Rossi quality - A happy surprise

[BCRider]

I picked up two 92's a week ago. One is a wedding present for a family member and her new hubbie that both shoot cowboy action events with me. The other I bought for a friend who is going to be paying me back when she gets back into town.

I'm doing the slicking up work on both. Spring kit and general de-burring and some slight modifications as required.

What I found when I opened these two up was fairly startling. Both had seem some amount of hand fitting and polishing already. Most of the little things I was going to do where already done. And some were done to a far greater degree than I would have thought to try.

Here's a list of what I found;


The chambers were deeply relieved on the lower edge of the mouth to allow the cartridges to not jam up as they enter the chamber at an angle. I'd done this same sort of relieving on my own and one other gun but not as far in as these two.
The cartridge guides were polished neatly to let the casing rims slide more smoothly through the guides that lift the head of the cartridge up and into line with the chamber.
The extractor spring collar is chamfered so it doesn't catch on the transition on the shaft of the extractor. I'd come up with the idea for this on my own and the second rifle and here it is already done now instead of just simply cut faces on the collar.



Fit and finish inside for the parts was clean other than the heel on the bolt that rubs against the hammer when cocking the lever. That required some considerable stoning and some rubberized abrasive wheel work to shine those up. That was the ony downside.
The exterior finish was smooth and workmanlike on the metal but not the nice glossy polish that I got on mine when I bought it some 5 years ago.

The wood fit just fine, not perfect but good enough. The downside is the cloudy and muddy looking finish on the wood. I've stripped away much of it with some paint stripper but I still had to sand the last of it which seemed to be resistant to the stripper. I've already put on the first coat of oil mixed with some stain so it stays neatly clear without becoming muddy again. It's the first time I've tried this and it won't be the last time I use this method. The colour came up nicely without being overpowering. And being a mix the pigment of the stain doesn't cover up the wood grain too much.

Mind you this isn't highly figured stuff. In fact it's got a downright boring look to the grain. But this oil and stain mixture at least is making the most of what is there instead of just covering it up with mud as they did at the factory.

I'll post pictures when I take them tomorrow of the wood both "just stripped" and looking dull and lifeless and the other stock that I stained earlier tonight. I think you'll agree that it looks better than the stock finish. But you'll also see that it's no Turkish walnut.

All in all I wasn't sure what to expect due to the reports I'd read from others. But other than the dull and very plain looking wood both of the rifles are built just fine and the quality of the machining is very good. Better than I expected in fact. Then add to this the detail polishing I found and these things are suddenly a real treat and an excellent value.

I'll post up pictures of the newly refinished stock and the muddy looking factory finish tomorrow when I can take the pictures outside so it shows the colours more naturally.

[Big Rack]

I bought one when Jumbo Sports went under may have been Interarms it's in 44 mag and has been just a great rifle. Embarrasing to watch the wife way outshoot my Marlin Cowboy without so much as adjusting a sight load in both 240 g LSWC loaded to the mid to upper 44 spec.

[pirkfan]

I've got both 38 spl/357 mag (16 inch round barrel blued) and 45 LC (20 inch round barrel stainless) Rossi 92s and am very happy with the performance of both right out of the box. I've disassembled both and cleaned them up, put stainless magazine followers in both and a skinner peep on the 38/357. And that's it. The 45 LC cartridge lifter was sticky before a thorough cleaning, very minor stoning of the right side, and a dab of grease on the detent ball, but now it's fine. Both shoot great, love cast boolits including semi-wadcutters with only minor leading after 100 rounds or so, and are as accurate as my old eyes will allow. Fit and finish are fine, these are shooters, not lookers. Shooting Lee 125 gr RFN 38 special in the 16 inch gun is just about as much fun as a body can stand. Who needs 22 rimfire (which we still can't get around here)

[BCRider]

Here's the pictures I promised.

