Rossi Model 92 catastrophic failure?

wagdog · January 18, 2012, 03:07 PM

I've been on the hunt for a Rossi 92 Stainless in 357 magnum. I visited a local gun store to pick up a rifle I had ordered online and delivered there. While chatting with the dude behind the counter, I asked if they had any Rossi lever guns in. He said they had a couple but only in 45-70. I told him I was looking for a .357 Magnum because I had a 38 special revolver and I could buy ammo for two guns. He immediately said that the Rossi wouldn't run the 38 special and could have a failure (i.e. "blow up"). I had never heard this before and can't find anything on the web to indicate this has been a common problem. Have any of yall ever heard of this problem with Rossi 92's?

arentol · January 18, 2012, 03:26 PM

In my research before I bought and R92 in .45 colt I recall coming across discussions of some .38 special rounds having trouble feeding properly because of the slight difference in length. Given that these R92's are not built to particularly tight tolerances I am not surprised to hear that. I have a feeling that is a situation that will vary from gun to gun.

I never heard of catastrophic failures, but my research has been far from exhaustive. I wouldn't worry about it though, if it happened more than once we would have all heard about it by now.

wagdog · January 18, 2012, 03:36 PM

That sounds similar to what I had found. Seemed like it was some soft point 38 special rounds that didn't feed reliably. Maybe that was what he was referring to but he did "38 special will blow that gun up."

tahunua001 · January 18, 2012, 03:46 PM

I've never heard of a 357 that would have a catostrophic failure in 38sp. I could see something as described above where slight difference in length would create feeding problems but there just isn't enough room for something like that to happen in a 357 chamber.

I would say he was probably just trying to sell you a 45-70.

Rockhanger · January 18, 2012, 04:20 PM

.38s feed just fine in my m92. Never any problems.

Magnum Wheel Man · January 18, 2012, 04:22 PM

shot my 357 with 38's through most of last years CASS schedule, with only 1 cartridge issue in 420 rounds

never heard of a Rossi KB, especially with using a 38 in a 357 rifle

wagdog · January 18, 2012, 04:44 PM

Yeah I wondered about that. Thanks for the info yall. For those of you that own a model 92 and use 38 special, do you have a favorite factory load that feeds reliably?

Magnum Wheel Man · January 18, 2012, 04:49 PM

as an FYI, I use a medium Trailboss load, loaded to recommended COL, & use Sutterschoice lead trunc. cone bullets... not totally sure why I had the one hick up, as it was my 1st cartridge in the magazine, & after I( got it to chamber, the rest cycled just like normal

az_imuth · January 18, 2012, 06:16 PM

My R92 eats the 38's like they were candy. I agree with the poster above, that the guy was probably trying to steer you toward purchasing something he had in stock.

jaysouth · January 18, 2012, 06:30 PM

Given the fact that the Rossi 92s are manufacutured on state of the art CNC machinery, I find that mine is tighter and more accurate than a vintage Winchester 1892. I am the proud owner of a 92 winchester in .38WCF but leave it hanging on the wall during the day so I can admire it, but do not shoot it often.

My rossi shoots .38 spl without stutter and will shoot full pressure loads with 180 gr. cast bullets that would blow up any ancient winchesters, very accurately.

If you are going to bash a gun/auto/whatever, at least have the intellectual honesty to abstain from comment unless you actually have experience with it.

wagdog · January 18, 2012, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaysouth

Given the fact that the Rossi 92s are manufacutured on state of the art CNC machinery, I find that mine is tighter and more accurate than a vintage Winchester 1892. I am the proud owner of a 92 winchester in .38WCF but leave it hanging on the wall during the day so I can admire it, but do not shoot it often.

My rossi shoots .38 spl without stutter and will shoot full pressure loads with 180 gr. cast bullets that would blow up any ancient winchesters, very accurately.

