[leserz]

whats your opinion on these in 357 mag ? actual people that have owned one not a friend of a friend. you get what you pay for or there a present surprise ?
not really looking for a carry gun one thats going to hold up for 10 yr or so. if i shot say 50 to 100 rounds per month. it will be a house gun and a plinker . :)

[MCgunner]

Rossi for sure. I've had a few Rossis and they're better now than their Interarms days. Excellent little revolvers for the money. I had an old Charter Undercover I was not impressed with and sold off. They've had their ups and downs over the years. Some folks seem to actually like 'em, but I'll take a Rossi anyday over Charter. JMHO, though. I have far more experience with good little Rossi revolvers. I've owned a nice little 971 4" .357 I liked for backpacking and outdoor carry. Great little gun, light, yet strong and fairly accurate. I had a M88 stainless .38, sold to a friend and it's still going strong. I had a M511 .22 kit gun that got stolen and I bought another one used at a gun show I liked it so much. The new one is even a little more accurate. It's crazy accurate for a kit gun, the other one was okay. I currently have a M68 and that M511 in my enventory along with a Rossi lever gun in .357. I kinda want a stainless .454 Casull M92 lever gun. I think that'd be a nice thumper for hunting hogs. Not like I lack hunting rifles, though.

You won't find the Rossi has a very refined DA trigger, but the SA trigger is usually quite nice. The DA is workable, though on the .22s it's pretty bad. But, it's not up to Taurus, S&W triggers. I have carried and do occasionally carry a Rossi for self defense. I have no problem trusting them. They shoot well. My current M68 .38 special is quite accurate and sports a 3" barrel. The finish is well about that of the other late 80s, early 90s Rossis I've had. This one is vintage 1980. The newer ones are back to the good fit and finish of the older ones IMHO, from what I've seen over the counter at Academy Sports and Outdoors. I've considered picking up a 462, but the niche is covered by my SP101.

[chilie]

They will get the job accomplished and hold up pretty well. Ive had one for a little over a year ad i dont shoot it extensivley but well over 200 full house magnum rounds have been put through it and my only gripe is that the wheel lock button wors itself loose after extensice shooting

[chilie]

Sorry I own a rossi Snub in 357

[Onmilo]

Rossi was bought out by Taurus several years ago.
I don't know if they are still offering guns under the the Rossi Logo here in the states anymore or not.
I haver heard they still offer rifles and handguns in Brazil and for the Latin American trade under the Rossi trade name, they just don't use it here any more I guess.
I don't do the buying for the store and rarely look at the distributer catalogs any longer.
Rossi handguns were pretty decent buys when they were offered here.
A little rough in the internals but the metallurgy was sound, as were the products.

Charter Arms has had three phases of ownership.
The first phase and second phase .357 Magnum caliber guns are not worth owning, plain and simple.
The .22 and .38 special first phase guns are pretty decent.
The second phase guns in all calibers are just bad.
Too many issues to list in one post but two words can sum it up.
Bad quality.

This current, third phase of ownership is supposed to be producing some fairly decent handguns in all calibers but I cannot comment further because the shop owner absolutely refuses to carry the product line.

[Diamondback]

I had a Rossi M971 .357 back in the '80's....fine revolver. I regret having sold it.

- regards

[go_bang]

I have had a Rossi 971 4" since the late 90's and it has been fine. I bought it new and have had exactly one problem with it. A cylinder lock up about two weeks after I bought it. It was repaired and never had an issue since. I don't remember how many rounds I've shot through it but it has been a lot. The vast majority were .357 loads.

I also had a Rossi 88 2" that I bought used rather cheap. The action was kind of stiff, but loosened up just fine after a cleaning. I had it for a few years and sold it to a cousin. I wish I had it back, but last I heard it was still working fine.

I would buy a Rossi again. I have no experience with anything from Charter.

[MCgunner]

Rossi is still very much offered in this country. Here, they sell 'em at Academy Sports and Outdoors as a regular line. The 462 in stainless is $320, last time I was in Academy, decent deal. It's a SIX shot snubbie.

http://www.rossiusa.com/

[Dismantler]

I had Charter .38's in the 1980's and found the quality to be marginal. I bought one of the new ones and it is JUNK. Do not buy one of the new Charters. "Okay Dismantler," you say, "How are they junk?"