First up is the factory polishing that I found on the cartridge guides and chamber mouth;

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/BCRider/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020080.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/BCRider/media/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020080.jpg.html)
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/BCRider/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020082.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/BCRider/media/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020082.jpg.html)

Next is the shaping and polishing I did to the cocking ramp on the bolt. Actually this was an early picture. I went back at it and further smoothed this ramp. But I didn't get a picture of that stage. Sorry;

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/BCRider/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020084.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/BCRider/media/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020084.jpg.html)

And finally the residue from the factory finish vs the coloured finishing oil I'm using. The stocks on the outside are the sanded and refinished stocks with a second coat of rubbed on and buffed off tinted boiled linseed oil. The stock in the middle is the residue of the stripped factory finish with some mineral spirits on it to simulate what I'd have if I just oiled the incomplete stripped off finish.
And truth be told as dramatic as it looks in this picture in real life it's far more clear that sanding and a complete refinish is the way to go.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/BCRider/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020088.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/BCRider/media/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020088.jpg.html)

[bangerjim]

I am very happy with fit and finish and performance of Rossi 38/357 and 45LC 92 rifles. Tons of ammo thru them right out of the box with no problems, jams, or hang-ups.

Would and have recommended them to others. They are happy too!

bangerjim

[jimbo1950]

No need to us stripper on Rossi 92,it will scrub off with warm water and a little rubbing.
I did my Rossi 38/357 and used tru oil for a finish.

[jimbo1950]

112365112366112367

Here are the results

[BCRider]

The stuff I saw on the one I did a couple of years ago I'd agree with the warm water. But they are using something new now. It not only resisted the stripper but also the warm water and scrubbing I used for rinsing the stripper away.

I'm working on a Win 94 as well. The same stripper lifted the Winchester 70's vintage clear varnish lickety split. It was lifting off the shoulder stock while I was coating the fore end. But the new Rossi coating was hardly touched after a good 20 minutes. I suspect it's one of the fancy new two part catalyzed finishes.

[jimbo1950]

The stuff I saw on the one I did a couple of years ago I'd agree with the warm water. But they are using something new now. It not only resisted the stripper but also the warm water and scrubbing I used for rinsing the stripper away.

I'm working on a Win 94 as well. The same stripper lifted the Winchester 70's vintage clear varnish lickety split. It was lifting off the shoulder stock while I was coating the fore end. But the new Rossi coating was hardly touched after a good 20 minutes. I suspect it's one of the fancy new two part catalyzed finishes.

The Rossi that i refininshed i had just bought new 2 months ago, but maybe it was a older manufacture that was hanging in the LGS for awhile. Good to know about the new finish they are using as i want to buy a 45 colt Rossi in the near future.
I did not have any difficulty putting the forearm back on as others have had with the band screw.
I did put Steves peep on it and it works very well, although it has to be adjusted when switching between 38 and 357 ammo.

[TXGunNut]

Nice work, BCRider. Looking forward to the finished product. What cartridge are these carbines chambered for?

[BCRider]

Both are for .357Mag. Which suits what each of the new owners like to shoot or will be shooting in the case of the newly weds that both enjoy shooting cowboy action.

[snaketail]

I bought a Rossi .454 Casull fro a guy in Arizona a couple of years ago - he needed the cash and I wanted the rifle. It was stiff and cranky at first, but the more I shot it the smoother it got. It seems he had not shot it - and I was shooting .45 Colt in it. I refinished the stock with TruOil and that made it look better and less prone to showing bumps. I installed a tang sight, the Gunslinger spring kit and now it's a pretty slick little rifle. I shoot it in Lever Action Silhouette and will take it Hog Hunting if I get the chance.

It really is a nice rifle - much smoother than my much more expensive Winchester 30-30.

Nice wedding present!

M

[helice]

It interests me that your 2 Rossi rifles are on their way to other shooters. I purchased a Stainless 92 clone in 45 Colt back in the early 90s. Four years ago I loaned it to a friend from my church. Funny thing - I haven't seen it since. These are fun rifles and the fun is very contagious. I have 2 M-92s in .357 Mag also. These rifles, in the hands of young shooters, can go thru a lot of ammo in a very short time. I have discovered that the m-92 is a good reason to get a progressive press or a Lee turret.