If you are going to bash a gun/auto/whatever, at least have the intellectual honesty to abstain from comment unless you actually have experience with it.

Thanks for the info. I wasn't trying to bash anything. Just wanted to find out if this was a common issue before I went and laid down some silver for this

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk

TexasFats · January 18, 2012, 07:08 PM

I cannot imagine a .38 Special causing a catastrophic failure in any gun chambered for a .357 Magnum, since the .38 Special is loaded to a much lower pressure than the .357. In fact, .357 cases are 0.135 inches longer that .38 Special by design, so that the .357 will not chamber in a .38 Special revolver. That was done to keep some fool from blowing up his .38 with a .357 Magnum round.

There is one way that a .38 Special could blow up a .357 Magnum rifle--if the bullet from a light .38 Special did not make it all the way out of the muzzle and was lodged in the bore of the rifle, then firing a subsequent round might cause a catastrophic failure.

rfroy · January 18, 2012, 09:39 PM

I have had someone try to tell me thin in the past. Their logic was that the .38 was .023 bigger in diameter than the .357. - what ever. After I explained to them the difference between the two they asked why they didn't call it a .357 short?

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Crosshair · January 18, 2012, 10:14 PM

Could have been a double charge of powder. That will cause most any gun to do bad things.

hornetguy · January 18, 2012, 11:57 PM

Quote:

I have had someone try to tell me thin in the past. Their logic was that the .38 was .023 bigger in diameter than the .357. - what ever. After I explained to them the difference between the two they asked why they didn't call it a .357 short?

Except the "38" isn't any bigger than the .357. They are both .357 in diameter. Whoever told you that didn't know much about cartridges. The reason it wasn't called the .357 short is because it predated the .357 by quite a few years.
That would be like "why don't we call the .45 Colt the .45 short, since it's a short version of the .454 Casull?"

gak · January 19, 2012, 12:40 AM

Ten or so Rossi 92s over 30+ years, including several .357s--never a "catastrophic" anything with a single one, except what was downrange

As a few have said, some are case length--as in short--sensitive;...doesn't equate to a catastrophic failure.

**Mike Irwin** · January 19, 2012, 06:54 AM

Rossi makes .45-70 rifles?

Moloch · January 19, 2012, 07:27 AM

Yes.
http://www.rossiusa.com/product-deta...adcrumbseries=

DeeDubya · January 19, 2012, 08:30 AM

A catastrophic failure could occur in a tubular magazine rifle if spire point bullets are loaded. Just as Hornady's "LEVERevolution" line of ammunition and bullets are designed with a soft point so as not to ignite a primer if the rifle is dropped or in the case of heavy recoil (can't see that with 38spl). I do have some 357 factory spire points. I think now discontinued, they are metal piercing bullets with a fairly sharp point. I would not load them in my Rossi 92 or any other tubular magazine rifle.

Mobuck · January 19, 2012, 08:38 AM

Mike Irwin,
They slipped an orange in the apple basket. I was about to ask how they got a 45/70 in a 92 action but you beat me.

243winxb · January 19, 2012, 09:23 AM

A 38 special +P loading of the 180gr bullet (large bearing surface) may stick in the barrel. This 1 rifle had a tight bore, .355" One of my reloading manuals claims, must keep velocity above 750 FPS. to avoid a stuck jacketed bullet.

**Mike Irwin** · January 19, 2012, 11:01 AM

Am I the only one who thinks that the Rossi lever rifle looks....

odd?

I cant' quite put my finger on what it is, though.

Brian Pfleuger · January 19, 2012, 11:04 AM

Quote:

odd?

Probably the scope rail....

Father Time · January 19, 2012, 11:11 AM

Quote:

odd?

Maybe, The reciver looks "short" compared to the rest of the rifle for a 45-70 cal. gun.
But then again it does have a 20" barrel.

