Rossi rifle choice

[cowboy_paul]

need help choosing a rifle, I know I want a Rossi 92 in 38/357 to match my pistols, just not sure what model, I like the 16" trapper/src  model for the john Wayne/rifleman look and ease of manueverability, but also the 24" octagonal barrel for historical and target accuracy, and then the 20" octagonal kinda splits the difference. So my question is this, which is best for accuracy, balance, ease of use and recovery after recoil, and what do most of ya'll use?

[Bugscuffle]

The differences in accuracy among the several barrels that you mentioned may be measurable at 100 yards, but at the distances that are shot in CAS shooting make those differences microscopic, not even measurable. As to the maneuverability, it may depend on how you shoot. I'm a "point shooter", so a longer barrel works better for me. If you are an "aimer", or actually use the sights, you may want to use a shorter barrel to cut down your sight acquisition time. I personally think that octagonal barrels really rock, that's how I ended up with the long octagonal barrel on my '92 .

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

For competition you need to have a 10 round magazine capacity to be competetive.  i.e; not having to resort to a sundial as you top up the mag on the clock.  I have found that a short rifle has the capacity and the heft to shoot extremely well from the standing position.

[cpt dan blodgett]

You may also find that a large loop lever though looking way cool is not very desireable for SASS applications.  Handle what ever you are thinking about using.  The carbine stock is a little shorter than the rifle stock.  I have one of each the 20 in carbine lever is much easiier to fully rack open.  I can rack the lever fully open with the rifle stock but need to think about it and make sure.  About once a match I short stroke the rifle and hear a click when pulling trigger probably adds 3 to 8 seconds to stage time every time I do it.

If your arms are longer than mine the shorter carbine stock probably will feel too short.  Have not measured it but think the Short Rifle Stock is the same as the regular rifle.  Someone more in the know can set me straight if I am in error.  Having said that it will not matter if you actually test the rifles you are thinking about and buy the one that feels best to you.

[cowboy_paul]

I appreciate all of the responses, hadn't thought about stock length, good to know, also, on the stated mag capacities, is that for 357 or both, didn't know if like the 12+1 on the 24 becomes a 13+1 with 38s, just curious for plinking and practice. And how is the balance on the octagonal vs round barrels, is it front heavy like a Henry big boy?

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Cowboy Paul;  Mag capacity depends on the overal length of the loaded cartridge, not the label on the box.  If you reload 38 Spl to 357mag length the capacity won't change.

About balance.  Get ahold of a '92 short rifle and handle it yourself to check the balance.  I use a Uberti '66 in 38 Spl and it gives enough heft for me not to choose a short rifle.  The '92 is different and I think you would like the short rifle once you try one out.

[wildman1]

I have Rossi 92's in 357 Mag 20" round barrel, 45 Colt 20" octagon barrel and 45 Colt 24" octagon barrel. All of them balance just fine. WM

[Pettifogger]

The short 16" barrel and John Wayne loop are not what you want for CAS shooting.

[cowboy_paul]

Not to argue, just more curious, why is the 16" barrel not good for cas/sass? And while for most people I agree that a john Wayne loop is not advisable, I have very large hands and so use large loops on my two 30-30s, and can consistently put 6 rounds into a palm sized group at 20 yards in under 10 seconds, small levers just don't fit my hands, so whatever model I go with will get a large loop

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Not to argue, just more curious, why is the 16" barrel not good for cas/sass? And while for most people I agree that a john Wayne loop is not advisable, I have very large hands and so use large loops on my two 30-30s, and can consistently put 6 rounds into a palm sized group at 20 yards in under 10 seconds, small levers just don't fit my hands, so whatever model I go with will get a large loop

Can you hit multiple targets with ten shots in less than 10 seconds?

[Bugscuffle]

The reson that the really short barrels are not recommended is that the magazine tube is comensurately short, so in the larger calibers, .45 L.C. for instance. There is a reduced capacity. You m ight get ten .38 Specials in there, but then again thiese rifles are a little bit finiky about the carriers and they need to be matched to the right caliber, either .357 Mag or .38 Spec. It's not every model 92 that will handle both reliably.

