Rossi Rifleman

So how did you come across your first 92? A few years ago, a friend showed up at the range with this little lever action in a caliber I never heard of. A Rossi in 480 Ruger. I shot it a couple times and remember it kicked and had a lot of muzzle flip!
Didn’t think much about until last summer when that same friend wanted my old garden tractor. I swapped my beat up old Case tractor plus $200 for his rifle. I think I did pretty good. I picked up a Ruger Bisley Super Blackhawk in 480 to go with it.

Yup, I'd say you did good. Nice combination!

Great story about the 480 and a good trade for you! Here is how I bought mine: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=226

I read it. That’s a great story as well!

45+ years of watching westerns on TV. I was sure that I wanted a model 94, I was sure Lucas used a 94. I have the two octagon barrels in 357. Most fun I've ever had shooting was with the 92

That .480 is a keeper m:)

Right around 2 years ago I bought my first 44 mag. It was a very nice S&W 629-4 with a 8 3/8s inch barrel. I started loading and shooting 44 mag and really took a liking to it. It is a very accurate revolver. About a month and a half later I was in the same LGS and I spied a blued 44 mag 92 20" barrel in the rack with about 8 other lever guns. I had heard there were 357 magnum Rossi 92s but I never could find one and I truthfully didn't look into it too much. I did not realize at the time that basically all Rossi 92s were scarce. I went home, researched the it a little bit and rushed back to the store the next day to get it. I was really intrigued by the power of a 44 mag in a revolver and I couldn't wait to see what it would do from a rifle. Really I had no reason to get a lever action, I don't hunt and I don't cowboy shoot but I had to have it.

So I bought that 92. It was a LSI puma and not in the greatest shape for a NOS gun. It could have passed as used all day long. Aesthetics aside it is a great shooter, anything I couldn't hit with the 629 could easily be handled with the Rossi. I frequently use it at our clubs pistol silhouette range and it's really a blast.

I now have 5 Rossi 92s and one in the mail and another on layaway. Every gun show I go to I scout the rifle racks for model 92s. I truly love them. Unfortunately for my wallet the scarcity causes me to buy almost every one I see.

My first rifle was a SKS. I got it because it seemed like a fun rifle that was also durable, and most of all, cheap. I had it for a couple years and messed with different configurations for it and shot it every now and then. Truthfully, I never really enjoyed shooting it. It was fun, but it didn't put that smile on my face like the right gun does.

So, a few months back I sold my SKS, and the greatest part of buying anything began. Research. That special time of endless possibilities, finding the right combination and perpetually reading thread after post after article. AR's were cheap so I looked into them. My brother has a couple and spoke highly of them. I went to work picking one out and settled on a PSA OD green M4 style upper and lower. I knew they were good guns, but I didn't know if I'd enjoy it.

I asked myself, what would put that smile on my face. I surprised myself when I decided on a lever gun. I guess I have always liked lever guns(I was a cowboy as a kid, I carried dual revolvers on my hip to the park, and wore boots to the point I got Athletes foot because I didn't want to take them off), but considered them inadequate for some reason. So I did yet more research and even more waiting, until one day after work I saw the listing in the local classifieds.


I'm beyond satisfied with it. It has been great fun so far and I look forward to more. I can see other Rossi lever guns in my future.

TL;DR I've always liked Lever guns but never one because I underestimated/never really considered them. It's all good now because I really enjoy mine.

My Rossi story...

My FFL does almost exclusively mail order type deals. I tell him what I want. He orders it. When it comes in he sells it to me for a set dollar amount over his invoice. It's a great business model as far as I'm concerned. I get really good deals and he doesn't have to carry a lot of inventory.

I had originally ordered a Henry because of the reports about smoother actions and overall better fit and finish.

After 2 months of waiting for my Henry to arrive I went back and he suggested I order a Rossi. In hindsight I'm glad it turned out the way it did. I really detest the way Henry's load through the belly of the tube magazine. After I did an action job on my rifle it's every bit as smooth as the Henry's I've handled.

I ended up with a .357 octagon barrel and a case hardened finish on the receiver. I love the look, feel, and balance of my rifle. I didn't even know they were getting hard to find. Maybe we should all quit telling our friends how much we like our Rossi's.

I got into refinishing, and wanted a lever to do the wood on. I hunted mine down and traded for it.

Having already owned a Blackhawk in .357 I had an urge for a rifle. I found mine at an outdoor once per month flea market type sale an hour from home but I refused to pay $385 for a "sub-par" brand such as Rossi. That was in 2012.

A couple years later when the Marlin .357s got to about $700 and ALL the brands disappeared from the types of places I buy (read: Not gun stores) I started looking again.

After years of not showing up to sell, the same man had the same rifle (and most other calibers of the old model R92) as in 2012. I stopped the search and picked it up for about 30% more than it would have cost me earlier.

I need to go back and see if he has a .480 or a .454. Forgot to mention he has a business in my home town and his house is along a street my wife and I ride bikes on.