[bangerjim]

It interests me that your 2 Rossi rifles are on their way to other shooters. I purchased a Stainless 92 clone in 45 Colt back in the early 90s. Four years ago I loaned it to a friend from my church. Funny thing - I haven't seen it since. These are fun rifles and the fun is very contagious. I have 2 M-92s in .357 Mag also. These rifles, in the hands of young shooters, can go thru a lot of ammo in a very short time. I have discovered that the m-92 is a good reason to get a progressive press or a Lee turret.

Better check your church "buddy"!!!!!! That is why I do NOT loan ANY tools or guns to anyone.......even my minister!!!!!!!!

bangerjim

[BCRider]

TRUST ME that these are only going away because I've already got my own.... :D And yes, even if mine were not my cowboy action rifle it would still have an honorable and frequently used place in my collection.

The one that was paid for by the lady in my club I'm doing the work on as a way to say "Thanks" for all the work she's put into making my club's IDPA chapter successful. And the other is going to the girl and her new hubby since I've been around since she was about 2 years old so much that in the "Family" I'm known as "Papa B" instead of "Uncle B". And since I've got no kids of my own to dote over she and her new hubby are getting spoiled.

[BCRider]

They are all done. Much of the time was taken up with the oil finish. Fortunately it's hot and sunny so I could REALLY speed up the curing of the boiled linseed by sunning the parts. With this I was able to do a coat a day.
I tried something new this time. I mixed the BLO with some Minwax Gunstock colour stain. This created a colouring of the wood without the usual muddy look that I normally find I get with pigmented stains. The effect built up over the first three coats to a lovely looking colour.
And it's head and shoulders better than the pinkish grey washed out muck that was on the wood to start with. The dulled down photo in the post a few up shows you the difference.
So here's the two toys;
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/BCRider/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020093.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/BCRider/media/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020093.jpg.html)
And a close up of the wood grain in the stocks which we can actually SEE now.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/BCRider/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020094.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/BCRider/media/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020094.jpg.html)
And finally a little close up of the fore stock noses that I modified from the original blunt shape that came out of the box. Which one do you like the best?
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/BCRider/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020096.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/BCRider/media/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020096.jpg.html)

[TXGunNut]

Very nice, satin finish looks right at home on these rifles. Hard to say on the modified fore end. I like the original look but always feel the very end is a bit fragile, the rounded fore end gives it a nice "custom" look and could hold up to hard use a bit better.

[facetious]

With that much of a chanfer on the camber do you get a bulged case like that on a Glock ?

[texaswoodworker]

With that much of a chanfer on the camber do you get a bulged case like that on a Glock ?

I never have with my 44 mag, even with hot loads.

[CastingFool]

Looking good. I'm sure both recipients will enjoy their rifles.

[BCRider]

With that much of a chanfer on the camber do you get a bulged case like that on a Glock ?

I don't know. Neither has had a round pass down the bore yet other than perhaps at the factory or for proofing.

[mongoose33]

I just bought a Rossi 92 (.357 variety) a couple weeks ago. I also could not believe it was as good as it was. I expected a crappy trigger I'd have to smooth in, and I don't want to change it at all.

I've been working up loads for it (going to use it in our local variant of wild bunch), and shooting over a chronograph on a front rest at a target about, oh, 10-12 yards away--far enough to judge accuracy, close enough to see the holes. :)

I kept putting bullets through the same hole when I really focused and this was just the iron sites.

It's already my new favorite gun. And now I'm beginning to learn casting because I want to cast for it (and all the other handgun calibers I have).

I'm already plotting how to get one in .45LC. Nothing that an extra $500 wouldn't solve.... :)

[xs hedspace]

Does anybody know if a .357 Rossi could be redone in .357 Max?? Although, with cast, paper patching would have to be used with the extra speed. I have a Win Low Wall that I chambered for .357 Max, and the factory load that I used for a proof load registered 2250 fps--just about the same as a 30-30 energy in the rifle barrel!

[MT Gianni]

N o experimenters have been able to chamber the max in a Winchester, Rossi mod 92, 94 or Marlins andany other lever to the best of my knowledge. Something to do with cartridge length and lifters.

