Rossi Cyclops quality

BoogieMan · May 20, 2013, 11:56 AM

As I have posted before I am looking for a 357. I found a good price on a Rossi Cyclops 986 (357 mag) with 6" tube. Its a cool looking gun. To me it looks kind of like a Taurus Raging Bull. Fit and finish seem pretty good. What is the long term story with Rossi? Will this thing handle full house mag loads over and over? Is it just a Taurus with Rossi stamp on it?
Going price, gently used is $500

alex0535 · May 20, 2013, 08:20 PM

It is this guy's holy grail
http://thefiringline.com/forums/show....php?p=5503308

From what was mentioned in that thread, if you are going to buy a Rossi, the Cyclops is probably one of the better revolvers they ever produced.

BoogieMan · May 20, 2013, 09:45 PM

I wasnt planning on a Rossi, I just want a 357 thats a little different than the guy in the next isle. I think Ill drop a bid on it and see what happens.

hAkron · August 24, 2013, 08:15 AM

Sorry to revive an old thread, but - I picked up a good condition Rossi Cyclops that included a B-Square mount and a Leupold M8 2X extended eye relief scope. The B-Square mount is screwed into the top strap of the gun. This is a non-ribbed barrel and there is a notch along the length of the barrel that looks like its designed to accept a scope mount. I've been doing a little research and I can't find any evidence or pictures of anybody mounting anything other than a screw in type B-Square or similar rail. I'm curious if these guns were factory drilled & tapped for this mount or if this was commonly done by a 3rd party.

Anybody who might be the original owner of a cyclops who could chime in on this?

hAkron · August 24, 2013, 07:00 PM

I took the rail off today and there are three holes. Two that have the rail mount and one that still has the screw still in it. My guess is that all 3 holes are factory. Why drill three holes if you only need two? You wouldn't just drill one hole, so my thought is that the factory drilled and tapped three holes and the B-Square uses only two. Anybody?

JawjaBoy · August 26, 2013, 04:31 PM

Lemme dig around a bit and I might can tell you if they are factory. I know for a fact that I have a Rossi catalog from the late 90's with the Cyclops in it.

JawjaBoy · August 26, 2013, 06:10 PM

Okay, I did some digging (and stood on my head a bit to get to the box I needed) and found the 1997 Interarms catalog that had the Cyclops in it. According to the catalog it was a new model for '97 and the scope mount and rings were included.

I also remember that I wanted one BAD!

I took a couple of photos from the catalog since I couldn't get our scanner to work:

[IMG]

hAkron · August 26, 2013, 06:38 PM

Wow JawjaBoy!!! Awesome work! That mount looks a little different than mine, and the scope is different, but maybe it's still factory. You know how sometimes stuff doesn't always look like it looked in the catalog. Thanks a ton for tracking that down!!

JawjaBoy · August 26, 2013, 08:26 PM

You're quite welcome!

How about that suggested retail??

I used to work in the sporting goods department at the local WalMart and later at a local gun shop and picked up and kept a fair collection of catalogs from the mid 90's up through the mid 2000's. It's just finding them that can be the problem!

Budda · August 26, 2013, 11:17 PM

My scope mount is different. It mounted to the side plate and was hollow so you could still use the open sights and the scope on top. Good idea...poor execution. It would rattle loose off the side plate screws and loose zero. So I took it off.

Your scope alone is $300ish new. Mine is a pos BSA but I will get nicer glass later....this is my all time favorite gun. Out of ALL of them, long or short. I hope to add a "6 in the future.

Budda · August 26, 2013, 11:33 PM

Also, I bought mine from a personal collection. He turned down $1100. I begged it off him for less....had to swear I would not sell it....that was an easy promise.....it is getting a trigger job and a polish soon.

hAkron · August 27, 2013, 01:31 PM

We are some lucky Rossi owners indeed! I'm going to try to sneak away to the range tomorrow (maybe Thursday) to try her out.

I went back today to the place where I bought the cyclops and I snagged this model 720 as well (5 shot 44 special). I had them put a hold on it for me when I bought was buying the cyclops

JawjaBoy · August 27, 2013, 04:50 PM

hAkron, that is my other favorite gun by Rossi! I had a 971 .357 and loved it, but I really wanted a Cyclops and a 720. Maybe I'll stumble onto a couple one of these days!

