New Marlins or Rossi???

[pricedo]

What are your thoughts on that rifle??

I have the 30-30 version of the Rio Grande which is more or less a Marlin 336 clone.
It like the Rossi 92s cleaned up to be a very smooth and accurate rifle.
NIB it was full of cosmoline, metal grindings and dirt & had a couple of burrs.......one on the lifter and the other in a bad place in the throat of the magazine tube where it meets the receiver. The mag tube itself was filthy.
After stripping, cleaning, deburring and a coupla shots of Remoil it's amazingly slick and accurate with the factory Hornady 160 grain LEVERevolution FTX ammo.
I topped it with a Bushnell Trophy 1.75-5x33mm scope.
The Rio Grande rifles like the Rossi 92s are "diamonds in the rough".

[Ranch Dog]

I've had the RG4570B since the day they showed up on Bud's online. The day I received the in stock notice, I bought it and was shooting it 5 days later. Here is what I think...

If Marlin had ever taken the time, back in the mid '60s, to figure out how to get the fat 45-70 Govt cartridge into and out of the 336, there would have never been a 444 Marlin. This is really something for me to admit as I am a 444Nut. Even my 444T has seen less use as I'd rather shoot the RG than it. My 1895s bit the dust, sold them as a result of the comparison of having the RG in hand.

The guts of the RGs lever, the portion of that is inside of the receiver, looks like a butter knife. It has to be able to move back and forth and to one side of the fat 45-70 Govt cartridge. You will also notice that the case rim, while at rest, sits up against the loading port. Simple fix to something that stumped the others.

Here is what I like about the RG compared to the 1895

• Price
• Rossi barrel vs the Marlin product. Hands down, every Rossi I own outshoots my Marlins in like cartridges. This includes the 357 Mag, 375 Win vs. the 38-55 Win (JES rebore of a RG3030B), 44 Mag, 45 Colt, and 45-70 Govt.
• Rossi chamber. This is related to the barrel. Rossi is cutting the chambers to the SAAMI spec and you don't need to figure out the dynamics of the huge Marlin throat to make a cast bullet work.
• Weight. The difference between the RG and 1895 might only be a pound but in the field it makes a huge difference. I'm not talking about a 300 yard walk to a deer stand, I'm talking about a pre sunrise to post sunset day on the hunt. The difference is huge and cost my 1895MR it's stay on the ranch.

Honestly, once I experienced the RG4570, I questioned all the forum stuff I heard about the Rossi product and started buying them. I own every lever product they manufacture and love them. The bluing is deeper than Marlin or Remlin can deliver. The wood is plain and simple with little effort put into it but it lends itself to a TruOil finish without effort and is beautiful when finished.

The only downside I see to the Rossi is that all the parts must come through Braztech. That's easy and I have bought a lot of spares from them as I like a complete inventory of parts on hand. There is a list of parts that are considered "Restricted" and the only way to get them replaced on the rifle is to send it to Miami. This is stuff like saddle rings, bolts, levers. There are a number of outfits that are starting to support the rifles like The Smith Shop, MuleMan, and Skinner Sights. Of course, Steve's Gunz has been around for quite some time.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Good to know about the 45/70 Rossi. I will keep my weather eye out for one.

[TXGunNut]

Good to know about the 45/70 Rossi. I will keep my weather eye out for one.

Guess I will too. Good posts, Michael. I picked up several Marlins today to try to continue my 30-30 project but put them all back in the rack. I've got some Tru-Oil around here and I'm not afraid to use it.

[donhuff]

My son asked me to see if i could get his marlin 44 to stop jamming so much with cast loads. I looked it over and cleaned/polished it a little, but mostly adjusted my cast reloads to work with it. The 429421 did ok but a 265g Lee (cut down 310) had to be hauling *** or it shot all over the place at 100. I liked the lever gun so much that I had to go get one for myself. Based on what I had read on here and every where else, it had to be a Rossi. I am a "tinkerer" so getting inside the gun to fix little problems did not worry me at all. I went after a 357, but ended up buying a 44 in stainless. I took it apart before ever shooting i, and did all the spring trimming and slicking up that I had read about. Then I sat and worked the action 4-500 times. Tore it down for an inspection and cleaning. Everything looked good so back together and 500+ more times working the action. It is now soooooo smooth. I can work the action with my pinky, and don't have to do it fast either. When I took it to the range for the first time, I was shocked by the groups that I was getting. I had no previous experience with leverguns before this and did not expect to get those kind of groups. I sure did not get them with my son's Marlin. It really loved the lyman 429421 and 9.0g Unique. I tried a few other loads and they did not group as well, but they were near max loads of 800x and blue dot. I'm not sure if it was the loads or me flinching that caused the bigger groups, because I had shot it close to a couple hundred times by the time I got to the heavy hitters and my shoulder was getting sore. I have some more loaded up for the next range session, I'll have to shoot the hot stuff early on before I start flinching so bad.

I cant figure out how to move the pictures from The Rossi Rifleman forum to here, and I have already deleted them from my documents, so I'll just have to give you a link to their site. http://www.rossi-rifleman.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1165

What I'm getting at with all this is that there is no question which one I like better. And I'm still looking and getting funds together for that 357SS Rossi.

[winelover]

I'm in the market for a 357 / 38 levergun. Been perusing the levergun threads and this is my take on Rossi's.

