No More Rossi for Me

[j_dude77]

Purchased a Rossi 92 back in May. My fault for not inspecting it better before purchase. It had rust and pitting in the barrel. I sent it into Rossi to have the barrel replaced. I received the rifle back in about 3 weeks. They changed the barrel out, but now the magazine tube extended past the barrel about a 1/4 inch. So I took the tube out to inspect it better. Low and behold the dovetail to hold the tube carrier had punch marks all around it. I also noticed someone had ground the carrier to fit. I guess they took too much off and needed to fix their mistake. To me that is just sloppy work. So I sent it back. Now they tell me they are not going to replace the barrel because that is normal wear and tear. If it comes back in the same condition, I am done with Rossi. I highly suggest that anyone thinking of purchasing one give it a thorough inspection, cause if you send it back to them for repairs, there is no telling what you will get.

[Tom-ADC]

That to bad I've heard a lot of good things about them.
How about pictures when it gets back. I've been looking at Rossi for a 38/.357 rifle.

[Duarteus]

That to bad I've heard a lot of good things about them.
How about pictures when it gets back. I've been looking at Rossi for a 38/.357 rifle.


This.


I have one 38/357 ,and it is great over 500s round we not 1 problems .. It is a bit hard to clean ,but it shots very well using my reloads :p .38 105Gr 3.8 Bullseye it do very well at 100 Yards Shooting my ar500 steel gong :guntootsmiley:
Hope you get if back on a better shape.

[blikseme300]

Was looking to get a rifle in 38/357 and after inspecting 5 NIB Rossi's in the store walked out disgusted. Actions felt like they were full of sand, edges were sharp enough to cut you cleaning and some glass blasting beads were trapped between the barrel and magazine tube. Weak to no quality control is too obvious. Even the worst new RemLins I have handled were much better than these rifles.

[happie2shoot]

You have a better chance of getting a good mold from LEE than you do getting
a good gun from Rossi.

[j_dude77]

I will let you know how it is when I get it back. Oh, they also told me that they had to order a new magazine tube from the factory and that did that in September. It will take 6-8 weeks to come in. I sent the rifle to them back in July. Glad I have a back-up.

[codgerville@zianet.com]

You have a better chance of getting a good mold from LEE than you do getting
a good gun from Rossi.
That ain't sayin' much.

[starmac]

It has been years since I have bought a new firearm of any kind, and don't see any in the future, that I can't live without, but I have read about horor stories as well as great stories, from dealing with new products and services from pretty much every manufacturer we have.

The only thing that I have concluded is that I would never pay new cost for any firearm from any currant manufacturer without a hands on deal. But then I have always been that way, and the only gun I ever ordered was a muzzle loader from cabellas, just because I couldn't find a left hand one. The lock didn't even function when I received it, but instead of sending it back I fixed it myself, and have had no other complaints with it.

I have to take that back, I have never heard any complaints from anyone that had to deal with Henry with a problem. There probably has been a bad experience or two, but I haven't seen any. And no I don't own any. lol

[Black Powder Bill]

I've sold quite a few of the Rossi 38/357's the guys would send them out to get the actions "slicked up". After that they were sweet operating carbines.
I will not order them now to expensive.

I can't see sending a used firearm back for a factory rep to work on it. A local gun smith should have been able to fit a new barrel.

[runfiverun]

it ain't rossi it's Taurus they own them.
many of the guns feel super rough from the box and you need to tear them down and clean them.
you are also the final inspector of the gun, look closely at them and don't be afraid to walk away and go look at others somewhere else.
you could alway's go buy a new Winchester for 1400.00

[sparky45]

I must be an exception. I have purchased two rossi 92's (latest this Tuesday) and I am 100% satisfied. I first do a complete disassembly of the action and use a diamond hone to relieve the sharp edges and completely blow out the receiver with brake cleaner. I use Steve's mods to the loading gate and his spring kits as well as the magazine follower. Put her back together and she is as smooth as silk. A little TLC up front and its a great shooter. BTW, my last 92 was in 44-40 SS and 24" Octagonal barrel. Best part was it cost $399 from CDNN on sale.

