So Spring of 2012 I had my favorite ffl order me a Rossi 92 in 45 colt. 16" blued, large lever, saddle ring.
I didn't have that one long enough to even shoot it -really didn't pay much attention to it at all. I sold it to a guy locally to fund an 1866 purchase, because I was going to use that in SASS.
Well, I didn't, and I sold the '66 and bought the now infamous stainless 92.
Long story short, I traded the guy the stainless for my old 92.
He was looking to get rid of it for a regular lever non-saddle ring to hunt with. win-win. Wow. I couldn't be happier. I gave this one a fine-tooth-comb look over, and all I can say is yee-hah. The wood looks very nice- it actually resembles wood, with grain and all. The metal looks very nice. The wood to metal fit is very nice- even the butt-plate 'fits' like it should. The action is very nice. The bluing is very nice. Overall the gun is just, well, very nice. Where the stainless one turned around completely with the Gunslinger spring kit, this one doesn't seem to need a 'better' spring anywhere- not even the ejector!
As I was looking it over, the very first thing I noticed were the markings on it are different- and in different places than the stainless model. So at some point their machining -or the process- was changed- which may lend at least a partial explanation of recent QC problems? With this one appearing as someone actually cared, at least a little bit, and the markings being different I wondered when it was made. I called Rossi and the pleasant lady gave me it's birthday of March 23, 2010. Therefore, my rifle was shipped to a distributor where it sat for 2 years before my ffl ordered it from them. Maybe back then they gave a crap? The stainless model was made May, 2013.
I was thinking that I would 'antique' this rifle, distressing the wood and giving it a faux patina when we talked about trading it, but after seeing it now I'm having second thoughts! I think the only thing I'll do -for now- is replace the safety with Stevez plug. I would love to have the hole welded up, polished and re-blued at some point, but one estimate for the job was almost as much as I paid for the gun...
Anyway, here are some pictures of it:
