rossi leverguns any good?

[craveman85]

im looking to get another levergun hopefully for bp loads. i was thinking maybe a rossi .45 colt or a .44-40 more likely the latter of the 2. are they any good? ive sold rossi single shots and they were pieces of junk but when i held a levergun it felt pretty good.

[Naphtali]

Perhaps a correlative question is equally important? Are parts and service available in a timely way for Rossi lever action rifles?

[craveman85]

i take it you had a bad experience? i just got back from picking up primers at the gun shop and they had the one i wanted to check out there. feels nowhere near as smooth as my marlins and it felt like the lever wanted to come back about an 1/8 inch but couldnt. weight balance seemed ok and i hated the safety. think ill lookinto something different. not much out there in my price range in .44-40 though. 38-55 would be nice as well.

[Bret4207]

I have an older Rossi Puma. It's not a Winchester 92, but then I wouldn't get a Winchester for $250.00 either, especially one in like new condition. I have no complaints.

[Dogg]

I have 8 of them and have had no problems. I have found them to be more accurate with lead bullets than my marlin. They definetly have some short comings. 1st if you can find one get a pre-safety model, 2nd strip the ugly brown stain of the stocks. Most need some work fitting the wood to metal parts if you are picky about that. They have usually a really nice mahogany stock that comes out real nice when refinished. 3rd replace the rear sight. 4th cycle the action a few hundred times and find where there is metal dragging then work on it. I just added some metal polish and continue working the action, this smooths things out a lot. There is a problem if you want to mount a scope but then these are really open sight guns.
Guess it is really what you want that you will go after, these definetly don't fit some peoples requirements but they work well for what they are.
Dogg

[Old Goat Keeper]

I have a later model Rossi/Puma in 454 casull. I like it a lot other than the price of casull ammo. Working the action a lot empty will smooth them up just as it does with a Marlin. Junior D., who is a member here, has been shooting the same Rossi in 357 for over 30 years with no working problems. Inexpensive...yes. Junk...no.

Tom

[missionary5155]

Greetings
I have 2 in 45 Colt. Both shoot nicely and have not had any problems. They maybe do not have nice walnut and as finely finished as my 2 Win. SRC (1893 & 1903) BUT they shoot as well and did not cost a months salary each.

[223fan]

I have a model 92 Rossi in 357 mag,I think it's a sweet little carbine,mine is an older one with no safety.They are right about the finish of the wood mine needs stripped and re-finished.

[Good Cheer]

I had a Rossi lever gun in 357. Hunted jack rabbits with it in Utah in '81 and south Texas in '91 too. The extractor kept falling out of it. But, with a scope and the old 358156 you could do most anything. Made a heart shot one night so far away the cross hairs were a foot and a half over his back. If the rifle hadn't had that embrassing habit of coming to pieces I certainly would not have let it get away.

[fecmech]

I have 2 of the newer Braztech Rossi's, a .357 carbine I've had for about a year now and a .357 24" Octagon for about 4 months. The carbine has had over 3 K through it with no trouble at all and the Octagon about 1K again with no problems. Fit and finish are as good as any of the recent production Marlin 94's and as accurate. Both are head and shoulders above my Winchester 94AE .357 mechanically. Since I bought that gun I've learned more than I ever wanted to know about Winchester 94's. I'm sure they were fine guns at one time and in the original calibers but they are problematic in .357 Angle Ejects! IMO the current Rossi's are one of the "Best Buys" in pistol caliber leverguns!

[Buckshot]

..............I have 2 Rossi Puma's. One is a 24" octagon bbl in 45 Colt. The other is the generic 20" round bbl in 357. I would not have bought them had I not felt they were 'Good for the price'. The only experience I'd had with them previous to my buying the one in 45 Colt was through a couple friends who'd had them for SASS.

I figured you were going to get a sturdy firearm that was a decent value for the money. Many years back a buddy bought a stainless one in 357 for his wife. The stock looked like it had been painted black, and the action was noticeably rough. He asked if I'd take a look at the action, so he brought it over. Taking it apart we actually found little bits of metal floating around and some pigs ears on sharp corners that hadn't broken loose yet :-)

I'm no pro gunsmith so all I did was a bit of work with some jeweler's files to knock off a few ragged bits on edges and corners. We flushed it out, oiled it and applied some Lubri-Plate where we thought it needed it then put it back together. It actually shot very well but he did end up giving it to one of the known SASS riflesmiths and had it 'gone over', and now it really walks the dog.

