Rossi or Marlin?

[handirifle]

Saw a Rossi levergun on the rack at a local Big 5 store the other day, and it got me wondering how good they are. These were pistol caliber, and am not even sure of model number.

There was a 38spc/357 mag model and a 44 mag model.

How do these compare to reliability, accuracy, and price of the Marlin? Both were priced at $549

Do either the Marlin or Rossi have any "known" issues? I do know of the "slow" twist rate of the Marlin 44's.

[M. M. Wright]

I picked up a Rossi 92 in 44-40 at the Wanenmacher. Has been shot a little but like new for $525. 24" octagon, crescent butt with a Lyman tang sight already installed and a case colored blank in the rear barrel dovetail. Have only shot it a few times. Seems a little gritty cocking the hammer but I'll bet I can take care of that.

[piller]

I have one of the Rossi Puma '92 rifles in a pistol caliber, and I am well pleased with it. Sometime soon, I will get the DVD and parts kit from Nate Kiowa Jones (Steves Gunz) and maybe do the upgrade. I don't know anything about the pistol caliber Marlins.

[AJMD429]

Our family all loves leverguns, so between me, my wife, four kids, two siblings, and bunches of nieces and nephews and cousins, we probably have over a dozen Rossi and Marlin leverguns, and actually just a couple of Winchesters. Most are older Marlins and newer Rossis, but I have several of each and some are of each 'vintage'.

The Rossis are slick as snot and need only a few minutes with fine emery paper or a stone to be perfect, and the Marlins a bit more 'rough' when new.

I have never had a Rossi I wasn't happy with functionally, but a few have not-the-best wood-to-metal fit. That isn't a big deal to me, as I'm a 'shooter' not a 'collector', but most are decently fit anyway - just look and see for yourself on the one you want to buy. I had a 1894CSS Marlin that had sloppy fit and finish about five years ago, but was just glad to get the limited-run stainless 357 Mag, and swapped the stock with my blued one and made things work.

Marlins are easier to scope or put a Williams FP sight on, and have fewer parts, so are less intimidating to work on yourself, but the Rossi 92 seems to keep on ticking, so you likely won't ever have to take it apart anyway. Whichever you get I'd order an extra extractor for it, and maybe a few screws, etc.

There ARE sometimes feeding-issues with either Rossi or Marlin leverguns in terms of cartridge-length. Some guns are just more length-sensitive than others. Handloaders can usually just alter their seating/crimping and deal with it, but sometimes I'll hear of people who did have to get a new carrier or whatever. I'll confess I don't know whether Marlin or Rossi has more or less of this issue, or which would be easier to fix if they had it. Since I inherited the job of 'family gunsmith' for about ten households with leverguns, I think I'd hear of it if any of our herd of leverguns had a feeding issue, so it must be pretty rare. We all use 38 Specials in our 357's fairly often, of ALL bullet profiles, and 44 Specials occasionally in our 44 Mags, and I've not heard of any problems.

I wouldn't be without a pistol-caliber levergun.

If I can find 'em I'll post my pictures of our last family get-together (everyone was over for Easter a few years ago and of course we had the annual family Easter-Egg-Shoot, so everyone brung their leverguns).

Found 'em: This many Marlins and Rossis and none with a hitch I've heard about:

[COSteve]

Deleted

[Griff]

I recommend you handle both, decide which style you like better, and get that one. Shooting pistol caliber rifles is a ton of fun, inexpensive especially if you handload, and will put a smile on your face.

+1.

Not to denigrate anyone else's experience with them... I've been enjoying leverguns in cowboy action shooting for going on 28 years, I've owned and/or used both Marlin 1894s and Rossi 1892s in that time. Some have described cowboy action shooting as "abuse" not "use"... and that may be true, depending on how one operates their equipment. But, in that time, I've seen about every calamity that can befall a shooter with his levergun, be it Marlin, Rossi, Winchester or Uberti! However one wishes to characterize them, there are known, fairly common issues. Double feeds in the Rossi and the the dreaded "Marlin jam" in guess who? Both are generallly related to wear, sometimes as-manufactured tolerance issues and/or cartridge OAL selection. Both are relatively easy to fix with very little in the way of specialized tools and several guides are available on-line to provide the specific cure to the particular ill. IIRC, both the new Marlins and Rossis are being produced with a plastic magazine follower. There've been instances where these have broken. Steves Gunz offers a stainless replacement to forestall that occurrence. Rossis tend to fling brass two counties over, judicious trimming of the ejector spring or a lighter, aftermarket replacement cures this. Like any mechanical contrivance, parts will break. My recommended spares include an ejector & extractor for the Marlin; and a firing pin for the Rossi.

