Rossi Surprise

[KCSO]

I just finished slicking up a Rossi lever gun for myself and a good friend talked me out of it, so it was back to square one. I ordered another Rossi and got out the tools.

Well it came in today and I was blown away. Out of the box the gun was as smooth as an original M92. The trigger pull was 3 1/2# crisp and the bore was 357 on the nose. The first 3 shots at 20 yards with 38 specials ( that worked through the action like butter) were all one hole 3/8" from dead on. All I had to do was replace the goofy safety with my modified filler safety and I wil have to work the clubby stock down to M92 dimensions.

Sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes...

[jmort]

Only appreciated by those who own them and disparaged by those who never owned one. I have two 16" .357s. Very happy.

[pietro]

.

No surprise to me - The only mod I've done to my Rossi's, besides swapping out my Big Loop lever for standard levers, was to mount a peep sight on them (a Williams 5D-94SE, and a Skinner LoPro that I used to replace the bolt-top lawyer safties).


.

[nagantguy]

I am very impressed with my buddies Rossi its smooth shoots well pretty piece of wood metal to wood fit not bad and a nice price.

[fecmech]

My good friend just bought a 16" .357 based on the two Rossi's I own. I took some dummy rounds with us when we went to pick it up as Taurus is not known for good warranty experiences. It fed and ejected everything I had,RN,RNFP,SWC in both mag and .38 spl cases so we brought it home. Reasonably smooth as is,bluing good, trigger is decent at about 4 lbs and the gun is accurate. Whats not to like? After he shoots it a bit I'll replace the ejector spring and get the trigger in the 2.5-3lb range for him. It's a neat little gun.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I have one with a 16" barrel and " stupid safe " in 357, and one with a 20" barrel no "stupid safe" in 45 colt. Love um both, very smooth actions and feeds every thing I have tried so far. I probably won't try WC in the 16" though. They both shoot very well, although I haven't shot them much past 50 yards. I will at some time replace the "Stupid Safe" with a peep sight.

[TXGunNut]

Nice surprise indeed. Hope you bought a lotto ticket. I can never seem to find a decent Rossi around here other than those silly pistol/rifle identity crises.

[nockhunter]

I am still awaiting the return of mine. I picked up a 20" octagon barrel case hardened 44 mag last April. When I took it to the range to shoot, the mag tube was inching forward. I took the gun home to see if I could fix the problem, when I disassembled it I noticed the barrel was loose,,,,,, yes you read that right, the barrel was loose and I could unscrew it from the receiver. I contacted rossi (braztech) and payed to send it back. I was told 6-8 weeks for repair/warranty. Eight weeks later I was told they couldn't fix it and they would send me a new one. A few weeks after that they said that the model I had was not in stock and I could pick something with the same MSRP, I told them I wanted the same model I had. I was told it would be another 6-8 weeks, I said OK. I was contacted after the 8 weeks and was given the chance for another gun or wait 6-8 weeks. I really liked the gun I had and opted for the wait. I am still waiting............
I am going to call them this week, I wanted to wait until the holidays were over.

Mike

[jmort]

Well, there you go. Rossi/Taurus blows, again. It mean nothing that mine have been rock solid when you get caught in the Rossi/Taurus customer-service toilet.

[Mauser48]

Do the .357 rossis usually have oversized bores? I have heard that with the .44's before.

[bangerjim]

I love my Rossi levers in 38/357 and 45lc.

The 38 (in SST) will hit anything that I put the iron sites on! Extremely accurate (better than my olde eyes!) and smooth as glass even back when I took it out of the box a few years ago.

The 45 is just as good.

I highly recommend Rossi's to anyone looking for a good reliable lever that does not have a grand or two to drop on one.

bangerjim

[BigEyeBob]

The more you crank the action the smoother they get as the parts wear in and the machining marks and burrs get worn off. .

Twice the magazine tube has flown out of mine under recoil ( 357Mag /24" Oct barrel in stainless steel ).
I found that the little screw that goes through the plug at the front of the mag tube plug was only just engaging in the dimple under the barrel .
The sleeve that holds the mag tube under the barrel is a less than ordinary fit on the tube as well so allowing the magazine tube to move vertically.
All the slop from the bad tolerances causes the mag tube spring to eject the tube under recoil.
Where I live its way too hard to get the thing sent back and repaired so being a machinist by trade I decided to fix it my self.
Firstly I mounted the rifle by the barrel into my milling vice and proceeded to enlarge the dimple by diameter and by depth .
The barrel is plenty thick on these so I drilled the hole to about half depth of the barrel wall.
I then made a larger screw 4mm or 4.5mm IIRC rather than the 3mm original ( running thin on memory here) and also turned up a new plug , fitted it all together and it worked well .I put hefty loads through this rifle and have put at least 100 through since the fix and it has stayed in place so far
I also took the opportunity to remove two coils from the mag spring and turn up a stainless steel spring follower to get rid of the nasty yellow plastic one.
The shortened spring makes it easier to fill the magazine with out having to use a jemmy bar .
Next job will be to reduce the ejector spring tension , so I don't have to catch a train to the next town pick up my empty cases.
The loading gate spring could do with some lesser tension as well as it has a bit of a nip to it .
The wood is crappy though , and the stain will leach out and stain your hands if they are sweaty or get wet. Some Minwax wipe on poly fixes this.
Over all not a bad piece of kit for around the 900AUD I paid for it new.

