Rossi R92 lever action .357 is back

looks like the springs are to stiff needs to be worked on

Itd be a good excuse to learn how to do some checkering! Thats the whole reason I got into it. Love the rifle, but I never understood why they dont checker them from the factory like marlins.

I believe the 24" octagon case hardened model has been discontinued. Fortunately, I know where a NIB one is.

Looks like they're back on Buds as well! My eyes hath seen the glory....

Are they going to bring back the 16" models though?

Mosin Bubba said:

Are they going to bring back the 16" models though?

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One certainly hopes so. What a very, very useful little rifle. So light, so easy to carry. I have one in 45. Don't own anything in 357 but imagine it's quite useful as well. Mine needed a little refining, but they are well made rifles and if you get rid of the vile safety and can live with Brazilian rainforest mystery wood, not bad looking.

lionking said:

I read on here in the past that Rossi is regarded as a well made rifle,

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I have one from the 70s, before the "Puma" name and the "lawyer" safety. It's a great rifle. WIth the right ammo, it's a great 50 yrd brush gun for white tails. For a while, it was my bear gun as it was the most powerful rifle I had. It would pair well with a Security 6 or GP100 (or any other revolver for that matter.)

saiga308 said:

looks like the springs are to stiff needs to be worked on

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Love my Rossi, just had it out two days ago.

If you replace the ejector spring with a Century C-530 spring from the hardware store, it will solve the problem of long range ballistic cases, they'll drop at your feet. It will also lessen the force needed to work the action.

No pricey internet gun store spring and high shipping fees required. If you're an Amazon shopper, a six pack is like $6 with free shipping. Feeling magnanimous, spread the joy with a few freebees to others like I did.

I owned a Rossi 92 in .44 magnum about 20 years ago. I had looked at them a few years earlier, but those carbines were so stiff that you could barely cycle the action. The one that I bought seemed okay, although the wood on the rifle seemed to weep oil even if you wiped it off. The fit and finish seemed a little rough, but the price was right.

Out of the box it would not cycle ammunition, and required a strip-down to polish and stone areas where loaded rounds were hanging up.
Afterwards it was reasonably reliable.
The rifling was the most shallow that I had ever seen on a firearm, which was worrisome since I wanted to shoot .44-40 class handloads from it.
Well, it also proved to be the least accurate rifle with cast bullets that I ever owned in a lifetime of shooting.
It keyholed at 50 yards. The only rifle that I ever owned that did. I never did shoot it with factory ammunition, so it might have done better.
But it clearly wasn't suitable for my needs.
On the other hand a friend claimed that his earlier Puma .44 magnum Rossi was quite accurate. The luck of the draw, I suppose.

I can't comment on the quality of the 92 Rossis made in the last several years, other than having read a review from about 6 years back where the author commented on the very poor wood to metal fit of the sample that he was shooting.
It's very possible that these earlier inconsistent manufacturing problems have been resolved, but for myself, I would not buy one unless I inspected it thoroughly beforehand.

I ran across this review from 2010.

http://shangrilatowers.blogspot.com/2010/12/guns-poor-mans-357-lever-action-rossi.html

I purchased a newly manufactured Rossi 92 in 44 mag in June. Based on a .357 mag trapper version I owned several years ago, I expected it to need some TLC before running smooth. I have a Uberti 1873 in .357, so I'm kind of spoiled on butter smooth lever actions.

It was good to go right out of the box. I've only put 200 rounds through it so far, but it has cycled everything really well and the action is very smooth. I've shot both mag and specials. The fit and finish are really good too, but the wood is very plain and boring looking. I have the stainless version.

I did have a small issue that apparently only affects the 44 mag version and even then only a few cases of the issue were found searching the web. I can report that Rossi CS was very nice about it, sent me a return label in email while I was on the call with them, and had the rifle back in two weeks even though they quoted a 12 week turn around time. Since I've had it back, no issues.

From what I've read, the plant was relocated to a new state-of-the-art facility. My box has Braztech plastered all over it. I've been happy with it and have considered buying another in 45 Colt with the blued finish. I wish they still made the 454 version but all I have seen is 44 mag, 45 colt and 357.

My 8 years or so old 44mag 16" SS R92 had a nice light action, and crisp if slightly heavy trigger (perfect for a hunting rifle IMHO) and shoots lights out with XTP's and does pretty well with lead boolits as well.