So when I got my 45 Colt rifle I took it apart and found it much cleaner inside, but this was several years later. It still didn't have the looks internally of a REAL Winchester M92 but after some light internal work and working the action it's become pretty smooth. The actions of all I've seen have been nicely polished externally without any dishing, or wavyness on contours or where 2 planes meet.

http://www.fototime.com/6095DE66E2CE882/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/1CED88EB03D042A/standard.jpg

You can seein the left photo that the screwhole edges aren't dished when it was polished, and the lever lies correctly against the grip. Right photo shows what I mean by the machine, or ground finish on the octagon bbl. Maybe they just didn't want to chance someone wreaking the nice sharp corners :-)

The octagon barrel of the 45 Colt isn't polished, but is left with what appears to be a ground finish. I think it's called a 'machine finish'. The round barrel on the 357 IS polished. The only real issues I've seen with them is in the small detail things. Like how well the barrel bands fit, the outside edges of the buttplates, how the levers may lay against the bottom tang (the 357's lever lacks about 1/4" of being just right, with the 45 Colt being perfect. Another on both rifles was how sharp the edges were on the loading ports.

Anyway, no real major issues but detail things that seem to vary from rifle to rifle. Both of mine have very nice wood to metal fitting, which is a nice thing. Just short of a couple years ago I was able to buy a like new, but used "Rising Sun" Winchester M92 in 45 Colt with a 24" round barrel for $350.

http://www.fototime.com/745969169444B08/standard.jpg

This is the Miroku M92. I don't really know what they cost brand new. Side by side with the Rossi you can tell that overall the Miroku was the more expensive of the 2. But having said that I know it cost a lot more then the $620 (tax, paperwork and all) I paid for the Rossi. I'm happy with both Rossi's and the Miroku was a chance purchase. BTW, the Rossi in 357 mag was exceedingly easy to get shooting very well compared to BOTH 45 Colt chambered rifles.

What it boils down to with the Rossi's from what I've seen is that if you went someplace and they had 5 of'em, all 5 would have minor varying differences from each other in some ways. But there is no doubt they're stout. Just look at some of the cartridges they're chambered for!

...............Buckshot

[dunkel]

I haven't shot it as much as I'd like (one reason I'm finally getting into reloading), but my Rossi 92 is outstanding so far.

[Linstrum]

In about 1986 I bought a pre-safety and pre-large finger loop lever Rossi model 92 in .357 Magnum. I like it a lot.

I haven't had any problems with the smoothness of action or anything falling off. My major complaint was the front sight was rotated enough to notice so I re-drilled the alignment pin hole in the barrel tip that locates the front sight and ammo tube fixture to cure that. The trigger pull was atrociously heavy so I took the trigger assembly apart and lightened the pull to about four pounds.

My rifle is very accurate with Lyman's classic 358156 in .357 Magnum but spews key-hole shots all over the place with my .38 Special loads that use 3.2 grains Bullseye and the Lyman 358311. Apparently the one turn in 20 inch rifling can't stabilize the 358311 at very low velocity.


rl846

[helice]

I managed to pick up a stainless Rossi (LSI) in 45 Colt some years back. At first I wasn't very happy. I was comparing it to a 1905 era Model 92 Winchester and it was no contest for smoothness. Later I picked up a Japaneze Browning B-92 and again the Rossi came in second in the smoothness contest.
However I've been shooting the Rossi a bit lately and I like it a lot. It came to me fairly cheap compared to other rifles I've purchased. It has never refused to eject, failed to feed or go BANG when I squeeze off. It's accurate enough for what I need and at ranges that I can see. I replaced the foolish safety with a "peep" sight from Kiowa Nate Jones. (I agree with the poster above that the rear (middle) sight was a joke.) I put a leather sleeve on the lever which I purchased from Whyte Gun Leather - a fellow poster here. I like Mark's work. He makes beautiful holster rigs for Cowboy Action. This leather lever sleeve softens the action movement.
All in all I'm quite attached to the Rossi. If I had a chance to get another - I'd jump on it. My opinion - You can't go wrong. Buy It. If you don't like it tell us and one of us will make you an offer you can't refuse. I'd bet pretty heavy on that last thought. :bigsmyl2: Karl

[NWFLYJ]

I have a stainless and brass Rossi 92 in 45LC. I really like it. I know it is a knock off but I am proud of what I can afford. I slicked it up myslef after buying a DVD on how to do it from http://www.stevesgunz.com/dvd.htm Easy to do. Steve is a great guy also. Mark

