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Rossi Still Has My Rio Grande ~ Still Has It!

Posted: 19 Sep 2016 12:26
by jb1316
Archer wrote: from: Is the Rio Grande really out of production now?
IF Rossi bothered to work the bugs out and IF they were still a production item I think I'd have been looking hard at getting the .45-70 in SS. .30-30 Winchesters and Marlins can still be had at pretty reasonable prices on the used market if you look around a bit. When I investigated the Rio Grande the problems were varied enough, frequent enough and serious enough that I decided to either wait and/or inspect the heck out of them before buying. While I was waiting they discontinued production.
Wow, this explains a lot then. I've had a Rio Grande for about a year& a half and it's never worked at all. It would fire, but I had to cock the hammer as the breach bolt wouldn't engage it - it was cut too short during production. It was also terrible at feeding and the magazine would let rounds slip under the chamber while there was a live round in and ready to fire. All in all terrible weapon, by far the worst firearm I'd ever owned. I see a lot of hit or miss reviews, so other than a few inquiries as to possible fixes i'd never really "vented" on that.

Unfortunately I didnt get around to firing it for a while, and then took even longer to calling Rossi about it and it was out of the 1 year warranty when i did. I had it shipped back to Rossi July 1 and they said it would be repaired in 6 weeks. Never heard from them, so called on the 18th of July to see what was up and they said they needed my permission and $50 to replace the breach bolt. I asked them why they didnt call me about it and they said they dont call?? I paid the $50 and they said 6 weeks it'll be sent back to me. Well 6 weeks goes by and nothing so i call back. They tell me they're waiting on the bolt. I ask them how long before that comes in and she says she doesnt know but the rifle will be sent back within 6 weeks of it being delivered. I let her know it's already been 6 weeks and silence, then an im sorry, but it should be soon.

So two weeks later (today) I call back and am told they're still waiting on the part. Now, given that this is the actually BrazTechs repair department, it's pretty weird to me that they're having to wait for parts, but ok. I ask when the part will come in and she said by the end of the month. I ask if i'll get a call when its repaired and being shipped so i know when to expect a rifle sitting on my front porch and she said they dont call when shipping the guns, but not to worry - they're sent signed receipt required. Well, hopefully im just randomly home when the delivery man comes back sometime between now and who knows when they get this breach bolt in stock - but at least knowing the rifle has been discontinued gives them some slack for not having any parts in stock.

Re: Rossi Still Has My Rio Grande ~ Still Has It!

Posted: 19 Sep 2016 13:20
by GSB4243
I disagree with giving them slack for that. Just because you opt to discontinue production shouldn't mean you don't support what is already in the field. I can purchase parts for a washing machine that hasn't been produced for 20 years. Any issue with going to an auto parts store and getting parts for a discontinued car? It appears Rossi took what ever inventory they had and assembled rifles, often mismatching part finishes (and quality) as they went. They had a market in the palm of their hands and miss manged it to the point where their service is so monumentally bad that it is difficult to justify purchasing a firearm... I think I'll cry if my .454 ever needs repair...

Re: Rossi Still Has My Rio Grande ~ Still Has It!

Posted: 19 Sep 2016 14:38
by Ranch Dog
Dang jb1316. I'm willing to bet that a bolt won't surface unless one comes in on an unrepairable rifle. My thoughts are also right with GSB4243, I don't think they have any spares for discontinued rifles, they were all pushed out on finished rifles or at least as finished as Rossi produces.

We all can read how Rossi CS handled a simple 454 Casull return within the pages of this forum. A year's worth of pitiful performance. If something happens to one of my rifles that I cannot repair on my bench, I will saw the receiver in half and it will be for sale on eBay. You will be able buy the front half or rear half.

I like my Rossi rifles because of the care and effort that I put into them. I buy a lot of rifles, typically one a month. I don't talk about many of them here because they are not Rossi rifles. You won't find me buying another Rossi.

Re: Rossi Still Has My Rio Grande ~ Still Has It!

Posted: 19 Sep 2016 15:35
by jb1316
No, you're right. I have a 79 Ranger that i can buy a lot of parts for at Auto-zone & O'Reilys without much searching. But considering it was such a short run, and they arent making them anymore, and it was made so poorly to begin with, I'll just have to be at their mercy. Hopefully it comes back before too long - I wasnt trying to donate it to them for parts of their own. Its too bad because it was actually a pretty rifle- better wood stock than a lot of new lever guns that come out which is why i purchased it. Had a nice old school look to it.Whats funny is I first tried to take it to a gunsmith here in Houston for repair but the guy said he's had a lot of difficulty buying Rossi parts so recommended sending it back to them as it would likely be forever before he received the needed piece. Sounds about right since their own repair division cant get them.

