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At the range the other day I met a member who had a Rossi .44 under lever who kindly let me have a few rounds through it. I had intended to go for an Uberti copy of the early Winchester but this as changed my mind. The action was very smooth and it was a pleasure to hold and fire. He also let me have a shoot with the .357 version which was nice too but I have .44 on my ticket so that will be the calibre I shall aim for.

I have a rossi 92 in 44mag, and an uberti 1873 in 44spl.

I would part with the rossi tomorrow to keep the 1873, they are worlds apart. As it is, I only keep it as a backup anyway.

bradaz11 wrote:I have a rossi 92 in 44mag, and an uberti 1873 in 44spl.

I would part with the rossi tomorrow to keep the 1873, they are worlds apart. As it is, I only keep it as a backup anyway.

The Rossi I tried was either a 73 or 76 model. Are the Uberti's really that much different to the Rossi? I notice they are more expensive to buy. I would prefer the 1873 model as the 92 models have a different mechanism and receiver shape. (They look more like the original gun that won the west)

As far as I'm aware, rossi's lever guns are 92's. They don't make anything else.

are you sure it was a rossi? - here is one


uberti make all sorts of models - this is their '73


as for difference, there is a huge change in quality between the 2, and fit / finish. the Rossi's are agricultural. they will do the job, but to get the lever feeling nice, you will need to sit home one evening, doing nothing but racking it.
the uberti out of the box is nice and light to work, it should be ready to go. throw on a kit to shorten the lever throw, and it is a thing of beauty.
the question of are they worth it. thats down to you, to me the price difference is worth it. to someone else, the £500 odd worth in difference might not add up to that big a differnce

It was a Rossi or so I had been told by the owner but it was not like the top model in your pictures. The upper photo is of the 92 action in which the whole floor of the receiver comes out as it is racked. The model I fired was more like the lower photo but was a standard blued receiver and not the case hardened version like the Uberti. I noticed it also had a safety lever on the top of the slide just in front of the hammer which the Uberti does not or so I am led to believe. I would assume from your statement that the one I shot had been used a lot as the action was very slick. Have to admit the Uberti does have a good reputation and I did own a .45 peacemaker made by them in the past and it was a very nice gun.

Sorry bradaz I am wrong. After looking at the Rossi models I see that the Rossi 92 has the 92 shaped receiver but uses the older 73 mechanism with the two vertical locking lugs. It was indeed the upper photo that I used. I do however prefer the shape of the receiver on the Uberti 73 model as it is more authentic to the original Winchester 73. Looks like I will have to save a bit more yet then. Thanks for the info.

think you might still be a bit cloudy on models

the 92 only has 2 bars that come down, like this


the 94 is the one where the floorplate lowers down



here is a pretty good angle on a rossi 92, with a bolt that opens on top, with a safety. the bullets come up on a ramp


with something like a 73, the come up in a lifter that is more of a lift, than a ramp. and the top is always open, you just have a round rod for the bolt.
open

closed

pluginal wrote:Sorry bradaz I am wrong. After looking at the Rossi models I see that the Rossi 92 has the 92 shaped receiver but uses the older 73 mechanism with the two vertical locking lugs. It was indeed the upper photo that I used. I do however prefer the shape of the receiver on the Uberti 73 model as it is more authentic to the original Winchester 73. Looks like I will have to save a bit more yet then. Thanks for the info.

the 73 uses a totally different type of lock to the 92. both the 66/73/76 generation are toggle locks. the 86/92/94 are locking bar

inside a 73


as far as I'm aware, the 92 uses the original win92's lockup, just with the addition of a modern safety

Ah yes, Thanks for clarifying that for me. I had assumed with the shape of the 92 receiver it was the one where the floor plate dropped and the 73 model had the longer more shaped receiver where the floor plate did not move and had the vertical lugs for locking. It is definitely the 73 model I would like with the open top and the lift system for the cartridges. (to me it just looks so much better and more original) Thank you for all of the information on this. Oh by the way does the door on the 1873 model open and close with the slide or is it operated by hand? I have a replica of the 1866 model but it has no door at all just an open top.

thought I'd clear it up, as last thing you want when you have your heart set on a mech is to find it's something else.

the dust cover is closed by hand, and can be opened by hand. If it is closed and you rack the gun, it will open the cover, but once open it stays open till you close it by hand.