[runfiverun]

the rifle models seem much smoother right from the box than the carbines do.
taking them apart and cleaning up the edges is pretty simple with the videos available.
the more you shoot them the better they seem to do.
and they are cast friendly.
i have a couple of 94's one in 44 and one in 45.
the 44 will probably go shortly, as i have a browning 92 in layaway. and the 45 may or may not go as i have 2 rifles and one carbine rossi already.
but the 94 is unfired so might just stay where it's at.
it also seems that the builder or importer makes little difference my navy arms rifle was awesome right off and my 44 stainless lsi is excellent but my 45 rifle from lsi is not as good.
the rifles are a notch above the 45,357 and 44-40 carbines. but are much heavier to carry when hunting.
only complaints are the sights. with the older ones being a notch better, and aftermarket replacments about non-existent.
and caliber selection. 357,44-40, 44 mag, 45 colt, 454 casull, and 480 ruger are all iv'e seen.
and i was leery of the latter two but can't find one nowdays, nor the short rifles they did offer for a while.

[Four Fingers of Death]

The rifle I am shooting in my avitar is a 38/357 that I bought used for peanuts. I thought it would be a good back up gun for cowboy action and to lend to new shooters and people having trouble with their guns. Turns out I was the one having most of the trouble and I used it pretty solidly for several years. It has fired thousands of rounds of reloads and I have put a thousand of those cheap federal red box American Eagle factory loads (38Special) through it. It has never once hiccupped! Throws the brass well forward which is a bit of a pain, but generally can't fault it, one of the best rifles I have ever owned. If you are feeding a lot of ammo through it, it is good practice to give the screws a tweak up every now and then (ask me how I know this :( ). I fired thousands of lead rounds, cleaned it once or twice and just oiled it before use.

I have a 44Mag as well.

I can;t recommend these guns highly enough. Sweet little rifle.

If you get one, do a search for Steve's Gunz, he sells a spring, stainless steel follower and a DVD showing you how to tune the rifle

[rintinglen]

Dude, unless the pice is to the moon, buy the Rossi. I have had mine for years and it is a sweet shooter. No, it ain't a pre-war 92 (pre-World War One, that is), and you may have to tweek the action a smidge, but the new ones are really beautiful guns. Mine has an old Redfield Receiver Sight on it, and it shoots as well at 50 yards as any of the other 7 leverguns I own. The only caveat I have is that at least around here in southern California, they have gotten a little bit costly, I got mine on sale for 199.00 just before Taurus bought them out and I do not regret it at all. Except maybe I should have bought 2.

[Artful]

I have an old 357 Rossi and love it.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Welllllllllllllllllllllll, Did ya get it yet????????????????? :D

[icehouse]

When I started Cowboy Action Shooting in '94, I had a new Winchester in .45 Colt. I broke it in 4 shoots. The dealer sent it back and gave me a new "New" '94. It broke before the first one got back from the factory.
I paid cash for a new ( pre-safety) Rossi in .45 Colt for my next shoot. I still have it. No problems. It gets smoother with age and use. I load 250 gr. LRNFP for it over 7 grains of Unque, and it hasn't failed to perform....with original sights.

[ironhead7544]

Ive had 2 Rossi 357 Mags, 16 inch and 20 inch. Both older models. Worked fine with the right bullet. Like any lever gun they can be fussy about what they will feed. Well worth the money. I think stevesgunz.com sells tuned rifles. Just get one from him. Im probably going to order a 20 inch SS in 44 Mag from him.

[Four Fingers of Death]

When I started Cowboy Action Shooting in '94, I had a new Winchester in .45 Colt. I broke it in 4 shoots. The dealer sent it back and gave me a new "New" '94. It broke before the first one got back from the factory.
I paid cash for a new ( pre-safety) Rossi in .45 Colt for my next shoot. I still have it. No problems. It gets smoother with age and use. I load 250 gr. LRNFP for it over 7 grains of Unque, and it hasn't failed to perform....with original sights.

You had a bad run with the 94s, I've had a lot over the years and still have 3-4, never had a prob and don't know anyone else that ever had a prob either. I have only ever set eyes on one 45Colt 94 and used it when my Rossi fell apart at a shoot (my fault, neglected to tighten the screws, lasted a couple of years and finally backed out). It worked fine, didn't seem that much clunkier than my 92, but then again, I ain't that fast! I feel like I'm going fast, but when I look at the videos, yawn!

Rossi and a Steve Gunz video, can't go wrong!

