almost afraid to ask

[FLINT]

so....a little while back I picked up a stainless 16" rossi R92 in 357. Took it to the range for the first time tuesday to shoot it. here are my first impressions.

overall, I really like it. It cycles very smooth and seems to be quite accurate. It's a very handly length and I love the short LOP. Seems like it could be a super fun and handy gun.

ok, so the bad. loading sucks my butt. what the stuff? I could usually only get four bullets into the tube and even the act of doing that was quite painful. I once tried to get five in and wasn't sure I'd be able to get that fifth one in. pretty brutal

so, what to do? I've heard the 16" guns have full length tube springs, so maybe I could shorten the spring? Would one of Steve's guns metal mag tube followers help with loading?

I saw Steve's guns has a kit with the metal mag tube follower and a different ejector spring. I certainly did notice that the gun really flings empties into orbit, but I don't really care about that so much. My main concern is being able to actually load the thing. Even putting one bullet into the tube is quite slow and painful - literally.

Let me know if anyone has any advice?

The only other con is the really heavy trigger, though that seemed like it was already starting to lighten up some the more I shot it, so maybe that will continue to improve on it's own through use.

I know some are anti rossi, but I looked for a year for a 16" Henry and they were unobtainable except on gun broker for DOUBLE what I paid for the Rossi. Plus the henry's have a 14" LOP which is just way too long for me. Oh and the rossi was available in stainless which another plus for me. I definitely didn't want to get a rossi at first but after more than a year of looking and deliberating it ended up being the only choice. I don't regret it. I quite like the gun and I'm sure the loading issue can be resolved and then it will be pretty awesome I think.

[Ysabel Kid]

I bought a few metal followers, and love them. I've never had the issue with it being hard to load though. That's odd.

[lthardman]

Now this may sound dumb, but...

Are you absolutely sure that the manufacturer didn't put something in the mag tube as an additional safety measure for shipping and display? And intended the first owner to remove that something?

[LeverGunner]

Sharp edges on the loading port can be softened and the spring shortened considerably. 8" past the end of the magazine tube would be what I'd shorten it to. If ya change your mind they are about $5 as a generic part.

I'd strip the gun and do a bit of sharp edge and burr removal and cleanup. I'd drop the bolt safety and plug it, replace springs so that way your brass don't end up on the moon, then you can reload it. It also puts some serious dings in the brass when the ejector spring is so strong. I'd replace the rear sight with a Marbles semi-buckhorn. Rossi's sight is weird.

I'm not against Rossi, if you get a good one and put a couple hours into tuning it up.

[FLINT]

yeah, it's not the sharp edges, though those don't help. It's just very difficult to push the rounds into the tube. I'll try shortening the spring. That's easy enough.

I don't think there is anything else in the mag tube. I just removed the spring and don't see or hear anything else in there. Just the little green plastic mag tube follower.

[AJMD429]

.
I would definitely disassemble it and check the interior out. It's not the most fun gun to reassemble, but that's not Rusty's fault it's just the way the Winchester 92 was designed. Steve's DVD really helps with that.

I have one of the 16 inch carbines in 357 Mag and 44 Mag and 45 Colt and 454 Casull, and I love all of them...!

Granted, I prefer Marlin 94's over the Winchester 92's, and I recognize the Winchester's, especially the vintage ones, are much nicer overall, but for a practical planking or working or truck gun, I've not had any problems with the Rossis.

All of the 16" carbines I have load eight rounds without a problem, and the 20" models 10 rounds, and the 24" all load 12 rounds easily.

[Griff]

If you like the gun now, you'll LOVE it after doing the tweaks as outlined in Steve's video!

[FLINT]

I cut a few inches off the magazine spring and that helped a little, but it's still really hard to load. I think maybe part of it is that the loading gate is super stiff and hard to push down and also it seems that it's hard to get the bullet angled into the tube correctly or something. the bullet frequently binds up and just won't move at all. The loading gate is so stiff that it squeezes the bullet so hard against the inside of the receiver that it scrapes material off the brass!!

Does Steve's video offer any solutions for that loading gate?

once loaded, the gun functions flawlessly. the loading part is a pretty important step though...

[JimT]

I took the loading gate out of mine and bent the spring slightly to make it easier. It's not real difficult to do. If you try it, go slow .. bend it just a little at a time .. it's easier taking it in and out and doing it slowly than having to buy a new one.

