Rossi Ranch Hands - why the huge price bracket?

[Gunoholic]

I wonder what batch you compared yours to? In my experience, if anything, the finish has recently gotten better. That said, I'd LOVE one of the new stainless trapper carbines (16") in either 454 or 44.

I thought I'd hate the safety, but so far I honestly think I might like it. It lets me block the firing pin when unloading which is not that bad an idea. It's also safer for holster carry than just relying on the half-####. Similarly, I thought I would hate the hammer lock, but so far I've used it a few times when I forgot to bring a trigger lock transporting after dark.

I wound up applying a coupla coats of Tru-oil finish right over the original finish on my old Amadeo Rossi 92.
After some buffing and polishing the rifle looks fantatic.
I tried to match the finish from my two original Winchester pre 64 model 94 leverguns and it came pretty dam close.
A chap from the states Jon Klein makes some real nice hand stitched leather butt cover/cartridge holders for legacy rifles and I have installed them on my two Guide Guns as well as the two Winchester 94s and the Rossi 92.
They all look like classic leverguns "Rooster Cogburn" (John Wayne) would have carried.

 

[Gunoholic]

I wonder what batch you compared yours to? In my experience, if anything, the finish has recently gotten better. That said, I'd LOVE one of the new stainless trapper carbines (16") in either 454 or 44.

I thought I'd hate the safety, but so far I honestly think I might like it. It lets me block the firing pin when unloading which is not that bad an idea. It's also safer for holster carry than just relying on the half-####. Similarly, I thought I would hate the hammer lock, but so far I've used it a few times when I forgot to bring a trigger lock transporting after dark.

I knew about the toggle safety switch but now a hammer lock?
You gotta be kidding.
Guess I won't be buying any of the new Rossi 92s.
If they spent the money properly fitting and finishing the guns rather than putting useless lawyer gadgets on them they might have a product woth buying.
The quality control in that factory must be non-existent.

 

[Claven2]

The hammer lock is just a little screw with a hollow hex key you can rotate in or out to stop the hammer from cocking. It's very small and hard to see. You can take it out and toss it if it bothers you. Really not a big deal, but I believe it counts as a "secure locking device" ala Canadian transport regs.

 

[Can-down]

The Rossi Ranch Hand is way, way over priced in Canada.
I bought a Rossi Ranch Hand in 44 Mag and returned it to the store defective a couple of years ago.
It was a piece of junk and wouldn't cycle ammo. The workmanship was lousy.
Bought a Chiappa Mare's Leg take down with a 12" barrel in the same caliber a week later and have had it ever since.
It cost over $900 but a MUCH MUCH better gun in regards to machining, fit and finish, smoothness, the whole 9 yards than the Rossi and I can break it down into 3 pieces and carry it in a normal sized business brief case which you can't do wiith the Ranch Hand and there's no stupid lawyers safety on the thing.

Rossi's are like some Norinco products.... a bit hit or miss but mostly hit. Definitely a gun you want to handle first or at least be sure the seller is upfront and willing to take it back if you aren't happy.

 

[Gunoholic]

The hammer lock is just a little screw with a hollow hex key you can rotate in or out to stop the hammer from cocking. It's very small and hard to see. You can take it out and toss it if it bothers you. Really not a big deal, but I believe it counts as a "secure locking device" ala Canadian transport regs.

If you enjoy the gun that's all that really matters Claven but I'd expect a little more fit and finish for a price that's not far off $600.
Guess I've been spoiled by my Amadeo Rossi 92.
The Rossi 92s were cheap back when I got my 454 carbine. I paid about $275 + tax for the 92/454.
If you wanted one with real walnut back at the time you bought one of the Navy Arms 92s which were made on contract by Rossi but were a little fancier (and more expensive - about $400).
The time when they were making the 92s on contract for Navy Arms was the best time to buy a stock Rossi because there was real quality control on the production line and fit and finish was a lot better.
The only difference between the stock Rossi 92s and the Navy Arms rifles was that they fitted walnut stocks on the Navy Arms rifles and jungle wood stocks on the stock Rossi rifles.
The quality of Rossi 92s was also good when they were making Puma 92s under contract for LSI in the USA
Now that Br#####h (Taurus) has taken over the quality of the guns has dropped because there's no client company quality control inspectors checking on them.
I was looking over a couple of Br#####h R92s recently and they were very rough cycling and the cartridge lifter was obviously unfinished with very conspicuous burrs when viewed with a magnifying glass.
Navy Arms or LSI quality inspectors would have sent a gun like that back to Rossi with a stern admonition to smarten up.
Now there's no one to check on them and quality has taken a downward dip.

 

[Gatehouse]

For $530 delivered, taxes in, I thought it was a pretty good deal. The wood isn't great, but the thing feed and extracts fine, seems to shoot okay (haven't tried it from a bench because I don't see much value in it) SHoots to POA when I hold it to my cheek (and use the bottom of the rear buckhorn sight.)

