rossi ???

[bigted]

new///old question. im looking at rossi for a 1892 model in 357 or 45 colt caliber. what im asking here is experience with these and quality of the different models of rossi.

do they hold up and are they accurate? smooth? work to have to do to em for function or accuracy? octagon versus round? weight?

thanks for all the frank answers and i look forward to reading them all.

Ted

[Jeff H]

new///old question. im looking at rossi for a 1892 model in 357 or 45 colt caliber. what im asking here is experience with these and quality of the different models of rossi.

do they hold up and are they accurate? smooth? work to have to do to em for function or accuracy? octagon versus round? weight?

thanks for all the frank answers and i look forward to reading them all.

Ted

"Quality?" Well, it's a good and proven design, made on modern machinery(?) with modern steels. I'd give mine a thumbs up.

"Hold up?" Can't say. I have many rounds through mine but all cast and mostly milder loads. Can't see it wearing out.

"Accurate?" That's relative, but I would say mine is pretty accurate, putting five 125 grain LEE RFNs into a bit over an inch at 50 yards. 158s shoot similarly but had poor results with heavier stuff. Might help if I pushed harder.

"Smooth?" Yeah, now it is but out of the box it was horrible. I did a lot of finishing/correcting on the internals. Mine may be ananomoly. I recently let a fella use it who has a Japanese Browning and he went on and on about how smooth my Rossi was. Like I told him - it didn't come that way.

Overall, I am pleased with it. I have a 16" round barrel .357 carbine and it's a ball to shoot. It is for "yardwork" and earns its keep as well as entertains me. It's light, handy and accurate, cheap to cast/load for.... Hard not to like something so easy to get along with.

EDIT: Actually, some good infor here too: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=167925

[bigted]

thankyou for that! can you detail your work on the internals? also is yours the newer model with the saftey on the top of the bolt?

[badge176]

Back before I knew about you tube and forums... I cycled the action a couple hundred ties and then took it apart. I used emery and crocus cloth to smooth out the high spots where the factory finish had been rubbing. Light lube and reassemble for MUCH smoother cycle...

Now I know to read up on what to polish but have ever had any trouble with the ones I did instinctively...

[Jeff H]

thankyou for that! can you detail your work on the internals? also is yours the newer model with the saftey on the top of the bolt?

It's the safety model. The safety didn't work when I got it (new) because the pin that holds it in was too long and someone continued hammering on it until both ends were flush with the sides of the bolt. They did the same thing with the firing pin retaining pin.

I have not documented the minute details - because there were so many minute details, but I smoothed and/or polished anything that touched anything else. I replaced the ejector spring, shortened the magazine spring (mag holds NINE on the 16" carbine, by the way), put a buffer under the hammer spring and had to tune/tweak the cartridge stop, lifter ("carrier?"), loading gate - everything.

The only thing I didn't touch was the bolt lugs but I had to knock off a few burrs of in the races.

I also removed the off-center bead from the front sight and soldered in a square insert for a sharper-looking front sight. I like the post better than the bead anyway. I mounted the Williams FP (new old stock for a Remington 740 until altered to fit the Rossi) slightly forward in case someone in the future wants to use the stupid safety.

What Badge76 says is probably more par for the course though. I honestly believe mine was "special." I forgot - I even had to work on the extractor to make it work.

This may help:
http://www.carolinacowboys.us/DepGene/TheRossi92.htm

http://marauder.homestead.com/irons.html

http://www.hobbygunsmith.com/Archive...ureProject.htm

http://www.carolinacowboys.us/DepGene/TheRossi92.htm

http://www.ktgunsmith.com/92dis.htm

http://www.gunreports.com/special_re...ing2403-1.html

[Clinebo]

I have a '92 in 45 Colt. I bought Steves DVD and followed his instructions. Its VERY smooth now. I got rid of the bolt safety, Added a large loop lever. Switched the plastic mag follower out for a metal one and changed the sights. Its a 24" Oct barrel.
Shoots great with handloads using 2400 powder and 255 gr RNFP boolits.
http://www.stevesguns.com/

[joec]

I have a couple of Rossi lever rifles a 92 in 45 Colt and Rio Grande in 45-70. All I will say about the 45-70 it is the single best machined firearm I've ever owned right from the factory with as close to perfect fit and finish I've seen in decades of guns.

Now for the 92 mine was good in fit and finish but had a problem feeding after I cleaned and lubed it the first time. Called Rossi and they picked it up by 3 PM that afternoon and it was back in my hands in 7 business days repaired. I then put about 500 rounds through it with out a problem (factory loaded ammo not cowboy loads). At that point I order the Steve's Gunz tune up kit with DVD as well as the safety plug. Followed the DVD not doing some of the spring cutting he suggested for cowboy action shooters though that is what I got the gun for. Instead of that I ordered a set of Gunslinger springs from Brownells and installed them. Did his fluff and buff and it is now as smooth as silk even after several thousand rounds many including black powder as well as hunting loads including Buffalo +P loads. The Rossi 92 will handle more pressure also than the Marlin 94 models in my opinion as I think the action is just stronger, but that is my opinion nothing more. I give the gun a solid thumbs up but the first time you tear it down the bolt is hard to put back in but after a few times it will become second nature, especially if you use a dummy round in the process.