Re: Rossi Still Has My Rio Grande ~ Still Has It!

Posted: 17 Nov 2016 16:54
by jb1316
Just to give everyone a heads up, and to vent a little - this rifle is STILL at the Rossi / Braztech repair center with absolutely no timeline for repair. It's been there since July 9th, and I've called every two weeks and keep being told "we have another shipment of parts coming in at the end of the month. But we dont know what parts are on it.". How is that possible? How can this rifle be there for 4 months now and they not be able to "order" a part from their own distribution center? This makes no sense. Today when I called in I was told that if I wanted to I could replace the rifle. Well, yea dude, that I'll do - "Oh, but we dont have this rifle in stock so you'd have to replace with something comparable, but only in this price range which we dont have. " "You'd have to trade for a revolver"... They tell me the rifle value is $378.79 and they cant just refund me, they can only trade or I can send them money for the difference. Of course, the Rifle on their catalog was around $600 like all their other rifles are now, but you could buy them all day for $350 at any retail store that sold them, but according to them - I can only trade based on their websites pricing.
So, in short, rifle is their indefinitely I guess, or I can give them another $300 to essentially pay grossly over retail for another one of their rifles.

Re: Rossi Still Has My Rio Grande ~ Still Has It!

Posted: 17 Nov 2016 17:21
by Ranch Dog
Boy, oh boy. If this doesn't stick in your gizzard nothing will and it will eventually be the death of this Company. First of all, they know exactly what is in each part shipment as that shipment must clear customs.

In order to end the madness, I think I would take the revolver and as soon as I received I would give it to my FFL on consignment. I would durn sure not give them another dollar. This is what I would do but only you can decide for yourself.

I'm going to split this into a stand alone topic in the Customer Service Forum. I do hope you will keep us posted on what you decide and how they end up handling it.

Re: Rossi Still Has My Rio Grande ~ Still Has It!

Posted: 18 Nov 2016 08:23
by zippy
I hate to hear this, but in the theme of misery loves company ..... a tale.

I bought a Smith and Wesson Shield 9mm. After a few hundred rounds the recoil spring assembly failed.
I called customer service, and was told replacing it would be no problem and there had been many failures lately. A month goes by, and a call to CS yields a "part back-ordered" response. Repeated calls every two weeks get the same answer. Four months later, I get my spring assembly.
That kind of delay for a popular, currently in high-production firearm, from a US company, was an eye opener.

Re: Rossi Still Has My Rio Grande ~ Still Has It!

Posted: 18 Nov 2016 08:50
by Ranch Dog
Yeah, kind of said that this is now the norm.

Re: Rossi Still Has My Rio Grande ~ Still Has It!

Posted: 18 Nov 2016 08:52
by jb1316
Wow, I wouldn't have thought that would happen with S&W- especially a popular current production gun like that.

Well quick update, after looking around and finding a SS Rio Grande still listed on their website for $600 I called back and got the same guy as earlier. He was real apologetic and said the website is out of date at the book shows that rifle as being $415- but not available.
He then went on to actually explain what's going on (which I appreciate) - apparently Rossi had 3 factories in Brazil but last year consolidated into 1 factory. Any rifle made in the two closing factories was discontinued for 2016. He said they will actually be starting production in 2017 for the rio grande again and when they do, they'll start getting the parts as well. He confided that they actually do not have any parts for this rifle and won't until sometime next year. Oh- and he didn't realize this was out of warranty, so the trade in option wasn't possible. So there it is. I appreciate him giving me the real story here so at least I know there is no point calling every two weeks. Who knows when production will actually start again. It's incredibl that they just don't have any parts to this gun that's been out of production a year, only 7 months when I sent it in. The second I get the rifle back I intend to sell it. I never considered owning a rifle that simply was not repairable as the parts are incompatible with any other rifle- -and only made in such short
Supply.

Re: Rossi Still Has My Rio Grande ~ Still Has It!

Posted: 18 Nov 2016 09:20
by Steve-R
I have a Rossi single shot break open 223. It is fun to shoot but it is not chambered properly. To fire any factory ammo (and my reloads for other .223) I pull the bullet about 1/16 inch so it will engage the rifling. This holds the primer back against the head of the chamber so the firing pin will hi the primer. The chamber is bored too deep which allows the firing pin to just bump ahead a standard OAL length cartridge without firing the primer.

I got this rifle in 09. sent it to them 3 times for repair. they never would replace the barrel. Now we just treat the rifle as it were an .223 Akly and reload the fire formed cases.

I just about bought a 92 not long ago. I'm glad I decided not to. I would rather spend more money and have a different brand of rifle that worked.