[ironhead7544]

It is about 50/50 with Rossi out of the box. Also, they wont sell you most of the parts. I have been waiting since April for a screw I broke. Still on back order.

They will slick up nice but no more for me either.

[KCSO]

If they are like a lot of companies they don't do their own repaies they shop it out to be done and some shops are better than others. The folks who were doing EMF repairs were about like this too. It's too bad you got a lemon first shot out of the box but it sometimes happens. I have had pretty good luck with the R92's and havent had to send one back yet. They do need tuning from the box though.

[Capt. Methane]

I must be an exception. I have purchased two rossi 92's (latest this Tuesday) and I am 100% satisfied. I first do a complete disassembly of the action and use a diamond hone to relieve the sharp edges and completely blow out the receiver with brake cleaner. I use Steve's mods to the loading gate and his spring kits as well as the magazine follower. Put her back together and she is as smooth as silk. A little TLC up front and its a great shooter. BTW, my last 92 was in 44-40 SS and 24" Octagonal barrel. Best part was it cost $399 from CDNN on sale.

So you did the what, $500 worth of finishing work?

I think I'd give Henry a try first...

Still, the prices on leverguns has gone nuts-you'd think you were buying a Gatling Gun instead of a lever action!

[TXGunNut]

You have a better chance of getting a good mold from LEE than you do getting
a good gun from Rossi.

I guess I better order a Rossi while my luck's holding. ;-)

[joec]

I own 3 Rossi Rifles, 2 - 92 and a Rio Grande. The RG is 45-70 with the 92 a 45 Colt and the newest one a 454 Casull. The 45 Colt had a feeding problem right out of the box and got it sent back and returned in 7 business days fixed. It has now had close to 7000 rounds through it from black powder to Lil'Gun. The RG was flawless out of the box and the 454 is also. Now I would never buy one sight unseen regardless of the manufacturer.

Now in all honesty the Rossi is a great gun especially in its price range, but they often need a bit of buff and shine to really work perfectly. My advise is to pick up Steve Gunz DVD or some other instructions on how to break them down. The need to be completely cleaned before ever shooting it, if NIB. Never had a rust problem with any of them at all.

[Three44s]

A now deceased friend had a R92 in .44 mag.

I shot it ........ liked it very much!

I asked him how they were ........ he, a collector and shooter of a LOT of weapons ... said, that they were a better copy of a Winchester than a Winchester was ........

Current problems probably have more to do with the RUSH to get firearms out on the sales racks and also falling victim to the Big Box stores forcing ever cheaper prices.

We ALL like bargains .......... but there is a LIMIT!

As we "race to the bottom" whether it be cheaper gun safes ...... or guns ........... sooner or later, we are going to get bit on the $%!

Best regards

Three 44s

[sparky45]

So you did the what, $500 worth of finishing work?

I think I'd give Henry a try first...

Still, the prices on leverguns has gone nuts-you'd think you were buying a Gatling Gun instead of a lever action!


Not sure what you're talking about? I thought I explained myself clearly. I'll say it slooooowly to help you understand. I did the "work" myself. I bought a spring and a magazine follower from Steve's Gunz ( less than $30 shipped). Total investment : $475 . That's a SS lever gun with a 24" Octagonal barrel that is now as slick as my Browning BL22. Now, a Henry would have been my first choice, but if I could have afforded one of those, I wouldn't be casting Lead bullets or shooting reloads.

[Lefty Red]

I guess I better order a Rossi while my luck's holding. ;-)

LOL! Me too! I better buy a set!

[K-Rod]

So you did the what, $500 worth of finishing work?

I think I'd give Henry a try first...