[Lefty Red]

Does anybody know if a .357 Rossi could be redone in .357 Max?? Although, with cast, paper patching would have to be used with the extra speed. I have a Win Low Wall that I chambered for .357 Max, and the factory load that I used for a proof load registered 2250 fps--just about the same as a 30-30 energy in the rifle barrel!

I don't think so, but this is only from what I remember from a conversation from another member. He had a 357 mag lever made into a 360 DW, which is between the magnum and maxium. Couldn't do a full max chambering due to the short throw of the 357 magnum lever. But I have been wrong before, just ask my ex wife! :)
Jerry

[Lefty Red]

Glad to here you got a good one! Jr wants one bad, and I am thinking of doing another search for one around here. Searched high and low last year for a good friend and he ended up with a Henry! :) But I always liked the handy size of the Rossi.

Did you plug the safety on the top or use the peep sight?

Jerry

[nekshot]

Hooray, great looking guns and a good honest review with out all the complain, complain ,complain we have been seeing so much of. What a blast of refreshing air this thread is, now I gotta find a 357 for me!

[wallasan10]

And finally a little close up of the fore stock noses that I modified from the original blunt shape that came out of the box. Which one do you like the best?
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/BCRider/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020096.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/BCRider/media/Gun%20pictures/Rossi%20Rifles/P1020096.jpg.html)The squared off edges of the forearm was one of the first things I noticed when I picked up the gun for the first time. Definitely something I want to change.

[mongoose33]

Glad to here you got a good one! Jr wants one bad, and I am thinking of doing another search for one around here. Searched high and low last year for a good friend and he ended up with a Henry! :) But I always liked the handy size of the Rossi.

Did you plug the safety on the top or use the peep sight?

Jerry

I didn't do either. The safety, while a little goofy, doesn't bother me. The sights work for me pretty well. I know that's a personal thing.

The friend who recommended I try the Rossi had a Henry; he simply couldn't get it to feed reliably and started to really tee him off. He sold it, bought the Rossi, and that's why I have one.

[Lefty Red]

I didn't do either. The safety, while a little goofy, doesn't bother me. The sights work for me pretty well. I know that's a personal thing.

The friend who recommended I try the Rossi had a Henry; he simply couldn't get it to feed reliably and started to really tee him off. He sold it, bought the Rossi, and that's why I have one.

Thats the first time I have heard that about a Henry.
I did find a decent Rossi, but it needed allot of smoothing up. The Henry needs nothing, but better sights. I think I would go for a newer Marlin 1894 over a Rossi. Within $100 of each other and although not a nice as the older ones still a ready to go rifle.
Jerry

[Gray Fox]

Between my wife and I we have 15 year old Rossi .45 Colts in the 24 inch rifle and 20 inch carbine models, as well as 3 of the newer .357s and one .44 Mag which have the scout scope screw holes under the rear sights. The newer ones are MUCH smoother and the triggers better than the earlier ones I smoothed up and we shot thousands of rounds through in cowboy action matches over eight years. Two of the 16" .357s have scout scopes on them and will put a world of hurt on anything at 100 yards. I'm shooting the Ranch Dog 175 grainers over a stout load of 2400 and I'm hoping we get a chance at deer and hogs with them this fall. This combo makes a great car or truck gun backed up by an S&W model 66 or 27. The reddish wood finish does suck, but after hunting season I'll get working on them. GF

[monge]

Do you know the twist rate of the barrel wonder if they shoot heavy boolits better than a marlin in 44 ?

[Fergie]

I've got a mid-90s Puma in 45LC that is fun to shoot, and has always functioned just fine. I was nervous about the quality issues I read about when looking for a .357 lever gun.

I was pleased with the Rossi, and after trimming the magazine follower spring, and replacing the plastic follower, it feed ammo just fine. Once I get a moment, I'll slick the action up per NKJ and should be good to go.

