Is it "R92" or "M92"?

[GasGuzzler]

I finally have to know what's the difference in an R92 and an M92. Sorry for off topic post. I don't have a .45 right now so I haven't tried those.

[Model 52]

I finally have to know what's the difference in an R92 and an M92. Sorry for off topic post. I don't have a .45 right now so I haven't tried those.

The Rossi 92 doesn't follow the Winchester Model 1892 pattern exactly.

The most obvious visual difference is the profile of the bottom of the receiver - the R92 is straighter than the Winchester Model 1892 and some of the other clones, like those made by Armi-Sport.

Model 1892 profile:




Rossi 92 profile:




Internally, the Rossi 92 uses a coil hammer spring rather than a flat spring and has several detail changes that arguably make it a better performing rifle.

It's natural to assume that the Winchesters are "better" than the Rossi 92 "clone", but the reality is that the Winchester Model 1892 was chambered initially in the .32-20, .38-40, .44-40, then the later .25-20 and eventually the .218 Bee. These were all slightly bottle necked cartridges with tapered case walls in the tradition of most black powder cartridges designed for repeating firearms in order to ease the extraction forces in black powder fouled chambers.

The Winchester 1892 was never designed to be chambered in straight walled cartridges like the .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum or the .45 Colt. When it comes to those particular cartridges Rossi has more experience getting the basic "92" design to work well with those rounds than any other manufacturer.

I tend to give Rossi the nod, when it comes to getting these newer straight walled smokeless powder cartridges to feed and function well in the "92".

[GasGuzzler]

So R is Rossi and M is Model...

[Ranch Dog]

So R is Rossi and M is Model...

Exactly...

Why_R92.jpg

The "M" to me has always indicated the original Winchester product; M92, M94, etc.

I finally have to know what's the difference in an R92 and an M92. Sorry for off topic post. I don't have a .45 right now so I haven't tried those.

The Rossi 92 doesn't follow the Winchester Model 1892 pattern exactly...

This is such a great question that it deserves to be a stand alone topic so time to pull out the pruning shears!

[Ranch Dog]

Of course the confusion is perpetuated by Rossi themselves. There box...


Yet the label on the side says R92.

[GasGuzzler]

No wonder I was coRnfused.

What's my old school one? I thought it was a plain ole Rossi .357 SRC.

[Ranch Dog]

No wonder I was coRnfused.

What's my old school one? I thought it was a plain ole Rossi .357 SRC.

Still an R92. Amedeo Rossi used the "R" designation on their box labels and product numbers.

[Archer]

Not to be further confused by the Beretta 92 M9 variations vs. the Taurus 92 variations...
(IF it looks 'pimped out' from the factory it is almost definitely a Taurus.)

[Mauser69]

Clearly both "R92" and "M92" are completely acceptable monikers for the Rossi lever gun. My three year old .357 Rossi with 20" round barrel came with an Owner's Manual that clearly states "for the Rossi M92 / M92RH Lever Action" in big blue letters right on the front. That manual is "rev. 08/10" and has shows "Copyright 2008 Braztech International, L.C." on the back page. My firearm, however, is stamped "Mod.R92" on the bottom of the receiver. Even today if you go to Rossi USA web site and pull up any of the 92 models, the heading above the picture says "M92" while the descriptions continually refer to "R92". So both M92 and R92 are still being used interchangeably by Rossi/Braztech at least through mid 2016.

Because of the confusion in their own labeling, I tend to refer to my gun as a "Rossi 92" without using either the M or R, but my second choice would be "R92" simply because that is stamped into the metal of the actual gun.

It is interesting and valuable to know the differences between a Rossi 92 and a Winchester 1892, but it is wrong to infer a difference in which gun is referenced based on the M or R label.

[GasGuzzler]

Good post. As long as I have a reason to be mixed up I'm OK.