Still, the prices on leverguns has gone nuts-you'd think you were buying a Gatling Gun instead of a lever action!

Cowboy Action Shooting is to blame. Cowboy shooting has become quite an event. Not everyone can afford a Winchester in 44-40 or 45Colt so Rossi has become an economical substitute. Demand goes up, price goes up.

[LeftyDon]

Unless you are willing to put up with REMlin's QC problems on a new gun, used Marlin 1894 .357 prices are getting up there too. Seems most new guns these days need TLC when purchased.

[K-Rod]

Unless you are willing to put up with REMlin's QC problems on a new gun, used Marlin 1894 .357 prices are getting up there too. Seems most new guns these days need TLC when purchased.

I agree with you. I've been looking for a lever 357m for a long time. Use to be, a person could pick up a nice used Marlin for a decent price. Now, $700-$800!! Needless to say, I have all but given up on the reasonable lever 357m "Unicorn".

Lucky for me, I was at a show yesterday & strolling along the aisles looking at tables. I was looking at some nice Rugers when I hear my wife behind me say, "Haven't you been looking for a lever 357m?" I expected to see a big price tag when I turned around but to my surprise, it was a excellent condition SRC Puma for $400. Guy just didnt know what it was. I had to pass............Yeah right!!

Ive come across lots of these new Rossi's & had to pass on them. I just can't get past the ugly safety on them. If a person is willing to have a little self control & wait a bit, that "Unicorn" will come along.

[wrench man]

My skull is pretty thick some times!??, after two Taurus's and a Rossi I'll NEVER! own another Bazillion gun EVER! again, JUNK!
They have had a Rossi 92 in 45 Colt on the rack at the LGS for over a year now!?, IIRC? I did look at it?, I've since bought a Marlin 1894 Cowboy Limited in 45 colt, that's a FINE rifle!

[UNIQUEDOT]

Only thing I've done to mine was polish the lifter. I didn't spend money on dvd's as I figure I'm capable of disassembling my guns and doing what needs to be done and put it back together...If I can't do it there's always someone here that could tell me. Only other thing I know of that I need to do is polish the frame around the loading gate. Personally I'd rather have a replica of a Winchester than I had a Marlin, but I have always grouped guns as such. Winchester, Browning, Remington etc. in the fine gun category and guns like Marlins and Mossbergs in the cheap it'll get it done category.

[badguybuster]

Gee my rossi ranch hand 44 has the best action on any lever gun ive ever owned (I have a henry 44, jm marlin 357 and had a jm 45-70). Plus I just ordered a rio grande 45-70.

[firebrick43]

I tell everyone that a rossi 92 is a partially finished kit. I had done 9 of them so far and 7 required nothing more than a spring kit (ejector spring most important) and deburr/polish.

One required above plus shimming the cartridge guides

One 357 did require some weld on the back of the loading gate and lever due to much metal milled off.

Problem is for CAS the Henry's DON'T work. They choke going fast.
Marlins are more expensive and yet have issues as well and if they jam sometimes your done. 92 you shove your finger down the top and your back in business

92 are stout and durable and can take stout loads for hunting.

[HawkEyeEarl]

I have not had problems in function with any the several Taurus or Rossi that I have had over the years or have now.
My experiences have been good for not a lot of money.
I have never had them slicked up.
I use them like I do other brands - just as they are.
If they were broke I would fix them of course.
Some are smoother than others but all have worked.
I have a 92 44 wcf that I like a lot and carry a lot. I even kinda like the dark wood.:D
I also have had them in 38/357 and 45. They were fine also.
I have had their automatics and revolvers that I put quite few rounds through.
However, when you have a problem with any brand it can sour you on them.
I understand the feeling.
I have had that with another very popular american brand.
And I tell myself that I will not buy another of that one. :-)
The taurus and Rossi are very commonly used in cowboy crowd and often not slicked up.
Just pointing out that many are happy with them. At least some of them.
Also, I also meet of the cowboy who will slick up any brand... None are good enough out of the box for all people.

