Rossi lever actions

[shooter Mike]

Hi, I now have my pistols and a shotgun for CAS but I still need a rifle. The Rossi has a good price but I have read some folks saying that the wood to metal fit isn't very good. If anyone has bought one of these recently I would appreciate any and all comments. Thanks, Mike

[Blackpowder Burn]

I don't have any personal experience with them, but have heard many negative comments about function and rough actions over the years.  That being said, I read a recent article that reported they were much improved and recommended them as a good rifle.

You might also want to consider a Marlin.  They are a little more expensive, but US made and very reliable.  They are much less prone to jams, especially when feeding straight walled cases like the 45 LC, 44Spl/Mag and 38/357.

[44caliberkid]

Rossi's are also called Pumas and they are model 92 replicas, so go down through this forum and read all the posts about Pumas and 92's.  About anything you could wonder about is covered.   You'll find that many guys have one or two and are pretty happy with them.   Wood to metal fit can be hit and miss.  I don't think any of them are terrible, I've seen some bad fit on just about any rifle or shotgun.   It is more a problem of modern production methods than quality.
    The roughness issue can be solved one of two ways.   Lube it up and shoot it alot, or have a gunsmith slick it up a bit.
    I have a Rossi (puma) 44-40 that has been slicked up and it's smooth as glass and very accurate.   The wood fit is fine but it's Brazilian hardwood that has a very dark stain.   Several companies have replacement American walnut stocks and fore ends, and I plan on replacing mine someday.   

[Shotgun Franklin]

I have a very new SS '92 Carbine and a Cimaron '73 Rifle both in .45 Colt.
The '92 is a lot stiffer. The '73 is as slick as it can be, does have an action job though.
The '92 is much stonger and I use it as a hunting/truck/extra CAS gun. I play with my '73.
For CAS I'd take a '73, at a much higher price.
For a work gun I'd go for the '92.

I did change out the rear sight on the '92, it now has a semi-Buckhorn.

[Daniel Nighteyes]

Shooter Mike,

In my experience, Rossi and other '92 shooter's, like M1 carbine shooters, are divided into two camps -- the Swear-By's and the Swear-At's.  Generally speaking, the Swear-By shooters are those who understand the intended functions and the limitations of the rifles, and either work to improve them or stay generally within them.  The Swear-At shooters, in my experience, are those who expect the rifles to somehow perform beyond their intended functions and limitations.

Of course, your mileage and experience may vary.

-- Nighteyes


<--- Started with Marlins, moved to Winchester reproductions

[Texas Lawdog]

The 38/357 models do better with 357s because of the longer case. Mine likes the 357s too. I took my Rossi to Nate Kiowa Jones in Port Arthur for an action job. He is the best to smooth up a Rossi. I highly recommend him. If you get one, just stay with the 357s and you should not have any problems.

[Lloyd]

I just got a new 45 Colt 20 carbine. I love it. It was ok out of the box, but I bought Steve's Gunz DVD and did the mods plus put a spring set from Brownels in. Now it is fantasically slick. The wood is some South American wood stained walnut, but it looks good and the fit is good. All in all it is a good little rifle with a lot of potential.
Lloyd

[44caliberkid]

Help me answer a question for a guy on another forum.   Does anyone have a 44 magnum Rossi that has tried 44 specials in it?   Do they function OK or are they tricky like the 38's in 357 rifles?

[the missing link]

The Rossi in .44 mag. funcsion whith .44 special and .44 russian as well.

                                                      The Missing Link

[Gun Butcher]

  I've got a 92 in 44 mag that I had long before I got interested in CAS. I did the action job myself and believe me it made a world of difference and I did't slick it up as much as I could have.
Even before the action job I never had a problem with jamming or failure to function. The thing I found out and I have heard other people say the same thing, is you have to cycle it like you mean it. You can't and won't get away with sneaking up on this rifle.
Mine has been on probably 25 Deer hunts in all kinds of weather and i am including as much as a windchill factor of 20 below and it has never failed me even once. As long as I did what I was supposed to do.

[Ricochet]

I have 2 of the Rossi 92's both are the older Rossi's, one in 38/357 and the other in 45LC the fit and finish are terrific on these two older ones, both are slick shooters. That being said I have no experience with the newer ones. You might want to look at the EMF Hartford 92's, the price is reasonable and I liked the way it just snaps to your shoulder.

[Johnny McCrae]

I have an EMF Hartford 1892 Carbine in .44-40. I had an action job done and it is very smooth. I really like the wood on this one. As Gun Butcher said, you do have to cycle it with authority.

