Scope Question

[oldhunter]

I bought a new Rossi 92 last year in .357 mag with a 20" barrel and found it to be a very reliable and accurate rifle at 25-50 yards. Although I was successful in shooting a buck with it last year, my eyesight is failing because of cataracts that are not ready for surgery for another year or so. My solution is to put a scope on this that will allow me to continue to use this fine rifle. My question is what is the best scope mount to use? I understand that there must be holes drilled under the rear sight and Rossi does offer a mount on their web site but are there others available to buy that may be better? Anyone with experience in mounting a a scope on their 20" Rossi that would like to share information would be helpful.

oldhunter

[pricedo]

I bought a new Rossi 92 last year in .357 mag with a 20" barrel and found it to be a very reliable and accurate rifle at 25-50 yards. Although I was successful in shooting a buck with it last year, my eyesight is failing because of cataracts that are not ready for surgery for another year or so. My solution is to put a scope on this that will allow me to continue to use this fine rifle. My question is what is the best scope mount to use? I understand that there must be holes drilled under the rear sight and Rossi does offer a mount on their web site but are there others available to buy that may be better? Anyone with experience in mounting a a scope on their 20" Rossi that would like to share information would be helpful.

oldhunter

Well I think it's something or other to do with new wine in old bottles or something like that .
A scope and a 92 go together like a Rolls Royce jet engine mounted on a horse drawn carriage..........they don't.
If the old peepers let me down and I need to drag 8 or so extra ounces of tube steel and glass through the brush you can bet Mrs. Leupolds gold embroidered petticoats I'm going to get an extra 200 yards of effective range out of the deal.
I won't get that 200 yards with a levergun firing a low powered pistol cartridge.
When the peepers go it'll be my Savage 116 bolt actions woodland debut donning a Leupold 3-9x40mm and the 92s will be going to the young pricedos with the optical equipment to do those fine rifles with the unadulterated semi-buckhorn iron sights justice.
When I watch that first western "duster" movie with Chuck Connors or the Duke carrying a 92 with a scout scope mounted on it I might reconsider and ask the kids for my 92s back..........I kinda doubt that day will come.

[Ranch Dog]

Well I think it's something or other to do with new wine in old bottles or something like that .
A scope and a 92 go together like a Rolls Royce jet engine mounted on a horse drawn carriage..........they don't.

That is your opinion but it did not answer the question this member asked. The truth of the matter is that optics greatly enhance the sight picture in low light conditions, typically found at the time that big game moves the most. That improvement has nothing to do with needing to shoot some great distance, that is driven by the chose of cartridge. Having killed at least 35 big game animals a year for the last twenty five years, my OPINION is that the only thing open or peep sights offer is a HUGE DISADVANTAGE in a hunting situation. The animals I've taken include whitetail and mule deer, elk, pronghorn, nilgia, javelina and countless feral hogs and do not include the stack of bobcats and coyotes that I kill every year. A majority of these animals have been inside of 70 yards but they have all been killed with a scope sighted leverguns. The majority of the reports in the Field/Hunting forum on this site have been killed with Rossi's that are scope sighted.

Oldhunter, to your question. It is possible to attach a scope to your rifle but it is not a inexpensive proposition given the work necessary to drill and tap your existing rifle or purchase an extended eye relief scope. Rossi does offer a base that fits the tapered barrel and it is not the part displayed on their web site. That base is for their single shot rifles, you must call them about the R92 base. Steve's Guns sells them but they are twice what Rossi charges. They are also available on Amazon.com at the Rossi price. Certain models of R92 are now have drilled and tapped barrels but I'm unsure of the exact models.

There are two side mounts that will come up if you search Amazon.com but they both have terrible reviews.

Drilling and tapping, done right with the proper jigs and vices, by a competent gunsmith will cost about $100. Be careful of most shops that say they can do it as they will actually send the rifle out to have the work completed. A extended eye relief scope is just as expensive over the cost of a normal eye relief scope. Despite the recent proliferation of scout rifles available, there has not been much change in the scopes that are available at the lower end of the price range. The bottom line is that when the dust settles and being your rifle needs to be drilled and tapped, you will need to spend as much as you probably have in your rifle to see a scope on it. I'm having this work done right now on a Rossi/Puma 92 chambered in 480 Ruger. Robert Bose is doing the work, he has completed a number of projects for me over the last 15 years.

There is no easy solution to your question based on my experience with this situation.

[44-40 Willy]

An alternative might be a peep or tang sight. My eyes aren't what they used to be and being somewhat of a traditionalist, I've found a tang sight to work well for me.

[pricedo]

An alternative might be a peep or tang sight. My eyes aren't what they used to be and being somewhat of a traditionalist, I've found a tang sight to work well for me.