Thanks
HawkEyeEarl

[HDS]

My .44 mag rossi is one of the nicest guns I own, but not out of the box. Then again you get what you pay for. My Uberti 1873 is very nice looking, but the trigger and action is stiffer than the Rossi despite it costing 2x the amount of money.

Besides most manufacturers produce lemons and there's always someone who ends up with them and then have bad luck with CS afterwards and then they go "never XXX again". It seems a small sample size for anyone else to base their judgement on. Now if you start seeing a lot of them...

[searcher4851]

I own several of the Rossi 92's. Since they all must be cleaned of the "packing grease" aka general sludge before use (a good idea with any new gun) it's a simple matter of just knocking off some sharp edges, possibly slicking up some machining marks at times, and replacing or modifying some springs to your own individual liking, while you have it apart for the initial cleaning.

My big problem with Rossi is the availability of replacement parts. Seems like they don't even stock enough to do their own warranty repairs, and on top of that, they restrict almost every part on the gun. They won't sell most parts to the gun's owner directly. The CEO says they're working on the matter, but so far, there hasn't been much improvement in the selling parts department, but their repairs are turning around faster. I sent one in for a simple replacement of a broken ejector and had it fixed and back in a matter of a week. When I called in to get authorization to send it in they initially said 6 weeks, then after talking to them a bit, they said it would probably be more like 2 weeks if I sent it right away. I did, and had I back in a week. My only complaint is that they could have just mailed me the part and it would have been faster and cheaper. (the replacement cost nothing, but it cost me to ship it to them, and cost them to ship it back).

Long story short, in my opinion, the Rossi 92 is a pretty good value. Hard to beat it for the price. (as long as you don't need replacement parts)

[rbuck351]

I only have the one Rossi 92 in 454. I have 2 Win 92s both well used at 80/90 years old. I probably should take them apart and slick them up so they will feel as smooth as the out of the box Rossi. I'm in the market for a crunchy Rossi in 357 cheap. For those that don't like the safety ( me ) you can get a replacement for the safety as a blank plug or a rear peep sight from Steve's Guns. And yeah, cleaning any new gun of any factory grease/oil and swarf and relubing is a good idea. Anybody that wants to spend $500 for a cleaning and polishing of a Rossi 92 please send a pm. Let's see the $370 I paid for my gun plus $500 for a clean and polish = $870 which is still several hundred cheaper than a Japanese Win that isn't available in 454 anyway. Right now I'm not sure I would sell the Rossi for $1000 and it hasn't even had the $500 cleaning / polishing yet.

[steg]

Years ago I purchased two Pumas in 38/357, one for me and one for my Son. BTW these rifles were pre safety guns. My son was 13 at the time, and was all charged up to go shooting. my first shot the firing pin broke, his second shot the firing pin broke, you can imagine his disappointment, and we were firing light .38 specials. Back to the factory they go, we get them back 6 months later. Back to the range and neither rifle made it past a half box of ammo before the firing pins broke again.
This time I went to the local Gunsmith brought him the broken firing pins, and he made me two new ones, yep they broke too. I took both rifles to the Gunsmith and he discovered the hole in the breach was 100 thousandths, and the diameter of the firing pin was 59 thousandths they were just laying over.

[robertbank]

I have two Rossi's, .38spl/.357Mag and a .44Mag. Love them both. I put a recoil pad on the .44Mag as it hurt when fired with anything resembling factory load. I doubt there is any factory service center for these guns in Canada so I rely on local 'smith if anything breaks. For the money they are hard to beat and I plan on getting a Mares Leg and adding a regular butt stock for use as a truck gun. I look at most guns other than CZ/Sako rifles and Benelli/Browning/Mossberg Shotguns as kit guns. Pay your money and hope you get a good one requiring only clean up.

