Stainless R92 Parts Questions

The Rossi Model R92, a lightweight carbine for Cowboy Action, hunting, or plinking! Includes Rossi manufactured Interarms, Navy Arms, and Puma trade names.
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jcork
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Stainless R92 Parts Questions

Post by jcork »

I just got a new 20" stainless model and have been working the action. I was wondering if anyone could tell me about a few of the parts and how they are made (before I polish something I shouldn't). I am guessing MIM with some nice coating to make them somewhat satin stainless looking. I was also curious about hardness; I recall reading Ruger's are 30 Rockwell all the way thru while S&W uses 20 Rockwell with a 40 Rockwell skin. I notice the shell lifter seems to have a black matte finish; is that just a powder coat on steel?

Overall, the fit and finish is quite decent for the price. It seems to cycle .38 snap caps well enough. I notice that while older guns had a Yellow magazine follower, mine is Green; no doubt a highly collectible feature :) .
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Re: Stainless R92 Parts Questions

Post by Archer »

I'm not sure anyone has done an analysis of Rossi parts, composition of the metal, hardness and attempted to reverse engineer the manufacturing processes like heat treatment used by the factory. Even if they did, given that the production is in Brazil and the parent company has changed three or five times and the factory locations at least once or twice, and the fact that the Rossi IS a reverse engineered Winchester 92 with modifications and has made it in at least 4 different metals/finishes, I am not certain that the analysis would mean anything.

With respect to polishing, there are at least 3 schools of thought.

On my 3 Rossi 92s I have followed #1 below without any spring modifications for now.

1) Clean it. (typically strip the wood (blast the innards with declorinated carb cleaner). Lube it. Work the action 500 times or so letting the hammer down easy by hand instead of dry firing it and repeat. If it still needs some work tear it apart look for roughness and do a little polishing. MAYBE replace the ejector spring with a lighter one. MAYBE modify the loading gate spring. MAYBE trim the mag spring a little. EXCHANGE the mag follower with a SS one from the Smith Shop.

A variation on this is basically putting a light rubbing compound on some of the parts and working the action in the same manner.

2) Buy Steve's Gunz video and follow the directions. https://store.stevesgunz.com/index.php? ... 66gkp208g3

3) Go at your own risk. Here's a Youtuber who went overboard and I SEEM to recall he claimed to have gone to far in one of his vides so I DO NOT recommend emulating him.
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Re: Stainless R92 Parts Questions

Post by GasGuzzler »

4) Use general intelligence and vastly improve the internal workings for nearly no cost
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Re: Stainless R92 Parts Questions

Post by Nashville Stage »

Congrats on the new rifle, and welcome to the forum!

My 2017 production 92s are blued instead of stainless, so I can only chime in with an educated guess. Plus like Archer said, Rossi has a penchant for randomly changing things over the years. The ejector might very well be MIM, as the thin tail might be more difficult to make using machining or casting. My hunch on the shell lifter is that it's a traditional sand casting, judging from the pebble surface. If your lifter is black, then I'd bet that they just used the same blued steel part from their blued rifles.

I highly recommend swapping out the ejector spring with a lighter one. The factory one is quite stiff, and more than a few ejectors have broken because of it. A nice side benefit of the lighter spring is that it smooths out the last inch or two of the lever handle's closing.

Good luck with your new rifle! They're a lot of fun.
jcork
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Re: Stainless R92 Parts Questions

Post by jcork »

Archer wrote:
1) Clean it... Lube it. Work the action 500 times or so letting the hammer down easy by hand instead
That's pretty much been my strategy although I haven't hosed it out the. I gave it some Break Free here and there and done the 'easy' dry firing.

I'll keep working on this strategy and consider the springs after I see some brass.
jcork
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Re: Stainless R92 Parts Questions

Post by jcork »

Nashville Stage wrote:My hunch on the shell lifter is that it's a traditional sand casting, judging from the pebble surface. If your lifter is black, then I'd bet that they just used the same blued steel part from their blued rifles.
That makes sense. It could be an oxide or park finish. I imagine it will get shiny and smooth of it's own accord as rounds go past it.
Nashville Stage wrote:
I highly recommend swapping out the ejector spring with a lighter one. ...
A nice side benefit of the lighter spring is that it smooths out the last inch or two of the lever handle's closing.
That is very helpful. The action is pretty smooth and light except for the last inch or so where a spring might be getting compressed.
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Re: Stainless R92 Parts Questions

Post by Archer »

jcork wrote:
Archer wrote:
1) Clean it... Lube it. Work the action 500 times or so letting the hammer down easy by hand instead
That's pretty much been my strategy although I haven't hosed it out the. I gave it some Break Free here and there and done the 'easy' dry firing.

I'll keep working on this strategy and consider the springs after I see some brass.
I didn't have to soak my three down either but in the past it has been the rule that they arrive in the U.S. caked in more gunk than a Russian Mosin Nagant. RD here has reported an average of two cans of carb cleaner required for each of his R92s.

One more mod if you are taking the gun apart. Rossi leaves a web of wood between the fore end and the barrel. IFF you take the gun fully apart OR you are removing the wood from the gun for refinishing and/or sealing it go ahead and trim out that web to prevent/relieve pressure on the barrel if it should happen to swell from weather or humidity. As a rule the finish on these guns from the factory is not very durable and has been reported to be removed with tap water.
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