May 20, 2013, 11:56 AM	#1
BoogieMan Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2012 Location: South Jersey Posts: 2,217	Rossi Cyclops quality As I have posted before I am looking for a 357. I found a good price on a Rossi Cyclops 986 (357 mag) with 6" tube. Its a cool looking gun. To me it looks kind of like a Taurus Raging Bull. Fit and finish seem pretty good. What is the long term story with Rossi? Will this thing handle full house mag loads over and over? Is it just a Taurus with Rossi stamp on it? Going price, gently used is $500

August 24, 2013, 08:15 AM	#4
hAkron Senior Member Join Date: March 31, 2011 Location: Akron, Ohio Posts: 318	Rossi Cyclops quality Sorry to revive an old thread, but - I picked up a good condition Rossi Cyclops that included a B-Square mount and a Leupold M8 2X extended eye relief scope. The B-Square mount is screwed into the top strap of the gun. This is a non-ribbed barrel and there is a notch along the length of the barrel that looks like its designed to accept a scope mount. I've been doing a little research and I can't find any evidence or pictures of anybody mounting anything other than a screw in type B-Square or similar rail. I'm curious if these guns were factory drilled & tapped for this mount or if this was commonly done by a 3rd party. Anybody who might be the original owner of a cyclops who could chime in on this?

August 24, 2013, 07:00 PM	#5
hAkron Senior Member Join Date: March 31, 2011 Location: Akron, Ohio Posts: 318	Rossi Cyclops quality I took the rail off today and there are three holes. Two that have the rail mount and one that still has the screw still in it. My guess is that all 3 holes are factory. Why drill three holes if you only need two? You wouldn't just drill one hole, so my thought is that the factory drilled and tapped three holes and the B-Square uses only two. Anybody?

August 26, 2013, 06:38 PM	#8
hAkron Senior Member Join Date: March 31, 2011 Location: Akron, Ohio Posts: 318	Rossi Cyclops quality Wow JawjaBoy!!! Awesome work! That mount looks a little different than mine, and the scope is different, but maybe it's still factory. You know how sometimes stuff doesn't always look like it looked in the catalog. Thanks a ton for tracking that down!!

August 26, 2013, 11:17 PM	#10
Budda Senior Member Join Date: November 7, 2011 Location: Earth Posts: 446	Rossi Cyclops quality My scope mount is different. It mounted to the side plate and was hollow so you could still use the open sights and the scope on top. Good idea...poor execution. It would rattle loose off the side plate screws and loose zero. So I took it off. Your scope alone is $300ish new. Mine is a pos BSA but I will get nicer glass later....this is my all time favorite gun. Out of ALL of them, long or short. I hope to add a "6 in the future.

May 20, 2013, 08:20 PM	#2
alex0535 Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2012 Location: Georgia Posts: 908	It is this guy's holy grail http://thefiringline.com/forums/show....php?p=5503308 From what was mentioned in that thread, if you are going to buy a Rossi, the Cyclops is probably one of the better revolvers they ever produced.

May 20, 2013, 09:45 PM	#3
BoogieMan Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2012 Location: South Jersey Posts: 2,217	I wasnt planning on a Rossi, I just want a 357 thats a little different than the guy in the next isle. I think Ill drop a bid on it and see what happens.

August 26, 2013, 04:31 PM	#6
JawjaBoy Member Join Date: August 21, 2013 Posts: 56	Lemme dig around a bit and I might can tell you if they are factory. I know for a fact that I have a Rossi catalog from the late 90's with the Cyclops in it.

August 26, 2013, 06:10 PM	#7
JawjaBoy Member Join Date: August 21, 2013 Posts: 56	Okay, I did some digging (and stood on my head a bit to get to the box I needed) and found the 1997 Interarms catalog that had the Cyclops in it. According to the catalog it was a new model for '97 and the scope mount and rings were included. I also remember that I wanted one BAD! I took a couple of photos from the catalog since I couldn't get our scanner to work: [IMG]

August 26, 2013, 08:26 PM	#9
JawjaBoy Member Join Date: August 21, 2013 Posts: 56	You're quite welcome! How about that suggested retail?? I used to work in the sporting goods department at the local WalMart and later at a local gun shop and picked up and kept a fair collection of catalogs from the mid 90's up through the mid 2000's. It's just finding them that can be the problem!

August 26, 2013, 11:33 PM	#11
Budda Senior Member Join Date: November 7, 2011 Location: Earth Posts: 446	Rossi Cyclops quality Also, I bought mine from a personal collection. He turned down $1100. I begged it off him for less....had to swear I would not sell it....that was an easy promise.....it is getting a trigger job and a polish soon.

August 27, 2013, 01:31 PM	#12
hAkron Senior Member Join Date: March 31, 2011 Location: Akron, Ohio Posts: 318	Rossi Cyclops quality We are some lucky Rossi owners indeed! I'm going to try to sneak away to the range tomorrow (maybe Thursday) to try her out. I went back today to the place where I bought the cyclops and I snagged this model 720 as well (5 shot 44 special). I had them put a hold on it for me when I bought was buying the cyclops

August 27, 2013, 04:50 PM	#13
JawjaBoy Member Join Date: August 21, 2013 Posts: 56	hAkron, that is my other favorite gun by Rossi! I had a 971 .357 and loved it, but I really wanted a Cyclops and a 720. Maybe I'll stumble onto a couple one of these days!