Winchester vs Rossi.. Help me choose

Well, the Winchester is going to be a quality rifle. The Rossi is going to likely need a few $$$ in gunsmithing/parts to bring up to par. I've had 3 Rossi's and they have all been wretched in factory form. I do my own work though, so added cost isnt much of an issue. One I even rejected at the FFL due to its horrible wood fit and action. My Rossi's made old WASR's look polished...

I bought a Rossi Trifecta with a .243 barrel. I tried to find the lands with a Speer 105 Hot Cor. The bullet was not in the case when it touched the lands.

The .22 barrel shot fine as did the 20 gauge.

I'd go for the Winchester.

A Winchester will retain high resale value far out of proportion to the Rossi over the years to come.

If that matters to you?

Until about three years ago, the only Winchester 1873 was not a Winchester, it was a Uberti reproduction. These rifles are hugely popular with cowboy action shooters but they require at least a little "attention" to run like they should.

Winchester reintroduced the '73 under its own name a few years back and they are making a couple of different calibers and configurations. They cost about as much or a little more than the Ubertis but they seem to be a little better "out of the box". The competition shooters still tweak them, of course.

Some folks disregard the "new" Winchester because it is made in Japan by Miroku. Doesn't bother me-Miroku has been building really nice guns under the Browning and Winchester brands for years.

I've seen some Rossi rifles that run reasonably well after some work but they will never be as smooth as a good '73-it's a characteristic of the action.

New Rossis are actually pretty decent rifles, especially compared to what was made 20 years ago. I have a Rossi R92 in .45Long Colt, and fortunatly it didn't need "tweaking."
If you're planning on using .357 magnum, the lockup on the '92 is pretty strong and the receiver is shorter and lighter than the '73 design.
The Winchester 1873 design is the old B. Tyler Henry derived "toggle-link" action which is not as strong as the 1892, a John Moses browning design. Personally I marvel that this relatively weak action is offered in .357 magnum, but I won't claim the rifle can't handle the power; in today's lawyer-happy litiginous society I sincerely doubt that a major company is going to release a rifle that cannot handle the cartridge it is designed to fire.

If you just want an inexpensive "plinker" or general working rifle I think the Rossi will suffice nicely. The 1873 does have a heritage and it is a nice action, and as it's a Miroku product wearing the "Winchester" label it will be a nice very well made rifle.
The Rossi .... serviceable, but not so nice.

You can get a Rossi .357 for $400, and I am not sure the Winchester is 3x the rifle, if you want it for shooting and plinking. As an investment, that is a whole 'nuther story, but in my experience guns like that are no fun to shoot because I am worried about scratching them or otherwise decreasing the value. For me, a gun should be a tool - to be used and not to be fussed over. But that is just my perspective.

I don't know if this helps or not, but I have the Uberti 1873 clone, and it is one of my favorite firearms. The action is smooth, and it is a lot of fun. Mine has a 20" barrel. The balance of the piece is really nice too. The fit and finish of the rifle parts is pretty nice, and there is no "safety" so to speak on the rifle anywhere.

To choose between the two you have mentioned, I know I would be happier with the Winchester/Miroku offering.

As for the "weaker action" of the 1873, perhaps it is weaker than the '92, but it is "strong enough" for the 357 magnum cartridge. Sometimes it seems folks believe that the rifle is going to explode or something due to the weak action. I've put perhaps 500 rounds through mine and it is running strong.

-Reminds me: I need to take her out and blast at some cans sometime soon.

I just purchased a Winchester 1873 (Miroku) in .45 Colt - just shot it this past Sunday - it is the base model (Grade I) however it reeks of quality - extremely well made and well finished. I am not an Italian gun type of guy but I am a Japanese gun (Miroku) type of guy; speaking for myself, Miroku simply makes quality stuff. I also own quality US firearms but they seem to cost more; I do not have any empirical evidence for that statement but that is my experience. I like the Winchester but I am sure that the Rossi will do the job for which it is purchased. Great thing about your question, you have choices.

For your intended purposes, I would probably go with the Rossi. I have one in .357, and it does just fine, fun gun to shoot.

I've been giving serious thought to the side loading vs tube loading thing.

I have lever's in both and it seems I can load both pretty fast. The only negitive I can think of is that the inner mag tube could get broken, lost or bent. I've never had that issue with my Henry however.

For around $600, I can get my hands on a well-built Henry which also has great customer service. I'm sure the Rossi is okay, but I know Henry will stand behind their rifles.

I'll agree with several who've given thumb up to rossis. I have several in different calibers, including a newer & older in 357. I like the newer one, better. They are easy to smooth up, but the newer one (cpl yrs old) was fine out of the box. It would need tweaked a bit if i were to use it competitively, but it is fine for range shooting & plinking. the M92 action is very strong.. over engineered for 357. I have one in 454 with pretty much the same action, so you know it is plenty strong.

