Rossi?

I

IMTHDUKE

New member
I am not a wheel gun guy, but and looking for a low budget gun..around $300 ....for an older woman to use as a house gun.

Question is for you wheel gun guys....What is you opinion of the Rossi?
 
I have a Rossi 451. If you had asked about Rossis earlier when I had only shot .38spl out of it I would have praised my gun and suggested one for you. However, about a week ago, I shot a bunch of .357mag out of it and had the cylinder bind on nearly every shot. From my internet research, binding issues are common with Rossi. On the plus side, they sound like they are a relatively easy fix after which it will be a fine gun for a great price, but the odds that you'll need a fix are a bit higher than I like. So, mine is a mixed review, but you can end up with a good gun at a great price (just be aware that you might need to have a little work done).

Which model are you considering?

Oh, one more consideration, if the older woman you are shopping for has any strength or arthritis issues in her hand, you might want to consider Taurus or S&W. The trigger on mine is much heavier than the trigger on any Taurus or S&W I've ever shot.
 
The Rossi 851 is a good solid 4 inch barreled .38 Special +P rated gun.

The Rossi 971 is a 4 inch blued .357 magnum version.
The 972 is a stainless steel 6 inch version.
 
I've been carrying a Rossi 462 (SS .357 snubbie) as my daily carry weapon for the past 7 or 8 years now, so I'm a little biased. I have fired well over three thousand rounds of varied .38 and .357 ammo through this gun and have never had a single breakage or malfunction. It has also been my camping/fishing companion and it has taken more than a couple of dunkings in a couple of my fishing holes. The rubber grips are extremely comfortable. Even though I own several other handguns, the Rossi is still my choice as a daily carry weapon. I have owned a couple of Charter Arms and IMHO, they don't compare to a Rossi.
 
AFAIK, the Rossi 4__'s snubbies are--or have been for some time--the only small frame SIX (6) shot .357s on the market. (Armscor and Taurus have small frame six-shot .38s), and I think they've gotten mostly good reviews. They are darn close to the vaunted but oddly long-gone Colt "D" frames (an A-B comparo shows the Rossi to be. bit beefier in frame ahead of the cylinder but almost identical otherwise). I'd shoot .38s and +Ps in it mostly--as I would any .357 snub--but nice that it can "go magnum" on occasion as well. If new and $300 are your criteria, I'd give it a go. I had a pre Braztech/Taurus stainless Rossi 971 years ago that was great. I lost it in a bizarre hunting/trekking incident but still miss it.
 
As long as its only going to be used as a self defense gun I would recommend Rossi. I had a 461 as my car gun for a long time and never once had a problem of any kind with it. I only put around 200 rounds through it the entire time I had it though. I have read accounts of the revolvers wearing quickly, but as long as its not used as a range gun it should work fine.
 
I had the 461 for a while. It's a sturdy steel revolver and a 6-shooter, for not much money. The rubber grips work well. With .38 Specials it should last a long time and be an effective house gun.
 
Rossi

I really like the Rossi revolvers and have had good service from them. Most I've owned have been .357, however I have fired mostly .38 special loads through them. My limited experience has been they are a fine revolver. I have an older one now that seems to be a good copy of the Smith Wesson Model 19. I like it well enough to keep it and that says a LOT for me. As I have a "trading sickness" and only keep arms I really really like.
 
I bought my Dad a Rossi 357mag snubby and it is a great little gun. Surprisingly accurate. I would easily buy another one for a glovebox or fishing box gun.
 
As long as its only going to be used as a self defense gun I would recommend Rossi.
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WHAT??? :eek:

You only have one life. Some people apparently do not place much value on theirs, or yours. :rolleyes:

If it were "only a range gun" I could buy that. But "only a self defense gun"? Really?

I owned one Rossi revolver, a number of years ago. It would fire one round, and the cylinder would come un-latched and try to swing out maybe 1/8". Just enough so that a subsequent trigger pull did absolutely nothing. A good slap on the left side of the cylinder would lock it again, and you could get off another shot...and the cycle would repeat itself, every time.

If you have $300 to spend, there are a bunch of well-used, still perfectly serviceable S&W revolvers. These days, that is all I own.

My LGS has been getting and selling a bunch of 4" M64s that were owned and used by Brinks Security--they are apparently going to S&W M&Ps. My LGS was selling these M64s for $200 OTD. I have helped at least a half-dozen of these orphans find new homes. I'm not sure if they have any more, but if you pm me, I will check.

Best, Rich
 
WHAT???

You only have one life. Some people apparently do not place much value on theirs, or yours.

If it were "only a range gun" I could buy that. But "only a self defense gun"? Really?
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Did you happen to read the rest of my post? The gun worked perfectly fine for me, but since I have read a lot of reports of them wearing quickly I wouldn't recommend one if it was going to be shot a lot.
 
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