Take Care

Bob

[Doc.Holliday]

I have a couple of Rossi's up in canada to; There is a service center in quebec for all of canada But they have no parts and cannot get any parts. Rossi in Miami don't service or sell parts to or for canadian guns either; yet your supposed to send your warranty card there for apparently no good reason. I've got my rossi parts from the other side of the fence when required as the "smiths" can only do so much without parts.
Would I buy another Rossi? Nope; not if your on on this side of the line.
Lots of 80 year plus winchesters still levering and shooting an age which I doubt any rossi will ever see unless it is left unused.
Their most redeeming feature is their price point kind of like a norinco or timex watch.

Doc.

[robertbank]

Doc and in reality that differs from every other firearms manufacture how? Beretta and Stoeger are a rumour, Ruger, Smith and Kimber????

Thankfully there isn't much that can go wrong with the 92's. Lots of pre 64 '94 Winnies up here. I had a 1970's 94 Win in 30-30. Built by someone who was trying his best.... for the first time. No wonder the company eventually went broke. Saved a lot of shooters the anguish of owning one.

Would love to get a Marlin 38/357mag to go with my 336 in 30-30. The latter is a keeper and made in 2012 yet! The last one I saw on gunnutz was on sale for $1,000CDN!

Take Care

Bob

[Doc.Holliday]

Well Bob I got a few real Winchesters 73's; 86's; 92's and 94's and of course all pre 1964 and sadly to compete with offshore junk and rising costs the heirs to that old namesake and Brownings great designs came out with some products of dubious quality. BUT Yet there are more forums on HOW to Fix and repair and improve your Rossi than any other gun manufacturer on the internet.
We expected more of Winchester and complained of their quality slipping but yet are willing to buy a gun and then pay Rossi Guru's to come up with parts, sights, springs, dvd's etc to make them shooters.
Oh well "No More Rossi's For ME"

Regards
Doc

[fecmech]

Lots of 80 year plus winchesters still levering and shooting an age which I doubt any rossi will ever see unless it is left unused.
Most of those Winchesters you speak of probably have had less than a couple hundred rounds through them in their lifetime. The average owner used a box of ammo every couple years. I'm sure that Rossi's used like the Winchesters were will last just as long.

[Doc.Holliday]

I Don't know how many Rossi's were used to feed a family, tame a country, afford protection, and in 4 seasons of weather . I also don't know if the average winchester owner only used a box of ammo every couple of years; I do know that Winchester brand were issued to the US Cavalry, Canadian NorthWest Mounted Police ,and to units of the army in both World Wars and exported overseas to other armed forces.
Given the choice and the historical record " No More Rossi's For Me". I will let others speculate on their retained value if any in the future.
Doc.

[searcher4851]

Your "interesting" rewrite of history aside, (Winchester lever action rifles were never issued to the U.S. military) Rossi's can and do put food on peoples tables, just not in the quantity it used to before the grocery store became so prolific. There also wasn't such a thing as the sport of cowboy action shooting, in which many thousands of rounds are run through Rossi 92's every year. Much more than were ever routinely run through the original Winchesters. While the Winchester patterned rifles are common in CAS, very few of those rifles are actually the Winchester brand. They are replicas made by various manufacturers, including a sizeable contingent of Rossi 92's.

[Sweetpea]

Your "interesting" rewrite of history aside, (Winchester lever action rifles were never issued to the U.S. military)

I haven't been following this thread, but there WAS a write-up several years back in American Rifleman, with pictures, about Winchesters being issued to the troops Doc.Holliday mentioned...

Brandon

[robertbank]

Regardless, there is a place for Rossi rifles. I paid an avg price of $550. for my two and they function just fine. While I would pay $1K for a Marlin in .38spl/.357mag I wouldn't for an original 92 from Winchester. I am a shooter not a collector and would not get the value out of the original Winchesters. The only reason for a Marlin is for ease of cleaning. I would be using a lot of 38spl cases in the Marlin. Util funds for the Marlin are in hand I'll soldier on with my Rossis.

