I started Cowboy Action way back at the end of the last century (don't that have a cowboy ring to it)...I already owned Ruger Blackhawks in .45 Colt as well as a double barreled 12 gauge shotgun, so I started looking for a lever action rifle also chambered in .45 Colt like my Blackhawks. In my quest I located a new Winchester 94 Trails End .45 at a really good price and it followed me home. I would probably been better served with a Marlin or a Rossi in .357 (Winchester 94s in pistol calibers are not ideal rifles for Cowboy Action, using a cartridge not designed for the action more often than not will result in feeding issues when an attempt is made to be run them fast) but chose to stick to the .45...this 94 worked well IF I did my part and operated it with authority
...being a middle of the pack shooter, I felt I was not overly handicapped by the long slow 94 lever and the occasional live round being ejected (I just took the 5 second miss). I had toyed with the idea of replacing the WELL USED (over the almost 19 years I shot this rifle I estimate a minimum of 40,000 rounds of ammo were sent downrange) Winchester with a new rifle but never did. Over all those years I had one stoppage due to mechanical breakage when one side of the link the locking bolt rides in snapped off, locking the rifle up, and even then after the broken sliver was removed, it worked fine and finished the match. Finding a new link for a .45 Colt Model 94 wasn't really hard, Numrich Arms had one (but it was the LAST one...there are plenty of parts for the rifle cartridge 94s, but not so much for the pistol cartridge rifles)...it was an easy fix and the old Winchester worked as well as new...but...Cowboy action shooting really makes you run your firearms in a way they were truthfully not designed to be operated...no two ways about it, they lead a pretty hard life and I felt the 94 had reached the point she needed a rest. So the quest began for a replacement.
I looked at used JM Marlin .45 Colt Model 94s...couldn't convince myself to part with the $1,000-$1,200 being asked for sometimes well used rifles (OK...I'm cheap)...
I looked at Uberti model 73s at about the same price but still balked at spending a grand or more (plus I wanted a stronger action than the toggle bolt used in the 73) for one (OK...I'm cheap)...
The Henry's are slick and beautiful rifles...but the tube loading sorta puts me off, plus I have seen a couple of them act up when operated fast at shoots...
The Miroku 92s seems to be forged in the new metal "unobtainiom"...plus, back when they were forged in common steel, they were to be had for about a $1,000 bill (OK...I'm cheap)...
So...back in August when I found a 24" octagon barrel Rossi 92 in my beloved .45 Colt at Bud's online for $481.00 (no sales tax) with free shipping to my FFL, I jumped on it...with shipping insurance, transfer fees and background check I ended up paying $517.00 total for the rifle (this played well with my cheapness...or thriftiness, it sounds better)...the rifle was perfect and well worth the cost, a good value IMHO...
How has the purchase panned out?...
Do I still think it was a good value?...
First order of business...I gave it a good cleaning with Gun-scrubber...
Second...I ordered a Palo Verde spring kit and 92 screwdriver bit set from Brownell's and watched as many YouTube videos on disassembly as I could find while awaiting it's delivery. (The Winchester 94 is somewhat similar in some areas)...
Third...I shot a couple hundred rounds to loosen things up a bit...the rifle shot great but fairly stiff and catchy toward lockup...it is a very accurate rifle...I even like the semi buckhorn sights on this rifle...
When the kit and bits arrived (I'm a firm believer in proper fitting screwdrivers) I stripped the rifle down and installed the springs, using the recommended spacers from the instructions for the hammer spring...I also polished the ejector stem/rod and removed a burr off the same before reinstalling it in the bolt. I polished the locking bolt faces where they contact the bolt with 600 grit paper and oil until they were shiny (just polished them...did not remove metal). I polished the hammer strut before installing the hammer spring. I used the shank of a small drill bit to burnish the sharp edge off the inside of the frame at the loading gate (from a post here on the forum) to make loading less painful and bloody on the finger
...I gave everything a light coat of white lithium grease before putting everything back together...And what a difference it made...no more cut/raw fingers when loading...the loading gate is still somewhat stiff, but NOT sharp...a big improvement...
Super smooth action...no more hitcheness and tight resistance at lockup...lever pulls down and returns to lockup with one finger...much faster cycling of the lever...
Empties fall close to your feet...not over your shoulder (brass wranglers will appreciate this)...
It's now a very smooth working rifle and I am more than pleased with the cost and effort for the results...
Since doing the action work and spring changes I have fired about 1600 rounds with zero issues and the Rossi has been so much easier to use...I have used it in 8 shoots and my stage times reflect this...overall I would think it safe to say my times have dropped 6-8 seconds per stage since changing over to the
Rossi from the Winchester. Not only is the Rossi smoother (especially now) but the lever stroke is shorter than the 94 and the lever on the Rossi doesn't have to be held tight against the rifle to allow the trigger to be pulled as on the Winchester 94...it's just faster to lever and easier to use...
The heavier 24" octagon barrel "hangs" better on the targets and the added weight lessens recoil even more (as if Cowboy Action ammo is hard kicking
)...I have yet to see how my heavy .45 LIL'GUN 250 grain deer loads shoot...I'll report on that at a later date. To me, the crescent buttplate is great...the rifle shoulders well and stays put throughout the target string...I like it better than the shotgun style stock on my Winchester and the Marlins...The only bullet the Rossi seems to not like is the 255 grain lead semi wad cutter I load in pistol ammo...it seems to catch a little while feeding...the 250 grain LRNFP, 230 grain LEE truncated cone, 200 grain LRNFP all feed flawlessly...
When I started CAS back in the day, you saw a great many Rossi 92s with a good mix of Marlins and a few Uberti 73s and 66s being used...in a few years the Rossis (and to a lesser degree Marlins) became fewer and fewer, being replaced by Uberti 73s (now short stroked Ubertis are pretty much the norm) at least at the local clubs I shoot with...times change...
I am very well pleased with my choice of rifle, it suits me well, shoots well and was at a price point that I felt comfortable with. I would highly recommend the Rossi Model 92 to anyone thinking about getting into Cowboy Action shooting.
