Rossi .357 mag?

[Frog48]

Hey all, new guy here. Long time reader, first time poster.

I've been shooting a Ruger P95 9mm pistol for almost 2 years now, and have been shooting rifles and shotguns since I was a little kid. Last year my dad purchased a Ruger GP-100 in .357 mag with 4" barrel, and since then I've had a desire to get a revolver. I really like the look of them with 6" barrels. However, a Ruger GP-100 is out of my price range.

I came across Rossi .357 mag revolvers with 6" barrel at Academy Sports & Outdoors recently. The gentleman behind the counter told me that its a good gun for the money, $309. I like the appearance of the gun. I wish it had Ruger style grips, but thats no biggie. What is yalls opinion on this gun?



And please no responses telling me to take that $309 and buy a used S&W. I have no interest in used guns, unless they are military collectables.

 

[ugaarguy]

And please no responses telling me to take that $309 and buy a used S&W. I have no interest in used guns, unless they are military collectables.

Ok, take the $309 and buy a used Ruger. On a serious note, the Rossi is serviceable, and good for $309 new, but a used S&W or Ruger is a far better use of your funds. I must ask, why the prejudice against used guns? As soon as you take a gun out the dealer's door it's used - period - even if it never gets fired; it's just like a car leaving the dealership lot. I'm not trying to be harsh, I'm just trying to illustrate the point. If you're worried about the condition the "Jim March's Used Revolver Checkout" thread stickied at the top of this forum is an excellent resource. If you insist on buying new and the Rossi fits your budget its not a bad revolver.

 

[TonyB]

While I have no issues with buying used guns,I can see wanting a NEW one too...if the Rossi is new,it's made by Taurus..life time warrentee....I have a used Rossi 357(2") and love it.Trade in value will be small w/ a Rossi though.But if it passes the "revlover check out" post above,and you don't expect to get a ton of money if you trade it,I say go for it.and welcome to THR

 

[Cousin Mike]

Mr. Grant48:

I bought my Taurus on Saturday, chose it out of 3 possible candidates for a .357 magnum... One of those candidates was a Rossi. When I came across the Rossi, I was really impressed. Not only was it a very nice looking gun, but I liked the trigger and it seemed like a good-quality pistol. I told the salesman that no matter what I bought, I'd be back for that Rossi... and I wasn't kidding. $309 seems a good price, considering that you're looking at a 6" barrel SS model, and they're going for about $200-250 around here brand new for blued snubbies.

As for buying used, I'll have to side with ugaaarguy - the Taurus I ended up buying was used, but hadn't had a full 50-box of ammo run through it. Lots of guys buy guns, fire them off once or twice, and then sell them back to the store - you can find lot's of used guns in near-perfect condition for a very nice price.

I would have paid 2x as much for my Taurus, and MSRP is about that much for a NIB model 608. Nothing wrong at all with buying something with the same quality for half the price, IMHO. And the 'used revolver checkout' thread at the top of this forum page is an excellent guide on what to look (or look out) for when considering a new sixgun... especially for us wheelgun n00bs.

Hope your new gun is everything you want it to be, and happy shooting!
Practice, practice, practice!

And welcome to THR!

 

[Frog48]

I dunno, I just like buying stuff "new". I dont know why, its just a gut feeling type thing.

Thanks for the replies!