why is Rossi so underrated

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Doc Holliday 1950

New member
I'd like the Forum to weigh in and tell me why Today's Rossi is not a well made weapon. In the past they were spotty at best. That is past History. But, for the past few years their product is different. I am not even suggesting that Rossi is in the same league as S&W or Ruger. But for the $$$ Rossi now makes a pretty good revolver. For under $285 that's pretty good.
My past 2 acquisitions of Rossi have been excellent.(in the past 4 years). I never had any problems, they were accurate and went bang every time.
I do expect a ton of Agita on this.
Doc
 
I recently bought a Rossi 972 to use as a plinker pistol when 22 rimfire became impossible to find. I was shocked at the SA trigger. Every bit as crisp and light as my Dan Wesson (which will put any S&W to shame). DA is pretty dismal and lock up isn't as tight as I would like but it will keep my 4 inch swinger dancing at 50 yrds with my cheap cast loads and shooting unsupported.
 
why is Rossi so underrated?
In the past they were spotty at best.
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But, for the past few years their product is different.
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You've admitted they weren't good in the past and have only been better for a short while. Sometimes it takes a while to overcome a bad reputation. And when other revolvers have a long-standing reputation for good quality, a lot of people aren't eager to take a risk on something else.
 
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Sometimes it takes a while to overcome a bad reputation. And when other revolvers have a long-standing reputation for good quality, a lot of people aren't eager to take a risk on something else.
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This is pretty much my view of the situation.

I'd say the processes in play are the following going from quickest to slowest:

-Losing a previously good reputation.
-Building a good reputation over a previously bad one.
-Regaining a good reputation after having previously lost it.

Purely subjective on my part, but what you described for Rossi would be the second of the three above.
 
Idek nailed it. It can take a long time to overcome a poor reputation.

Taurus struggled with the same thing for many years, even after they dramatically improved their offerings. They're still not where they should be, but they are far better than they once were, but you still hear lots of negatives about Taurus based on information that's years old.
 
While I probably wouldn't run out and buy a Rossi DA Revolver, they do make a good Lever Action. From what I hear the Taurus ownership hasn't made the quality of the Lever Actions go down... Yet.
 
Even their owner (Taurus) is still fighting the effects of a reputation for poor quality. Their recent recall doesn't help matters.
 
I had two Rossi revolvers form the early 1980's. One was a 3" 5 shooter, and teh other one, I believe was a model 951 - 4" six shooter. Both were super revolvers, and I still lament having sold the 4" when i bought my first Ruger 357.
 
try to get a current Rossi repaired. after the wait time and cost out of your pocket you might consider another brand of gun. that said, if you get a good one its usually pretty good.
 
I have a 461 that I absolutely love, and a 2.5" .44 mag, don't recall the model number....pretty sure it's an Academy Sports exclusive. Both are awesome.

Recently bought a $1200 Smith 627 PC that had to go back to the mothership straight out of the box.

Rossi gets an unfair amount of poo poo talk by gun snobs that have no first hand experience with them.
 
This box-stock model 851 has the tightest lock-up you'l ever come across... I bought it new in 1985. It has had the firing pin nose replaced with a S&W part, but other than that it has held up great and shoots better than many Rugers or S&Ws.

Unfortunately most Rossis do not compare as well.

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Thanks everyone. I appreciate your posts. I feel the same having owned them before and had zip problems. I just bought an NIB LCR and the crane latch wouldn't work. BFD. I sent it back and they replaced it. Guess it can happen to anyone at anytime.
Doc
 
I had a brand-new 80's Rossi 38 and another used one older than that. They both had problems. However, my Rossi 720 44 special (from the mid 90's) is one of my favorite handguns. Maybe certain "vintages" are better than others.
 
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Prior rep is one thing; one of the things that keeps Taurus and Rossi listed in many minds as 2nd rate is many smiths refuse to work on them which combined with limited aftermarket parts / support keeps many shooters away.

Having worked on a few myself I can understand why. There are a few novel Tarus revolvers that would fill holes in my needs / wants list however every time I see one for sale the cost / benefit curve of getting the gun to where I want it just does not add up.

Furthermore in the common calibers such as 38 / 357 untill the millions of older smith / colt / ruger guns that once filled 90 % of police holsters dry up or price themselves higher many folks will opt for old american guns vs. a new import when the price is close.
 
I just feel saving a couple hundred bucks is not worth buying an inferior product. Guns don't wear out. Unless you shoot them to death of course. I have revolvers that are 30 years old. Other guys have ones that are 60-70 years old. So the smith or ruger revolver you buy today will still be with you 20 years from now. Is 10 bucks a YEAR worth buying a Rossi?

And if the weapon is going to be used for defense, I wouldn't even consider a revolver other than smith or ruger (not including high end revolvers like a Korth, of course). How much is your life worth?
 
homerboy said:
I wouldn't even consider a revolver other than smith or ruger.......How much is your life worth?
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I'm not real sure about mine, but apparently you consider the value of your life to be in the $600-$700 range.
 
You know what I meant. A smith or a ruger have a much better reputation for reliability and durability than a Taurus or a Rossi. I wouldn't save 200 bucks on a defensive weapon. By your intentional misinterpretation, we should only carry guns worth millions of dollars.

Rossi and Taurus have earned their crappy reputation. I won't even consider either one of them, even for a range gun. They also have horrible customer service. A friend of mine inherited his father's Ruger Security Six when his dad died. 30 year old gun with at probably 20,000 rounds through it, nearly all magnum since his dad reloaded. Gun was in need of a tune up so my buddy called ruger. They paid shipping to and from them, completely overhauled the gun, reblued it,'and sent it back in a factory hard case. Took about 3 weeks I recall. Charged him nothing.

When Taurus or Rossi does that, let me know.
 
Rossi and Taurus have earned their crappy reputation. I won't even consider either one of them, even for a range gun. They also have horrible customer service.
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My old Taurus Model 84 is 40+ years old and is as tight and accurate as any revolver I have ever shot. It is so similar to a S&W Model 15, it would fool a novice if the name was removed. I also thought they were crap until I traded for one.

I no longer bash Taurus and I bought a new Tcp I like and trust. Many of you gun snobs have never owned the guns you bash. I also like my Smith and Ruger but I'm not sure they are worth the premium I paid for them since The Taurus will outlast me by years.
 
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A smith or a ruger have a much better reputation for reliability and durability than a Taurus or a Rossi. I wouldn't save 200 bucks on a defensive weapon.
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Would you then carry that Smith or Ruger without putting say 500rds through it? Many would not. Now, if a Taurus or Rossi shoot those same 500rds trouble free, can you say it is a worse gun than the Smith or the Ruger?

I agree to deciding on a brand based on reputation to a point, but if I had a Taurus or Rossi that performed well, then I'll judge based on the gun regardless of the reputation.
 
Two of my regular SD guns are revolvers that I have owned for about 15 years apiece and put thousands of rounds through. They have both been 100% reliable. They both have good triggers, fit my hands well, I am accurate with them, etc.

Should I dump them both and trust my life to untested guns instead because mine were made by Taurus?

That doesn't make any sense at all.
 
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