Well, after not too many shots it really loosened up. There was a shocking amount of front to back play in the cylinder, and an unacceptable amount of side to side play. The cylinder stop is a stamped out piece of sheet metal. The bluing was poor. I paid $272 for this new, and sold it for $150. By contrast, I just paid $239 for a really nice used S&W Model 60.

I recently bought one of the Interarms Rossis in .38. I put a few shots through it and it seemed okay. It was self-defense accurate. But I think that I will sell it and stick to S&W. My advice is always to buy Ruger or S&W snubbies. Old Colts are too expensive.

[scythefwd]

In .357, I can't tell you. I have had both in .38spl. I had an Charter and I didn't like it, so I traded it with my brother in law for his rossi, which he liked less than the charter. If you can, try them both and see what fits you best. Personally, I'll stick with rossi.

[7six2]

I've got a Model 68 and it's my carry piece. Love the little thing.

[whichfinger]

I own a Rossi 971 4" (is there a pattern forming here?) I bought last October primarily as a HD gun. I only fire maybe one cylinder of .357 when I take it to the range once a month, and then only because I like to remind myself I have an intense aversion to pain. I usually go through a couple of dozen rounds of .38s each session. I love the gun - it's more accurate than I am, and so far it's been trouble-free.

[TonyB]

Rossi,the new ones by Taurus:yes....had a 461(2" 357)had no issues,but sold it to a buddy who had a screw fly off..but they have the Taurus warentee.
Charter Arms:1st generation:yes,I have the bulldog...great gun,trigger was way better than expected(may have had some smithing done though,I bought it used)not sure about CA warentee.
Both are "cheap" but I think under rated(In my expierence)I've had Taurus's that were great too.I'm a sucker for cheap revolvers anyway.
and before someone else says it.....you could always buy a used smith and wesson or Ruger.I prefer Rugers.I'v eactually sent smiths back more than any ruger or taurus or rossi I've owned.

[Haywood]

4 Taurus 357s, 1 Rossi 357, 2 Ruger 357s, 1 S&W 357. All shoot good, no problems, and I would by them again.

[papajohn]

I've shot a few Charters, and frankly wouldn't buy one at any price. I just don't have any faith in them, I like to practice with ALL my revolvers, and I don't think the Charters stand up to constant pounding very well. The 357 Rossi's I've shot have all been solid, reliable guns.

I just picked up a Rossi 44 Spl last week, put 250 rounds through it yesterday, and I'm more than pleased with it. It's not a Smith, but it's not far behind, and this one cost me a FOURTH what a Smith 696 would have!

Papajohn

[bcrowl]

I had a Rossi .357 which I loved and now my dad carries. I would by another one in a heartbeat.

[specops]

Haven't used either in .357 but have had a Charter .44 for 20+ years and it's still going strong. I had a Rossi in 44 Special as well and really liked it. Ex-stepson stole it so he must have liked it too. My standard load (7.0 gr Unique and RCBS 250KT) seems to work fine. Records show it's fast approaching 6000 rounds of handloads and commercial (including Glasner Blue Tips) without any noticeable wear. I have shot several .38 Charters and Rossi's through the years and they were good serviceable guns though not fancy and most could have used a good trigger job but the same can be said for most guns in the last 20 years.

[ImARugerFan]

How much do they run? I'd personally snag a used stainless security six for ~ $300. It's the best handgun I own.

[MCgunner]

Last security six I saw had a 400 dollar tag on it. You can get a BRAND NEW 2" six shot stainless Rossi for 320 bucks at Academy. I bought a Taurus 4" .357 M66 nickel in like new condition for $197 and it outshoots my old Security Six by a good margin with .38 special. The Security Six would do good to get a wadcutter load into 3". My Taurus shoots 'em better than I can, 6 shot 1" rested 25 yard groups being typical. I traded that Security Six for a 6.5" Blackhawk and kept the Taurus for an outdoor/hiking gun. Actually, my Rossi shot .38s better than the Security Six and was lighter to carry. But, it wasn't quite as accurate as that Taurus is. It can drill a good .357 load into that same inch, too. Accuracy might not be a concern if all you want is a combat revolver, but a gun that will shoot as well as my Taurus does comes in handy on a rabbit at 30 yards. Supreme accuracy matters in a field gun.

