Rossi Owners

[lev83]

I have recently purchased a unfired Rossi Model 68. This is a very nice blued snub nose revolver that was imported to the U.S. by Interarms of Alexandria, VA. Does anyone know when Interarms was bought out by Braztech? Does anyone have a box or manual for one of these pistols available? Can anyone provide a copy of the owners manual. Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Rossi is in the process of updating their site. Some of the site is completed but the manual link isn't working yet. When they are done you will be able to download the manual you need from the Rossi Site.

 

[Nicky Santoro]

http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/

 

[Virginian]

Ah Interarms... brings a tear to my eye. They definitely had their moments. The Rossis they brought in back then were quite a bit better in the QC department to my mind. The Virginian Dragoon 44s were pretty nice guns too, and the Mark X Mausers had some excellent specimens.
I didn't realizethey had gone until one day I looked around and they were no more.

 

[MCgunner]

Ah Interarms... brings a tear to my eye. They definitely had their moments. The Rossis they brought in back then were quite a bit better in the QC department to my mind.

I've owned 7 of 'em. They were good into the early 80s, then slid as far as fit and finish and QC in the late 80s, early 90s. IMHO, they are back to their better QC since Taurus bought 'em out and are quality guns once again. That didn't keep me from buying some in the late 80s, early 90s, just sayin' cause I have owned Rossis. I still have a 1981 variety M68. I still have the box, too, it and to my old M88 I got around 1990. Sold that gun to a friend and it's going strong. I have the manual for that one, too, went and checked out of curiosity.

Rossi has never been the junk some folks with bias seem to think, but they did have a few down years IMHO around 1990. That old M68 is as good as any Smith, though, in fit and finish, at least externally. The DA pull is a little stiff, but smooth and the SA pull is light and crisp and pretty awesome. I also still have a M511 Sportsman .22. You don't even wanna know about the DA on that thing, LOL, but it's amazingly accurate and a quality SA trigger and that's why I like it. Priced a Smith and Wesson kit gun lately?

 

[dogngun]

I owned an Interarms Rossi .357 mag revolver, 4" stainless.
Strange looking, but a tight, solid gun and a fine shooter. Bought it used in the mid '90's for under $200, taught my gun-fearing wife to shoot with it, foolishly traded it for "something better", whatever it was.

Very underrated revolvers.
FWIW, look at their new 6" stainless .357 magnum on their website.
Available brand new for about $330 several places online, a bargain.

mark

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

I'm a big fan of the little Rossi, and always on the lookout for a deal on one. I actually have a nickel-plated 3" Model 68 that appears unfired.

My favorite might be the stainless 851 in 3"--vent-rib barrel, adjustable sights, cute little revolver. My wife loves shooting it; it fits her hand well, and has very little recoil with 158-grain semiwadcutters.

 

[weregunner]

www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?board=19.0

This may be of some value to you.

 

[weregunner]

weregunner
Senior Member



Join Date: 08-12-06
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 590

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/in...p?topic=2983.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/in...p?topic=5342.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=121.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/in...p?topic=1187.0
Hope these help.
__________________
NRA member. Join the NRA or some Pro-gun group. Stand up and be counted. www.rugerforum.com
www.taurusarmed.net www

 

[Ala Dan]

My wifes daily CCW piece is a 2" barrel, square butt, stainless steel .38
Special with wood grips; bought in late '94. Its proven too be every bit
as reliable as my 79-80 vintage Smith & Wesson model 60, .38 Special.
I was suprised at how accurate the little Rossi model 88 was~!

 

[elrod]

Does anyone know when Interarms was bought out by Braztech?

1998.

 

[papajohn]

I've owned two Rossis and shot a bunch more, and I think they're one of the unsung bargains on the used market. I got a serious yen for a good little 44 Special awhile back, wanted a Smith 696 but the only one I could find was $900, and I politely said No. A week later a buddy tells me he's gonna sell his Rossi 720, and I pounced.



