in the rifle. I tried that in mine, but the .45 will not feed in my rifle, at least not with factory ammo. Perhaps one could play with reloading .45s and overall cartridge length for proper feeding, but I did not try that. Again, in my .454 Puma, the .45 Colt factory ammo would not feed.

I think Rossi made mine, as I'm sure some of the hang tags indicated as such. Where, I do not know or care. What I do know is I have a SS 1892 clone, in a well-made, light, powerful and attractive rifle. For me, that's enough.

At the current time, Rossi USA, a division of Taurus USA, is the distributor of Rossi R92 lever actions, apparently superceding the Braztech arrangement. EMF indicates that when their stock of Rossis are gone they will be out of the 1892 business.