I do like the large loop lever. Makes shooting with gloves much easier. And if I'm somewhere that I'll need a 45-70 it is very likely I'll be wearing gloves.

dgludwig · January 19, 2012, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Am I the only one who thinks that the Rossi lever rifle looks....

odd?

Imo, not nearly as odd looking as the Browning BLR, at least in terms of what some of us have come to conceptualize what a "traditional" lever-action rifle "should" look like. In the end, of course, what a gun looks like and how it appeals (or not) to the individual viewer is purely subjective in nature.

Though I think that you may well be the only one who believes that the Rossi lever-action "looks...odd", I'm sure that there are more than a few people who will agree with you.

And I, for one, positively hate the looks of an over-sized lever...though I concede that some will find some utility in it. Form follows function.

January 18, 2012, 03:07 PM	#1
wagdog Member Join Date: November 19, 2007 Location: USA Posts: 27	Rossi Model 92 catastrophic failure? I've been on the hunt for a Rossi 92 Stainless in 357 magnum. I visited a local gun store to pick up a rifle I had ordered online and delivered there. While chatting with the dude behind the counter, I asked if they had any Rossi lever guns in. He said they had a couple but only in 45-70. I told him I was looking for a .357 Magnum because I had a 38 special revolver and I could buy ammo for two guns. He immediately said that the Rossi wouldn't run the 38 special and could have a failure (i.e. "blow up"). I had never heard this before and can't find anything on the web to indicate this has been a common problem. Have any of yall ever heard of this problem with Rossi 92's?

January 18, 2012, 03:46 PM	#4
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	I've never heard of a 357 that would have a catostrophic failure in 38sp. I could see something as described above where slight difference in length would create feeding problems but there just isn't enough room for something like that to happen in a 357 chamber. I would say he was probably just trying to sell you a 45-70. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

January 18, 2012, 04:22 PM	#6
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	shot my 357 with 38's through most of last years CASS schedule, with only 1 cartridge issue in 420 rounds never heard of a Rossi KB, especially with using a 38 in a 357 rifle __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

January 18, 2012, 04:49 PM	#8
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	as an FYI, I use a medium Trailboss load, loaded to recommended COL, & use Sutterschoice lead trunc. cone bullets... not totally sure why I had the one hick up, as it was my 1st cartridge in the magazine, & after I( got it to chamber, the rest cycled just like normal __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

January 18, 2012, 07:08 PM	#12
TexasFats Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2007 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 130	I cannot imagine a .38 Special causing a catastrophic failure in any gun chambered for a .357 Magnum, since the .38 Special is loaded to a much lower pressure than the .357. In fact, .357 cases are 0.135 inches longer that .38 Special by design, so that the .357 will not chamber in a .38 Special revolver. That was done to keep some fool from blowing up his .38 with a .357 Magnum round. There is one way that a .38 Special could blow up a .357 Magnum rifle--if the bullet from a light .38 Special did not make it all the way out of the muzzle and was lodged in the bore of the rifle, then firing a subsequent round might cause a catastrophic failure. __________________ Gun laws are designed to extend and solidify the power of an elite over a peasantry. Sauron lives, and his orc minions are on the march.

January 18, 2012, 03:26 PM	#2
arentol Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2011 Posts: 230	In my research before I bought and R92 in .45 colt I recall coming across discussions of some .38 special rounds having trouble feeding properly because of the slight difference in length. Given that these R92's are not built to particularly tight tolerances I am not surprised to hear that. I have a feeling that is a situation that will vary from gun to gun. I never heard of catastrophic failures, but my research has been far from exhaustive. I wouldn't worry about it though, if it happened more than once we would have all heard about it by now.

January 18, 2012, 03:36 PM	#3
wagdog Member Join Date: November 19, 2007 Location: USA Posts: 27	That sounds similar to what I had found. Seemed like it was some soft point 38 special rounds that didn't feed reliably. Maybe that was what he was referring to but he did "38 special will blow that gun up."