[William Yanda]

You make it sound like yours was a "kit" gun. Nice mods, I envy you your machine shop capabilities.
Bill


The more you crank the action the smoother they get as the parts wear in and the machining marks and burrs get worn off. .

Twice the magazine tube has flown out of mine under recoil ( 357Mag /24" Oct barrel in stainless steel ).
I found that the little screw that goes through the plug at the front of the mag tube plug was only just engaging in the dimple under the barrel .
The sleeve that holds the mag tube under the barrel is a less than ordinary fit on the tube as well so allowing the magazine tube to move vertically.
All the slop from the bad tolerances causes the mag tube spring to eject the tube under recoil.
Where I live its way too hard to get the thing sent back and repaired so being a machinist by trade I decided to fix it my self.
Firstly I mounted the rifle by the barrel into my milling vice and proceeded to enlarge the dimple by diameter and by depth .
The barrel is plenty thick on these so I drilled the hole to about half depth of the barrel wall.
I then made a larger screw 4mm or 4.5mm IIRC rather than the 3mm original ( running thin on memory here) and also turned up a new plug , fitted it all together and it worked well .I put hefty loads through this rifle and have put at least 100 through since the fix and it has stayed in place so far
I also took the opportunity to remove two coils from the mag spring and turn up a stainless steel spring follower to get rid of the nasty yellow plastic one.
The shortened spring makes it easier to fill the magazine with out having to use a jemmy bar .
Next job will be to reduce the ejector spring tension , so I don't have to catch a train to the next town pick up my empty cases.
The loading gate spring could do with some lesser tension as well as it has a bit of a nip to it .
The wood is crappy though , and the stain will leach out and stain your hands if they are sweaty or get wet. Some Minwax wipe on poly fixes this.
Over all not a bad piece of kit for around the 900AUD I paid for it new.

[fecmech]

Do the .357 rossis usually have oversized bores? I have heard that with the .44's before.
I have slugged 3 Rossi .357's, all have been .3568-.357.

[NavyVet1959]

I picked up this one for $300 in .44 mag last year.

http://images.spambob.net/navy-vet-1959/rossi-model-92-480w.jpg

[Outer Rondacker]

I have wanted one in 357 for 9 years now. I have yet to see one in my area for sale under 600+. I get to see about two a year. For some reason not many of them kicking around upstate ny. I am glade to hear you got a nice smooth one. Enjoy!!!!

[northmn]

I have a Rossi 357 and had some growing pains with it but nothing major. The rear sight would adjust for 38 specials but shot too high for 357's Filed down the rear sight and got it to work then went a stop farther and installed a Williams receiver sight. Prefer the receiver sight anyway. Some early Winchesters would not adjust to a wide variety of loads either. I did do some work on the fore end as it seemed to want to walk and the fit was very tight. While it is a little bit fussy on what type of bullet it will feed it is not overly bad. It is a repeater and some very blunt bullets do not feed well, but it does feed the factory Federal Golden Eagle very well. Its been a fun gun to shoot and sees a lot of carry on my 4 wheeler and tractor.
I have held for some time that Marlin sells a lot of Rossi's. I have a Marlin 94 in 32-20, but try to get a 94 in 357. As to the safety, any new Marlin will have one also. While the Marlin is a better rifle they are either very over priced used or not available new.

DEP

[Oklahoma Rebel]

I live bear Tulsa ok and last year got a 1895 in 45-70 for around 500-550 (memory) they had quite a few and I believe they had a couple 1894s but I don't see them as often around here.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

not bear, near

[fecmech]

I have wanted one in 357 for 9 years now. I have yet to see one in my area for sale under 600+.
They are readily available. My friend ordered his about 3 weeks ago,it came in in a week, well under $500.

[DerekP Houston]

You make it sound like yours was a "kit" gun. Nice mods, I envy you your machine shop capabilities.
Bill

That's not a bad description for them. I love mine, but I went through the same break in period. Not a machinist here, but I followed the steve gunz dvd and had no issues using a light file and dremel to slick it up.

