My Buddy’s Rossi 357 and Customer Service Report

[Bazoo]

My buddy had a Rossi in 357 Magnum. It was throated so largely that the brass wouldn’t resize far enough down to then chamber in another 357. With 38s, because the pressure is much lower, the cases held their shape when fired.

He was able to get some restitution from Rossi...He sent the gun to them and they had it right at a year. They said they were waiting on a barrel from Brazil. Finally after 3-4 calls they just replaced the gun.

His new one bulges 357 cases too, but not as badly. I haven’t tried to resize any yet but I do believe they will be usable again.

[FergusonTO35]

Guess I am lucky, my 92 hasn't bulged anything so far.

[BLAHUT]

My buddy had a Rossi in 357 Magnum. It was throated so largely that the brass wouldn’t resize far enough down to then chamber in another 357. With 38s, because the pressure is much lower, the cases held their shape when fired.

He was able to get some restitution from Rossi...He sent the gun to them and they had it right at a year. They said they were waiting on a barrel from Brazil. Finally after 3-4 calls they just replaced the gun.

His new one bulges 357 cases too, but not as badly. I haven’t tried to resize any yet but I do believe they will be usable again.

If you are going to keep the gun ? Keep the fired brass separate, Then do not resize the brass and try them again ? May just work fine in the rifle ? Or go back to Rossi for a total refund, gun unsafe ?

[dverna]

This is not the first report I have seen of this defect. I am no gunsmith, but would it be possible to "sleeve" that part of the barrel and have it chambered properly?

[Randy Bohannon]

Don’t recommend third world firearms with questionable satisfaction.

[Bazoo]

My buddy is happy with it, he doesn't reload. I dont know if you can sleeve something that high of pressure, but my buddy wouldn't spend any money on such. It works, and that's all that matters to him.

Thats the crowd that rossis are intended for I reckon.

[FergusonTO35]

The dealer I buy from will make it right even if the factory won't, even if that means giving you all your money back. And that's why I give him my business!

[Bazoo]

The dealer I buy from will make it right even if the factory won't, even if that means giving you all your money back. And that's why I give him my business!

Can’t blame ya there.

[indian joe]

This is not the first report I have seen of this defect. I am no gunsmith, but would it be possible to "sleeve" that part of the barrel and have it chambered properly?

pull the barrel, set it back a thread (or two) recut the chamber ??????????

[FergusonTO35]

Given what Rossi's cost these days, you can often score a basic Henry for not much more if you shop around. I really like my 92, but the price would have to be alot lower for me to roll the dice again. My dealer had it priced around $75.00 less than other places around here and I know he will back it up 100%.

[dverna]

My idea to sleeve the barrel was silly. By the time you pay someone to do that, it makes more sense to sell the thing and buy a Marlin 1894. I have two Marlins and will never sell them. They work and are accurate. A lot of folks in CAS are leaving the sport and some need cash so the Marlins are around.

[FergusonTO35]

I'm looking forward to the Ruglin 1894. If the 336 is any indication it will be a winner.

[FergusonTO35]

On the topic of Rossi 92- if you remove the manual safety on the bolt, do you have to put anything back into the hole for the gun to function? Now that I'm using scopes on all my .30-30's I'm planning to have my 92 drilled and tapped for the Williams FP from my Winchester 94. I don't even know if the safety will interfere with the receiver sight or not, just wondering if the rifle will function without it

[quack1]

TO35- the gun will work without the safety, and there is a peep sight that will replace the safety. You won't need to drill and tap. Google Steves gunz If you have a lathe, you can easily make one.
Here's the one I made for my 45 Colt.

[Harter66]

I had a pair , 1986&2013 Rossi M92s , in 45 Colts both had .450 grooves fed freely .454 454424s but ejected brass at .492 . Yes FL sizing would get them back in the .484 Ruger but that does defeat having companion guns . Neither ran Rem brass even after the cleaning and deburring inside.

A buddy bought one in 38/357 it ran 38 WC and everything else like water as fast or slow as you wanted to go . Load 38s out to 357 even minimum lengths or put a 357 in the mag and it jams in transition from carrier to bolt push into the chamber 357 WC we didn't try . Polishing the guts helped buy it needed more than time allowed at the time .

I was all set up to do a barrel on the 2014 in 45 Colts but the bid came back enough to sell both of them and buy a brand new Nippon Winchester , maybe even a new Sharps . So I segregate my brass sold off the RP and called it a day . Now it's someone else's stuff.

[FergusonTO35]

TO35- the gun will work without the safety, and there is a peep sight that will replace the safety. You won't need to drill and tap. Google Steves gunz If you have a lathe, you can easily make one.
Here's the one I made for my 45 Colt.

Thanks, I really appreciate it. I would be glad to hire you to make a safety plug for my rifle if you are interested. Aluminum would be ok.

[Soundguy]

Guess I am lucky, my 92 hasn't bulged anything so far.

same here... and I'm a tad surprised he could not resize a case.. sure a big case will get worked and the brass won't last.. but sounds like his dies are not setup properly..

[square butte]

Here's my Rossi EMF 1892 .357 trapper New in Box experience - First and only 7 rounds fired through it had a fairly large bulge about half way up the case, and split each of those 7 rounds at the bulge. Called the Company and they said to send it to the east coast customer service gunsmith - 2 years later I got it back after a phone call every two months with a new promise of "ready soon". Never again on a rossi

[Bazoo]

same here... and I'm a tad surprised he could not resize a case.. sure a big case will get worked and the brass won't last.. but sounds like his dies are not setup properly..

The problem was with the brass, as it was bulged so far into the web that the brass wouldn't go in far enough because of the lip on the shell holder.

It bulged brass nearly to the rim with 357 Magnum loads, so much so that I figured it'd be unsafe to load that brass and fire it in the gun again for fear of a ruptured case. The only way it could have been sized would be a full length hand die like what was available as an accessory for the lyman 310 tools.

I may have some of it in my bag of brass that came from my buddy, but I haven't sorted the bag yet. I threw some away at the time, so I wouldn't try to load it.

[Bushrat]

I bought a new Rossi stainless in 44 mag that so much head space I had case separations. I sent it back and six months later they sent me a new rifle with exactly the same issues. I sent it back and six months later I received another new rifle that was super smooth, but the bore is .4345 and the front sight is canted enough to make sighting in very difficult. I had to drill and tap for a Lyman receiver sight a the one that replaced the could not be sighted in. I love how handy the 92 is, but what a pain.