The gun that saved my dad’s life...and ended someone else’s

S&W X-Frame Advice

Nice looking pistol! Good story

great story. those old rossi revolvers really aren't as bad as a lot of people will tell you. i had a very similar Rossi when i was a teenager.

shooting a .38 snubbie is a different animal from anything else. try starting out with a target about 10-20 feet away, and then back it up once you get the hang of it, it's not a long range weapon, and the recoil can be pretty snappy. practice both single and double action.

Whoa, that's an older Rossi for sure.

Note the pinned barrel, firing pin on the hammer, skinny little grips. And *maybe* recessed cylinder bores? The latter would be WAY cool if so - what that means is, the rims of the shells drop into their own little "pockets" rather than just sticking up. Not certain but from the pics it looks possible.

The gun is probably a fine piece, but I do recommend running "the checkout" on it prior to firing!!! Look for the stickied post, this forum, which actually gives you a link first to where the thread started on TFL.

Basically you want to make sure it's at least mostly "tight", esp. little or no "endplay", that the safety works and that the cylinder/barrel alignment is at least close if not spot on. It won't take long to establish whether the old girl is safe to shoot.

My second recommendation is to start out with fairly mild ammo at first, see how she handles. Mildest ammo will be 148gr target wadcutter loads or all-lead "cowboy ammo" in 38Sp. The gun should probably see only limited amounts of +P fodder and then perhaps not the wildest possible (like Cor-Bons or Buffalo Bore). The sights are probably adjusted (if at all) to 158gr ammo so the Winchester or Remington 158gr +P plain soft lead hollowpoints will be fairly mild on the gun and perform respectably if you press it into self defense duty.

What else...

The grip looks to be a close replica of an early S&W type. You can probably use a "Tyler T-Grip Adapter" meant for early S&W J-Frames like the Model 36 on that thing and it'll be a close if not perfect fit. Those would keep the general looks of the gun close to stock but help "fill in the gap" behind the triggerguard. These have been made dang near forever and are a "period modification" for the gun which, if it was an S&W would look like something produced late '60s through early/mid '70s, maybe a bit later.

As others said, it's probably not a bad gun.

Probably.

Do check it out before firing, and start with mild loads please?

I had a M88 just like that one, bought about mid 80s. It was an accurate gun. I sold it not long ago to a friend. I put a Pachmayr Compac grip on it which helps that little grip and soaks up the recoil. I also ground down the cylinder release button because an HKS speed loader drug on it and wouldn't allow the loader to go into the gun. Other than those mods, it was just like yours. I sold it only because I got a Taurus M85UL that I carry due to the light weight. It's not quite as accurate as the Rossi was, though. That little Rossi shot well, to point of aim, and could keep most of its loads, lead or jacketed, into 3" at 25 yards. My Taurus can do that with jacketed bullets, but doesn't seem to like lead ones. It's a carry gun, though, and I carry it with +P jacketed 140 grainers.

I have another older M68 (blued) Rossi. It differs in that it has a sight inset on the frame that you can adjust for windage by loosening a little screw on one side and tightening the one on the other side. It shoots spot on, though, and with its 3" barrel, is easier to shoot than the old M88 was, for me anyway. It'll put 'em all in 2" at 25 yards! It likes lead bullets, too, so it's becoming my favorite of my snubbies. Almost hate to carry it, though, and get holster wear on it. It's kinda got a pretty blue. I bought it for my step-dad and I think he fired less than a box over it over the years. It sat in his dresser with 158 grain round nose in it for 20 years. I bought that one in 81. So, I'm thinking yours is about vintage 1988 or so, plus or minus a few years, about the time I bought my M88, cause it looks JUST LIKE mine. Mine had no recess chambers, either. Your gun might be a few years older than mine if your dad had it in Nicaragua, but that'd make it the same vintage model Rossi time frame wise.