[Outer Rondacker]

They are readily available. My friend ordered his about 3 weeks ago,it came in in a week, well under $500.
Yes they are. Only issue is my local dealers claim the cheapest they can order one in is $679. I have found they online for around 550 ish but then shipping and add the 35 dollar transfer fee and dont forget tax. I am sorry I just can not pay 700+ for a rossi anything.

If you dont mind sharing the site your friend ordered from that would be great. Thanks

[DerekP Houston]

Yes they are. Only issue is my local dealers claim the cheapest they can order one in is $679. I have found they online for around 550 ish but then shipping and add the 35 dollar transfer fee and dont forget tax. I am sorry I just can not pay 700+ for a rossi anything.

If you dont mind sharing the site your friend ordered from that would be great. Thanks

PM sent

[BigEyeBob]

QUOTE=northmn;3504385]I have a Rossi 357 and had some growing pains with it but nothing major. The rear sight would adjust for 38 specials but shot too high for 357's Filed down the rear sight and got it to work then went a stop farther and installed a Williams receiver sight. Prefer the receiver sight anyway. Some early Winchesters would not adjust to a wide variety of loads either. I did do some work on the fore end as it seemed to want to walk and the fit was very tight. While it is a little bit fussy on what type of bullet it will feed it is not overly bad. It is a repeater and some very blunt bullets do not feed well, but it does feed the factory Federal Golden Eagle very well. Its been a fun gun to shoot and sees a lot of carry on my 4 wheeler and tractor.
I have held for some time that Marlin sells a lot of Rossi's. I have a Marlin 94 in 32-20, but try to get a 94 in 357. As to the safety, any new Marlin will have one also. While the Marlin is a better rifle they are either very over priced used or not available new.

DEP[/QUOTE]

Further to my previous post on this subject , I forgot to mention that I replaced the rear sight with a Marbles sportsman rear sight and a red/orange fire sight up the business end . I had trouble focusing both front and rear sights together , old age creeping in .
The fire sight is good in thick bushy scrub as it stands out like a beacon , the white diamond on the back of the blade on the rear sight is excellent.
Bonus is the windage adjustment on the rear sight .The sight picture is a bright red dot sitting atop the point of the white diamond , makes sighting very quick and easy .

[NavyVet1959]

I was originally looking for a rifle in .357, but the price on the .44 mag one was cheap enough that I couldn't pass it up.

[knifemaker]

For you guys having a hard time finding a Rossi M-92, 357 or 44 mag. Go to the web site "Davidison's Gallery of Guns". Use the "Gun genie" by clicking on it and find the gun you are looking for. If you type in your zip code, Davidson will provide you with a name of dealers in your area that are part of their distribution network and will provide you with the amount you have to pay for the rifle and any fees. Other words you get the "out the door" price without having to leave your computer. In my area of Northern CA. I can get a Rossi M-92 in 357 mag from 550 to 600 dollars out the door which includes the transfer fees and taxes. Also Davidson's have a lifetime warranty on any firearm they sell to you. I have used them on 3 occasions and have been completely satisfied. In my area there is about 6 firearm dealers in the Davidson's network and there is a difference of about 60-70 dollars on what they will charge on the same gun.
You order the gun from Davidson and they will ship the gun to the dealer you chose and the dealer will get the gun in 2-3 days. You go into your dealer and inspect the gun and pay your money.

[typz2slo]

I just ordered a new 44 R92 with a 20" round barrel from Buds Guns for 415.00. It isnt here yet so I cannot make any comments about quality but I cant complain about the price.

[Outer Rondacker]

Never could understand why the 44 was cheaper then the 357. Enjoy

[Petrol & Powder]

I had a Rossi level gun in .357 and once I got it smoothed up it was a great gun. When it was new the interior of the action looked like it had been made with a cold chisel and a hammer. After some work it became one of my favorite toys and I wish I had held onto it.
If the OP found one that was well fitted right out of the box, he should go buy a lotto ticket. :-)

The Rossi handgun cartridge lever guns are good values and far more fun than one would think.

[NavyVet1959]

Never could understand why the 44 was cheaper then the 357. Enjoy

Agreed... I was originally looking for a single shot .357 mag so that I could convert it to .357 max, but I figured if I came across a .357 lever action, I would go that route instead. Basically, I was wanting something that could be loaded fairly soft for new shooters and then still loaded up in respectable levels. After encountering the .44 mag for $300, I decided that I could use that for the new shooters by loading the rounds with round ball loads instead. With a round ball being around 122-128 gr (0.433" vs 0.440"), it's still pretty skimpy on the lead supply.