I'm sure the winchester/miroku would be a fine addition, too, & a classic firearm & heirloom piece. But the rossi is a well made weapon, & is very functional & should last a lifetime.

I like the saddle ring..you can wear a single point sling & hook it to the ring for hands free carrying.

That's not even a choice IMO. I would never pass up the opportunity to buy a Winchester because of a Rossi. ever. I'd go Henry or Marlin before a Rossi.

As others have said, the Rossi is a tool, and a good one at that. I've got 2 and both are very functional. For me, the initial cleanup of the Rossi's was a learning experience, take them apart (with the help of an excellent youtube video), replace overly strong ejector springs and plastic cartridge followers, and experiment with different sight options. None of this costs much (unless you scope the rifle), and the end result is a light handy rifle that is just FUN. Both are accurate and have good triggers. I even like the much maligned bolt top safety, it lets you empty the magazine with less chance of a misadventure, and the Taurus hammer lock is about the only way to secure a 92 lever gun, other gun lock systems just don't work well on lever actions. I've not noticed that Winchester 92's are particularly available, you have to go to sites like Buds to find them (one on there right now in 44 mag) while Rossi's are easy to come up with in just about any caliber or configuration you want (Buds has around 24 including the mare's legs). Rossi's are available in 454 Casull which Winchester/Miroku doesn't offer

In regards to Wishoot's concerns about bending, breaking or losing the inner tube on a Henry (which I also own), their website sells replacements for around $22, so that should not be a concern.

I have a Rossi 92 I bought in 1995 sold by Interarms in Virginia. It is .45 Colt and has always been a good rifle. It has been deer hunting, spent may hours in a scabbard on horseback, spends many hours in my jeep, has shot untold amount of black powder blanks for cowboy reenactment shows and has been carried as an extra in a movie. It resides by in a rack by the front door loaded for any need I might have. (Live on a farm.) It is accurate as can be and very easy to shoulder and point shoot. The only repair is the stock, which I cracked on horseback and repaired myself.

Saying all that, years of use has smoothed out the action, which you will probably get out of the box with a Winchester Brand. But I can't beat mine for what I use it for. Dependable and accurate.

I recently bought a Rossi M92 in .357. I expected a rough rifle that had some difficulty. I was also skeptical of its accuracy potential...I was wrong on all accounts....it ran find with any style bullet I tried right out of the box. After I had it a week or two, I used Steve's Gunz video to slick up the action. It is super slick now...As far as accuracy goes. I shoot a lot of steel open sighted. I can hit a 6" gong at 150 yards more times than not.

I like the Mirokuchester 1873 (in 44-40) and I own 2 pieces of their 1892, wich are realy wonderfull rifles.

If I wanted an 38/357magnum, I would select a 1892. That action with its 'transfer bars' is much stronger then the toggle action of the 1873, if I am going to fire a lot of 357magnum.

Others with more knowledge on the subject, please comment.

The Rossis I handled are nowhere nere the Mirokuchester on quality and feel.

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I am fortunate to own a Miroku-made Browning 92 (a fine Winchester 1892 reproduction) chambered in .44 magnum. It is one of just a handful of small arms I wish to take to the grave... it is a wonderful piece of steel and walnut.

I also have a Marlin 1894CS357 and a Rossi '92 both chambered in .357 and thought they're different designs, I prefer shooting the Rossi and although it is no Miroku (who makes the present-production Winchesters) it is a sweet-handling (16"), extremely-accurate and a unmitigated pleasure to shoot. I only keep the 1989-made Marlin because of it's seeming rarity... otherwise I'd sell it then purchase two more Rossi's. Heh. Or that .45-70 I've had my eye one...

One of my buddys just bought a rossi 92 in .357 with the 20 inch barrel. It has adequate sights, shoots great, fit and finish are serviceable. I wouldn't call it pretty but its not bad by any means. The only hiccup it seems to have is we shot some .38 special out of it and if I worked the lever too hard occasionally it would eject the empty case and a live round at the same time. Didn't ever do that with .357.
All in all I think its a pretty good deal for a gun you want to haul around and actually use.

I admit the Rossi sights are lacking. I changed mine first thing. Steve's Gunz small brass bead on the front and flat top on the rear.

For Pete's sake man, get a Winchester or Uberti Winchester clone. You know that's what you really want. The others will never satisfy you as well.

I could have had any gun I wanted. However, I am extremely satisfied with the Rossi. So satisfied, that I am ordering one in .44.

The Winchester costs more so it's automatically the better lever gun. The question is is it the best lever gun for you?

With the Rossi it's not going to have a better fit and finish or overall look of the Winchester's, but it will function to your needs. If look and feel matter more to you, then go Winchester.

I think the lower price of the Rossi frees you up to add extra's to your liking, like different sights, a buttstock ammo sleeve, or some gunsmithing if you want a smoother action or lighter trigger.

An expensive gun is one you're less likely to shoot, if you want this to shoot, I think the Rossi is the better choice.