Mainspring,
I copied this response from Nate Kiowa Jones - 1892 gunsmith extraordinaire - from over on the SASS Wire that'll probably answer your question:
There are three importers of the Rossi 92`s. EMF`s hartford line, LSI`s Pumas and the Navy 92`s. The main differences are the LSI`s have that ugly safety, the Navy`s and EMF`s don`t. The Navy has Walnut stocks but cost about $100 on average more than the EMF and LSI. The EMF is not walnut but it looks like walnut and they are the same money as the LSI`s but without the ugly bolt safeties, plus they have the more desireable buckhorn and brass bead sites.
When you pick one of these guns up and try the action on it you can get a general idea about the action as to how slick it is, but until you put some ammo thru it you will not know for sure. Now days they all feel pretty good out of the box, but the trick is to make them do it with ammo, too.
I`ve ordered several and slicked them up and sent them on to a recieving FFL to be yellow sheeted and if you don`t have an FFL, I`ll find you one.
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Nate Kiowa Jones SASS# 6765
Steve`s Guns aka ROSSI 92 SPECIALISTS
www.stevesgunz.com4525 Alamosa st.
Port Arthur, TX. 77642
409 984 5473
gunz@mail.org
This is a link to that post; just scroll down toward the bottom -
http://www.sassnet.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=063789#000000I've got 2 EMF Hartford 1892s and they're fine rifles. One other thing is that EMF's Customer Service is top drawer. You can call them and talk to someone anytime during the work week. I've talked to Debbie many times (mostly about purchases) and she's always been great and taken good care of me. Here's a link to their 1892 -
http://www.emf-company.com/1892-winchester-rifle-carbine.htmJim