Actually the rear sight is the only thing I really don't like, and I have never liked those sights anyway. (You will see the XS aperture on my Mdl 94 )

Also, the loading gate is a bit sharp and I snagged my finger on it.

 

[Secondgunman]

I got a used one from P&D for about 375.00 maybe 450.00 I kind of loose track when I shop at that store sometimes. .45 Colt all be it mine had some marring to fix on the loading prot and needs some filing on the loading ramp. But it is fun I want to get a new rear sight and I want to start hand loading. after I get the rifle re-blued.

 

[Gunoholic]

For $530 delivered, taxes in, I thought it was a pretty good deal. The wood isn't great, but the thing feed and extracts fine, seems to shoot okay (haven't tried it from a bench because I don't see much value in it) SHoots to POA when I hold it to my cheek (and use the bottom of the rear buckhorn sight.)

Actually the rear sight is the only thing I really don't like, and I have never liked those sights anyway. (You will see the XS aperture on my Mdl 94 )

Also, the loading gate is a bit sharp and I snagged my finger on it.

Judging by that very "burry" cartridge lifter I saw on a recently manufactured Rossi 92 in 44 Mag if I somehow acquired a new Rossi 92 whether it be a Ranch Hand, Trapper, Carbine or full rifle I think the first thing I'd do is strip it down and deburr and polish all the internal parts.
The Remlin Guide Gun I bought in 2010 had a good barrel and receiver but the internals were very rough.
It wouldn't feed or cycle any factory ammo I tried in it. It as a bloody disgrace to the good name of John Marlin.
Took me a couple of days to strip'er down and deburr and polish everything that moved in the gun.
The best tool I found for removing the burrs on small parts without gouging the underlying metal was those wooden nail polishing sticks (look like oversized popsicle sticks) with the very fine emery powder embedded with epoxy in the flat surfaces that women use to manicure their nails. You can get em at the drug store for a couple of dollars for a package of 10.
The Gude Gun cycled smoother than churned butter after that was done followed by a lubing with fresh high quality gun oil.
I think the same treatment would do wonders for these rough outta the box Rossi 92s.

 

[Gatehouse]

Oh, it's got some sharp edges and burrs alright. But they haven't impeded function at all. The lifter and feed ramp are smooth, too. Maybe I got lucky

 

[Can-down]

No buttstock for me....It would be redundant

That sight looks taller then the ones that came on the older Ranchhands.... I guess Rossi finally read the memo!
How tall is it?

 

[reelhooker]

Mine in 44 mag is next to impossible to cycle. I am not sure if I should send it back or pull it apart and debur and clean it up. Frustrating hat a brand new product does not work properly. I would bring it back to the calgary shooting center but I doubt they would exchange it even if they had another one in stock. So I guess I have to use my own time to fix it.

 

[Gunoholic]

The moral of this saga and the Rossi Rule Of Thumb is:

CHECK THEM OVER BEFORE YOU BUY THEM

There's obviously NO quality control on the Rossi factory assembly line since Br#####h took over so you the buyer have got to assume that position unless you want to get stuck with a lemon.
Stripping down to small parts, cleaning, deburring, polishing, relubing is almost a given with any new Rossi product.
Fortunately there are lots of You-tube videos that show you how to disassemble, service and reassemble a Rossi 92.
The new Riossi line of guns are essentially KIT guns that you have to fit and finish yourself.

 

[Gunoholic]

Oh, it's got some sharp edges and burrs alright. But they haven't impeded function at all. The lifter and feed ramp are smooth, too. Maybe I got lucky

Some guys who aren't mechanically adept or tool handy break them in by working the action repeatedly.
The loading gates were really stiff on the new guns I handled.
To remedy this you have to pull the gun apart and shave some metal off the loading gate spring. Not too much or the gate turns into a floppy lymp dyk.
Make sure that loading gate spring retention screw is snug or the gun won't cycle.
A coupla guys I know who installed the Lee "Gunslinger" spring kits say the difference between trigger pull before and after is like nite and day.

 

[Can-down]

The moral of this saga and the Rossi Rule Of Thumb is:

CHECK THEM OVER BEFORE YOU BUY THEM

There's obviously NO quality control on the Rossi factory assembly line since Br#####h took over so you the buyer have got to assume that position unless you want to get stuck with a lemon.
Stripping down to small parts, cleaning, deburring, polishing, relubing is almost a given with any new Rossi product.
Fortunately there are lots of You-tube videos that show you how to disassemble, service and reassemble a Rossi 92.
The new Riossi line of guns are essentially KIT guns that you have to fit and finish yourself.

Sort of. They are similar to Norinco's in that regard. Many people enjoy tinkering and these guns are perfect for those people....if your not the tinkering type then you need to budget a bit more to send the gun to a good lever smith for some fine tuning. Once tuned (or if you get a beauty out of the box) they are great guns.
Basicly.
Some of them function perfect out of the box.... others minor issues...others might as well be returned unless they were sold at a large discount.