I'm traditionalist to a fault (a confirmed Luddite if you will) when it comes to the legacy guns of the American West.
Not usual for an engineer to be rigidly myopic when it comes to new concepts but I like my 92s, 86s & 71s straight.
They make a rather expensive folding tang sight for my Pedersoli 86/71 (.45-70 GVT) that I'm itching to install and try and I have peep sights installed on other guns that work very well.
I hear really good reports about tang mounted sights and I've examined and shouldered rifles with tang sights that are owned by friends and acquaintances and am pleased with the sight picture and feel the addition will increase my max range with my very beautiful and extremely accurate Pedersoli.
I don't see Chuck or the Duke using a tang sight but a certain gentleman of the Olde (Australian ) West by the name of Quigley comes to mind.
I'd be Googling "tang sights for Winchester 92s and clones" for suggestions.
A "snap-on" solution might not present itself but a competent gunsmith could probably jury rig something with what is available for a reasonable cost.
Let me know what solution you chose and how it works out for you. I might follow suit with a couple of my legacy leverguns.

[Ranch Dog]

Oldhunter, these last responses seem more the way to head in light of the difficulties encountered with the scout scope mount. I have a SG's Safety Plug peep with front sight if you would like to try it without the expense of purchase (assuming you rifle has the plug). Just PM me if you are interested.

I have found the front sights SG's offers to be the wrong width. They fit the dovetail but exceed the width if the dovetail and are unsightly. These sights are the Marbles bead and Buffalo Arms has a complete assortment of the various heights at the appropriate width. I made a list of the part numbers while working with my R92 chambered in 480 Ruger but only now remembered that I need to finish it and post it. I wanted to list the MOA effect of each sight given the fixed sight radius of the R92 so one would not need to guess which one would meet your needs which fast becomes a costly project.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

[pricedo]

Oldhunter, these last responses seem more the way to head in light of the difficulties encountered with the scout scope mount. I have a SG's Safety Plug peep with front sight if you would like to try it without the expense of purchase (assuming you rifle has the plug). Just PM me if you are interested.

I have found the front sights SG's offers to be the wrong width. They fit the dovetail but exceed the width if the dovetail and are unsightly. These sights are the Marbles bead and Buffalo Arms has a complete assortment of the various heights at the appropriate width. I made a list of the part numbers while working with my R92 chambered in 480 Ruger but only now remembered that I need to finish it and post it. I wanted to list the MOA effect of each sight given the fixed sight radius of the R92 so one would not need to guess which one would meet your needs which fast becomes a costly project.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

This is just applied trigonometry, but like most things theoretical the practical application can be somewhat more complicated and if you're not good with sines and cosines an EXCEL table for each rifle (sight radius) tabulating the various sights and the MOA effect would be an immensely handy and labor/cost saving tool as compared to trial and error.

It would be nice if such an EXCEL spreadsheet download link would pop up on a Rossi Rifleman website near me sometime soon.

[Pepe Ray]

Michael;
Thank you for supporting us who have poor vision. That is, vision that can be aided by sighting devices other than traditional, undeveloped and inadaquate.
I understand the critic's viewpoint tho I disagree with it. I too,find a scope mounted M92 (or '94, '86, '73, etc.etc) without the magic. Images of "Ye olde days"
are difficult to conjur while handeling such.
The reality of a dark Cedar swamp, a flashing white tail and holding a nimble M92 ,scout scope mounted, will quickly disavow the importance of "Ye Olde Days".

I've got various lever guns with tang sights and more with receiver sights. They are very handy and do a comendable job when vision will accept them. They are immensly improved when using the Merit adjustable aperture. But "comendable'", as in adaquate. Still lots of room for improvement. The kind of improvement achieved with a scout mounted scope.

I could go on and on about ergonomics, balance, grip placement, carrying vs. shooting. I'll save it for another post.

By the way, a Shooting Times/Bart Skelton review of Rugers new Scout, included a side bar regarding the scope he used. I mention it because I tracked it down and found it on Weavers site, still cataloged at $273.49 --SKU-ATK-849417
I t got my attention because he used it in both positions. Over the action as well as scout position. Eye Relief at 9.xx inches. A 4x-K type honey.

Thanks again Michael, "You-da-man"
PepeRay

[44-40 Willy]

I put a Marbles tang sight on my Rossi 62 Octagon pump 22. Made a tack driver even easier to hit with. I'm thinking Marbles made one for the Rossi 92 as well.

[Pepe Ray]

44-40 Willey
Years ago, before Taurus gobbled up Rossi, Taurus sold a similar 22 pump and produced a tang sight for it (after market as well ).
I purchased several on speculation, from Brownells AIR. They came with screws to mount on the .22 but it was no chore to find appropriate screws at the hardware store, to mount the sight on my M92 (357Mag.) They are a duplicate of the Marbles tang sight with windage and elevation adjustments.
Perhaps this is what you've heard of as you speculated.
The sight is a great supplement to a great rifle.
Pepe Ray