[bangerjim]

I was originally looking for a rifle in .357, but the price on the .44 mag one was cheap enough that I couldn't pass it up.

Sorry................now you need BOTH!!!!!!!!!

You do realize this is an addiction! :guntootsmiley:

banger

[ProfGAB101]

Question: Is there a readily available pseudo drop in to swap out the hula hoop sized lever?

I wear welding gloves when welding (usually) but never when shooting.

[NavyVet1959]

Question: Is there a readily available pseudo drop in to swap out the hula hoop sized lever?

I wear welding gloves when welding (usually) but never when shooting.

I think I've seen replacement levers for sale. I guess I have pretty large hands since I have difficulty finding gloves that fit correctly, so having the larger loop is not an issue for me. Besides, I'm cycling the action slowly so that I can recover my brass without having to actually *bend down* and pick them off the ground. My old bones and joints don't like that sort of stuff anymore.

[Speedo66]

Yes they are. Only issue is my local dealers claim the cheapest they can order one in is $679. I have found they online for around 550 ish but then shipping and add the 35 dollar transfer fee and dont forget tax. I am sorry I just can not pay 700+ for a rossi anything.

If you dont mind sharing the site your friend ordered from that would be great. Thanks

Bud's has Rossi .357 20" in blue right now for $432 and they ship free. Even with tax and your transfer fee, which is pretty high, you should still be under $500.

[NavyVet1959]

Bud's has Rossi .357 20" in blue right now for $432 and they ship free. Even with tax and your transfer fee, which is pretty high, you should still be under $500.

Unless you are *voluntarily* declaring that you owe tax on the purchase, I don't see how you would be charged tax unless you were buying from a company that was in the same state you are in. Bud's is in Kentucky and Outer Rondacker is in NY, so tax should not be an issue. He would be paying Bud's directly and they would be shipping it to the FFL holder, so the FFL holder should not be charging tax on the purchase price. Besides, he should not even *know* what you paid for the item. Many of the online sellers do not charge shipping (or they charge a minimal amount), so it's not just Bud's. $35 seems kind of high for a transfer around here, but considering that everything is overpriced in NY, maybe that is not an unreasonable price for a transfer. Around here, I've seen transfers from $10-25. There might be higher places, but I don't frequent them.

[Outer Rondacker]

I stopped by a small shop who does not sell many guns mostly reloaded ammo. He had a SS Rossi 357 used on the shelf. He would take no lower then $690 for it +Tax. Said it was less then a year old and he knew the guy very well like he knows me. Less then 20 rounds fired.

Its times like this I wish I had a cell phone with a camera......

Not to Hijack a thread.

[Outer Rondacker]

Bud's has Rossi .357 20" in blue right now for $432 and they ship free. Even with tax and your transfer fee, which is pretty high, you should still be under $500.
We have the largest gun show in the capital of the state this weekend. I will be attending with hopes to find one for around this price if not a bit more. If I can not I will be ordering from Bud's. Thank you Speedo66 and others who have sent me pm's with links.

[NavyVet1959]

Well $35 is the cheapest for a transfer. Most want $55 if they can get the same gun. My dealer who charges $35 does collect 8% sales tax with the transfer fee. He also charges sales tax on the 35 transfer fee. The ones who get 55 dollars do not charge tax. Things are different here in NYastan. I wish it was more like you Texas folks have it. A person to person sale or transfer will run you $30 in these parts. NICS checks go for 15-20 at most gun shows.

One more thing, lets not forget good old Bud's Gun Shop was not selling to NYS a few months ago. Almost all online dealers had stop sales due to the laws and not understanding what was going on. Now that I have found out buds is shipping again to NYS I will almost more then likely end up giving them some of my hard earned money.

What part of NY state are you located in? Have you tried one of the online sites like gunbroker to see the prices on the local FFLs for transfers?

http://www.gunbroker.com/FFL/SearchForFFL.aspx?st=State&sv=NY

I did see at least one FFL who only charged $15, but all in all, my impression was that they charge noticeably more than here in Texas.

[barney67]

Went into my LGS a few days before Christmas checking to see if they had any powder in stock that I needed, noticed a Rossi 20 inch octagon in 357 hanging on the wall behind the counter. I've been wanting a lever 357 for a while, was hoping to find per safety Marlin 94 but that Rossi with the 20 inch octagon just looked "right". Went home and did some research on quality, etc. and figured I'd sleep on it. Well, the next day I went back and inspected the gun, first thing I noticed was how smooth the action was, fit and finish were ok and I liked the way it handled. Anyway, the thing followed me home, I've put about 50 rounds through it and happy so far.