I'd like a lever gun, but need help deciding which one!

[njc110381]

Hi guys.

Since I bought my .45-70 and started casting for it, the bug seems to have bitten me and I'm thinking that I'd like a higher capacity rifle to shoot at targets. The .45-70 is great, but it only holds four rounds and is a bit of a lump. I also won our club speed shooting competition last weekend using their stainless Marlin .357, which was very light and pointable whilst still holding nine rounds in the mag.

That brings me to my dilemma, which I would be very grateful of some help with. In the UK it seems that I have a limited range. Winchester 94 (used), Chiappa, Rossi, Henry or Marlin. So far I'm leaning towards the Rossi because I like the stainless look and they're plentiful, but quality reviews don't fill me with confidence. Besides that I know nothing about Chiappa, new Marlins sound worse than Rossi's, used older ones cost a fortune and I don't like the front end loading of the Henry enough that I can safely scrap that option!

Are the Rossi rifles ok? I shoot a CZ rimfire so am familiar with stripping down and smoothing rough machining. I really don't mind that as long as the base gun is fairly robust and reliable once tuned.

Edit... Oh and .357 or .44? .44 could just about be made deer legal here but I don't suppose that matters. I have numerous other guns that can do that anyway. I guess the .357 would be slightly lighter and cheaper to shoot?

[stubbicatt]

Sounds like a deer rifle is not a priority for you. I guess you just want to blast at targets or plinking maybe? I like my Uberti 1873 clone in 357 magnum. Plenty accurate and easy to use and easy to enjoy.

[modified5]

I have a Rossi in .44 mag and I love it. As soon as I find one reasonably priced I will add one in .357.
The Uberti is an awesome firearm.
I also love the 94's but all mine are 30-30.
If you can find a used Marlin reasonably priced you wouldn't be disappointed.
I haven't shot the Chiappa but they look nice and have heard good things about them.
Good luck on your search.

[thegatman]

I don't know what is available to you but a Rossi in 38/357 pre safety will do what you want.

[OverMax]

Are the Rossi rifles ok?

Heard their a whole lot better once re-tuned by this fellow who has a site online.
http://store.stevesgunz.com/

[TrashcanDan]

I have a 20" rossi in .357, octagonal.

Any "roughness" went away after cleaning it, cycles just fine.

For what I'm doing, holes in paper at 100 yds, its a less expensive and more reliable option than any other I priced out.

Swapped out the rear sight for a tang. The round barrels are drilled and tapped for a scope.

If you don't mind loading through a tube, henry is another good option.

[RPRNY]

Rossi in 45 Colt. While not historically correct, it at least has that Cowboy feel to it. Further, the M92 has no problems feeding the 45 Colt, which cannot be said with a straight face about 357. I love the 16.5" barreled version and it makes for a fantastic truck and pack rifle - neither of which matter to you in the UK of course. Unless you are shooting SASS and need a 10 shot mag tube, I recommend the 16.5" barrel. It is so light and handy and makes a fun little rabbit gun with light loads and cast bullets.

So, the Rossi needs work out of the box. The first issue that requires immediate attention is stoning the loading gate. Out of the factory, it is very sharp and rough edged. Aside from nipping your fingers loading, it also causes problems feeding the last round loaded because the gate often sticks to the rim. Very easy to resolve with a small hand file.

Next is the magazine spring and follower. The spring can be fine. Or, you may find that it is weak and has trouble feeding the last round in the magazine tube. There is also the plastic follower. Plastic. Really? On 9 out of ten Rossie 92's, with these two mods you have resolved the mechanical issues and you now have a rifle that may be a bit tight but that will run well. I intensely despise the fiddly, ugly Rossi two position safety, so for me, that had to go. I also took a couple of turns off the hammer spring. Parts and instructions for these and other mods available from Steves Gunz (link provided above).

Once finished, the Rossi 92 is a great little rifle for the money. Hope you find the same.

[njc110381]

Why does the Rossi struggle to feed the .357? Would I be better off with a .44?

My local shop lists Uberti as a make they can get hold of, but it's getting on double the price of the Rossi. Is that reasonable? I'm not shy of getting my money out as long as quality reflects the cost.

Thanks for your replies so far. They're very much appreciated.

[azrednek]

I have three Puma Rossi's I got dirt cheap during a going out of business sale. All three needed some tinkering to run 100%. My favorite is the 45 Colt. I've run hand loads with Ruger Only data with no problems. The 44 mag has trouble with the mag tube working its way loose with mag loads. My 38/357 will not operate properly with 357's. The rifles are range toys to me but all three are simply delightful for shooting home cast. The only hunting my Rossi's have seen was an unlucky Coyote disturbing our Dove hunt. At apx 35 yards a factory loaded Remington 125gr JHP 38+P rolled him.