Not to argue, just more curious, why is the 16" barrel not good for cas/sass? And while for most people I agree that a john Wayne loop is not advisable, I have very large hands and so use large loops on my two 30-30s, and can consistently put 6 rounds into a palm sized group at 20 yards in under 10 seconds, small levers just don't fit my hands, so whatever model I go with will get a large loop

[cowboy_paul]

Is it the added control of the smaller lever that improves speed or the shortened motion due to the smaller lever? I'm new to this so not sure, I just haven't had a problem with my larger levers, but then again I've always used them for hunting or target shooting where it is one target not multiple. I do like the light weight and easy to point and shoot aspect of the 16" model, but that doesn't mean I have to combine it with a large lever. So if using a regular lever, can a shorter barrel work with enough practice?

[cowboy_paul]

That makes sense, seems like the 24" is what I am leaning towards now, both of my 30-30s are 20" so I'd like to add some variation, plus if I do take it hunting it is the most accurate at longer distances

[Camille Eonich]

Not to argue, just more curious, why is the 16" barrel not good for cas/sass?

I'm curious about this too.

And while for most people I agree that a john Wayne loop is not advisable, I have very large hands and so use large loops on my two 30-30s, and can consistently put 6 rounds into a palm sized group at 20 yards in under 10 seconds, small levers just don't fit my hands, so whatever model I go with will get a large loop

You really don't want to put your whole hand through the loop because it will slow you down.  Of course you can buy the large loop lever now and always change it later.

Also go ahead and start practicing not wrapping your thumb around the stock every time that you close the lever.  You can either anchor the thumb on the side of the receiver and flick the lever open using just your fingers, works very well with large hands, or just keep them thumb anchored on the hand, flat.  My hands just aren't large enough to operate the lever with the flicking motion so I use the second method.

[Camille Eonich]

'92s are just picky as all get out anyway.  I don't think that the shorter magazine tube it going to make them any more or less picky.  You do need a capacity of at least 10.

Shorter barrel guns can shave seconds off when shooting through windows and doors and especially when you have to move from one window to another.

If you haven't done so yet get to a match and try out some other people's guns and leather before you invest.  That one simple thing can really save you a ton of money.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

The short 16" barrel and John Wayne loop are not what you want for CAS shooting.

Can a short barrelled carbine hold all the TEN ROUNDS that you need to complete a stage properly?

[Garand]

I have an older Rossi "Puma", I think, with a 20" round barrel, in stainless, .357 and a large John Wayne loop lever. I use this as my wifes backup rifle to her B92 in .357. She loves her B92 and won't change. I love the Puma and have no problem with the large loop lever at all, but then I'm not a contender for winning at Winter Range either!

My only concern with the M92 style action is when using both .44 Spl and .38 Spls in my 1906 mfg Winchester M92 and 2 clones is that with the shorter cartridge case, when I rack the action quickly during a match, on occasion I get a "stovepipe" or I can eject a live round, making me 1 rd short on that stage in which I would have to load off my person. This costs time. The only way I have found to eliminate this problem is through the use of full length .44 & .357 magnum brass with the guns. All my '92's run flawlessly if I do my part in building the ammunition. Hope this helps.

[Pettifogger]

In response to earlier posts all of the 16" barrel guns are real iffy as to whether or not they will hold ten rounds.  A goodly number of questions posted about them always involves "how do I get ten rounds into my sixteen inch rifle?"  Rather than mess with it a beginning is better advised to get something that has no problem holding ten rounds.  As to the John Wayne lever beginners often think they look cool.  However when they start shooting matches they find out all that extra room for your fingers to flop around in really slows things down.  For quick repeat shots you want as little slop between your fingers and the lever as possible.  Some one asked about firing ten shots in ten seconds.  Ten shots in ten seconds is glacially slow in a match.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Can you hit multiple targets with ten shots in less than 10 seconds?

That was me!  And I haven't won a stage or match in about 15 years, so you are right. 

I was responding to Cowboy Paul\s remark about 6 rounds of .30-30 in 10 seconds on  one target.  I was hinting that he should be able to do better in a match.  And I should have been more direct in discouraging the 16" trapper, but I don't have any experience myself in its magazine capacity

[cowboy_paul]

I appreciate all of the replies, the rossi site lists the 16" barrel as 8+1 capacity, that's why I asked about 357 vs 38, didn't know if 8 357 fit if it would hold 9 38s and then you could top it off to 10 rounds with one in the chamber at the start of a stage, or just load one more on the clock, like has been said, Im in this for the fun of it not winning championships