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SargeMO Online Content OP
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I swapped into a new Rossi R92 a few weeks ago, with a 20” barrel in 45 Colt. Per Rossi it was produced in March 2016. The lever cycled smoothly, the sights were on good & square and there were no outward signs of shoddy workmanship or assembly. This one has a little more grain showing than my earlier 92's and there is even sort of a finish on it, as opposed to the stain-painted 92 stocks I've had in the past. The wood to metal fit is better than most that have been through my hands.

Oddly, this rifle has a longer stock than either of my previous 92's. Slick buttplate aside, it shoulders like a rifle ought to. The trigger is better than any new 92 I've handled.

[Linked Image]

Quick as chores were done, the Missus and I took it down and ran a few rounds through it. The sights were on from the factory and it fed the Lee 255 RF, the Missouri Bullet 255 SWCs and Sierra 240 JHPs all just fine. It shot well too. We started at 25 yards, moved to 50 yards and ended firing a few shots at 100. I never missed the 14” plate and was pleased to discover this menagerie of ammo landed in an egg shaped group maybe 4x6 inches, from the center of the plate to its lower edge. I gotta say, this 20” gun is easier to hit with than my 16” 45 Colt was. I seem to have finally gotten an excellent Rossi 92.

I needed to check this 92's accuracy but buckhorn sights and I don't get along for fine shooting. I shoot much better with a flat top rear sight and I happened to have a spare in the parts bin. I also replaced the front bead with a 0.400 tall take-off from a previous 16” Rossi 357, because I figured it'd work better with the lower replacement rear sight. I drifted both sights into what looked to be the center of the barrel and headed down in the field to check zero.

My standard 45 Colt load is a 8.5 grains of Universal and Maplewood's Lee 452-255-RF sized 0.454”. It pretty much duplicates the ballistics of the original 40 grain black-powder government load and it's been exceptionally accurate in every 45 Colt I've tried it it. My guesswork sight placement was perfect this time so I moved back to 100 yards, took a rest and fired three careful shots at the rifle plate. I heard it ring steel every time and I didn't see any hits out in the white, so I knew they all had to be in the 6” black dot. What I didn't expect was that they overlapped each other. It might not be a long range rig, but I can't complain about the way it shoots.

[Linked Image]

For clarifications sake- I'm not pretending for a minute I can reproduce that group on demand, but it's sure nice when the stars line up. It also tells me the rifle has plenty of accuracy for anything I'll need to do with a pistol-caliber lever action.


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I have one identical to yours. It shoots very much the same. And interestingly it will feed the RCBS SWC bullet as slickly as the factory 255 grain.


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SargeMO Online Content OP
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This one isn't picky either Mart. It has fed the 255 SWC, 240 Sierra, 300 Mag XTP and the 310 grain SWC just as easily as the 255 RNFP (far left).

[Linked Image]


Last edited by SargeMO; 11/05/17.

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SargeMO,

I thought you had Rossi '92 in 357mag that was giving you some trouble whereby you wouldn't recommend a Rossi. Did Rossi improve their quality control? Or is their 45colt general better than their 357mag?


Glad your Rossi 92 in 45colt is turning out to be a sweet shooter!

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Originally Posted by leomort
SargeMO,

I thought you had Rossi '92 in 357mag that was giving you some trouble whereby you wouldn't recommend a Rossi. Did Rossi improve their quality control? Or is their 45colt general better than their 357mag?


Glad your Rossi 92 in 45colt is turning out to be a sweet shooter!


Guilty on all counts.

Quote

Primarily, this article concerns the Rossi R92 and a few comments are in order. I absolutely do NOT recommend that you buy one. These Taurus-Rossi 357’s are generating a lot of feeding complaints, often due to cartridges hanging up on their way into the chamber. Mine required chamber polishing, a total re-work of the sights, cartridge lifter and guides before it was shootable and remotely reliable. The trigger started at 7 pounds and now breaks at three. The magazine follower is plastic and must be replaced. The wood needs refinishing, right out of the box. Sight dovetail dimensions are all over the place. So are sharp edges, which require rounding off and rebluing. They are a PITA to work on, everything inside them is cast/MIM and Rossi will NOT sell you internal parts. So if you’re serious about investing in a 357 carbine- do yourself a favor and just get a Marlin 1894C.

The .357 Magnum Carbine, Perfected
http://www.thesixgunjournal.net/the-357-magnum-carbine-perfected/


I was all set to order a 20" round barrel Marlin in 45 Colt, which are just over $400 if you shop around. So I inquired here and their about the Marlin's current QC and pretty much got this-

Quote

I have a Stainless Marlin 1894 in .44 mag. That had an oversized bore. I returned it to Marlin and they replaced the barrel with a proper bore sized barrel. It is a great shooter. That was about a year before Rem. took over.

Personally, I'd snag it. Most of the problems that people report could be fixed, other than the perennial 'oversized chamber and bore' issues, which seem to be endemic among 45 Colt rifles of all makes. Oversized bores just mean you'll need cast bullets of a bit larger-than-standard size, or jacketed bullets.

If it isn't up to snuff, sell it on the used market and you'll not likely lose much; there are lots of folks who just want a 'shooter' and don't care all that much about accuracy.


It got worse from there. So I decided to roll the dice, one more time, and try another Rossi. It ain't like I've never been inside one LOL! My first 45 Colt was pretty good, the 357 was a PITA and this last 45 appears to be a gem. Third time's a charm?

I still can't, in good conscience, recommend them.

Last edited by SargeMO; 11/06/17.

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Thank you for your honest feedback, Sarge. Think I'll hold off on a Rossi for awhile then.


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