[rosst]

just throw yourself in the deep end and get anyone of the offerings out there . .. you'll end up owning them all at some stage anyway, so its just about timing.
i like the rossi .45 but i would be happy enough with any caliber . . good luck

[RPRNY]

Why does the Rossi struggle to feed the .357? Would I be better off with a .44?

My local shop lists Uberti as a make they can get hold of, but it's getting on double the price of the Rossi. Is that reasonable? I'm not shy of getting my money out as long as quality reflects the cost.

Thanks for your replies so far. They're very much appreciated.

In my experience, the 38/357 are too narrow for the feed ramp of the R92 - or the feed ramp is too broad. Either way, the problem is it has more frequent failures to feed with 38/357 than with 45. It may be less of a problem with 44 Mag.

[Artful]

My experience is my Rossi 38/357 works great
- it's pre-safety
I liked it enough to customize it just a little.

[TXGunNut]

My new (to me) Rossi R92 has no issues with 38's and will cycle 357's if you work the finger lever smartly, as it was designed. Rifle is a fairly new model with a safety (recently replaced by Steve's aperture sight) and I suspect it's had a bit of work done but that's the fun of buying a gently used gun. I'd jump all over a Uberti 1873 for twice what I gave for my Rossi 92 but my buddy's Uberti is a bit fussy with some 38 ammo. I don't think it likes SWC's much but suspect that can be fixed.

[Ural Driver]

I bought a Marlin Guide Gun back when they were first introduced.....handles fast in the weeds and hits like a truck......love that gun.
Last year I added a Rossi 92 chambered in .45 Colt. Fun to shoot and fits like it was built just for me..........love that gun also.

While Steve's Gunz is the go-to spot for the Rossi rifles, I would also suggest stopping by the Rossi Rifleman Forum if you wanna speak to a bunch of folks that know these critters backwards and forwards..........

I will be getting another Rossi in .357/.38 this year......early indications are......I will love that one also.

[njc110381]

I've got a JM Marlin in .45-70. I love that gun! It's been customised to some extent - a bit of action work, the barrel was shortened to 15" and threaded for a brake or supressor. I haven't got the latter yet, but here in the UK it's easy enough. I shoot 405 Lee cast through it with 12gr of Unique most of the time which is sweet. She gets a bit angry when she's fed full load stuff - kicks like a mule and keeps breaking my gong frame!

Thanks for the tip re. the Rossi Rifleman forum. I'll have a look there too. I'll let them know that I came from here - it's nice when forums stick together rather than get all grumpy about advertising the competition.

If the Rossi is anywhere close to my Marlin, I'll be very happy. I still might bite the bullet and buy a used Marlin, but it's going to cost me!

[Speedo66]

I bought a Rossi 20" round barrel .357 about a year and a half ago. The action was a little stiff, but working it many times smoothed it out. I've loaded it with an assortment of different shape bullets in both .38 and .357 and it's fed them all with no hiccups.

I burnished the loading gate area with the back of a drill bit and now it's smooth. I have had zero issues with this gun, and highly recommend it. I replaced the plastic follower, not because it wasn't working well, which it was, but because I don't care for plastic. I made my own, here's a thread detailing the build: http://rossi-rifleman.com/viewtopic....ollower#p41351

One thing that popped up, pun intended, was the original ejector spring was a little overactive, i.e., it flung the empties too far. A hardware store replacement spring solved that. (Century C-530 spring)

Overall, you can't beat this gun, especially for it's low price. By the way, it's also extremely accurate.

[Hawk4570]

Had a Rossi Puma in 44 mag for SASS. Great handling accurate little carbine that worked every time with 'cowboy' loads (200gr flat-point round-nose), never tried factory loads in it.

I'll be looking for a newer 92 in .357 & mount a peep sight (Steve's Gunz, bolt mount peep).

If you go for a later 'Remlin' Marlin, look it over good, lots of QA complaints, especially canted front sights. I've got a stainless Guide gun with receiver mount peep, love it.

[Harter66]

I had a Marlin Cowboy Carbine in 38/357 it was a joy right out of the box . A friend bought a stainless Braztec 92' in 38/357, I will find that burr that hangs up the 357s . It feeds all the 38s as fast or slow as you want to go w/o any care about about bullet shape ..... I didn't try it with full wad cutters, the Marlin would run them though .
I have run an old Rossi 92' pre safety and a late Braztec 92' with the safety bother in 45 Clots . The only bug in either of them was that the later Braztec didn't like to feed Remington brass. I did some polish work and it was better but not good enough so I just skipped on Remington brass. Both fed Schofield brass without a hitch also .

[Bohica793]

I have a Winchester 94 in .45 Colt that I will probably be buried with as I love it so much. Highly recommended if you can find one.

[dualsport]

What about a 30-30? Darn good cast boolit rig. Lots of options.