January 18, 2012, 04:20 PM	#5
Rockhanger Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2010 Posts: 111	.38s feed just fine in my m92. Never any problems.

January 18, 2012, 04:44 PM	#7
wagdog Member Join Date: November 19, 2007 Location: USA Posts: 27	Yeah I wondered about that. Thanks for the info yall. For those of you that own a model 92 and use 38 special, do you have a favorite factory load that feeds reliably?

January 18, 2012, 06:16 PM	#9
az_imuth Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 306	My R92 eats the 38's like they were candy. I agree with the poster above, that the guy was probably trying to steer you toward purchasing something he had in stock.

January 18, 2012, 06:30 PM	#10
jaysouth Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2001 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 787	Given the fact that the Rossi 92s are manufacutured on state of the art CNC machinery, I find that mine is tighter and more accurate than a vintage Winchester 1892. I am the proud owner of a 92 winchester in .38WCF but leave it hanging on the wall during the day so I can admire it, but do not shoot it often. My rossi shoots .38 spl without stutter and will shoot full pressure loads with 180 gr. cast bullets that would blow up any ancient winchesters, very accurately. If you are going to bash a gun/auto/whatever, at least have the intellectual honesty to abstain from comment unless you actually have experience with it.

January 18, 2012, 09:39 PM	#13
rfroy Member Join Date: January 1, 2012 Posts: 15	I have had someone try to tell me thin in the past. Their logic was that the .38 was .023 bigger in diameter than the .357. - what ever. After I explained to them the difference between the two they asked why they didn't call it a .357 short? Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk

January 18, 2012, 10:14 PM	#14
Crosshair Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2004 Location: Grand Forks, ND Posts: 5,333	Could have been a double charge of powder. That will cause most any gun to do bad things. __________________ I don't carry a gun to go looking for trouble, I carry a gun in case trouble finds me.

January 19, 2012, 12:40 AM	#16
gak Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2005 Location: Aridzona Posts: 2,767	Ten or so Rossi 92s over 30+ years, including several .357s--never a "catastrophic" anything with a single one, except what was downrange As a few have said, some are case length--as in short--sensitive;...doesn't equate to a catastrophic failure.

January 19, 2012, 06:54 AM	#17
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,379	Rossi makes .45-70 rifles? __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

January 19, 2012, 07:27 AM	#18
Moloch Senior Member Join Date: November 27, 2005 Posts: 1,419	Yes. http://www.rossiusa.com/product-deta...adcrumbseries=

January 19, 2012, 08:30 AM	#19
DeeDubya Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2011 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 114	A catastrophic failure could occur in a tubular magazine rifle if spire point bullets are loaded. Just as Hornady's "LEVERevolution" line of ammunition and bullets are designed with a soft point so as not to ignite a primer if the rifle is dropped or in the case of heavy recoil (can't see that with 38spl). I do have some 357 factory spire points. I think now discontinued, they are metal piercing bullets with a fairly sharp point. I would not load them in my Rossi 92 or any other tubular magazine rifle. __________________ DW NRA Life Member

January 19, 2012, 08:38 AM	#20
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	Mike Irwin, They slipped an orange in the apple basket. I was about to ask how they got a 45/70 in a 92 action but you beat me.

January 19, 2012, 09:23 AM	#21
243winxb Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2011 Location: USA Posts: 1,730	38 special- Jacketed bullets in Rifles A 38 special +P loading of the 180gr bullet (large bearing surface) may stick in the barrel. This 1 rifle had a tight bore, .355" One of my reloading manuals claims, must keep velocity above 750 FPS. to avoid a stuck jacketed bullet. Last edited by 243winxb; January 19, 2012 at 09:25 AM. Reason: added "jacketed"

January 19, 2012, 11:01 AM	#22
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,379	Am I the only one who thinks that the Rossi lever rifle looks.... odd? I cant' quite put my finger on what it is, though. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

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