Is this Rossie a good buy?

M

MitchSchaft

New member
My brother-in-law is selling me his Rossi .357. I talked to him about it and here is the email he sent me

My gun is a Rossi Model 971. It is has stainless steal finish, a 4 inch
barrel and it's caliber is .357 magnum. There is no safety on the gun
but it does have a "double action" trigger pull. I believe the pull is 4
and 1/2 foot pounds but am not completely sure. Once cocked, it has a
"hair trigger" ( less than 1/2 foot pounds pull to set it off ). I do
not know the weight of the gun. To my knowledge this model is not made
anymore.

As far as rounds fired I have put about 2 boxes through it. (100
rounds) I still have rounds from my first, second and third boxes if
you wish to see what I was using. I do have a cleaning kit and have
cleaned the gun twice. I also have 1 complete box of Remmington .357
magnum rounds left. When I sell the gun all that I have will be
included.

I purchased the gun new, ( and may have the original box ) from Sports
Unlimited, (now out of business) for $249.99 plus tax. When I sell the
gun I plan to ask for $250 firm. If I can't get what I am asking I
probably won't sell it. If you are seriously interested in the gun
there are 2 things you should do. Number 1, set up a time with me to
come fire the gun. Number 2 research other guns that you have interest
in and compare them in price and style. If in the end you are still
seriously interested in purchasing my gun we can talk... I will not sell
it to you for $250. = ) Maybe something like $220.
Click to expand...

That was a couple months ago. He wasn't sure he wanted to part with it. Today I found out he is going to go ahead and sell it to me. He is giving me everything above, plus a speed loader. He is also only asking $200 due to me being family and all. Does this sound like a good deal to you guys?
This will be my first revolver, so I'm pretty excited about it.
 
Of course it's a good buy....I almost get the feeling that you posted this to brag or something, but I'm not sure...hope it works out for ya.
 
Watch the single action trigger. If it is indeed 1/2lb pull, you could be setting up for some serious problems - may be prone to accidental discharges. Factory trigger should come in around 3.5lbs.
 
I would have to dissent here. A Rossi would be WAY down my list of desirable handguns. Used S&W's would serve you much better, in my opinion, than used Rossi's. I would suggest a pecking order something like this:

1. S&W
2. Ruger
3. Colt; Dan Wesson
4. Taurus
5. Rossi

I cannot think of any good reason to jump on a $200 Rossi with a questionable trigger.
 
A good solid 357 for $200? Absolutely buy it.

Re-read the email, it was one-half of a FOOT POUND!!! The guy selling it obviously is not a gun guy so he is using terms not commonly used. Read carefully, there is NOTHING WRONG with the trigger.
 
A good solid 357 for $200?
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I guess it will be up to Mitch to decide whether the Rossi is a "good solid" gun. I for one don't think it is, but I am not the one interested in buying it. I think Rossi is awfully close to the bottom rung on the ladder of quality in revolvers.

But I agree that there is probably nothing wrong with the trigger. Most SA triggers on DA revolvers feel awfully light. My S&W SA triggers have no take-up...no creep...no overtravel...just an absolutely perfect clean break...and the quality of a trigger goes a long way at improving the overall feel and making you think it is lighter than it is.

I wouldn't pay $200 for a used Rossi as long as I can continue to buy a new S&W for around $400.
 
I'm pretty sure there is nothing wrong with the trigger. He doesn't know firearms too well. He's actually getting rid of it so he and my sister can have a kid :rolleyes: . So that should tell you enough.

I almost get the feeling that you posted this to brag or something
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LOL. Of course not. I'm pretty new to handguns, especially revolvers. I'm just looking for a little insight. I read some posts in this forum about Rossi and folks don't seem to have a big problem with them. Nothing like I've read about Llama firearms;).
 
I'm betting the trigger is fine and he just doesn't know what he's talking about.The 971 is currently made and Rossi is making some very nice revolvers.I have the 972 (6") and its a beautiful and sweet shooter! At $200.00 i'd jump on it.
 
