Project Stainless Rossi .357 “Lever Scout” SBR

[kingstrider]

Well the purists will probably hate this but last year I bought a new Rossi 92 lever action for the sole purpose of legally converting it to a SBR, or short barrel rifle for those that are not into NFA stuff. I got the idea after seeing other lever action SBRs including those made by Grizzly Custom, the Chiappa Alaskan Scout and several Rossi Ranch Hands and Henry Mare’s Legs that people had converted using ATF Form 1 applications. This is intended primarily for plinking with a suppressor so from the beginning I knew that I wanted to use a .357 for my project since it is easy to tame when using subsonic .38 special ammo.

For months I deliberated the host gun and initially planned to use a JM stamped Marlin 1894C due to its fast 1:16 twist rate. This would have been ideal to stabilize heavier bullets but was eventually rejected due to cost. The Henry Big Boy was also eliminated from consideration because of the goofy loading tube that would interfere with using a silencer. I also considered using a Rossi Ranch Hand since it looks like an easy conversion, but others have done that before and I wanted something a little different.

In the end I decided to go with a Rossi 16” stainless carbine as the basis for my project since my other lever guns are stainless and because it will pair well with a natural titanium and stainless suppressor. For a detailed review of the gun as purchased see this link: http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/ro...57-magnum.html. After I bought the gun I found that Rossi actually sells a stainless 12” version in New Zealand. Granted it only comes in .44 magnum and is unavailable in the United States but this is initially what I had in mind for my build:



Prior to submitting paperwork to the ATF, my son and I took the gun to the range a few times to check for function. After all, there would be no sense in converting the gun if it didn’t work correctly. Using a variety of handloads with Lee TL358-158-SWC bullets, the little carbine proved to be reliable in feeding .357 and .38 special ammo but, most importantly, it was able to stabilize my subsonic loads out to 100 yards. Once satisfied, I finished my Form 1 application and sent it to the ATF, thus beginning the LONG wait...

[kingstrider]

Preliminary Machine Work
In the interim, I decided to thread the barrel 1/2x28 to use a suppressor while waiting for my stamp to come back. Although I am not a gunsmith or machinist, I happen to own an old South Bend 9” metal lathe that I rebuilt last year as shown here: http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/do-yourself/243281-south-bend-9a-precision-lathe-rebuild.html. Unfortunately the spindle bore on my machine is too small to pass the barrel through so I took the gun apart and sent the barreled action to a buddy for threading, along with my 1895GS which was cut and threaded to 16” for use with my SilencerCo Hybrid.



In order to actually see over the suppressor, I decided to ditch the factory irons and go with a set of XS #WI-0012-5 ghost ring sights which are designed for the Winchester 94 Trapper. Although the rear sight will mount behind the locking lugs on the Rossi 92, it hangs off the back of the receiver and looks funny. I wound up modifying the rear sight base on my milling machine so it would partially fit over the locking lugs by about 1/8” then drilled and tapped the receiver to accept the 6-48 screws. This required removal of the bolt safety but I plan to plug this later when I take the gun apart again to chop the barrel.

[kingstrider]

Optics
With preliminary machine work completed, I turned my task to reassembly of the rifle and took a photo showing all the parts and subassemblies. The only problem I ran into during reassembly was finding the front sight was loose in the dovetail. This was fixed by peening the bottom of the front sight with a punch then drifting it into place.







Although most of my shooting will be using the ghost ring sights, I wanted to mount a scope rail for use with an optic if desired. Unfortunately, the factory Rossi scope rail was discontinued but as luck would have it, another MO member graciously gave me an extra scope mount (thanks Chipper!). This was installed using the factory drilled and tapped holes which were hidden under the original buckhorn sight.



Since starting this project I also wound up with a couple of optics at no cost, the first of which is a Burris Fastfire III that I got for free as part of a rebate after buying a prism sight for use on one of my AR15s last year. The second is a Burris 2.75 Scout Scope and quick release rings that came with a Marlin 336SS that another MO told me about a few months ago (thanks bandit1250!). I later sold the Marlin for what I had in it but kept the scope and rings so they were basically free too. Depending on mood, I can swap either optic or remove it altogether as needed.

[kingstrider]

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[Lonegun1894]

Very interesting project! I don't like optics on lever guns, but do have a growing "stamp collection". While I don't plan on suppressing a lever gun, I do have to admit that there's not many designs that make better candidates for it. Can't wait to see the finished product!

[Kestrel4k]

Very very nice - really well done.
I don't know where to start with all the things I like about your project / setup.

[Ramjet-SS]

I love Scout Optics on a Levergun. nice work on this

[Shawlerbrook]

Very nice ! I'm thinking about a 16" SS 357 mag levergun as a companion on my ATV.