The worst problem you can have with them is an over indexed barrel which is the main thing I look for and ask about if buying sight unseen.

 

[Can-down]

Mine in 44 mag is next to impossible to cycle. I am not sure if I should send it back or pull it apart and debur and clean it up. Frustrating hat a brand new product does not work properly. I would bring it back to the calgary shooting center but I doubt they would exchange it even if they had another one in stock. So I guess I have to use my own time to fix it.

It could be as simple as a loose screw.... or not.
Why would you not talk to the retailer? Nothing to loose there. Do they not have gunsmiths on staff?
Rustywood in BC is a great option for slicking up these guns but I'd say the retailer owes you something at this point if the gun does not function out of the box.

 

[Gary D]

The moral of this saga and the Rossi Rule Of Thumb is:

CHECK THEM OVER BEFORE YOU BUY THEM

There's obviously NO quality control on the Rossi factory assembly line since Br#####h took over so you the buyer have got to assume that position unless you want to get stuck with a lemon.
Stripping down to small parts, cleaning, deburring, polishing, relubing is almost a given with any new Rossi product.
Fortunately there are lots of You-tube videos that show you how to disassemble, service and reassemble a Rossi 92.
The new Riossi line of guns are essentially KIT guns that you have to fit and finish yourself.

Exactly, I knew they have had issues and usually need tuning from the factory; I guess this is why I am happy with a brand new gun that wouldn't reliably cycle factory ammo. Kind of ludicrous really when you think about it, but at almost half the price of their peers thinking it will perform like them is even more ludicrous.

 

[Gunoholic]

Tru-oil does wonders for the jungle wood stock.
I applied mine on right over the factory shoe polish finish on my Rossi 92 and rubbed it in well.
Cure time was about 48 hrs before the stickyness went away.
Put a buffing disk on the vari-speed electric drill and buffed the crap out of it.
The Tru-oil acts like a fixer on the incumbent factory finish and weatherproofs the gun somewhat.
The finished gun looks great and unlike the resident factory finish the cured factory finish/Tru-oil amalgam won't run or come off in the rain.
My Rossi 92 is very slick and I can cycle it so fast without jamming or malfunction that several ejected cartridges are in the air at the same time.
I attribute that to the initial stripping, cleaning, deburring, polishing process when I first bought the gun.
92s are notorious for being ammo fussy but mine feeds and cycles a lot of different brands and types of ammo flawlessly and effortlessly.

 

[Gunoholic]

Sort of. They are similar to Norinco's in that regard. Many people enjoy tinkering and these guns are perfect for those people....if your not the tinkering type then you need to budget a bit more to send the gun to a good lever smith for some fine tuning. Once tuned (or if you get a beauty out of the box) they are great guns.
Basicly.
Some of them function perfect out of the box.... others minor issues...others might as well be returned unless they were sold at a large discount.

The worst problem you can have with them is an over indexed barrel which is the main thing I look for and ask about if buying sight unseen.

I paid less than $300 for my pre-safety Amadeo Rossi 92 and it is the same or better quality than the Miroku Winchester 92s that you pay $1100 + tax for now and none of the tang safety, rebounding hammer and hammer lock nonsense.
The gun is gospel according to John Browning.
All it took was a little patience and elbow grease to get the internals and finish up to snuff and I practically saved $1000.
I think the rich, lustrous bluing on my Amadeo Rossi 92 is BETTER than that on the new Winchester 92s and rivals that on the old Belgium Browning BLRs.
The machining on my 92 is excellent and not rough like the newer ones.
I'm glad I bought my Rossi 92 before Taurus got hold of the company an quality control went out the window.

 

[Gunoholic]

It could be as simple as a loose screw.... or not.
Why would you not talk to the retailer? Nothing to loose there. Do they not have gunsmiths on staff?
Rustywood in BC is a great option for slicking up these guns but I'd say the retailer owes you something at this point if the gun does not function out of the box.

in spades !
Friend brought a Rossi 92 in 357 Mag over and said it wouldn't load, feed or cycle ammo no way !
Long story short the loading gate flat spring retention screw was loose.
Tightened it and problem solved.

 

[Gunoholic]

Exactly, I knew they have had issues and usually need tuning from the factory; I guess this is why I am happy with a brand new gun that wouldn't reliably cycle factory ammo. Kind of ludicrous really when you think about it, but at almost half the price of their peers thinking it will perform like them is even more ludicrous.

The Rossi 92s are diamonds in the rough.
Quality control and fitting and finishing a gun with skilled human labor is the most expensive part of the manufacturing operation.
Br#####h has eliminated that expense from their assembly line and that's why the Rossi 92s are cheaper than the Chiappas and Mirokus.
Once slicked up they are better than the Chiappa and Miroku Winchester 92s.
I know, I've owned them all.
They are like the old Norton motorcycles. Unless you're a bit mechanically inclined and tool handy and like tinkering with stuff stay away from them.