[ImARugerFan]

$350 is probably average price for a very good stainless security six from what I've seen, I think I paid $340 for mine.

[MCgunner]

It's very regional, but down here at the gun shows, old Security Sixes aren't in high volume. There are more old Smiths. Both demand premium prices. People ignore the Taurus and Rossi guns and their used prices are ridiculously low, which is a good thing if all you want is a good shootin' gun and ain't worried about the stamp on the sideplate (or where it would be in the case of the Ruger :D). I've never been a brand snob. If the gun shoots, I like it. :D

I also got a more worn 3" M66 blued for $180 at a recent show and that's a good shootin' gun, too. I carry it occasionally. It's got a little more grip to hide, but carrys about as easily as my SP101 and had an extra round and a full length ejector rod. It's a little heavier than the SP101, but you hold 'em up side by side and there's not a lot of difference, just a little longer grip and a little longer barrel. The longer barrel and resulting added sight radius shrinks the groups on the Taurus compared to the SP101, too, though the SP101 shoots well. I have Hogue grips on both guns. I think if I get another SP101, it'll have the 3" barrel length, just ain't that much more to hide compared to the affect it has on group size. I got my SP101, though, from son-in-law for 250 bucks to keep him from hockin' the thing. :rolleyes: He got a lot more than the pawn shop would have given him and I got a deal. :D

[Moonclip]

Isnt a blued mod 66 actually a 19 or is this some sort of special finish? And if actually a 3" and not 2 3/4" I think the 3" much rarer.

I got my .357mag SP101 for $250 as well.

Does anyone have a Charter Arms .357mag? As my .44spl and .22lr examples have been marginal, I'd be hesitant to own one in such a powerful caliber.

[STRONGARM5791]

Rossi Fan here! I have 2 of them. 38 special and a 357 Magnum. The 38 has a 4" barrel and the 357 has a 6" barrel. I put about 350 rounds a month through the 38. She is accurate, nice trigger pull, feel good in hand and a all around fun plinker/self defence firearm!

[Elvishead]

Rossi hands down. I was at the Shotshow this year and the Charters were scary.

TBS, I wouldn't buy either as of now, but we'll see how my replacment Rossi does.

[MCgunner]

Isnt a blued mod 66 actually a 19 or is this some sort of special finish? And if actually a 3" and not 2 3/4" I think the 3" much rarer.

In a Smith, yes, in a Taurus, no. There is no Taurus M19. They make a blued 66, a nickeled 66 (I have a 4" nickel that is a truly awesome shooter) and stainless. Actually, I prefer the guns to my old M19 Smith, more accurate, stronger design around the forcing cone, and the 4" had a superior trigger. K frame forcing cones have split on me before. I guess I just like the idea of a ROUND forcing cone.

Hey, think outside the box. There's more to life than Smith and Wesson. :D

[Ala Dan]

IMHO, between these two, I would take a good Rossi over a Charter
any day~! :scrutiny: ;)

[Confederate]

Charter: No way. I will never buy another one of those ever again.

Rossi: Possibly, though I'd spend the few extra $$$ and get a Ruger or Smith. You can expect a Rossi to be a "rough" copy of a Smith. I have a .38 Rossi and a .22LR. Both are so-so, but I'd prefer Rossi to Charter.

[chupacabrah]

I've read enough bad things about charter to avoid them.

I've recently held (and considered buying) a rossi. guy at the gun store said the Rossi is internally identical to a S&W. felt really good and solid, i definitely wouldnt discount getting one in the future

[lee n. field]

Rossi was bought out by Taurus several years ago.
I don't know if they are still offering guns under the the Rossi Logo here in the states anymore or not.

Yes they are, and they are not just rebranded Tauri -- there are design distinctions. The one I was looking at a couple weeks back, for instance, had a hammer mounted firing pin -- a definite plus for me compared to the Taurus.

[Guillermo]

It is not my intention to ru down anyone's favorite gun. If you like either Charter or Rossi, best of luck to you.

I would rather buy a less perfect Smith or Ruger for similar money or be patient and wait until I could.

The bottom line is that I have never had luck with anything other than a S&W, Colt or Ruger revolver. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...