[cajun shooter]

Big Ted, The Rossi 92 has went through many stages of how good it was. The reason is that is has had many owners. Many of them insisted on Quality and others not so much. I have owned at least 5 of them and it is one of my favorites if you find the correct one.
Rossi has made guns under several names, Interarms, Navy, and the current Braztech. All of the rifles were made in the same plant in Brazil. The early models had American walnut and not the plain wood found today.
Steve Young who is a friend of mine is known as the 92 Guru. He runs about 6 months behind on his orders if you decide to have him do your gun. His time is taken up by the many SASS shooters who almost all of whom start with the 92. The design is very strong and will handle the big strong cartridges if that is what you want.
Steve does have a DVD out that is worth every penny he sells them for if you plan on taking one apart. I did one of my 92's and with out a very important reinstall tip it would not have been so easy.
If I was you I would look on Gun Broker and other places and find a Navy model or one of the pre-saftey guns. The ones that did not arrive here with that stupid safety on the carrier. They may also be found on the SASS forum for prices in the $400 range.
Gun broker would be my first choice as you may find one that was just a safe Queen. Some of the SASS guns may have had kitchen table gunsmith work performed if you catch my drift.
The current Braztech guns come with what is referred to as a Brazilian hardwood that is very plain to say the least.

[superior]

I have a ss round 20 that replaced my 1895g as my favorite. I cycled the action a afewhundred times when I first brought it home and the action is plenty smooth. I feed it warm loads under Lee 250 & 300 gr flat nose boolits with outstanding results. 45Colt is the cal.. Icoudn't be happier and I don't mind the safety right where it is.

[dunkel]

I have a Rossi 92 16" I bought new in 2010. In that time, I've out several hundred rounds through it, mild lead .38 reloads, factory .357 mag, and quite a few I'm between. Not had one issue with feeding, firing, ejecting, whatever. It's probably my most "fun" gun to shoot.

Now, is it as "smooth" as the Winchester 94 .30-30 I inherited from my grandfather? Well, no. But I'm guessing after untold thousands of rounds, by the time it gets to my grand kids, it'll be close.

[helice]

As you have seen above there are two takes on the safety. I have a SS 20" LSI Rossi in 45 Colt. I had no problem with the safety tho I find them a bit redundant. It proved out to be a great place to mount a wonderfully placed aperture sight made by the Guru Steve Kiowa Nate Jones. The link is posted above so I won't repeat. My Rossi is not as smooth as the Browning B-92s or my older Winchester 32-20 conversion but I find a great deal of confidence in a rifle that fires a 310 grain cast boolit over 1500'/s. Six grains of Red Dot make pussycat loads. Lil Gun and H-110 make -- well, PUMAs.

[ukrifleman]

Nothing wrong with Rossi `92's, I have a s/s 20" oct barrel in 45 Colt and a 24" blued oct barrel in .357.
The .45 Colt has had thousands of rounds through it in the last 10 years or so and the .357 quite a few over the last 5 years. Both are a pleasure to shoot, but if I had to make a choice, I would go for the 20" barrel, as I think the balance is better than the 24".
I am pleased to say that true to the original design, Rossis's in the UK don't require a safety.
ukrifleman.

[bigted]

thanks all. i have been over at gun broke and they all...[ones i want] ... are going for 5 to 6 hundred...so i went to sportsman warehouse and paid 425 for a 357 20 inch blue round barrel for my grandson...maybe he will get it LOL...its a neat rifle but i have not taken it apart yet...couldnt see paying 5 or 6 hundred for a rifle used when the rossi factory has 615 for the msrp on the 24 inch octcagon 45colt rifle i want. anyway more news at 11 concerning the "grandsons" rifle!

[Clinebo]

I think I paid $540 for my '92. 24" Oct bbl SS 45 Colt.

[bigted]

I think I paid $540 for my '92. 24" Oct bbl SS 45 Colt.

is that the new product offered from rossi? the one i got is very smooth with the only hick-up being that with every shell i load thru the gate i leave a small bit of skin on the razor sharp edge around the gate hole in the reciever...gotta rub this down before he gets it...besides that ill get to play with it a bit longer...i know i know...slippery slope huh?

[cajun shooter]

Steve has a lighter spring for the loading gate and if you need to load just one round, the 92 is very easy to load just one from the top and not use the magazine.

[4719dave]

holy cow my loading gate is sharp as hell as well ...... was thinking about redoing springs etc is it worth the time ....357 ss 20''

[Buckshot]

..............I have a casehardened/blued Rossi M92 rifle (24" bbl) in 45 Colt I bought several years ago.



