I have a Rossi model 92 in .45 Colt which I have enjoyed, but lately it's been jamming up, freezing the action.

It started with a split case, and now every so often the action will freeze up, requiring quite a bit of muscle to operate the lever. Invariably it then opens to two rounds in the chamber. One can be pushed back into the magazine, but the other is stuck and requires a screwdriver to pry loose. The loading gate also has been knocked out so that it sits on the outside of the receiver and has to be jammed back into alignment.

As a result I'm thinking of getting rid of it and replacing it with a .44 magnum. I liked the Rossi, but am thinking of changing to a Henry or Marlin because of the malfunctions.

Do any of you have strong opinions on pistol caliber lever action rifles? Ones you love or hate?

me, i'd try to fix it. so, i'll take it off your hands, no charge. can you get parts? something in there is wearing out.

I'm not ready to get rid of it just yet. I've been using brass that has been reloaded about 20 times and the rims have gotten pretty beaten up. I'm thinking that may be what is jamming the thing up, so I'm going to throw it out, start with some new brass and see if that helps. After that I'll try replacing the loading gate.

If those two things don't help it'll be time to move on, I think.

http://www.rossi-rifleman.com/index.php ... 8345526156
You might scan through the Rossi forum. I've seen some DIY directions for a basic fluff & buff that might help.

I've have 4 lever guns: Henry 44 mag/44 spec, Henry 22, Win 45 colt, and Glenfield (Marlin)30-30

The Henrys are the slickest action and you pay for that up front.

Simmer down wrote:http://www.rossi-rifleman.com/index.php ... 8345526156
You might scan through the Rossi forum. I've seen some DIY directions for a basic fluff & buff that might help.

Cool. I'll check that out, thanks. I do like this gun; if I can get it functioning smoothly again I'll keep it. But those Henrys are so purty...

I have the Rossi in .357mag. I really like it, and have had no problems.

If you're finding two cartridges in the action at the same time, I suspect an issue with the shell stop...the little lever at the end of magazine tube that feeds cartridges into the action one at a time. It could be worn or broken. Battered cartridge rims could also be slipping by it and double-feeding into the action.

Any good gunsmith should be able to fix, and tune it up. When they're slicked up and tuned up they're pretty nice. I had one in 44 Mag and it ran like a dream as long as I observed OAL and used round nose or tapered bullets - or even SWC in 44 Special. When I first got it the loading gate was set with too much spring pressure, causing it to jam. I slicked it up using brake cleaner and a lot of cycling (take the wood off first).

Nice gun, but I sold it recently because I recently got a Winchester 94 Trapper, also in 44.

Henry is, "Buy once, cry once." for sure. The Henry Big Boy in .357 Magnum is about as good as it gets before you start having to mortgage your house for a real Winchester lever action. $700 gets you a helluva rifle that will outlast you in spades.

I had a Henry Big Boy 45 for a couple of years and shot it plenty. THe rifle itself was solid, reliable, nicely finished and accurate. Not once did I have a feeding problem or anything at all. THe wood was pretty exceptional, too. It took black powder rounds, H110 "magnum" level loads, anything and with no problems.

On the down side, it was too damned heavy. An 8+ lb levergun with a 20 inch heavy barrel is just not what I wanted. Also, I hated the rear sight, a semi-buckhorn unit. The front sight disappears into the v notch and it was just too difficult for me to use.

If you're a person like me, who likes to disassemble guns to clean them up, I would strongly advise against the practice with this gun. It's a pain in the ass but that's not why. It has several screws in the brass receiver and they all have very fine threads. I took mine apart one time and decided never again. If you cross threaded, or just over tightened, you'd be sending it back to the factory.

When I sold it, (for what I paid for it two years earlier) I had a ton of calls and I had two people trying snake the gun out from under each other. That totally surprised me; I thought a 45 colt levergun would be a tough sell but it wasn't.
I almost never sell guns but I don't miss selling that one.