[Gunaria]

This is a pretty informative thread, please keep the reviews coming. I'm also thinking about getting one in 44mag.

[Triggerhappy]

I'd love to find one in .454. I've got a .357 and love it.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I'd love to find one in .454. I've got a .357 and love it.

They sure would be teeth rattlers! Big result in a small package. I think I'd prefer a 45/70 for similar results at lower pressure, but they sure would be interesting.

My trapdoor with full house BP loads will do me, my shoulder is slowwwwwwwwwww to recover from a rotator cuff injury. I just ordered an 1886 Chippiwa I can't just stop shooting rfiles for a year or so.

[Ekalb2000]

This is a pretty informative thread, please keep the reviews coming. I'm also thinking about getting one in 44mag.

Get one!
I got mine in the SS flavor. Zero leading with the big ol' Lee 310. Use 296 and 2400.
Just a warning, it kicks like a mule.
I done the action job myself, If I can do it anyone can. Just take your time.
Got a 357 24" SS as well. Its like shooting a 22, with more umph.


andy

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have a 44Mag SS Rossi as well as the 38/357 in my avatar. When I first got it I took it and another rifle to the range and placed both on ethe bench. I was having troubles with the scope on the Weatherby and one of the guys kept coming up and admiring the Rossi. He showed me his long Octangular Bbl 357 of which he was very proud. It was a nice rifle. He asked me for a shot of mine and I said ok and handed him the rifle and a box of 20 factory JHPs that were given to me with the rifle. I didn't realise the 357 was the only rifle he had ever fired and only popgun 38 cowboy loads at that. He was horrified when he set one off. I had trouble keeping a straight face when he returned it after the first shot,lol

I ended up having a shot of his and the heavy Bbl barely moved with the lightly loaded 126Gn 38s he was shooting. The 44 sure woke him up.

[DJ303]

I have a Rossi in 45 Colt. It was OK new, but I bought the DVD from Steve's Gunz.
I followed his instructions in the DVD, and replaced the ejector spring. Made a huge difference. Now it's the one rifle that goes to the range everytime I do! I'm still working on loads for it, so far the best is the LEE 200gr RNFP & 9.1gr Unique.

[rbuck351]

I bought one in 454 blue that was slightly used and it has performed flawlessly so far. I have 2 Win 92s, a 25/20 and a 32/20, both built around 1920. The rossi is almost as smooth as the Winchesters. It does kick a bit with 317grs of lead at about 1980fps. I also removed the phony safety and built a replacement peep sight that fits where the safety was. I have only good things to say about mine now that it has a decent rear sight. Wish they built one in 256Win.

[dunkel]

Does Rossi make a 45/70? Or am I stuck looking at the "premium" brands for something like that?

[MT Gianni]

Does Rossi make a 45/70? Or am I stuck looking at the "premium" brands for something like that?

They make a mod 92 only, AFAIK, which is pistol cartridges only.

[DukeInFlorida]

Well, here's my two cents worth.........

I just helped an old timer near me get his Rossi revolver repaired. What a freaking run around.

Turns out that the Rossi's in this country were imported by various importers. And, one by one, when those importers went out of business, so did the "lifetime" warranty on the guns. So, the Interarms version of the Rossi revolver I helped with was repaired by the guy with the most Rossi experience, M&M Machine. However, Rossi's site, fathered by Taurus, is a lying piece of ****! Even when I called them on the phone, they were misleading.

We sent the gun to them for evaluation, and they sent it back the next day, no note, no explanation, no nuthin. $63 in shipping charges wasted.

So, at this point, I am VERY turned off by anything Rossi, current or old. And, since they are owned by Taurus, I'm protesting that outfit and their guns as well.

Just my two cents worth.

The Rossi family might be OK, but their guns are handled by IDJUTS!

[Old Goat Keeper]

TH I have a Rossi in 454! It can go from very mild with 45 colts to very deadly with full house 454 loads. With Buffalo bore 360 hard casts it kicks worse than my 45-70. But it also weights in at about 6 pounds so easier carrying. Works just fine for me.

Tom



I'd love to find one in .454. I've got a .357 and love it.

[dunkel]

I have a Rossi 92 in .357 (which is half the reason found this site). Was just wondering about bigger stuff. The 454 sound intriguing...will have to do some research on that.

[WyrTwister]

Does Rossi make a 45/70? Or am I stuck looking at the "premium" brands for something like that?



Do not think so . Marlin does ( I have 2 ) .

I have a Rossi in .45 LC & .357 Mag . I really like both of them .

