I have an opportunity to trade my lightly used SAR 1 (It does have a canted front sight) for a like new (10 rounds fired) Puma 92 .44 mag.  It's the stainless model with a 24" octagon barrel and dark walnut stocks.  

From what I've read, it seems like the Puma 92s need some break in but get decent reviews.  

Are they as durable as the higher quality winchester/mirokus?  Sound like a fair trade?

Per Steve of Steve's Guns, 'the Rossi Specialist', the Pumas with the near black stocks were made on the old CNC machines prior to 2000 and had spotty quality.  Once the new machines were setup, the quality of the rifles increased. Based on that, I'd stay away from the older Pumas as you don't know if you have a silk purse or a sow's ear.

Interesting to know about the darker stocked Pumas having rougher machining.  I thought the guy said that it was a newer rifle / made within the last few years but I'll confirm.  When did they switch other to the new cnc machines?

In 2000.

The guy said that it's marked:

A.ROSSI S.A -MADE IN BRAZIL

PUMA M92 IMPORTED BY LSI ALEXANDDRI VIRGINA

SERIAL NUMBER IS SM060XXX MADE IN BRAZIL

Anybody have an approximate manufacture date based on that info?

Keep in mind that the Puma name is owned by LSI. The gun you're looking at was made by Rossi in Brazil when LSI was an importer for them.  

For the last few years LSI has been importing a higher grade (and more expensive) model 92 made by Chiappa in Italy. It is also called the "Puma".

The Rossi 92 has been sold by a number of importers, Interarms, Navy Arms, EMF, LSI, and now Braztech.

The Rossi 92 can usually benefit from an action job. One of mine was terrible out of the box, but Steve Young's action job made it a favorite. The stocks are made of a South American hardwood with a poor finish. But it's easy to refinish the wood.

I also have Marlin and Browning leverguns. The Rossi 357 I have shoots as well as any of them. The Rossi 44 will easily outshoot both the Marlin And Browning 44s.