Heads up on Rossi Trifecta .243 barrel.

[Newtire]

I recently picked up a neat looking little 3-barrel set from our local pawn shop. It is the Rossi/Taurus Trifecta. The 20 gauge shoots great, the .22 is absolutely amazing for accuracy but the .243...not so amazing.

After not being able to hit the target board (2 foot square) at 100 yards, I did a little experimenting. A .243 bullet (Speer Pro-Hunter 100 grain) dropped into the breech, allows all but about 6mm of the case to go into the chamber before it hits the back of the bullet. After seating the bullet out to nearly touch the rifling, the cartridge measured 3.010" long. It turns out that Hornady Spire Points will get around a 4" group when seated thusly and the Speer Pro-Hunters actually made it inside of 2". No cast boolit I have will even come close to taking up that distance and factory .243 won't make the jump without the bullet coming out of the case before it hits the rifling. To top it off,the clearance in the throat causes the gas to come back and put a nice dent in the case shoulder upon firing when seating the bullet to the "normal" maximum OAL.

I managed to get 2750 FPS out of that Speer bullet so guess it will do as an emergency rifle/rifle/shotgun combo to have in the trunk. Would be nice to have a real rifle though that I could shoot varmints and even cast-what an idea eh?

Anyone ever have anything to do with Rossi customer service? I haven't been able to get ahold of them on their answering machine.

[Smoke4320]

sounds like a way out of spec barrel to me
I would keep calling them till I get thru and get a new barrel

[NVScouter]

I've had plenty of education on Rossi/Taurus International/Braztech "customer service".

Use thier Facebook page, like them then put your issue up for all to see. You will get a response within 24 hours. They will want the firarm back and you to pay shipping. Talk out of spec barrel and they will pay the shipping ($42 for mine and it made 3 trips to those fools). They will have it for 8-10 weeks each time since the 6-8 weeks doesnt include shipping or recieving. Expect at least 2 trips so in about 4 months you may or may not have a working firarm. Those barrels are fitting so it all has to go back.

Good luck, I mean that sincerely.

Jon

[Cactus Farmer]

Rechamber it to a 6mm Remington. The case is 6 mm( .240) longer and might fix your loooong throat. Or ship it to them and wait & wait & wait......

[NVScouter]

Ship it to JES for a 358 WIN, but that about what those Trifectas go for. It'd be a sweet cast shooter though!

[Newtire]

Thanks you guys. I will try the facebook route. No reason I can't have a .243 that shoots regular ammo.

[leadman]

I was helping a couple older than me at the range one day trying to get some type of a group out of their Rossi 243 Win. Never did get it to group with their factory ammo. Might have been the same problem you have.

[Newtire]

I was helping a couple older than me at the range one day trying to get some type of a group out of their Rossi 243 Win. Never did get it to group with their factory ammo. Might have been the same problem you have.

I saw alot of negative reports on the .243 so think there must have been alot of barrels like this too. It doesn't sound like the folks doing the reporting figured out exactly why but I know on my barrel what's wrong. Hope it may help other folks who are having troubles like mine. If there are barrels out there that shoot great, then Rossi/Braztech already knows what's wrong. I'll see how they respond.

[Newtire]

They told me since I bought the gun used, I would have to pay for all the work. I also was told that since I had fired reloaded ammo in it, the warranty was off. Any excuse to get off the hook. I don't think I will be doing any business with the Rossi folks from here on out and I would encourage anyone who asks to avoid buying from them since they don't back their products.

[NVScouter]

I'm so sorry this was thier answer. I guess you can either pay them for a new barrel or have yours rechambered. Or keep that .243 barrel for a paperweight and use the 12/22 barrels.

I liked Rossi/Taurus/Braztech until I had a issue at that point they are just hostile to deal with. They have no moral objection to knowingly letting thier products hurt you or others and are willing to be sued. Cheap guns, bad service, lots of lawyers....

They told me since I bought the gun used, I would have to pay for all the work. I also was told that since I had fired reloaded ammo in it, the warranty was off. Any excuse to get off the hook. I don't think I will be doing any business with the Rossi folks from here on out and I would encourage anyone who asks to avoid buying from them since they don't back their products.

[Newtire]

I looked at the 6mm Remington option but the shoulder dimension is too big on the .243 Winchester. However, a 6mm Ackley Improved would clean it up and Definitely take care of the problem. Later, that will be one of the projects to get done I think. Now to check on the price of getting it reamed out and someone reliable to do it.

[dagunnut]

The 243 barrels for any of the H&R, NEF, Rossi, Braztech are known to have accuracy issues. Just search the internet (because you know its got to be true if its on the internet) and you will find out that many others have had issues. Lousy groups, fliers, and minute of garbage can at 100yrds. I personally know three previous owners of 243 Rossi's. They all said the same thing the price was to good to pass on and later that the barrel would have made a decent tent peg or pry bar. Sorry you had to find out the hard way. Just so you know other caliber barrels do not have the same issues, so don't rule out those manufactures on this experience.

