My Rossi 92 .357 Review - Page 4

COSteve · August 12, 2015, 03:56 PM

I've had two Rossi 357mag leverguns, a 20" rd bbl carbine and a 24" oct bbl rifle since 2009. They each have over 4K rds of full power 158grn 357mag handloads through them and they are solid, accurate, and a blast to shoot. I did slick them up following Steve Young's DvD and his parts including the bolt safety plug.

They are my most fan favorite rifles when I take out new shooters as both the women and men love to shoot them. My rifle has a Marbles tang and Lyman globe sight on it and I use them to shoot at steel plates at 300yds while my carbine has a bead front sight for closer accuracy. Both shoot very well for a pistol round.

With all the use they get, they are solid, sturdy and always ready to go. With just a quick action and barrel cleaning they stay solid and reliable. I wouldn't trade them off for any other rifle.

849ACSO · October 7, 2015, 01:24 PM

I have the short barrel carbine model 92. It eats everything I feed it and have never had an issue with it. It's my go to "walking around" gun on the farm and scouting the deer woods. One of the best investments I've made.

briandg · October 8, 2015, 12:09 PM

I bought a 92 many years ago. It was so cheap that I couldnt resist it.

It is nicely accurate with the heavier jacketed rounds out to 100 yards. it has never had a jam. It's rough as heck in the action, but I still work with it just fine. The blue was nice, and the horrible looking wood was still prettier than plastic. It's a toy, yet it's still a gun I would take out hunting. I keep the thing in a closet loaded with .357 soft points in case I ever need a rifle for emergency purposes in my suburban neighborhood.

Ar clones started at over a grand. this thing is fun to shoot and it works. Sounds like you got a loser, but trust me, they aren't all losers. If they work and fulfill your needs, you win, but if they don't work, you can either try it again, or start from scratch with another plan.

Unlicensed Dremel · October 8, 2015, 02:04 PM

I've had good luck with LSI / Rossi Puma 92s in .45 Colt and .454 Casull, and also with Taurus and Rossi branded pumps - 62s, 72s / 59s.

Super Sneaky Steve · October 9, 2015, 09:26 PM

I loved my 92 in .357 so much that I bought a second in .45 Colt.

They both have a Skinner rear peep and a Marble front fiber optic. The .357 is red and the .45 Colt is green.

In the picture my .357 has no front and the .45 is stock.

briandg · October 9, 2015, 10:47 PM

I've wanted a peep sight.

Super Sneaky Steve · October 10, 2015, 07:12 PM

I took them both to the range today.

I was pretty happy with the .45. I was using a powder coated cast bullet at standard pressure. There's 10 shots there.

Then I tried the same distance, 50 yards with the .357 and my group is under an inch with 5 shots. Not bad for open sights!

Both sights could use a slight adjustment, but this is good enough. I don't want to mess with it anymore.

I'm thinking I can do much better with the .45. It still has to break in some and I need to tweak the load to find what it likes best.

Mr.Bro · October 14, 2015, 04:05 PM

I also have the Rossi 92 16 inch, or "trapper" model as some models like this are referred to. It is a great gun and had ate everything I've fed it, both 38 and 357. I even tried to slow cycle it to see how slow I would have to go to get a jam and it still cycled fine. I love how compact and fast handling it is.

I really want to get another one now. I went with the blued, as the stainless was hard to get. I waited a month for them to come back in stock (budsgunshop) but since I had to have it NOW, I just went with the blued. I also went with the regular loop since I didn't like the look of the large loop, a little too big. The smaller one is perfectly comfortable for me.

pricedo · November 18, 2015, 01:36 AM

I had several rossi 92s over the years.
You get whatcha pay for and the rossis were cheap clunkers.
Of the lot I kept a 20" pre braztech carbine in 454 casull with none of the lawyered up safties and humped the rest for cash to buy other guns including a beautiful chiappa 92 in 44 mag.
The rossis are the pigs ear to chiappas silk purse.
The chiappas are much better guns in regards to both looks and smooth operation.

Targa · November 18, 2015, 07:15 AM

I would hope the Chiappa's are better looking and smoother cycling, they cost twice as much. I have a 94 Winchester and a Rossi 92. The Winchester is very pretty and almost seems like it would cycle itself its so smooth. The Rossi might not be at the same level of fit and finish but is well built. The Rossi doesn't cycle as smoothly either but it does cycle reliably, at least mine does.

kcub · November 18, 2015, 08:10 AM

I had a Chiappa 92 44. It was beautiful. As nice a wood as you could wish for. Too bad that it was a wall hanger and not a gun.

The tube mag would back away from the receiver under recoil jamming it on about the 3rd round. I took it back to Cabela's. The Italians would not send them parts so it had to go back to the factory in Italy. It came back 6 months later with the exact same problem. Cabela's reluctantly gave me store credit.

Chiappa is dead to me now.

Tony Z · November 18, 2015, 03:13 PM

I've been on the fence on which .357 to buy, and in a trip to Grice's/Clearfield, PA to lay away my Christmas present, that my wife will pick up, I bought a Henry .357 in steel. The gun just felt right, aimed very naturally.

For my Christmas present, I laid away a CZ 455 in .22LR, with a "Mannlicher" stock.

October 7, 2015, 01:24 PM	#77
849ACSO Senior Member Join Date: September 21, 2014 Location: Somewhere in the middle Posts: 629	I have the short barrel carbine model 92. It eats everything I feed it and have never had an issue with it. It's my go to "walking around" gun on the farm and scouting the deer woods. One of the best investments I've made. __________________ "The day you stop learning SHOULD directly coincide with the day you stop breathing."

