Newbie Loading Gate Question:
Posted: 04 Jan 2023 14:14
Hi All, new member/Rossi owner here...
I have been having an issue with loading my NIB 92 rifles and am hoping someone here can help. I found some old threads on this topic but have not seen a solution yet, so hopefully no one is offended by this new thread...
First I am going to quote an old post:
- - -
https://www.rossi-rifleman.com/viewtopi ... 967#p65967
- - -
(is there some way to tag Reese-Mo ?)
-begin quote-
"Here we go (again). Lets start with loading. The gate deposits the cartridges onto the lifter (or some call it a carrier). If the cartridge rim has cleared the front of the gate, the gate will close under its own strong spring tension. If you load another cartridge through the gate any existing cartridge on the carrier is pushed slightly forward by an angled section of the gate as the gate is depressed, and that existing cartridge is started into the mag tube (past the cartridge stop). You can do that until the magazine is full. The tip of the cartridge on the lifter will protrude into the magazine tube just a little. This ensures two things. First is that its able to fully push the previously inserted cartridge past the cartridge stop, and second is so the cartridges further inside the magazine tube will actually be stopped by the cartridge stop during the feeding cycle."
-end quote-
The issue I am having is this: I can easily load the first round fully into the rifle. This round clears the front of the loading gate, and then is pushed slightly backwards onto the carrier by the magazine spring. The problem is inserting additional rounds. Attempting to depress the loading gate to load additional rounds squeezes the rim of that first round against the left side cartridge guide like a pair of tweezers. The first round will not index forward slightly to allow the loading gate to depress. This is easily seen with the bolt removed. It happens with both .357 and .38 special.
I actually bought two identical rifles. One rifle was doing this consistently, another only occasionally. I thought I would be clever, took out the loading gate of the poorly loading one and filed down the 'angled section' Reese mentions above. It looks like a fin that projects from the back side of the loading gate. I filed it down progressively more and more, but it did not solve the issue. Setting that one aside, I took the other rifle and filed down the spring section of the loading gate to make it easier to depress and all of a sudden THAT one is now squeezing the first round and not allowing the gate to depress. I'm kind of at a loss. Looking at the design of the loading gate, it's hard to see how this 'tweezer squeezing' action DOESN'T happen.
I have seen it suggested here to partially insert the rounds until the magazine is full which is a solution, but I don't like it for a few reasons. First, you'd have to pay close attention to how many rounds you've put in and if you put in too many you're fiddling around to pull one out. Second, it doesn't allow you to 'top off' a magazine before it is empty. Third, the Rossi owners manual states one is to load by fully inserting the rounds...
I don't want to return these rifles, so I am really hoping there is a easy solution to this.
Thanks guys!
Gabriel
I have been having an issue with loading my NIB 92 rifles and am hoping someone here can help. I found some old threads on this topic but have not seen a solution yet, so hopefully no one is offended by this new thread...
First I am going to quote an old post:
- - -
https://www.rossi-rifleman.com/viewtopi ... 967#p65967
- - -
(is there some way to tag Reese-Mo ?)
-begin quote-
"Here we go (again). Lets start with loading. The gate deposits the cartridges onto the lifter (or some call it a carrier). If the cartridge rim has cleared the front of the gate, the gate will close under its own strong spring tension. If you load another cartridge through the gate any existing cartridge on the carrier is pushed slightly forward by an angled section of the gate as the gate is depressed, and that existing cartridge is started into the mag tube (past the cartridge stop). You can do that until the magazine is full. The tip of the cartridge on the lifter will protrude into the magazine tube just a little. This ensures two things. First is that its able to fully push the previously inserted cartridge past the cartridge stop, and second is so the cartridges further inside the magazine tube will actually be stopped by the cartridge stop during the feeding cycle."
-end quote-
The issue I am having is this: I can easily load the first round fully into the rifle. This round clears the front of the loading gate, and then is pushed slightly backwards onto the carrier by the magazine spring. The problem is inserting additional rounds. Attempting to depress the loading gate to load additional rounds squeezes the rim of that first round against the left side cartridge guide like a pair of tweezers. The first round will not index forward slightly to allow the loading gate to depress. This is easily seen with the bolt removed. It happens with both .357 and .38 special.
I actually bought two identical rifles. One rifle was doing this consistently, another only occasionally. I thought I would be clever, took out the loading gate of the poorly loading one and filed down the 'angled section' Reese mentions above. It looks like a fin that projects from the back side of the loading gate. I filed it down progressively more and more, but it did not solve the issue. Setting that one aside, I took the other rifle and filed down the spring section of the loading gate to make it easier to depress and all of a sudden THAT one is now squeezing the first round and not allowing the gate to depress. I'm kind of at a loss. Looking at the design of the loading gate, it's hard to see how this 'tweezer squeezing' action DOESN'T happen.
I have seen it suggested here to partially insert the rounds until the magazine is full which is a solution, but I don't like it for a few reasons. First, you'd have to pay close attention to how many rounds you've put in and if you put in too many you're fiddling around to pull one out. Second, it doesn't allow you to 'top off' a magazine before it is empty. Third, the Rossi owners manual states one is to load by fully inserting the rounds...
I don't want to return these rifles, so I am really hoping there is a easy solution to this.
Thanks guys!
Gabriel