The wood to metal fit ain't great, and it occasionally hangs up with SWC bullets in 44 special cases, but I've no actual complaints about it. It's my most productive whitetail rifle.

I have had 3 rossis and I loved them all this one I have now is stainless/wood and is in 45 colt and it shoots very well with my cast bullets, it has a 16in barrel and I like it that way very light easy to carry!!

I bought a Rossi NIB 357 about a year ago and it had been sitting in the back of a Pawn Shop for several years. The owner kept promising himself that he was going to use it and never did, so he let me have it. Mine was a little stiff out of the box but certainly acceptable. Feeds and shoots great and has loosened up a bit with use. Wasn't crazy about the way it was drilled and tapped out on the barrel, but finally found a rail and mounted a Bushnell Trophy Red Dot Tube. Same one I have on a couple of my Hunting Handguns. Took a little getting used to being farther away than with a revolver, but once I got used to it, it really made a difference in the way I shoot it. I would have every confidence in the world shooting a deer at 75-100 yards with the right load, but would probably limit myself to 75 just for solid bullet performance. I have never replaced my stolen chronograph, but when I get around to getting another one, the Rossi lever is the first gun I will do a velocity test on some of my loads. I'm anxious to see how much increase in velocity there is from my 8 3/8" Model 686. Not as pretty and fancy as the Henry I once owned, but I would not trade mine for a new Henry just to shoot. The Henry would not shoot .38 Special and the Rossi eats them like candy. Its a fine plinker as well as a hunter.

I'll pile on. My Rossi92 is my favorite range gun.
I liked it out of the box. The trigger was a crisp 6.5 pounds. It cycled 38s well. I don't know which had more energy, the bullet or the ejected case.
I stoned the action. Lightened the trigger to 3lbs and replaced the ejector spring.
About 5000 rounds in I had to replace the ejector. I ended up getting a 92 Win one and hand fitted it.
The sights are fine for pop cans at 100. Or remove the rear sight and put a reflex sight on it.

I thought the rear sight on mine was horrible. I couldn't shoot well with it. I changed both the front and rear to something from Steve Gunz. My shooting greatly improved.

Ditto on “steve’s gunz” if you decide to get a rossi. He has all kinds of parts, upgrades, and knowledge. I got some fiber optic sites from his website.

They gotta put out the 16" version. It is really the most handy rifle I have ever held.

My older Model 92 action was literally smooth as silk right out of the box. Would definitely go for one in .357 with a 16" barrel to go with my Model 686 or my Blackhawk.

The Smith Shop in RI has parts for Rossi 92's, including SS magazine followers and spring kits. Their prices are reasonable and they have a $5 combined shipping fee regardless of what you buy, as opposed to the other famous shop with some serious shipping charges..

http://www.thesmithshop.com/magfollow.html

I'm waiting for the 16 inch in .45 Colt. I'm assuming that Rossi is holding back on shipping a lot of these lever rifles until Thanksgiving/Black Friday. Not terribly expensive, good gifts for someone's dad or uncle.

For .357, I would rather wait and see if Henry makes a lever rifle with the loading gate, I assume they're going to since they're making a .30-30 with a loading gate now. In .45 Colt, I'd be looking at shooting the hot TC/Ruger stuff and I know the 92 action handles that just fine. I'm not sure about Henry, I've heard they can, but I'd rather go with something that's widely known to handle that hot .45 Colt.

Now that I have a wheel gun in 45LC, I'm thinking about a rifle to match and as happy as I am with my 44mag version I wouldn't mind a R92 45LC to match.

They're just a little too similar for me to justify with the budget right now. I dunno too many other 45LC repeaters though.

I would not mind getting one, only problem I don't know which one. Think a blued be nice. Loading them coast me about the same money. I have died for all of them and I hunt. Think it's between 44 and 45.

Nice looking and handy rifle.
Two weeks ago went to our local funny show with a family member we saw one in S Steel looked smooth machined edges and finish. We resisted enough, a week after he got one, he ran a small video showing me the smooth action.
A week later after the second video, I placed my order for a 357/38 in stainless steel (along with a vaquero for my SASS adventures) should be around in few more days.

Having a 94 Win in 45 Colt pristine, and 9422 lead me to sin again.

czhen.