God bless
Wyr

[WyrTwister]

I have a Rossi 92 in .357 (which is half the reason found this site). Was just wondering about bigger stuff. The 454 sound intriguing...will have to do some research on that.


My view is the M92 is too light for the .454 . Have never tried it and do not intend to .

God bless
Wyr

[Jacko.357]

I have a Rossi 24" .357 and a Marlin .44 . The Marlin is the more refined and better finished rifle but no way is it a better rifle when it comes to reliable function and punchin holes through game or paper. They both shoot real well but when I hunt I prefer the Rossi, it balances just right, points and swings well and the little .357 it's very mild report does not upset game down the track. Don't get me wrong, I love my Marlin, especially the light weight and the .44 hits like a hammer but it does not handle as well as the Rossi.

The trigger on both rifles from the factory was surprisingly good but I do give the edge to my Marlin. I only notice the difference if I'm leaning over a bench at the range.

Both rifles are ultra reliable which is just as well as in my neck of the woods after sales service is NON EXISTENT for both brands.

Neither rifle will reliably feed wadcutter projectiles

My Rossi was gritty when new but as the other fella's have suggested I just worked the action a few hundred times and give it a clean. Within 4 or 500 rounds it had slicked up as much as it ever was going too. I also use Petroleum jelly to lube the rifle, AMAZING. I've had it for 3 years and it has smoothed out and cycles smoother than my Marlin. I've never meet a Stainless steel Rossi that function as smoothly as the blued models - I would not buy a stainless anything though.

Other than ease of scope mounting the Marlin has no advantage over the Marlin in my view. Drawbacks with the Rossi - mongrel dovetail size for the factory sights. I could not use the factory buck horn sights as where the factory mounted them does not suit my eyes focal range. I don't like chunky front beads as Rossi fitted. An exchange of emails with Skinner sights and I had a narrow front sight blade with the correct size dovetail.

I replaced the rear sight with a folding Marbles that I had to shim and never use as I fitted a Lyman Tang sight, drops straight on as it's already drilled and tapped and it's no trouble to ring 12" gongs at 200 yards

Soon as I have a few $$ to spare I will buy myself a Rossi .357 mag 16" carbine as I'm so impressed with my 24" octagonal barrel rifle

regards Jacko

[rbstern]

One more Rossi 92 fan here. An Interarms era 20" 357 I found in a pawn shop back in '04, in like new condition.

I've put a fair amount of rounds downrange through that gun. Everything from 2100fps 357 mag screamers, to lightweight 38 specials poking along at 900fps. The rifle got better and better as I shot it. I did a little manual polishing, and also lightened the loading gate a bit. The rear site was swapped out for a Marbles semi-buckhorn.

I don't take it out as much as I used to, but it's an absolute favorite of mine. I love the ammo flexibility. The handling is superb. It's stoutly built. It's a very natural handling rifle. The only thing I don't care for is when it needs a breakdown cleaning. In that department, Marlin wins easily.

[Four Fingers of Death]

The 454 would be a rear bear to shoot with full house loads, but..................., having siad that, if I was going to buy one in 45Colt, I would go with the 454 because it would give me more flexibility and just shoot 45Colts most of the time, saving the big uns for the big uns!

If I wanted 454 power all of the time, I would go for a 45/70, same power, half the pressure, 10 times the amount of brass and ammo available (and probably cheaper to boot).

What you are experiencing with Rossi importers is pretty much what we experience with all importers in Australia. I find it is just easier and quicker to get a local guy to fix anything that goes wrong rather then screwing around returning things for warranty repair. Steves Gunz would be the place to get the Rossi fixed if a local guy couldn;t do it.

[Marlin Junky]

I don't see evidence of a safety from the M92 photos on Rossi's website. Where's the safety?

It also doesn't look like they're d&t for a receiver sight. What if one wants to use a ghost ring sight on a Rossi?

MJ

[fecmech]

They all have the saftey at the top rear of the bolt, it blocks the firing pin. The carbines are not D&T'd for anything, the 24" rifles are for a tang sight and come with an extra long tang screw for that purpose. If you want to go the Ghost ring route you can get a peep set up from Steves Guns that replaces the saftey

[Poohgyrr]

+1 on Rossi's M92's and Steve's Gunz.

[WyrTwister]

The 454 would be a rear bear to shoot with full house loads, but..................., having siad that, if I was going to buy one in 45Colt, I would go with the 454 because it would give me more flexibility and just shoot 45Colts most of the time, saving the big uns for the big uns!

