I remember being barely in my teenage years when I first got ahold of a Marlin Firearms catalog. I drooled over every gun in it, but I pined especially for the 1894 in .357 magnum. I don’t know why, it just seemed like a perfect match of size and power. Unfortunately for me, that rifle was of little use in southern Michigan. I had a 7mm for up north, and at the time, only shotguns were allowed in the southern part of the lower peninsula. So, the dream of a .357 lever went on the back burner, and the price kept increasing enough to stay just out of reach of a working man who couldn’t justify it as a fun gun.
A few years ago, I decided that I just had to finally scratch that itch and get a .357 lever gun, but the Marlins and the Henrys had gotten so expensive that they were still out of reach, even after saving for a year, and selling a bunch of stuff I didn’t need. But I could afford the R92 (modeled after the Winchester 92) made by Rossi in Brazil. They had great reviews on the forums I follow, so I decided to go for it. I was finally going to get my rifle.
Table of Contents
First impressions.
When I took delivery of the rifle at my local gun shop, I was impressed. The bluing was flawless, the wood was a deep reddish color, and the fit and finish were as good as my Remington 870. The front sight is a blade with a very visible brass bead, and the factory rear sight is a classic buckhorn style. I had ordered the 20-inch barrel (16 and 24-inch also available) which put the balance right at the front of the receiver where I like it to be. The length of pull (distance from the trigger to the buttplate) was a little short for me, but a slip-on pad put the length right to where I needed it.
The first trip to the range further endeared me to this weapon. I had brought a mix of .38 Special and .357 magnum loads along to test and all cycled through the weapon without a hitch. The first group fired was just over an inch at 25 yards with some older .38 Special handloads I had in the cupboard. Adjusting the sights down two notches put me right on target with .357 loads. Going out to 50 yards, I held most of the 10-round magazine inside a 2-inch circle without trying too hard. Recoil was negligible with .38 Special rounds and not much more with .357 Magnums.
Two things of note about this rifle. One – It has a safety on the bolt, which some do not care for, but I appreciate it because it reduces the risk of accidental discharge when lowering the hammer with sweaty hands. (my grandpa killed two different truck doors in this manner trying to take the cap off his Hawken). Two – If you are a reloader like me, you will want to have a clear area around your shooting bench because the R92 scatters brass like a sprinkler. I’ve never had it land in the same place twice and always seem to lose a few casings every range trip.
Upgrades
After that first range trip, I decided that this one was a keeper, and I needed to make this rifle exactly how I wanted it to be. I was not really crazy about the buckhorn sight, and I prefer my rifles to have slings. So, I started saving my pennies again, and when I had enough, I dropped it off at my local gunsmith to be drilled and tapped for a Williams aperture (peep) sight and to be fitted with studs for a sling. I wish Rossi would drill and tap their rifles for aperture sights at the factory like Marlin and Winchester used to do. I guess not many people use those types of sights anymore. The rifle does have a few holes drilled and tapped in the barrel under the rear sight for the attachment of a weaver rail for a scout scope or red dot sight, but those aren’t my thing. The sling mounts to the magazine tube and the buttstock. I like the look of the mag tube mounts, but if I push on it hard enough it will slide a little. With a one-inch leather sling, the R92 hangs comfortably on my shoulder and looks old-school cool.
Performance
With the new sight installed, I headed to the range for further testing. After getting the sight dialed in, the rifle put the whole mage tube of 158-grain .357 Magnum into a large, ragged hole at 50 yards. That big brass bead was made for fast target pickup and stood out even in the sunshine. Reliability continued to be top-notch, with the only hiccup in a whole box of shells happening when I tried to work the action slowly while on its side so I could catch the brass.
Next range trip, I will stretch it out to 100 yards. According to Terminal Ballistics Research, that is about its limit as a deer gun. I have a couple of coworkers who sometimes deer hunt with a .357 magnum rifle, and provided good shot placement the deer die quickly with little meat damage using a jacketed soft-point load. In my opinion, the R92 would make a nice homestead rifle because of this.
Conclusion
So far, I have been nothing but impressed with the Rossi R92. It looks gorgeous, cycles reliably, shoots accurately, and is a joy to carry. I think it is a nearly ideal rifle for hunting the brushy ridges and draws of my local conservation area here in the Ozarks, and I hope to take it out on its maiden hunt there this fall. Besides .357 Magnum, the R92 is also available in .44 Magnum, .45 Long Colt, and .454 Casull. I have not been disappointed at all with mine, and I don’t think you would be either.
Until next time….