Overall it was pretty much ready to go right out of the box. However, being as I am I had to take it apart. And this being my first M92 I figured I'd never get it put back together. Searched the web and found instructions so I was saved! I thought the color casehardening was rather garish and was afraid it was fake like the Rugers Vaqueros. But once it was apart you could also see the color case inside the action so I knew it was real. Since I had it apart is also did some stoning and smoothing in a few places.



I too replaced the plastic follower with one I made out of steel, and then heat blued it. Poor camera at the time didn't do closeups well.



I also made a plug to replace the funky safety on the bolt. Again a poor photo I should replace when I have the time.




I also added a Marbles tang sight. Overall I have no complaints about the rifle so far as fit and finish goes. The exterior action polishing was first rate, with no dished screwhead or pin holes. My one complaint I feel is legitimate is that the barrel is very tight, with shallow grooves at .446" x .450". Accuracy has been rather so-so to date.



However it WILL feed and chamber one of my favorite 45 Colt loads. The 340gr Lee boolit lube-sized .458" and then run up through a Lee .452" die. I wish it was more accurate, but I think that may be more because of the 32" twist it has. Both my old model Ruger Vaquero and a Miroku M92 in 45 Colt have 16" twists and they both shoot it smartly.

I also have a Rossi M92 carbine (20" rnd bbl) 38/357 and it was smooth as silk right out of the box, and has been very accurate from the git go. At one time several years ago I saw a Rossi M92 rifle that was in a shop on consignment. It was blued and had a half octagon half round barrel. It was a handsome rifle and belonged to a cowboy action shooter. The thing operated like it was filled with greased ball bearings. If I do ever break down to replace the barrel it will have a 16" twist and will be half octagon, half round.

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

[Jeff H]

holy cow my loading gate is sharp as hell as well ...... was thinking about redoing springs etc is it worth the time ....357 ss 20''

Oh, certainly! Now, not having "done" a 92 peviously, I have some serious hours tied up in mine because some operations required observation of cycling over and over, disassembly, small adjustments, reassembly and testing - several times until I had removed just enough, but not too much, metal. I could probably do another one in four hours but I work slowly on stuff like this.

I cut myself more on my Rossi than all other guns I have ever owned. The last part that bit me was the bottom edges of the back of the bolt.

My loading gate had to be declawed inside and out, as it was tearing up brass, bullets, fingers and the carrier. Don't forget to polish the angled front edge of the "wing" on the inside that projects 90 degrees from the back of the gate. You may want to ease the edges of the port as well. I reduced the length of the magazine spring by 4" and it loads easily yet feeds to the last of nine rounds reliably onto the carrier. The 16" is advertized as having an eight-round mag. capacity but mine takes nine, plus one in the chamber = ten total.

My ejector spring was selected from a box of coil spring stock. I had tried one other lighter spring but the cases barely made it to the top of the receiver wall and tumbled over it. Now, they clear easily and land at my feet with a few landing on my hat now and then.

While I am at it and remembering, I feathered the edges of and polished the carrier detent in the left guide and removed a short bit of the detent ball spring, cleaned the hole up and deburred it. Polished the top and sides of the carrier and don't forget the nub on the lever and bottom of the carrier where they interface to pop the carrier up at the end of the lever stroke. I knocked the burrs off the bottom of the bolt where it contacts the carrier to push it back down and had to clean up all the little parts for the cartridge stop - which could be a tad longer because the occasional slightly undersized rim will slip past and stop up the works. Don't take anything off the cartridge stop - just knock off the burrs.

The ejector and collar looked as if they were made in a cave with rocks in low light and was cleaned up as necessary - to include a light chamfer on both inside ends of the collar. Deburred the inside of the action, sides and holes of the lever, trigger and hammer, strut, bolt/hammer interface, all pivot holes/pins, lever catch/engagement surface and anything else obvious.

The inside of the mag tube got sanded from something like 220 grit down to scotch brite on a slitted dowel. Still using the original plastic follower. With the crud it came with in the magazine, I can see why the plastic doesn't hold up. I am curious how long mine will last with the smoothed up ID of the magazine.

Buckshot,
That's a pretty rifle. I would like to ditch the barrel band on my carbine and dovetail a hanger and add a forend cap like what yours has. It still wouldn't be as pretty but It sure would be nice to get rid of the barrel band.

[BCRider]

I bought a Rossi '92 chambered in .357 about 3 years ago to use for my CAS events. It was smooth but a trifle stiff out of the box but shot fine. I slicked it up using the information found on the web to better tune it to the rapid fire pace found in CAS events. It's responded well but has been a bit of a battle to get there. At present I still need to tune it a little more or admit defeat and go with a Uberti '73. But keep in mind we're talking about truly "rapid semi auto" like cycling and fire rates.

For general plinking it would be a whole other story and I'd have to say that my Rossi slicked up as it is is a truly SUPERB plinker or would make a great short range hunting lever rifle with hot .357Mag loads suitable for the game being stalked.

In fact the gun cycles and shoots so nicely that even if I do finally cave in and buy something else for my cowboy events I'll likely keep my Rossi.