Rossi Rifleman

R92, stainless, .357, octagonal 24" barrel forearm cap, no barrel bands.

Does anybody have any good suggestions for enlarging the hole through the forestock for the mag tube? I didn't think I'd EVER get my mag tube out, and it gives me the willies thinking about trying to get it back through again to reassemble the rifle. It doesn't need to be opened up much, but something's gotta be done. I DON'T want to try making the mag tube smaller!

Sandpaper contact cemented to a close fitting dowel, and a long, dark Irish winter day.

Not a bad idea, thanks!

I don't have the octagon barrel rifle but what I did with all my round barrel rifles was cut the center strip out. This is the only picture I could find.



I figured if it was good enough for Marlin and Winchester, it would be good enough for Rossi. I also found my groups improved. Less pressure on the barrel as it heated. I verified that before the fact, shooting groups on the same day with and without the forearm in place; followed by shooting with the relieved forearm at near-naked groups.

Either or any way that you go remember that forearm to magazine tension is very important. That is part of what keeps the tube from sliding forward.

Ranch Dog wrote:Either or any way that you go remember that forearm to magazine tension is very important. That is part of what keeps the tube from sliding forward.

Yeah, but when the tube is so freakin' tight in the forearm it's nearly impossible to remove? The only way I got it out was with a long, skinny screwdriver through the mag cap screw holes at the tip. I managed to get it turned enough that I could get the screwdriver all the way through, then used it as a handle to twist and pull on the tube until I got it out. That's entirely TOO tight, IMHO. Lucky it didn't get damaged.

And the mag cap screw goes deep into a hole in the bottom of the barrel, about .100 or so. Don't see how that tube's gonna slide when it's pinned like that. Not that the .38/.357 rounds recoil that hard anyway.

Ranch Dog wrote:I don't have the octagon barrel rifle but what I did with all my round barrel rifles was cut the center strip out. This is the only picture I could find.



I figured if it was good enough for Marlin and Winchester, it would be good enough for Rossi. I also found my groups improved. Less pressure on the barrel as it heated. I verified that before the fact, shooting groups on the same day with and without the forearm in place; followed by shooting with the relieved forearm at near-naked groups.

So splitting that thin web of wood between the barrel and magazine is OK, huh? I can do that pretty easy, and that should help a lot.

Yeap, I cut the middle out with a box cutter. Helped with a lot of things beyond accuracy; better barrel band fit and screw alignment. Concerning the latter, I had to adjust the relief on all five of my barrels to prevent interference with the Forearm Tip Screw.

Well, since I forgot about cutting the web and just bought a 1/2" dowel rod at Home Depot, I reckon I'll try both methods now......

By the time I'd sanded enough to unbind the mag tube and relieve the pressure on the barrel, there was barely a sliver left of the web on my .44 Mag. I box cuttered it too.