It's a solid chunk of steel, shoots better than most people can, and holds five rounds. It's not as concealable as some, but it's not a 38, either. I paid one fourth the asking price of the Smith, and after I did a trigger job on it this week, it's nearly as slick. If I ever find another like it, I'm buying it, no questions asked. This one will be with me until I no longer require a gun. Or oxygen.

Papajohn

 

[bannockburn]

I had a Rossi Model 88 that was one of the nicest little .38 Special revolvers that I had the pleasure of owning. I bought it new in early 1984. Fit and finish was equal to (and even a little better than), the comparable S&W products of the same era. It was my idea of an upscale kit gun with its stainless steel construction, 3" barrel, along with its decent little rear sight. All I added to it was a Tyler T-Grip adapter and it was good to go. That Rossi, made with quality materials, along with a good DA/SA trigger, and with a nice tight lock-up without any play in the cylinder, was one fine gun.

 

[MCgunner]

bannockburn, that's sorta what I use my M68 for, a .38 kit gun, though it's blued. But, it shoots quite accurately and, like you say, it's super tight, perfectly timed, no slop at all in the cylinder. Pretty impressive for a gun that set me back a little over 100 bucks in 1981. I have a padded makarov flap holster it fits in and the magazine pouch in the holster fits a speed strip full of wadcutters.

I do carry it IWB occasionally. I kinda prefer my little ultra lite stainless/alloy Taurus, but the little Rossi rides IWB very comfortably and the 3" barrel shoots better and easier than a 2". It's a neat little gun, for sure, and very under-rated by the majority. I wish I could let everyone on this board that scoffs at Rossi handle and shoot it. Would no doubt open some eyes.

 

[papajohn]

MCGunner, you touched on something I've long said, three-inch guns are a lot easier to shoot well than 2-inchers. I can't shoot a 2-incher to save my keister, but I can shoot most 3-inch guns as well as a 4-inch or longer gun. The extra inch of barrel only matters if you use pocket carry, in any kind of holster it makes no difference. Big butts are hard to conceal, another inch of barrel is of no consequence.

As I type this I'm wearing my Rossi 3-inch 44 Spl in a nice DeSantis IWB, and I can barely tell I have it on. There's a speedloader in my pocket that is a lot more noticeable, I wish they made speed-strips in 44, but they're a lot slower to use than ANY speedloader. I feel very well armed, and I have complete faith in this gun. The trigger job just made a good gun better.

Papajohn

 

[STRONGARM5791]

I have 2 Rossi's. A 38 Special, Blue, 4" brl, Vented rib. I love it!! I have the same revolver, Nickle, 6" brl., 357 Mag. Both guns are smooth trigger pull, very accurate. I just bought a reloader and am starting to reload. Haven't fired any rounds as of yet.

 

[MCgunner]

MCGunner, you touched on something I've long said, three-inch guns are a lot easier to shoot well than 2-inchers. I can't shoot a 2-incher to save my keister, but I can shoot most 3-inch guns as well as a 4-inch or longer gun.

I have a Taurus M66 blued 3" .357 magnum and a 2.3" SP101 Ruger. The Taurus is just about as easy to conceal, though the SP101's grip is a round butt Hogue and is a little more comfy with the 5 shot cylinder. But, with the 3" gun, I can easily shoot inside 2" at 25 off bags, the SP101 I can get into 3". Not significant, really, for defensive uses, but the 3" gun shoots better, shorter sight radius, and not only can I group it better, but it is faster in sight acquisition on the draw. Of course, the sights are a little better, but I find the longer the sight radius, the quicker I am on target. That does count in self defense. I like 3" guns a lot, just as easy to tote as any 2"er if you're not going to pocket carry the gun or ankle carry. My 2" gun is an ultra lite and is only for ankle or pocket carry. I'll go with a 3" gun for IWB. I like the little SP101, but I'll probably sell it back to my son-in-law since he's back from Iraq and wants it. I may spring for a 3" SP101 in the future. The little SP101 was sort of collateral on a loan before he left for Iraq with the agreement that I'd sell it back to him. It's an accurate gun, but it's no pocket gun anyway, so it's a no brainer to get one in 3" form if I buy another. But, with the Taurus, I'm pretty happy that this niche is filled in my collection.