Anyway, here's a shot of my 68. I haven't modded it to handle speed loaders, figure it's so accurate I'll use it for an outdoor carry gun. I could carry it with Bianchi speed strips, I guess, but I don't wanna grind on it and mess it up, LOL. You'll note the difference in rear sight. I really like the little Rossis. I've owned five of 'em and a M92 lever rifle, too. I still have a M511 Sportsman kit gun style .22 and the rifle. I've sold the M88 and a M971 in .357 Magnum and my first M511 was stolen.

You could carry any number of far sillier guns than that.

honestly, i'd shoot it a little bit to see if you like wheelgun shooting, then throw it into the safe. For me the sentimental value would far outweigh any monetary value...

Jim March said:

....firing pin on the hammer....

Click to expand...

Mr. March, I've read a lot of your posts and I have a tremendous amount of respect for you. But I have to know: through what magic can you tell that that revolver, with the hammer down, has a firing pin on the hammer? Please sir, I've just got to know how you can tell that. It's just too much even for a man of your reputation!


StrikeFire: That gun is worth more than a NIB 1955 Colt Python--It's worth your father's life. Put it away for your kids!

.

Snake, he can see the pin in the hammer that retains the firing pin.

Yup. What he said.

Hammers are made of pretty high grade steel. They don't drill holes in it for kicks, not in Brazil, not in the US, not anywhere .

So if there's a retaining pin hole right there, it can only be for one thing. To hold the firing pin.

Transfer bar ignition guns don't have holes in the hammer in that location.

They're not really "throw-aways"

That's a nice piece and should give you a lifetime of service. I have an older Rossi 6-shot .357 mag that is my nightstand/glovebox gun. It has the older style firing pin on the hammer. With the gun unloaded, pull the trigger and peek sideways between the frame and cylinder and you should see the pin protruding into the gap between. When you slowly release the trigger, watch the firing pin/hammer retract back into a locking position. It would take an incredible whack to force the hammer/firing pin onto a live round. It probably is not as safe a system as the current hammer block but still safe enough to carry a live round under the firing pin/hammer without fear of accidental discharge.

I have an identical Rossi M88 in my pocket right now as I type this. I carry this gun every day, and some day (hopefully a very long time from now), I will leave it to my daughter.

Great story, many thanks for sharing~!

What I would like to know is, what kind'a weapon did your dad have to
jam on him?

And BTW, my wife still CCW's a stainless steel snub nose Rossi model
88. She bought it NIB in late '94, with her own money; and wouldn't
trade it for the world. When I mentioned upgrading to a S&W
model 36, 37, or 60; she simply said "she would rather fight than
switch"~!

On a side note Rossi is the only double action revolver still made that is available in the us that still has the firing pin on the hammer. They are very close copies of the older S&W with generally a little rougher finish. Decent guns.

That is a keeper gun for sure.

Great story - enjoy the gun but let it mainly gather a few cobwebs, then you too can pass it down.

22luvr said:

That's a nice piece and should give you a lifetime of service. I have an older Rossi 6-shot .357 mag that is my nightstand/glovebox gun. It has the older style firing pin on the hammer. With the gun unloaded, pull the trigger and peek sideways between the frame and cylinder and you should see the pin protruding into the gap between. When you slowly release the trigger, watch the firing pin/hammer retract back into a locking position. It would take an incredible whack to force the hammer/firing pin onto a live round. It probably is not as safe a system as the current hammer block but still safe enough to carry a live round under the firing pin/hammer without fear of accidental discharge.

Click to expand...

All my Rossis including my M88 have had the hammer block that pops up between hammer and frame at rest like the S&Ws. You cannot MAKE that firing pin contact a primer if you drop it on the hammer from a 10 story building.

thanks for sharing that story.
People wonder why I like revovlers, and I always say this first:
"They never jam".
I keep a 340pd in my pocket. Nothing could be more comforting walking across a dark parking lot...

You got some folks who judge a gun's value on how much it set them back. True or false, I don't know but I'll tell you nothing wrong with any of the Rossi's that I have shot and seen. Absolutely nothing wrong with the Rossi you have from your father.

