Could almost be two different guns, but I have a five-year-old R92; a blued, 16” round-barrel and it is a peach.

I looked over Steve’s Guns website, read between the lines then went to work with a stone and a spring kit. It is now the slickest leever carbean I own (but a 1989 Marlin 1894CS357 is very very close). The only! thing I had to do later was to stake the two cross pins in the bolt that hold the ejector spring collar retainer. That’s it.

It rings steel at 35, 50, 75 and 100 yards at the public range with ease, and offhand. How is it that some of the least expensive (new) firearms can be the best bang for the buck?! I love my Marlins, make no mistake, but I also have a thing for W1892s...

:beer:

 

I have the 16 inch barrel functions and shoots fine. use 357 cases. if you use lead bullets Missouri 140 gr truncated cone bullets work great. jacketed Hornandy XTPs. dont use wad cutters.

 

I've got an old pre safety one with round barrel and its not been slicked up. its particular about what will feed well, I shoot a lot of 125gr .359 mihec cast in it, and it feeds well with Remington 125 gr. but have to load semi wadcutters and 158 gr hp or flat round nose into 38 spl brass for it too feed. It will shoot 4-5" groups last 100yd if I do my part. my later model pre safety Rossi Hartford in 45 colt w onto barrel has been slicked up and I'm just guessing it is less picky about bullets, I have not tried a whole lot in it as I got a mp mold for it too that is the 454640 design and have shot some federals though it. have not tried real accuracy with it but have just plinked at junk in the field with it. being slicked up it drops the brass just a couple feet away almost in a nice neat pile. never saw another lever gun ever drop brass the way this one does.
from what I understand Steve from Steves gunz worked with Rossi to slick up their guns right from the factory at some point in the later production runs

 

Thanks for the input. I have talked to a local gunsmith that 5 or 6 years ago he worked on a lot of them for feeding issues but said he had not had a newer one in his shop.

 

I have an older one with the 24" octagon barrel, very accurate all way out to 100 yds. probably farther but I really haven't tried.
Took a nice buck with it the first year, and I run some 180 gr Missouri bullets through it and it will definitely ring the steel at a 100.
The only thing I did to mine was to shorten the mag tube spring, once I cut it in half and reinstalled it, I have had no feeding issues.

RP

 

You have one of the good old ones.

 

I have one. It’s stainless. With the xtp hand load I use, I expect 5/8” groups at 50 yards. I stripped mine, cleaned and polished the internals and refinished the wood.

 

I made three videos about the feeding problems with Rossi .357's. This is #3, it pretty much covers the issues, but #1 and #2 have some good info too.

I have three of their .357's and a .45Colt, just might drag home a 24" .44 if I stumble across one in person.

 

That’s an excellent! presentation, CJ, direct, informative and no unnecessary chatter. Wish all you tube vids were as good (but I’ve only watched this 3rd installment). :beer:

That cartridge stop can be a real gremlin in these guns. While I’ve had no feeding issues when working the action, I can experience *loading* problems if I don’t angle each cartridge a certain way. The bullet nose can catch on that gate/stop.

Thanks again for the great video.

 

If you can find one ... they're nice. A decent and affordable Winchester 92 Clone.

I recently purchased another Rossi M92 in 44 Mag for $200 and I couldn't be happier. I'm now looking for a 24" stainless Octagon.

 

Thanks CJ, What Apples said.

 

I should add that my 16” .357 R92 has been a really great carbine. Any loading issue is infrequent (but still needs looking at).

I did own an older Interarms 92 (the preceding importer of these neat Brazilian ‘92s), and that was the one that gave me fits but only when inserting cartridges into the magazine through the loading gate.

 

I'm entertaining picking up two new SS Rossi's, 357Mag and 44Mag, to start off with, as the 92 action has always been a favorite.

I've been viewing Steves Gunz site for sight options and what not. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

While I like the bolt mounted peep, it lacks windage adjustment so I'm leaning towards a Marbles tang sight. I'm very familiar with them and they look period correct.

I did notice he has an available Sight Mark red dot package but I've never used a red dot and know nothing about Sight Mark. Seems one would want a small moa dot though to improve accuracy. Anyone use this red dot set up and how well do you like it?

I also noted a scout rail P892 that noe bullet molds sells for $32. Kicking around mounting a Vortex scout 2-7X32 but doing so just doesn't seem right. LOL

As I understand it, Rossi customer service is now handled in the USA? Is that correct and is Rossi's CS decent?

I figure when I slick up the action and do the trigger job, I can take care of any problems myself. Unless it's something major.