[Paladin]

I cut some mag spring off and adjusted the loading gate by thinning the spring to ease the loading on my Rossi 16 inch .357
This is the rifle I adjusted for a suppressor and rebuilt for my daughter. It would have been cheaper to buy the "DARK" model if they had made them then. I still needed to adjust the final mag band to fit over the CeraKoat in this photo.

Rossi Alicia.jpg

[FLINT]

I cut some mag spring off and adjusted the loading gate by thinning the spring to ease the loading on my Rossi 16 inch .357

That's probably what I'll have to do.

I fiddled with it a little more today and also figured out that it works much better to leave each bullet half sticking out of the loading gate and then push it in with the next bullet, and so on.

There does appear to be one additional loading issue. it seems that the bullets are prone to catching and sticking at the edge of the mag tube opening, so if you don't push them in quick enough or at the right angle, the'll bind up there and need to get pulled back a bit and re-rammed in.

So, the loading issue appears to be three-fold. mag tube spring too long, loading gate too stiff, and maybe not enough bevel or something at the opening to the mag tube.

we'll get there.

[COSteve]

I've done 3 Rossi .357 mags, a 20" and 24" for me and a 24" for my neighbor using Steve's DvD and parts and the results are wonderful. I highly recommend that you get his kit and also either the safety plug or the peep sight plug as well. Just watch the video and follow his simple directions and it will go smoothly and you'll love the results.

BTW, I have a tang and globe front sight on my rifle but my carbine has the peep sight.

[rossim92]

If you like the gun now, you'll LOVE it after doing the tweaks as outlined in Steve's video!

really helped my 92 out a whole, it was finnicky ejecting certain brands of .357. after steve worked it over, it will eject anything and everything i put in it.

[rossim92]

I've done 3 Rossi .357 mags, a 20" and 24" for me and a 24" for my neighbor using Steve's DvD and parts and the results are wonderful. I highly recommend that you get his kit and also either the safety plug or the peep sight plug as well. Just watch the video and follow his simple directions and it will go smoothly and you'll love the results.

BTW, I have a tang and globe front sight on my rifle but my carbine has the peep sight.

+1 on peep sight plug. rossi safety button totally useless.

[ywaltzucanrknrl]

My wife bought a 92, 16" in 45 about a year ago. I could barely get one round in the magazine. The gate spring was very strong, but the real issue was the rough casting in the receiver just to the breech side of the magazine tube, receiver junction. I had to grind on it (the receiver) and then polish it. I also did the gate spring by filing it like the Steve's Gunz video recommends and replaced the plastic piece with a metal one. It is very smooth now and easy to load.

She has bought several Rossi's now and this one was the worst, though all of them have had very hard gate springs that I had to thin so she can load them easily. I don't like the plastic follower, so I have replaced it on all of them.

I think Rossi missed any finish work they do on the 45 and they obviously didn't run any dummies or anything into the magazine before they let it out of the factory, so your issue doesn't surprise me, although I think it's a shame to put out what should be a decent tool without at least function quality control. But it's fixed and it does shoot and run great now.

FWIW, but I'm not sure they offer them for the Rossi's, but I bought a Ranger Point gate for an older Marlin 336 I have and it's nice and easy to load. Pretty easy fix for the loading gate.

[FLINT]

ok, I'll probably go ahead and get the video. sounds like a good winter project after hunting season ends.

My wife bought a 92, 16" in 45 about a year ago. I could barely get one round in the magazine. The gate spring was very strong, but the real issue was the rough casting in the receiver just to the breech side of the magazine tube, receiver junction. I had to grind on it (the receiver) and then polish it. I also did the gate spring by filing it like the Steve's Gunz video recommends and replaced the plastic piece with a metal one. It is very smooth now and easy to load.

She has bought several Rossi's now and this one was the worst, though all of them have had very hard gate springs that I had to thin so she can load them easily. I don't like the plastic follower, so I have replaced it on all of them.

I think Rossi missed any finish work they do on the 45 and they obviously didn't run any dummies or anything into the magazine before they let it out of the factory, so your issue doesn't surprise me, although I think it's a shame to put out what should be a decent tool without at least function quality control. But it's fixed and it does shoot and run great now.

FWIW, but I'm not sure they offer them for the Rossi's, but I bought a Ranger Point gate for an older Marlin 336 I have and it's nice and easy to load. Pretty easy fix for the loading gate.

Sounds like your wife's .45 and my rifle have the same issue(s).

Glad they were able to be resolved!