If I wanted 454 power all of the time, I would go for a 45/70, same power, half the pressure, 10 times the amount of brass and ammo available (and probably cheaper to boot).

What you are experiencing with Rossi importers is pretty much what we experience with all importers in Australia. I find it is just easier and quicker to get a local guy to fix anything that goes wrong rather then screwing around returning things for warranty repair. Steves Gunz would be the place to get the Rossi fixed if a local guy couldn;t do it.


I could have bought a user ( or display model ? ) .454 , a year or two ago , at Gander mountain . Since I already owned a .45 LC Rossie ( and a NIB .45 LC Marlin ) and 2 Marlins in .45-70 , I talked myself out of it . Just could not justify the purchase .

So , my thoughts were much the same as your thoughts .

Besides , The .45-70's are heavier , which helps tame the recoil .

And I also have a Marlin .44 Mag , if I need more power than the .45 LC .

I recently bought a Rossi in .357 Mag . I really like that gun , too . :-) And pretty economical to shoot , with my reloads of home cast bullets . :-)

God bless
Wyr

[Four Fingers of Death]

Those 357 Rossis are a great little gun, Wyr. That is one in my avatar. Apart from some old junker milsup rifles, it is the cheapest rifle I have ever bought and pretty much the best. It never misses a beat and is as cheap as chips to feed. It is about to become my wife's cowboy action rifle. She is just starting out with SASS shooting.

[wellfedirishman]

I recently purchased a Rossi 92 Stainless in 44 Mag, 24" octagon barrel. It cost about $450 from Buds.

I was impressed by the machining, the wood to metal fit, and the overall heft of the rifle. I shot about 100 rounds of various mixed 44 Mag (cast and jacketed, hot and mild loads) and it functioned great, no jams or problems. The lever was a bit stiff, and it ejected brass about 15 yards behind me. The stock sights left a lot to be desired too, I found them small and hard to acquire a sight picture quickly.

I ordered the following from Brownells to improve it:
100-000-512 ROSSI 92 GUNSLINGER SPRING KIT
579-000-163 BULLS EYE SHORT SIGHT
579-103-731 103731 MARBLE 37W 1/16 GOLD

Total cost for these was about $40, and it took about 1.5 hours to install. I just changed out the springs and lubed up the internals. I did not do any polishing of metal.

The end result is excellent. The lever is slick and fast, it feeds and ejects perfectly, and the trigger is light and smooth. The brass ejects about 2 feet and lands beside me. The sights give a very good quick sight picture, with a bright gold bead in front and a circular ghost-ring type sight in the back.

The first time I shot this at a CAS meet, I hit almost every rifle target. I was very pleased with the rifle's action and accuracy.

I will post pics in a couple of days. Here it is at Buds in stock form:
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/manufacturers_id/318/products_id/56486

[Linstrum]

Quote:
I recently purchased a Rossi 92 Stainless in 44 Mag, 24" octagon barrel. - - - and it ejected brass about 15 yards behind me

I don't know if all model 92 Rossi lever guns in .357 Magnum do this, but mine ejects the empties in a rather interesting fashion by throwing them slightly forward and about ten feet high so they land in front of me. If levered hard they can go twenty feet high and land ten feet in front of me, and by tipping the muzzle up slightly and then working the lever a bit easy the empties go straight up about five feet and if I don't bother to cycle the action I have time to catch them in my right hand. When I'm going to catch an empty I wait a few seconds before ejecting because the empties can be a bit on the warm side when using full house loads with 158 grain projectiles.

rl878

[Four Fingers of Death]

My 357 Rossi throws the cases forward (I don't know how high) which is a bit of a PITA in cowboy shooting and I lose a lot of cases. I use 38s in it, which is cheap, but most of my shooting is 44/40. If I had a 44/40 that did this I would have to sell it because the brass is wayyyyyyyyyyyyy expensive!

[mattbowen]

NWFLYJ;

I went to Steve's website the other day and asked him about how he sells his rifles for and he e-mailed me back and said to get one from EMF, because they refine the rifle a little when they get them. Steve stated that the wood is a better fit also. Steve also can remove the safety and replace it with a cap to fill the hole and make it look like it wasn't there. If anyone wants I can forward the e-mail to you, it has photos of his work and pricing.

Matt

[Ekalb2000]

That little safety can be removed in a about 5 min, while you have it apart slicking it up. After grinder, on both top arms and the bottom pin block ( so the firing pin moves if the safety plug rotates).
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=237&pictureid=2276
Of course, use finer grits till you get the polished look you need. If you got a blued gun, I guess you could cold blue it.