Con:

1. Action needs attention
2. Front site too short
3. Stock is made from undesirable wood and needs to be refinished, at the least.
4. Least amount of scoping options.
5. Parts not readable accessible.

Pro

1. Cheap (no wonder)


Winelover

[Ranch Dog]

I'm in the market for a 357 / 38 levergun. Been perusing the levergun threads and this is my take on Rossi's.

Con:

1. Action needs attention
2. Front site too short
3. Stock is made from undesirable wood and needs to be refinished, at the least.
4. Least amount of scoping options.
5. Parts not readable accessible.

Pro

1. Cheap (no wonder)


Winelover

Nice, read it with the glass you want to wear. The Rossi is a great product and I hope Remlin is reading what they are delivering if they want to stay in the levergun business (which I think they do not).

[MBTcustom]

Nice, read it with the glass you want to wear. The Rossi is a great product and I hope Remlin is reading what they are delivering if they want to stay in the levergun business (which I think they do not).

That's a big 10-4.

[sparky45]

I am in love with my new Rossi 92 in 357/38. I did my usual cleaning before test firing and it's right on the mark. Fit and finish is very good. I bought this gun sight unseen in good faith and I wasn't disappointed. If you can't or won't put in the time or effort to review a Rossi in person, you are denying yourself a very good buy.

[Ranch Dog]

I have two R92s chambered in 357 Mag, one with a Skinner Barrel Peep and the other with the Weaver K4 Classic Scout. Both functioned flawlessly out of the box with my huge 175-grain, TLC359-175-RF. Can't say that for my Marlin 1894C which will eventually be put on the chopping block.

Here is a doe I killed last season with the 357 Mag Scout. 175-grain bullet right through her heart at 90-yards.



I was going to turn the peep sighted R92 as my interest is more in the scouts but I thought with the $395 it cost me NIB out the door... why?

[Rockchucker]

Here's My Rossi in 45 Colt and my Ruger Convertible in 45 Colt also. Love both of these guns and both are smooth as silk.

[winelover]

I'm in the market for a 357 / 38 levergun. Been perusing the levergun threads and this is my take on Rossi's.

Con:

1. Action needs attention
2. Front site too short
3. Stock is made from undesirable wood and needs to be refinished, at the least.
4. Least amount of scoping options.
5. Parts not readable accessible.

Pro

1. Cheap (no wonder)


Winelover

Came across a new 357 / 38 Rossi in a local gun shop and as a result I can add a few more to the con list:

6. Miniscule safety abomination
7. Ridiculous saddle ring that doesn't work for southpaws or right minded people
8. Foreign made (just to add insult to injury)

Winelover

[joec]

Came across a new 357 / 38 Rossi in a local gun shop and as a result I can add a few more to the con list:

6. Miniscule safety abomination
7. Ridiculous saddle ring that doesn't work for southpaws or right minded people
8. Foreign made (just to add insult to injury)

Winelover

Safety is an easy fix, http://store.stevesgunz.com/index.ph...&products_id=4 takes about 2 seconds and a 1/16" punch to take it off. Most guns are made for right handed people as for foreign made most things in America are.

[sparky45]

Gee, I suppose your Wine (whine) only comes from California. Have you even owned/tried one?

[winelover]

Gee, I suppose your Wine (whine) only comes from California. Have you even owned/tried one?

Just don't whine when your job goes to some third world country.

Winelover

[Ed in North Texas]

I'll admit I don't own a Rossi yet. I'm not opposed to owning one, and the Rossi may well be my next lever purchase (if I don't get the yen for another 99). I have had no problems with my Marlins, but my newest Marlin is a first year of production 1895, most are 50s to late 60s rifles.

[pricedo]

Rossi design work to get the 45-70 cartridge to work in the 336 and that double threaded magazine configuration of the 92/454 that not only made the magazine MUCH stronger but facilitated tube port loading/unloading of ammo was nothing short of brilliant.

Despite whatever criticisms we can legitimately level at Rossi for lack of due diligence & quality control somebody in their design department has some grey matter between their ears.

[Ranch Dog]

.
.that double threaded magazine configuration of the 92/454 that not only made the magazine MUCH stronger but facilitated tube port loading/unloading of ammo was nothing short of brilliant.

Yes, you are absolutely right! Same configuration in the 480 Ruger. Both if the rifles are outstanding.

Oh, from the huge amount of time I spend in the field, I really appreciate both the Marlin & Rossi "crossbolt" and R92's "pigtail" safety. I use them religiously.

Sorry, I don't listen to the "buy American" mantra. It is political/corporate buzz words licensed by the very industries that have been selling this country out for the last 50 years. This country went past the critical point a decade and a half ago.

[Brad Phillips]

I have a .44-40 Puma that has been around about twenty years. I get the itch to buy and sell sometimes and the Puma is a keeper.

[colt1960]

I was in the spot in the beginning of 2012 wanting a lever-action 45-70 rifle. I heard the bad things about the marlins and checked out the rossi's. I felt the wood on the ones I checked out looked cheep. I just couldnt get past the look of them. I ended up buying a new remlin GBL 1895 and I got lucky and found one I liked the look and feel of. I couldnt be more happy with and glad I bought it. Good ones are still being made, you just have to look till you find it. Rick!