Mario
dagunnut

[Newtire]

The 243 barrels for any of the H&R, NEF, Rossi, Braztech are known to have accuracy issues. Just search the internet (because you know its got to be true if its on the internet) and you will find out that many others have had issues. Lousy groups, fliers, and minute of garbage can at 100yrds. I personally know three previous owners of 243 Rossi's. They all said the same thing the price was to good to pass on and later that the barrel would have made a decent tent peg or pry bar. Sorry you had to find out the hard way. Just so you know other caliber barrels do not have the same issues, so don't rule out those manufactures on this experience.

Mario
dagunnut

Hi Mario,

It may be that I don't so much want to rule out the guns they make and no doubt some of them are good. Like I said, the .22 rifle is very accurate and it has a good trigger. The point is, the barrel was defective in manufacture and likely, those people who have accuracy problems, have a similar problem. The fact that the manufacturer won't acknowledge and make good on a poorly manufactured product is my complaint. Obviously, they don't care about one little person's complaint but maybe that one person tells 10 or a hundred people and shows them this poorly made product, may change their way of treating people. I will continue to bitch until someone in their company gives me the attention I deserve to get my problem taken care of. In the meantime, I know a piece of **** when I see one and poor customer service when I get treated like ****. Ya get my point? I will rule them out just like they ruled me out.

[fryboy]

a 6 mm -06 would also clean it up

i had a 243 handi rifle that lived up to the name ( it was handy indeed and accurate to boot )

[Newtire]

a 6 mm -06 would also clean it up

i had a 243 handi rifle that lived up to the name ( it was handy indeed and accurate to boot )

I think going to a 6mm-06 would be cool but don't want to go too crazy here! I see they sell Ackley Dies thru Midway.

[dagunnut]

Newtire

I understand completely. There are companies out there that are just after the money and couldn't give a **** about the customers. Sorry you had a bad experience with them and I hope there is some kind of resolution for you. It sucks being on the receiving end and running into brick walls at every turn.

Mario

[Newtire]

Newtire

I understand completely. There are companies out there that are just after the money and couldn't give a **** about the customers. Sorry you had a bad experience with them and I hope there is some kind of resolution for you. It sucks being on the receiving end and running into brick walls at every turn.

MarioYeah Mario, no sense in crying over spilled milk. For me, it's a lesson learned and time to move on.

[DTK1952]

They told me since I bought the gun used, I would have to pay for all the work. I also was told that since I had fired reloaded ammo in it, the warranty was off. Any excuse to get off the hook. I don't think I will be doing any business with the Rossi folks from here on out and I would encourage anyone who asks to avoid buying from them since they don't back their products.
Most manufacturers only warrant to original buyer. I wouldn't expect the manufacturer to warrant an used firearm.

[Tackleberry41]

Rossi barrels vary ALOT. One will be fine the next an example of everything you can possibly do wrong. I don't really understand it, with even somewhat modern machinery one would think they could exceed what people in India or Pakistan do with hand tools.

I have 2 Rossi's one a pistol one a rifle. The rifle in 44 mag/20ga. The 44mag does shoot pretty good, but the bore is in no way concentric with the barrel. The 20ga is visibly warped, don't think previous owner ever fired the 20ga. I bought a 223 barrel for somebody who was beyond frustrated with how it shot, throw it in the trash frustrated. Not hard to see why, I stuck it in my lathe the muzzle had a good inch of wobble to it, fine for shooting around corners, but would be difficult to get it to line up with a scope. I was gonna use it for a barrel stub anyways. The bore was not 224. I was using a piece to check a tool for cutting threads, ok cool fits a 22 centerfire, yea it fit the Rossi, but to big to fit anything else. The tool cut to fit a proper barrel wobbled in the Rossi.

The pistol was one of the 45/410 w a 22 barrel. It was horrible w a 45 in it, was thinking maybe I could ream it out to something, but nothing about it was concentric to anything else. Barrel was warped in front of the lug they weld on, I think they get carried away with the welders and warp the barrels, plus where they attack it with a mig further down for the stud for the handguard. H&R used 4 little spot welds, Rossi its full welded all the way around. The part cheaper to make that way than the H&R one. I ended up stubbing that barrel w a proper 45 colt only chamber.

So to get a decent 243, you might have to get a barrel stub done, or ream it out to something longer, provided the rest of the barrel is right.

[lightload]

Long ago I discovered that Taurus products are not worth the hassle. Many can't be repaired because they're so far out of whack to start with. I'm surprised that the lever rifles perform so well.

[Good Cheer]

a 6 mm -06 would also clean it up

i had a 243 handi rifle that lived up to the name ( it was handy indeed and accurate to boot )

Wish I still had my 6-06. M-77 26" barrel. It's gone. Wah.