Also while your in there take about one loop off the ejection spring. And then flatten where you cut off so it rides smooth. Brass will then start dropping a lot closer to your feet.
If I can do it, any one can.

andy

[AnthonyB]

I had been looking for a 357 M92 for about six months with no luck. Last gunshow I found a 24 inch Rossi octagon barrel rifle for $439 but passed. Saturday at the Richmond show I finally found a carbine in a private sale. Guy said it was unfired and it looked it, with one ding on the forearm. Got it for $375 and thought I had done well until I was walking out the door. The policeman who was inspecting and tying guns coming into the show had a carbine on his desk, so I stopped to look. It was a SRC in 357 that had already had an action job, and had much nicer looking wood than the black one I had just bought. He wanted $350 for his, and I would have bought it had I seen if first. Hadn't seen one in six months, and then immediately found one better and cheaper literally ten minutes after buying the first one.
Took it to the range yesterday and shot it at rocks on the berm at the 25 yard pistol line. I can see this will become a favorite. Got the spring kit on order, and will replace the safety with the peep sight. What is the best way to remove the black finish on the wood?
Tony

[Four Fingers of Death]

Hadn't seen one in six months, and then immediately found one better and cheaper literally ten minutes after buying the first one.
Tony

That is one of the indisputable laws of nature, like I always say, 'how do you find cheap petrol (gasoline)? Fill up on expensive stuff, you will then see some impressive discounts' :( Always the way!

[pietro]

I replaced the bolt-top lawyer safety on my Rossi Model 92's with a handmade/homemade plug, which I then D/T'd for a peep sight stem.

It makes a very compact sighting arrangement, and allows zeroing with the issue height front sight blade - I was able to zero my rifles in about 5 shots.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-8/1056072/DSCN0053.JPG

.

[Linstrum]

Hi, pietro, your idea looks like a winner if the bolt locks up tightly and consistently from one shot to the next.

I'm 1000 miles away from home at the moment and don't have access to my model 92 Rossi to check out how tightly the bolt locks up, but I seem to recall that it does lock up pretty tight just as long as a bit of upward pressure is applied to the lever from holding the rifle normally. As such it would be consistent from one shot to next.

What size thread did you tap the hole for?

rl885

[AnthonyB]

pietro; that looks very much like the same idea Steve (of Steve'sGunz) had for the peep sight he sells. I have a spring kit on order and will get the sight ASAP. The new Rossi is gonna be a favorite!
Tony

[pietro]

When Steve first started discussing his idea, and showing his prototype around, I thought he had an excellent idea, too.

I would have ordered one from him, but at the time, he was almost a year from offering them publically F/S - so I cobbled together one of my own ( I was impatient).

I handmade the plugs from Remington 1100/870 crossbolt safety buttons I had in my scrounge box , then special-ordered Skinner LoPro peeps with a 6-48 stem (no extra charge) - which is what I D/T'd my plugs for.
I thinned the Skinner locking rings, incase I had to get the aperture lower.

Windage was adjusted via the front sight - less than 1/32" of movement, because the safety hole is centered on the firing pin/bore.

FWIW, Steve's peep is designed differently - to be turned as a safety. In the "safe" position, Steve's peep is unusable because the aperture is crosswise to the line of sight.

.

[Four Fingers of Death]

They are a sweet little rifle, very durable, you can tune them yourself with the help of Steve's DVD and they are also as cheap as chips, whats not to like?

[saz]

I have a later LSI Puma 454 in stainless with the 16.5" barrel, and with full house loads I can say the recoil is a bit "brisk". But how often am I going to shoot loads like that without my PAST recoil pad on? Not very much. On the flipside of that coin, I dont own an easier carrying rifle. This little carbine is the cat's "meow" in the field with the balance point right in the middle of the reciever when there are 8 rounds in the mag. That is my camp gun most of the time, and whenever I am playing back-up to one of my friends hunting bear, there is no question as to what rifle is coming with me. It is a very solid little shooter for the money and carries in the field like a dream, even without a sling.

As for the 454 vs 45/70 issue, I look at it this way. I can deal with the reciol at the range as I can pad for it there because out hunting I will only fire a handful of rounds anyways. But, I dont always hunt with the firebreathing loads. I have a sweet little load for it that consists of the Lee 255 ahead of a full case of Trail Boss that runs right at 1100fps that will dipatch deer with ease and almost no recoil. The darling wife loves this load. On the other end, I also have a load that will spit out a 330gr boolit up to 1850fps which will go stem to stern thru even the biggest bear up here.. The point is that you can load it however you want. I have fired a LOT of hot loads through it and there are no signs of things loosening up. IMHO it is a very solid little carbine and would not hesitate to pick up a 24" octagon barrel'd 357.............