Wow, what a fantastic story and getting a free firearm never hurts either. Let us know how it shoots. I shot a newer .357 Rossi revolver and it was a whole lot of fun.

Good little revolver, great family keepsake

StrikeFire83 said:

Any pointers for revolver shooting? I've never shot a wheelgun before . . . .

Click to expand...

Just a couple. After you've done the checkout procedure, practice dry firing for a while. This good quality handgun should not suffer at all from even a considerable amount of snapping in with empty chambers. It bothers some people, though, and "Snap Caps" are not difficult to locate. Or, any range should give you a few spent .38 Special cases.

If you simply want to shoot the piece, just to be able to say you have done so, there's no real need to go through a lengthy training period. If you contemplate regular personal defense use, either at home or in public, you owe it to yourself to attain at least a certain level of proficiency. Kinda like, owning a banjo doesn't make you a musician.

I'll just assume you can manage single action shooting. The same techniques that serve with your 1911-type will work. Let's talk, for now, about shooting your Rossi in double action mode.

I'd suggest obtaining either the T-grip adapter or a set of compact rubber stocks as mentioned above. Either will transform the "feel" and make it far more comfortable to shoot. It gives you something slightly larger to grasp, and allows the weight to rest on the top of your middle finger. Most importantly, it provides a uniform hold, and uniformity --doing everything the same from shot to shot-- is the major component of accuracy.

A quick scan of your posting history indicates you been shooting both a Kimber .45 and a Kahr 9mm. If you can shoot the Kahr, you'll probably have little difficulty with the Rossi revolver. The trigger pull will probably be a bit heavier - - All the Kahrs l've handled had good-to-great triggers. The main thing is to NOT try to shoot double action by a slow, deliberate trigger press, the way you probably do with your .45. Don't jerk the trigger by any means, but a smooth, fairly rapid press works far better than the takes-forever squeeze.

Pick a specific aiming point on the wall. Stand ten or 15 feet back. Imagine you are on the range. Remember all the good habits you've developed while shooting your other handguns. Practice proper sights alignment while SOLIDLY gripping the revolver with the other fingers and the thumb. Touch only the trigger with the trigger finger, and do NOT squeeze the entire hand. Press straight back and watch the sights for movement as the cylinder rotates and the hammer falls. Follow through -- Don't be in a big rush to lower your arm or to snap again. They say practice makes perfect. This is only half true. PREFECT practice makes perfect. An hour of structured dry firing practice and a little range time during which you pay attention is a lot more profitable than simply blasting hundreds of shots downrange.

The greater resistance of the Rossi trigger may throw you off at first, but I'll bet you get it right within the first 100 dry fires. Try to go to a range that allows close range firing. Start out at around ten feet and fire a cylinderful, double action, concentrating on the smooth, straight-back trigger pull you developed during dry fire practice. With your prior experience with other pistols, you should be able to keep your shots in a group smaller than a playing card. When this is easy, move the target bit farther out, say 20 feet. Okay, it is a short, concelable revolver, not a match pistol. Don't worry if the groups spread out slightly. If you can keep your shots on a sheet of 8 x 10 paper at 30 feet, you have the manipulation down pretty well.

When (if) you go on to rapid fire, cut back on the distance again, and go for it. Just remember, you will NOT become a finished DA gunfighter in a hundred rounds. You CAN become comfortable with the piece in that time.

These are the basics. Please let us know your results.

Best,
Johnny

Just one thing to add to Johnny Guest's very informative post. Like the S&W 642, the Rossi M88 has a staged trigger. If you slowly pull the trigger back, you will hear and feel one click. Then you pull the trigger a little more and you will hear and feel a second click. At this point, it will just take a tiny bit more of a trigger pull to fire the weapon, just as if you had pulled the hammer back and were about to fire single-action.

I bought my wife a Rossi 851 in the early '80's (her choice, not mine). Very nice gun that she still has, likes and still shoots (very well, too!). A very nice gun for the price.

It is the first gun she shot an IDPA match with!