Is the cartridge stop a problem in other calibers than 357?

Anyway, I'd appreciate any answers to my questions.


Jack

 

............

Is the cartridge stop a problem in other calibers than 357?

Anyway, I'd appreciate any answers to my questions.


Jack

It's my understanding that the 357/38 models are the only rifles that have this problem. Mainly due to the 'wacky' way the cartridges ride in the tube. Due to the cartridge diameter the 357/38 cartridges ride in a tilted or zig zag pattern inside the tube. The 44 Mag and 45 Colt have sufficient diameter to overcome this.

I could be a little off, but this is what I've heard from local M92 owners. And yes ... they are very easy to break down and clean. Dare I say, as easy as a Marlin 1894/1895/336 and they follow the Winchester 92 format to a "T" with the exception of the added Bolt Safety on the Rossi 92s.

Not to be mistaken, the parts aren't interchangeable with the Win 92's, but the format is the same.

 

Jack, I might answer only one or two. I’ve only had two Rossis, both .357 and I’ve only used them with the factory buckhorns.
I will say that the newer 16” blued gun had a wonderful trigger right from the box. Only needed stoning and springs. Try the newest stainless gun(s) first as they may be really slick now already.

No experience with Rossi CS, and I’d think a Marbles sight the cherry on top.

:beer:

 

Thanks Apples, since I always tear down new firearms, remove factory crud, de bur and polish where needed, if it's already slick then I figure it will need less work on my part.

I'm pretty much figuring on the springs as well.

Jack

 

the Rossi's I have all have metric measured dovetails, so most of the sights that Williams, Lyman and marbles sell won't fit, that's where Steves gunz comes in. also the older round barrel pre safety Rossi's/puma's have front sight incorporated into the barrel/mag tube band

 

Thanks, GT. Is the reason why Steve's Marbles price is $189 due to being metric? I see Marbles 92 sights elsewhere for around $120. Are they not metric?

Jack

 

i have one of these 92 srs madero rossi great little shooter

 

Mine is an original Amedeo Rossi (pre-braztec pre-Taurus pre-CBC) and it feeds short 38s all the way up to my 183-ish grain .357 at about 1.615". It was made with ZERO plastic parts, no safety, no medallions, nice wood that looks real and not painted. The only downside to one of these is the band mounted sight. Not that I care but someone industrious could cut off the sight blade and add a standard dovetail if so desired. I would never scope a lever and I would never buy stainless so my SRC92 is perfect for me.

 

If I can get all of my lever guns to run as smooth as my 2 Rossi's I would be in heaven. Working on a 336 now

 

Love to have a SS 16” bbl. as an ATV working gun . For a while the 357’s were scarier than hen’s teeth, but I am starting to see them show up recently. Steve’s Gunz is the Rossi guru and has parts and videos on mods.

 

The leaf spring that operates the cartridge stop in a Rossi is the same, no matter what caliber it is. It's a booger to install correctly, it's easy for it to be installed wrong, and apparently this was a problem for some of the assembly workers at Rossi. My video #2 shows how the cartridge stop doesn't work when the spring isn't installed right. And this rifle is a .45, not a .357. So it can happen to any of them.

 

Excellent video sir.
Thank you for sharing it.

 

This is the back side of the left bullet guide, with cartridge stop and leaf spring. You can see how the tip of the leaf spring is fitted UNDERNEATH of the cartridge stop.

It fits into a little notch that you can't see. Then you have to squeeze the round end down into the recess in the bullet guide, and install the whole mess into the receiver, WITHOUT letting that spring pop out of that notch.

It's very easy for that spring to pop out while assembling this, and the bullet guide will still fit in like it's supposed to. I surmise this is what is happening during assembly, as I'm sure the workers are being driven to go fast. But they're not being coached on how to check that cartridge stop for proper spring action.

 

Thanks for sharing the video 1956CJ5.

 

Lever Jac,

If you are handy you cannot go wrong. Expect a need for finish (Arkansas stone) on metal CNC contact points on the bolt, inside the frame at the load gate (don't want to bleed on your new rifle), and possibly some spring replacements and hone work on the sear. The foundation, Win 1892, is the best of the best lever designs. My Cowboy had a front forearm cap screw that was cross threaded. That was the only real unexpected issue. A tap and new machine screw was and easy fix.

Shot well, cycled well, and fed well. Did not have barrel alignment or wood fit issues like many have ranted about in the forum.

 

Jac I had one in the 84 85 yr's time it shot as well as any gun I owned 38 WC or 357 no problems.