My good friend Aztex999 here on the forum brought to the range a nice little Rossi 92 carbine in 44 Mag. I put about a hundred rather hot rounds through it and was hitting my 10 inch gong at 100 yards very easily. I concluded the gun was pretty accurate. I liked the sights and the action seemed at least as smooth as the Henry. I had no feeding problems at all, but that could be because my cast bullets have long ogives and no sharp edges to hang up. I was ready to buy one. But there was a problem. All my brass got a bulge all the way around the case, just above the rim. That required a full length resize, which is a practice I like to avoid. Sizing down that bulge is probably not great for brass life, either. Because of that one thing, I put the purchase on hold. But, I liked the weight, the finish, and everything else about it.

You did say handgun calibers. I once owned a Marlin in 444 it was a very nice rifle, plus most 30-30s and my uncles marlin in 35rem were great. Byt my favorite lever action of all time is the Savage 99. I believe it came in many calibers that have been chambered in the TC Contender or the MR BFR. Probably not the direction you were going.

That reminds me, I have an 1895 Savage lever in Savage .303. Its incredibly tight and smooth but no telling how many miles it has on it. The steel is like a 150-year old Swedish straight razor, almost scratch proof.

It uses a rotary built-in mag, no tube, so there isn't the tip against primer concern.

Since we're on the topic of rifle caliber...
I once had the pleasure of handling a Sako Finnwolf...chambered in 243. Man, that was one beautiful rifle with the sweetest action ever.

I miss my Glenfield (Marlin) 30.30 carbine.

I lust after the days I can shoot the Winchester that "replaced" it.

Have I ranted about the uselessness of the large loop on this thread yet? Unless you generally shoot while wearing a catcher's mitt or have your hand in a cast they are no bueno.

Simmer down wrote:Have I ranted about the uselessness of the large loop on this thread yet? Unless you generally shoot while wearing a catcher's mitt or have your hand in a cast they are no bueno.

Not sure, but I figured those who bought into that thought it was cool.

Simmer down wrote:Have I ranted about the uselessness of the large loop on this thread yet? Unless you generally shoot while wearing a catcher's mitt or have your hand in a cast they are no bueno.

I looked at the Henry 22 carbine, and wondered if I could change the large loop for a smaller one (they advertise the reverse, so why not?) and then bought a Browning BL22 instead coz steel receiver.....

Have only taken it to the range one, so cannot say if I love it or hate it yet.

1894c Marlin .357/.38 Pre-Remington. Always been a straight shooter. I'd like to get me a Henry Big Boy.

virtualhabitat wrote:1894c Marlin .357/.38 Pre-Remington. Always been a straight shooter. I'd like to get me a Henry Big Boy.

I hope you like muzzle heavy rifles.

I was messing around at the store on the way home and the Henry .357 was octagonal barrel and way heavier than needed. I think the 45lc had the same barrel but the larger caliber made it lighter unloaded.

The Henry, even in 45, needs to shed 2 pounds. There's just no reason for that much fat; the whole premise of the lever gun is handiness.
That was my experience. The guy I sold it to was overjoyed with it, so I'm probably just not 'getting' it.

It's not just you, Beau. I was seriously shopping for one. Handled one. Loved the rifle, great finish and smooth action, hated the sights, but was impressed by the heft of the gun until I asked myself "What would I do with this heavy thing?" I already have plenty of range rifles as well as lighter, more manageable rifles for varmints around the farm. Given the price, I decided that this was a lust that would go unrequited.

https://www.henryrifles.com/rifles/big-boy/

Their site says my 20" barrel model is 8.68 lbs. I shoot it sitting down so no complaints. Not really a walking around plinking gun.

Love my Henry Big Boy 44 mag shoots like a dream will eat any .44 cal I feed it without a burp.

I had to alter the front sight right off the bat because I just couldn't see the factory blade. I can't see the whole way down the 20" barrel. I wouldn't mind a lyman peep on the rear. A single peep hole does wonders for my vision.

The skinner peeps look interesting and $49 for brass, nothing compared to a lyman's cost.
http://www.skinnersights.com/henry_rifles_18.html