August 12, 2015, 03:56 PM	#76
COSteve Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2009 Posts: 1,344	I've had two Rossi 357mag leverguns, a 20" rd bbl carbine and a 24" oct bbl rifle since 2009. They each have over 4K rds of full power 158grn 357mag handloads through them and they are solid, accurate, and a blast to shoot. I did slick them up following Steve Young's DvD and his parts including the bolt safety plug. They are my most fan favorite rifles when I take out new shooters as both the women and men love to shoot them. My rifle has a Marbles tang and Lyman globe sight on it and I use them to shoot at steel plates at 300yds while my carbine has a bead front sight for closer accuracy. Both shoot very well for a pistol round. With all the use they get, they are solid, sturdy and always ready to go. With just a quick action and barrel cleaning they stay solid and reliable. I wouldn't trade them off for any other rifle.

October 8, 2015, 12:09 PM	#78
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	I bought a 92 many years ago. It was so cheap that I couldnt resist it. It is nicely accurate with the heavier jacketed rounds out to 100 yards. it has never had a jam. It's rough as heck in the action, but I still work with it just fine. The blue was nice, and the horrible looking wood was still prettier than plastic. It's a toy, yet it's still a gun I would take out hunting. I keep the thing in a closet loaded with .357 soft points in case I ever need a rifle for emergency purposes in my suburban neighborhood. Ar clones started at over a grand. this thing is fun to shoot and it works. Sounds like you got a loser, but trust me, they aren't all losers. If they work and fulfill your needs, you win, but if they don't work, you can either try it again, or start from scratch with another plan.

October 8, 2015, 02:04 PM	#79
Unlicensed Dremel Junior member Join Date: February 13, 2014 Location: Flathead Valley, MT Posts: 2,187	I've had good luck with LSI / Rossi Puma 92s in .45 Colt and .454 Casull, and also with Taurus and Rossi branded pumps - 62s, 72s / 59s.

October 9, 2015, 09:26 PM	#80
Super Sneaky Steve Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2011 Posts: 1,250	I loved my 92 in .357 so much that I bought a second in .45 Colt. They both have a Skinner rear peep and a Marble front fiber optic. The .357 is red and the .45 Colt is green. In the picture my .357 has no front and the .45 is stock.

October 9, 2015, 10:47 PM	#81
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	I've wanted a peep sight.

October 10, 2015, 07:12 PM	#82
Super Sneaky Steve Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2011 Posts: 1,250	I took them both to the range today. I was pretty happy with the .45. I was using a powder coated cast bullet at standard pressure. There's 10 shots there. Then I tried the same distance, 50 yards with the .357 and my group is under an inch with 5 shots. Not bad for open sights! Both sights could use a slight adjustment, but this is good enough. I don't want to mess with it anymore. I'm thinking I can do much better with the .45. It still has to break in some and I need to tweak the load to find what it likes best.

October 14, 2015, 04:05 PM	#83
Mr.Bro Member Join Date: January 3, 2015 Posts: 19	I also have the Rossi 92 16 inch, or "trapper" model as some models like this are referred to. It is a great gun and had ate everything I've fed it, both 38 and 357. I even tried to slow cycle it to see how slow I would have to go to get a jam and it still cycled fine. I love how compact and fast handling it is. I really want to get another one now. I went with the blued, as the stainless was hard to get. I waited a month for them to come back in stock (budsgunshop) but since I had to have it NOW, I just went with the blued. I also went with the regular loop since I didn't like the look of the large loop, a little too big. The smaller one is perfectly comfortable for me.

November 18, 2015, 01:36 AM	#84
pricedo Member Join Date: September 3, 2008 Location: NRA LIFE MEMBER Posts: 55	I had several rossi 92s over the years. You get whatcha pay for and the rossis were cheap clunkers. Of the lot I kept a 20" pre braztech carbine in 454 casull with none of the lawyered up safties and humped the rest for cash to buy other guns including a beautiful chiappa 92 in 44 mag. The rossis are the pigs ear to chiappas silk purse. The chiappas are much better guns in regards to both looks and smooth operation.

November 18, 2015, 07:15 AM	#85
Targa Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2014 Posts: 2,084	I would hope the Chiappa's are better looking and smoother cycling, they cost twice as much. I have a 94 Winchester and a Rossi 92. The Winchester is very pretty and almost seems like it would cycle itself its so smooth. The Rossi might not be at the same level of fit and finish but is well built. The Rossi doesn't cycle as smoothly either but it does cycle reliably, at least mine does.

November 18, 2015, 08:10 AM	#86
kcub Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2010 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 3,318	I had a Chiappa 92 44. It was beautiful. As nice a wood as you could wish for. Too bad that it was a wall hanger and not a gun. The tube mag would back away from the receiver under recoil jamming it on about the 3rd round. I took it back to Cabela's. The Italians would not send them parts so it had to go back to the factory in Italy. It came back 6 months later with the exact same problem. Cabela's reluctantly gave me store credit. Chiappa is dead to me now.

November 18, 2015, 03:13 PM	#87
Tony Z Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2013 Location: North Central Pennsyltucky Posts: 749	I've been on the fence on which .357 to buy, and in a trip to Grice's/Clearfield, PA to lay away my Christmas present, that my wife will pick up, I bought a Henry .357 in steel. The gun just felt right, aimed very naturally. For my Christmas present, I laid away a CZ 455 in .22LR, with a "Mannlicher" stock.