[HawkEyeEarl]

I am around a lot of people who shoot Rossi lever rifles. Some tune them and some do not. I have 1 from the 1990's that is box stock.
It is tight and always works. Just like for any other lever rifle, do not load too long or too short, and it will feed, eject and shoot.
It is not a pretty as some other rifles I have seen or used, but it is a work horse for me. I like it. I was able to buy it.

[BCRider]

Glad to here you got a good one! Jr wants one bad, and I am thinking of doing another search for one around here. Searched high and low last year for a good friend and he ended up with a Henry! :) But I always liked the handy size of the Rossi.

Did you plug the safety on the top or use the peep sight?

Jerry

Sorry for losing track of this thread. But let's get caught up.

I'm still a little ways off from getting my machine shop back up and running. So I just made a plug using simple stuff. I found that a 9/32 drill bit shank was a perfect fit in the hole. I cut a short section off which is just a hair longer than needed to get the end to extend to just barely past the retention pin hole. The ends were dressed with a file and the upper exposed end crowned very slightly by running the plug in a hand drill and "lathing" it with a fine file then polishing with some 400 grit wetordry paper. Some cold blue finished it off.

A notch to accept the retaining pin was ground out using a Dremel and a cutoff wheel. But a small round or triangle file to cut the notch would do the same thing. We only need to just let the pin pass and retain the plug after all.

[BCRider]

On the quality let's say that Rossi has had mixed levels over the years. Mine, which I bought just about 6 years ago, was nice on the outside but roughly done on the inside with lots of rough machining marks and lots of coarse burrs. It's likely that I got one where the cutting tools where near their end of life and hence the coarse cutting of the surfaces. So I did a lot of stoning even on flat areas to even up the crests of all the cutter marks. The idea wasn't to totally flatten as that would remove too much metal. I just crowned them off so I had an adequate amount of flats so the parts didn't "click and clatter" when they slide over each other.

The next one I did for someone 4 years later had the dodgy wood finish and rather lack lustre exterior metal finishing. But inside I found nice fine machining marks and a general lack of burrs. But not the actual chamber mouth chamfering and detail polishing seen on these last two. So good marks for internals but not so nice outside. But outside is generally within most folks' ability to do something about. Stripping and re-finishing wood is pretty easy even for a beginner once they have some instructions to follow.

So it's not all wine and roses. Not by a long shot. But we aren't paying Uberti or Winchester prices for our Rossis either.

Hawkeye Earl, your use of the box stock rifle mirrors other reports I've seen. Oh sure, they are rather rough and sticky right out of the box. But with enough shooting they slick themselves up. Doing the work ourselves just speeds the process. In your case there would be little or nothing to gain at this point other than slicker cycling provided by the spring kit. But you really only need that for fun or competition. If yours is a working rifle I would not want the spring kit in any event since the trigger becomes rather light.

Fergie, I'm curious why you cut the magazine spring. I would think that it might make the feeding a bit slower and for really fast cycling such as in cowboy action shooting this could cause a problem. In any event I've not had a wiff of trouble with my stock setup. I'm even still using the plastic follower.

[Fergie]

Fergie, I'm curious why you cut the magazine spring. I would think that it might make the feeding a bit slower and for really fast cycling such as in cowboy action shooting this could cause a problem. In any event I've not had a wiff of trouble with my stock setup. I'm even still using the plastic follower.

I cut the magazine per the recommendation of Nate Kiowa Jones and his Rossi 92 DVD. When I first purchased the rifle, I could not load the magazine to capacity.

In his DVD instruction, he says the magazine spring should but cut to approximately three length of a .357 cartridge. I cut almost 4" off the spring, and that was being conservative on the amount I cut.

Now, I have no issues loading the rifle to capacity, and cycling issues are nil.

Keep in mind though, that my older Rossi needed none of this. Only on the newer model have I had issues. Now, the issues are gone. Honestly, tinkering is part of the fun of all of this, and I enjoyed learning about the internals of the rifle.

[TCLouis]

I have been told the 92 in 357 Maggie is 1:30.

The others I have no idea.

So much for the 180-190 grain Ranch Dog Boolit that I wanted to use.

Can you imagine that cheap plastic magazine follower in a 500 dollar gun?