[jimmyb.1]

I have a .38 Rosi 92 which I slicked up myself and it is a smooooth shooter now, very fast.  I'd say the Marlin is more reliable though.  It's tough for me to say that b/c I've had the Rosi completly apart twice and I really know it well.  I guess you could compare it to driving an older Jag.  The car is famous for electrical issues but it normally always works.  It's that 1% of the time that really pisses you off.  Is that something you want to deal with?   For me the 92 is the best looking of the 73 and the Marlins.  Ask me again in a year and I'll probably be shooting a Marlin.  Who knows.  For the money you're droping to get into this sport what's another couple hundred for a more reliable rifle?
FWIW
jb



June 2010 - I'm now shooting a 73.  That 1% of the time happened w/ the 92 and I got mad and ordered a Connager special.  That's the only way it was going to happen, is if I got real mad.

[Henry Sloan]

You get what you pay for. A new Rossi 92 can be bought through Cheaper Than Dirt for less than $400. I don't know where you can get a new Uberti 73 for less than $1100. I have two Rossi 92s in 45LC and a Codymatic that I bought from Cody in 357 which I have only shot and will only shoot 38sp. None of them have ever malfunctioned on me ever, OK the Uberti doesn't like semi-wad cutters, but the 92s have never seen a SWC. All three are very accurate, but in my hands the Codymatic acts like it's shooting guided missiles. As for fit and finish and smoothness of action there is no comparison. Both my 92s are totally stock. Maybe if I shelled out another $150 for an action job and different springs they would be just as smooth as the very well tuned Uberti, although I don't see how that's possible. That last $600 difference is the fit and finish and, well, you get what you pay for.

[Bow View Haymaker]

I've been shooting a 92 rossi for several years.  Bouth it almost 10 yhears ago been shooting cowboy about 6.  The rifle has had thousands of rounds through it from full .357 SWC loads to light .38s.   no action job just honest wear. 
Only had to open it up once.  After a year of 2 of hard cowboy use it would kick the next round out with the empty.  A thin shim behind the feed guid to narrow the gap the shell comes up through and loading my .38s a bit long solved the problem 99% of the time.  When you work the action of a Rossi 92 , don't go lightly.  Work it hard.  you ain'tgona' break it.  It has a longer lever throw so use it.  Treat it like an exgirlfriend/wife not a first date. 
I guess I would be in the "swear by them" catagory.  I am wanting another in .45 or maybe .454.  I'd love to find another presafty model.

[WyrTwister]

Hi, I now have my pistols and a shotgun for CAS but I still need a rifle. The Rossi has a good price but I have read some folks saying that the wood to metal fit isn't very good. If anyone has bought one of these recently I would appreciate any and all comments. Thanks, Mike

     I have a Rossi lever gun in .45 LC and .357 Mag .I really like both of them .

     Low recoil , small , handy , " pretty " and economical to feed with reloads & home cast bullets .

     A good buy .

God bless Wyr

[cpt dan blodgett]

my circa 1995 rossi will handle 44 specials with 245 grain semi wads.  It throws 44 spec 200 grain rnfp straight out the top.
Feeds just fine with 200 rnfp from 44 mag cases, so thats what I use.

If I ever shoot enough lost brass matches to run out of 44 spec brass I will go strictly to 44 mag, but until then it is 44 spec in the pistols and 44 mag in the rifle.

[Boothill Bob]

Hello..
I followed the instructions on this page and "trimmed" my Rossi -92, it took a while but I'm very pleased with the outcome. I tested a friends -73 which is tuned, mine is as slick as his, the only thing I miss is a short stroke kit (there is no shortstroke to Rossi  )


http://marauder.homestead.com/files/Rossitune.htm

[RickB]

I bought a Rossi Puma 92 when they first came out because it was affordable. Problem is with the function. It lets the .45 shells I load in it pop up and doesn't feed them well from the tube mag. It does this quite regularly and is the reason I replaced it with a 1866 Yellowboy I got from Cabella's. The Yellowboy cost me $650.00 but good luck finding one for that cost these days. My Rossi cost me about $390.00. I did hear that the new Rossi's are much better than when they first came out. I don't know but I also don't know if I would spend the money to find out. I would rather spend more to get something of quality than to spend little and get junk.

[Montanashooter]

I bought a older Rossi (brazii) 92 two years ago. It had feeding problems as i discovered basically all 44-40s did and they crushed the case mouths due to to stiff of springs.  Anyhows right before i moved a month ago i dug the parts out of a bag and thought well ill reassemble it for moving then i thought ill play with it some but not much... But then all of a sudden all of its problems made sense looked at my 94s loading gates etc and file here and there and now it work perfect.  Shorten some of the springs and since i have a 44 mag pistol the 44 mag diameter barrel is a plus since i already use 200 gr bullets in 44 mag and i love that cheap little gun, fitting and finish i feel are very adequate and well done.  Some regular 92 winchester parts like the loading gate interchanged.  It made me mad for a long time but now i love it because it was a cheap gun bought second hand that theres no way the prev owner shot much due to its fitting problems that are now fixed.  i can beat it up and use it and not feel bad bout carrying it in the pickup alot etc.  And it dont have the stupid safety on top the bolt that ive seen on newer models ive came across.  If it were a 44 mag itd not have the problems it did i suspect, but the 44-40 is a nice old round i enjoy with as much enthusiasm.