I'd get it. I had a 2 1/2 in stainless model 971 a few years back. Nothing wrong with it quality wise. The trigger wasnt quite as "nice" as a S&W trigger, but the 971 is a good, sound gun. I paid $210 for mine about 5 years ago, so you're getting a great deal.

Jump on it!
 
The first .357 I ever I owned was a Rossi model 971 with a six inch barrel. The S&W 686 is hands down a far better gun in every possible way than the Rossi.

Unless the trigger has had extensive work done to it by a shady gunsmith, the DA pull is probably at least 7 pounds and the single action pull is at least 3 or 4 pounds. The trigger on mine felt smooth and can see how someone would dramatically under estimate the pull, but there is no way a reputable 'smith would put a .5 lb trigger on a Rossi. A good smith just wouldn't do it. And it definately didn't leave the factory with such a trigger.

As for price, that sounds about fair. I paid $225 for my gun brand new about 5 years ago and the same shop gave me a $200 trade in towards another gun a few months later.

For the gun itself, there's nothing wrong with it at all. Mine was accurate and completely reliable. I put probably 2,000 rounds through it and it worked and looked just as good when I got rid of it as when I brought it home. The only problem I might have with it is my 6" Rossi felt lighter and kicked a bit more than my 4" 686. Not that either have much recoil to speak of with factory ammo.

It's just that for another $100, you can get a used 686 which is the standard for heavy barrel 357s. It will last forever and ever and ever and is just a far superior piece to the Rossi.

Also, I believe S&Ws politics have changed as of late and even if they haven't, if you buy a used S&W, the company still isn't getting any money from it.
 
Consider getting the stainless Rossi .357 with 6 inch barrel for $300. I saw one at Academy Sports. You would get a new pistol under warranty.

Drakejake
 
I would buy a used S&W. But, if he is going to get rid of this gun, I'd like to be the one who gets it. I don't know. I almost feel like he is giving up a child and I want to be there to take care of it:D. It's coming with a cleaning kit and a speed loader, too. It's only had 100 rounds through it. All I would need to buy is a holster.
 
Um, you want to pay almost 90% of what this friend paid for his Rossi when it was new?

Taurus revolvers are generally regarded to superior to the Rossis. Perhaps this has changed in recent years, but the Rossi I picked up in the store to examine after Rossi was bought by Taurus still seemed inferior to the Taurus product. I've seen Taurus revolvers (not all, or even most) that come close to S&W quality on the internals. I've never seen one that was as durable as a Ruger, or as nicely finished as a Colt. But a Rossi? Forget it; they don't even compare.

I'm clearly in the minority, but I would not pay that much for a used Rossi, stainless or not. I'm not sure I would bother buying a used Rossi when there are so many fine used Smiths and Rugers and Colts out there, but if I were to do so it would be for a whole lot less than that. Maybe $150 (since it's stainless) at the absolute high end. I think you can get into trade-in police stainless revos from Ruger and Smith for around what you're contemplating paying for the Rossi. I would recommend looking into that instead.
 
The gun loses 10% the second you walk out the door of the gunstore with it. It is no longer NIB. It is now LNIB. When you fire it it loses more value. And a speedloader is between $5 and $7.50 depending on how hard you shop.

He's actually getting rid of it so he and my sister can have a kid
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$200?..So that is how much kid's cost these days?

Surely he is not getting rid of it because he or his wife is afraid to have a gun in the house with a kid?:confused:
 
lol!
I'm pretty sure it was his idea to get rid of the gun. My sister grew up with firearms in the house and havent heard her complain about it.
 
OK, now that I'm past the trigger thing, I'll try to be a little more constructive.

I have both a Rossi 462, new manufacture, and a Smith model 60, both in 2" barrels and stainless finish. Comparing the two, the Rossi is very close , and perhaps equal, to the Smith model 60.

Differences:
- Rossi holds 6 rounds, Smith holds 5
- Rossi grip more substantial than Smith, fits hands better
- Rossi seems to absorb recoil better with magnum loads than
the Smith.
- Rossi, due to shape of grip, conceals better than the Smith
- Rossi cost substantially less than the Smith ($300 NIB)

Would I pay $200 for an almost new in box Rossi .357 - you bet!
 
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