I am currently looking at a Rossi .38 special with a 4 inch barrel. The gun is blued with factory wood handles, and has a vented ribbed barrel. Anyone know anything about this type Rossi handgun? I know they are not Smith or Colt, but for the value I wouldn't mind owning one. The gun looks brand new, but I have not seen another one like it. Any info. greatly appreciated.

In HIM
mcrowe <><

I've known two people who owned Rossis, both from 1980's production, that were dreadful guns. I would not trust them for anything but casual plinking with very light loads. Unless you can get the gun for a C-note, I say pass.

Current new manufacture of Rossi revolvers are made by Taurus. Take it from there. I have heard more people favor them than hate them, of those who actually own them. If they follow Taurus' path for warranty then you're golden cause it is life time.

mcrowe,

I have worked on some of the early Rossi guns, and to say that they were junk is a gross understatement. The newer guns made since Taurus bought out Rossi may be better, and probably are.

Personally, I would use the money to buy a used S&W gun, the old addage that you will never be disappointed by buying quality cannot be overstated.

Well, I guess I kind of went against the grain and purchased a new Rossi 38 just recently, real recently. Very nice looking gun with a 4 inch barrel, and a Taurus locking system. I shot a Smith first then my Rossi. The only difference I could tell was the tightness of the Rossi. It was a little difficult to squeeze off at first, but it is nice and accurate. For the money, and just to have a nice revolver around for occasional use, I don't think you will go wrong with the newer ones. Thanks to everyone who gave their input

Well, I guess I kind of went against the grain and purchased a new Rossi 38 just recently, real recently. Very nice looking gun with a 4 inch barrel, and a Taurus locking system. I shot a Smith first then my Rossi. The only difference I could tell was the tightness of the Rossi. It was a little difficult to squeeze off at first, but it is nice and accurate. For the money, and just to have a nice revolver around for occasional use, I don't think you will go wrong with the newer ones. Thanks to everyone who gave their input


FWIW, I have a Rossi Model 720 which is very likely the same Smith & Wesson K-frame frame size as your gun, but stainless and a 5-shot .44 Special. The gun was imported by Interarms several years ago. I must say, it is an excellent piece. Not as polished and refined as a Smith perhaps, but more than adequate everywhere it counts. It was a little rough when I bought it, but it's built the same as a Smith K-frame, except it has a coil mainspring like a Smith J-frame. Accordingly, after polishing up and deburring its innards (leaving the trigger-hammer mating surfaces alone), I fitted a Wolff reduced power S&W J-frame spring kit. This very much smoothed up the action, and it now rivals any of my dozen Smiths. Don't worry about the Rossi. You have a good gun there.

Xzec.

Both my wife and I have Rossi revolvers, she a 2 inch 5 shot .38 snubby and I a 3 inch 6 shot .357. Both guns are 100 % reliable and as accurate as a carry gun needs to be. By this I mean I have never shot either across a rest, but have done all the shooting, from 5 to 15 metres, freehand, and can easily keep all the shots in the kill zone.

Malfunctions = 3 - 1 factory round whose bullet was loose and jammed the cylinder, Ditto for a handload, 1 handload where the powder got left out :p - all could not be blamed on the revolvers

Some of my sessions go 100 rounds with no cleaning, and still every thing keeps going just fine (even when the gun and my hands start to look as though I am shooting BP and not nitro).

I believe that you need not worry about reliability. Too many people are still judging Rossi handguns on products produced long long ago. I have had my handgun for 5 years, and my wife hers for six, so the quality has been there for some time.

Both my wife and I have Rossi revolvers, she a 2 inch 5 shot .38 snubby and I a 3 inch 6 shot .357. Both guns are 100 % reliable and as accurate as a carry gun needs to be. By this I mean I have never shot either across a rest, but have done all the shooting, from 5 to 15 metres, freehand, and can easily keep all the shots in the kill zone.

Malfunctions = 3 - 1 factory round whose bullet was loose and jammed the cylinder, Ditto for a handload, 1 handload where the powder got left out :p - all could not be blamed on the revolvers

Some of my sessions go 100 rounds with no cleaning, and still every thing keeps going just fine (even when the gun and my hands start to look as though I am shooting BP and not nitro).

I believe that you need not worry about reliability. Too many people are still judging Rossi handguns on products produced long long ago. I have had my handgun for 5 years, and my wife hers for six, so the quality has been there for some time.

Every Rossi I owned has been junk, period. After owning 4 I wont even accept one for free.

Every Rossi I owned has been junk, period. After owning 4 I wont even accept one for free.

Every Rossi I have owned has been great. I have a stainless steel 2 inch .38 that's accurate, reliable, and I trust my life with it. I also have a stainless steel 3 inch .44 special. It's accurate, very comfortable to shoot, and has not given me a single problem. Both were bought used, and both are late 90's production.

I have a 4 inch stainless with adj sites that shoots great! It too is an interarms gun and I believe Taurus works on old ones too if needed. Shoot 'em up!

I have a 4 inch stainless with adj sites that shoots great! It too is an interarms gun and I believe Taurus works on old ones too if needed. Shoot 'em up!
Likely nobody around to read this anymore, but I just discovered the joy of this fine revolver. If S&W had made one I may never have found it, but I went looking for a Charter Arms Bulldog, compared it with this used Rossi and a couple of others in the shop, and the new Bulldog was crapola, this Rossi felt like a S&W.

It is used, maybe it's been tweaked, but I just love it, and we got to shoot it on Saturday, and I love shooting it. Just feels great, not hard kick at all, roughly like my wife's S&W Model 60 LadySmith with .38 Specials. We also shot some .357 Magnums in it and it's a LOT more kick even with the Pachmayr grip.

The Rossi is just about the perfect DA revolver. Great feeling rubber grip, full underlug, 3" barrel, target WO/RR sights like a Smith, 5-shot, smooth and crisp. I'm no expert but I owned a 4" Model 66 S&W years ago, before they bastardized them with that abominable lawyer lock; my wife's LadySmith has the lock but it's still silky... and I like this Rossi more than either of them.

Charter may have made good revolvers in previous incarnations, but the new one is on par with RG for quality. That's the one "I wouldn't own". And it was $20 more than the Rossi.