Frankly, given the amount of criticism Remington produced Marlins have received, if the Marlin doesn't have "JM" marked on the barrel, I'd pass.

[6pt-sika]

IMHO I wouldn't recommend either the Rossi or the NEW Marlin !

So if I were you Handirifle I'd look arounf and see if I could find an older Marlin 1895 (meaning made in CONN) if you have to have a lever action or get a HandiRifle 45-70 that was made in MA !

[Doc.Holliday]

I got 2 Rossi' s - 92's; and 4 Winchesters ; a 73 in 38-40; a 92 in 44-40 and 2 model 94's a 32 spec. and a 45 Colt

I like the little Rossi's but they need a bit of work and every gun forum on earth has threads on how to fix and improve your Rossi from A(action) to W (wood). It's like few are satisfied with them over the counter. For the price you pay now for a new or old winchester and a pre Remlin I think they are not a bad gun, not investment quality down the road ; but economical shooters.
It seems relatively easy to pick up the Rossi's but the availability of parts is kinda scary.
I prefer my Winchesters but the darn things seem to be growing in value that I end up dragging a Rossi Around.
I wish we could get back to building quality Winchesters here at a working mans price - never hurts to dream.
I think a JM is probably a better buy right now for all round satisfaction and for the pocket book. I foolishly sold a mint condition 1959 336RC in 30/30 a couple of months ago to an old friend who kept harping on how he "needed one"

Doc

[44-40 Willy]

I've got a couple of Marlin 1894s (357 & 44-40) and the Navy Arms version of the Rossi (357). Once it had wore in a bit, the Navy Arms has become my go to gun around the farm here.

[Hagler]

Rossi or Marlin?

Do you mean this guy? :



...or this stuff? :





Shawn

[Buckeye]

A true Marlin JM ..is the best way to go...nuthin wrong with Pumas But the same money can put you a hold of a Marlin...,,...try to find a JM .... always check classified ..on forums

[handirifle]

Been busy lately, so first time back to this post. First off, I'd had 2 Handi's in 45-70, and I will keep my 1895GS, thank you.

The one I saw was a carbine, for price comparisons. Believe it or not I HAD a Win 94 Trapper in 44 Mag, and traded that straight across a number of years back for the GS. I love the GS but do miss the trapper. Maybe I'll hold out for another Trapper, and pay the price.

I guess I need to look at the Rossi though. Are they AE models? Can ya scope them easily? I love my '94's but I like scopes too.

[eric65]

My 16" Rossi in .357 mag is my favorite shooter, I would never get rid of it.

[RIHMFIRE]

rossi 92s are fine rifles...
but so are the marlins...

[gak]

That's a "no" to the AE part for Rossis and "no" to scoping easily--as in traditional mount. I still prefer the Rossis/92 design. Newer Rossis (going back 6-8-10 yrs (?) ) have forward "scout" mounting holes beneath the standard sight, and some Rossi models come equipped with the scout set up. I don't scope my pistol levers--or Win 30-30s for that matter--regardless, but if you need/want the more traditional scoping, the Marlin's the one for you.

[Grizzly Adams]

Saw a Rossi levergun on the rack at a local Big 5 store the other day, and it got me wondering how good they are. These were pistol caliber, and am not even sure of model number.

There was a 38spc/357 mag model and a 44 mag model.

How do these compare to reliability, accuracy, and price of the Marlin? Both were priced at $549

Do either the Marlin or Rossi have any "known" issues? I do know of the "slow" twist rate of the Marlin 44's.

Well, a doubt you will be able to find many JM Marlins for that kind of money currently, and Remington is having a devil of a time getting the new ones right. The prices used JM Marlins are bringing is just insane!

That said, both the Rossi and the Marlin are pretty decent utilitarian rifles. Neither is anything to write home to momma about, in terms of quality. For real quality, you need to go to an original Winchester 1892, or some of the newer offerings from Miroku/Winchester/Browning.

[Ysabel Kid]

Heck of a family portrait there Doc!