Now if I run into a Japanese made '73 I would fine the money to be sure. Just not a lot of them around up here.

Take Care

Bob

[UNIQUEDOT]

Most of those Winchesters you speak of probably have had less than a couple hundred rounds through them in their lifetime. The average owner used a box of ammo every couple years. I'm sure that Rossi's used like the Winchesters were will last just as long.

While I personally think the quality of my Rossi compares just fine to my Winchesters I wouldn't say the old originals floating around were not used much. I have at least two books on the history of Winchester guns and they sold ammunition by the case of 1000 rounds and the number of ammunition sales were astonishing as I recall.


I do know that Winchester brand were issued to the US Cavalry, Canadian NorthWest Mounted Police ,and to units of the army in both World Wars and exported overseas to other armed forces.

Yep they saw extensive military use in other countries even after they were considered obsolete for use in warfare in this country they still saw much use in other countries as military weapons.

[robertbank]

Yep they saw extensive military use in other countries even after they were considered obsolete for use in warfare in this country they still saw much use in other countries as military weapons.

The Canadian Rangers (not to be confused with the US Rangers who were special purpose combat troops), in B.C. were issued Winchester 30-30's during WW11. The Rangers were mostly middle aged and older men who volunteered to do Coastal Watch duties along Canada's West Coast. The rifles were in their hands for protection against four legged threats and for hunting. The Cdn. Rangers across Canada are now issued Lee Enfield #4 rifles in .303Br. These rifles are due for replacement in the near future if and when funding becomes available.

The Winchester's, as far as I know, were never issued to Canadian Combat Troops for use in the Boer War, WW1 or 11.

Take Care

Bob

[beezapilot]

I picked up a Henry in 38/357 for my wife, aside from weighing a lot more than my Marlin, very slick and nice.

[Tackleberry41]

I have begun to wonder what sort of antiquated methods Rossi is using to build guns. It can't be any sort of modern equipment. I have one of their matched pair pistols and a matched pair rifle. The 22lr barrel with the pistol seems okay, while the 45/410 barrel is pretty much junk. Its not straight to begin with nor concentric, obviously cut wrong.

The 2 barrels that came with the rifle, look okay, but put in a lathe, Im thinking those guys in India hand making guns could do a better job. The 44 mag was 3mm out of concentric with the bore. Shoots straight so far, but a lot of work if you want to machine it in any way. And the 20 ga isnt straight either. Have somebody nearly giving me a 223 barrel as its so bad. Gonna use the stub to mount another barrel in it.

[jh45gun]

I don't think there is a gun company out there that does not make a clunker out there once in a while. Ruger has had their share I know from personal experience. I have a Taurus 85 snub nose in 38 Special and my Rossi Ranch Hand. The Rossi had a issue guide rail on the right side that they replaced and sent it back. Yes they do have sight issues but I took care of that with a taller fiber optic front sight. I really like it now that I put the sight on and got the guide rail fixed. The Taurus has never given me an issue.

[UNIQUEDOT]

The Canadian Rangers[QUOTE]

This is the part of his quote referring to Canada [QUOTE]Canadian NorthWest Mounted Police

This is from the History of Winchester firearms "From 1878 to 1914, The force answered every call of duty with a firearm whose name became a watchword for men of courage. The name was Winchester, in use longer than any shoulder arm ever issued to the force."

[robertbank]

[QUOTE]The Canadian Rangers[QUOTE]

This is the part of his quote referring to Canada

This is from the History of Winchester firearms "From 1878 to 1914, The force answered every call of duty with a firearm whose name became a watchword for men of courage. The name was Winchester, in use longer than any shoulder arm ever issued to the force."

The RCMP formerly the NWMP are not combat troops but rather a police force. I would not consider them part of the Canadian Military though some might. They were certainly armed with Winchesters as were the Rangers.

Take Care

Bob