[pricedo]

I'd love to find one in .454. I've got a .357 and love it.

Just bought a "blue" pre-safety Rossi 92 in .454 Casull with a round 20" barrel..........last one the dealer had in stock.

Nice looking rifle. Has the old fashion buck horn sights....not that disgusting plastic HiVizz abomination.

Anxious to range test it.

The action is a little stiff but no stiffer than a new 1895, 336C, 94 was out of the box. The front sight looks a little off center but I have a Williams sight mover that will adjust the front sight without any destructive, finish marring pounding at the range as part of the sight in process.

Stripped it apart and looked for grit, loose metal fragments, cuttings, shavings, etc. & other loose material left over from manufacturing & didn't find any.

Applied a drop or 2 of light machine oil while putting it back together.

Polishing? Why would I put grinding compound into a mechanical action to accelerate wear? It will become smoother with use like lever actions have for generations.

The trigger is OK....not a Timney by any means......but OK....it's not a $50,000 Westley Richards for frak sake !!.......it's a < $500 knock around, bang around, pick-up truck, canoe & saddle gun......gimme a break!

The stock & butt wood has a rather nice looking, dark veneer, walnut-like finish.

Looks & feels like a good, solid little gun but will reserve judgment til after a few range outings.

[pricedo]

I replaced the bolt-top lawyer safety on my Rossi Model 92's with a handmade/homemade plug, which I then D/T'd for a peep sight stem.

It makes a very compact sighting arrangement, and allows zeroing with the issue height front sight blade - I was able to zero my rifles in about 5 shots.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-8/1056072/DSCN0053.JPG

.

I found a pre-safety Rossi 92 with legacy iron sights in .454C that the shop had in a dark corner in the back for a while & grabbed it faster than a starving pit-bull terrier would grab a raw sirloin out of your hand.:bigsmyl2:

I like that Williams style aperture sight for speed & accuracy.

I have a Williams adjustable sighting system on my .416 Rem. Mag. Alaska bear back-up gun.........works great.........on target in heavy brush and animal on the ground in a fraction of a second.

And I get to go home in one piece with the only toothmarks on my carcass being self inflicted ones on my fingernails.

[saz]

Good find, Enjoy!!!

[robertbank]

Well I just bought my Rossie .357mag NIB from a fellow who never shot it. Price was $550Cdn ($554US), which was less than they are going for new from retailers these days if you can find one.

Steves video is on order along with his spring kit.

Gun should be just the ticket for plinking, deer, coyotes and paper punching. I run a Ruger GP100 so it will be nice to load for both.

I am going to look at getting a 20" in .45LC next for my bush gun. The larger caliber will do better against some of our larger four legged friends.

Take Care

Bob

[KCSO]

In 1974 I bought Rossi 357 levergun to go with my 357 Revolver that I carried on duty. I used that gun for over 30 years with no problems. Use slicked it up to where it's as sweet to lever as a Kiowa job. It still shoots under 2" at 100 yards and shoots most 38 and 357 loads. My 44 Rossi bought in 1990 still works fine and has been problem free after i slicked the action. For the price the Rossi's are real hard to beat.

[pricedo]

Well I just bought my Rossie .357mag NIB from a fellow who never shot it. Price was $550Cdn ($554US), which was less than they are going for new from retailers these days if you can find one.

Steves video is on order along with his spring kit.

Gun should be just the ticket for plinking, deer, coyotes and paper punching. I run a Ruger GP100 so it will be nice to load for both.

I am going to look at getting a 20" in .45LC next for my bush gun. The larger caliber will do better against some of our larger four legged friends.

Take Care

Bob

I have a Rossi 92 in .454 Casull /.45 LC..........so far so good.

Pushed a few full power .454 rounds through & nothing has fallen off or apart yet (other than a displaced ball joint in my right shoulder:groner:).........should have called the .454 model the MULE (as in kicks like a...) not the PUMA. ;)

I'm watching the stock forend & front barrel band retainer pin closely after each shot & will reinforce/strengthen the wooden forend by applying epoxy & acetone if necessary.

If the retainer pin strips & fails I'll need to replace it with a larger diameter & stouter pin.

Steve's (Steve's Gunz) kit is on order.