Rossi 92 Reassembly Problem

[DaveInPA]

I recently picked up an Interarms Model 65 (aka a Rossi 92) in .44 WCF. I detail stripped it to clean and debur the innards, which it really needed, but now I'm have a heck of a time reassembling it.

I have the bolt, locking lugs, and lever back in. I inserted the hammer assembly and the lower tang. The lower tang was really tight so I did some fitting so that it now only requires a few taps to go back in.

Where I am running into a problem is getting the pivot hole in the hammer aligned with the matching holes in the lower tang and the receiver. I did hold the trigger back when putting it back together but it appears that when I try to pull the entire hammer backwards to align the pivot holes, it's catching on something, holding it a bit too far forward and low to get back into alignment.

The coil hammer spring is still held compressed by a paper clip.

Can anyone offer suggestions to help me get this thing back together?

Thanks.

[.45colt]

Steve , from Steve's guns will see this before long. He is the go to Guy. I bought His dvd and spring kit a few years ago and did My Rossi 44-40 as well. I had a devil of a time getting the ejector collar to stay in place trying to get the bolt in. no matter how many tricks I tried. I sure wished John Browning would have been around.............
Be patient, if You need step away or watch some of the 92 videos on you tube.

[DaveInPA]

Thanks. I forgot to mention that I watched several YT videos.

Ditto on the ejector collar. I did figure out how to get that to pop into place so I could fully depress the ejector, with the aid of a drift punch.

I actually have a few items on order from Steve but I'd like to get this thing back together so I can shoot it next week.

I find the toggle locked guns A LOT easier to work on than the 1892.

[Turdyturdy]

Relax, from my fortunately limited experience with Rossi guns no matter how badly you reassemble them it will be at least as good as they did it!

[Pat C]

I've had mine apart a few times ,don't remember any assembly issues. Mainspring compressed,trigger pulled,use a taper alignment pin punch on opposite side of hammer screw head to align holes.

Try just the tang without hammer ,make sure it will align first. If so keep trying different positions of the hammer.
Light assembly grease on holes and screw shaft helps.

Pictures of your misalignment would probably help too.

[Griff]

Relax, from my fortunately limited experience with Rossi guns no matter how badly you reassemble them it will be at least as good as they did it!

...use a taper alignment pin punch on opposite side of hammer screw head to align holes.
Try just the tang without hammer, make sure it will align first. If so keep trying different positions of the hammer. Light assembly grease on holes and screw shaft helps.
Pictures of your misalignment would probably help too.

This always seems at first, to be a 3-handed job, but... two with a little learned technique can do it quite well. Luckily, my 3 Rossi's turned out okay, and it's been 17 years years since I had the last one apart... So I can't offer more than moral support!

You Tube videos "can" be helpful, but sometimes a slow reading of written instructions can make sense of something a video makes appear to be so easy... except when a kultz like me is trying it! Marauder's Rifle Tip's.

[Old Savage]

Griff, 17 years why I heard they won't last two weeks

[JimT]

Griff, 17 years why I heard they won't last two weeks

The Spanish-made 1892 El Tigre's are getting into the 100-year old category and many of them are still quite sound. They bring a fare price on today's market also. I've seen nice ones go in the 2K range.

[Old Savage]

JimT, if you could find your way to southeast Penna. and kindly, ever so kindly bring our find Sixgun around on this.

[Jay Bird]

JimT, if you could find your way to southeast Penna. and kindly, ever so kindly bring our find Sixgun around on this.

Here...these guys want your Rossi.....

[gamekeeper]

Rossi Vs Winchester ? Well I guess Winchester win that one BUT being a levergunner I'd rather go hunting with someone who uses a Rossi than someone who insists on using a rifle with that funny knob sticking out of the side......

[Griff]

JimT, if you could find your way to southeast Penna. and kindly, ever so kindly bring our find Sixgun around on this.

I have a theory about 6's point of view... (a little couch time would cure him... or maybe just range time with one)...

Wasn't it some musician that said "...only accurate rifles are interesting!" Something Townsend... or Townes Van "something"... anyway... in 6's "world", only collectible rifles are interesting. And I think we'll all admit that our Rossi's probably won't be appreciating at the rate of even a run-of-the-mill Winchester 1892 in the most common of chamberings... Unless we let the "antis" take away our right! The Gubment has already established any firearm's value during their "buy-back" programs... Hey 6, didn't you help them set that value by participating?

I'm sure NKJ could do one much quicker, but I seem to remember spending about 6-7 hours making my latest 1892 Rossi in 45 Colt smooth as glass. I think I made about $18-19/hr back then... so taking the my time and adding it the $450 I spend on the little short rifle... means I have about $580 invested in a very slick bang-stick vs. a grand or more had I purchased a "real" Winchester. And whereas I'm not concerned about the "investment" I made, it might even have suffered a little abuse along the way. Whereas, I KNOW the .32-20 1892 Rifle I owned wasn't treated to nights outside in the barn during my guardianship... (all of a month before my wife found it in the back of the safe next to her Rossi)! Back it went to hence it came!

Anyway, comparing Rossi & Winchesters is a waste of time. Except for a Walther PPK/s or P-38 I don't have much interest in foreign designs... But some are still far more collectible than a Winchester 1892. And, isn't copying the sincerest form of flattery! Besides, if you don't have the prototype, they're all just copies!

[Old Savage]

Not looking to collect here because I don't intend to sell. Griff your theory may be correct. My Rossis are as smooth as my B92 and I did not do a thing to them.

On collectibles .. an old style Bronco just sold for $1.87 million.

Six is just on a tear here that he enjoys. But my Win 94 45 Colt will not dependably cycle unless it is straight level. How many times have we heard from the hard core Win and Colt fans that they are only good from certain time periods of manufacture.

[.45colt]

Be very carful the RRH is about , He may be looking through Your window to report You for having a ROSSI. don't talk about them , you don't own one.... the RRH is coming to get You........ Resident Rossi Hater.

[OldWin]

I don't get too spun up over someone having a Rossi. I have one. It works and shoots very well, and I have fun with it. It rides in a molle U.S. shotgun scabbard clipped to the rollbar in my Jeep or hitched over the back of the seat in my truck. I ain't doing that with ANY of my original Winchesters. Not unless just headed out to shoot it, at least.
Having several originals in varying condition from little finish to very nice, I can say honestly that the Rossi doesn't compare to the fit and feel of the real deal. I have a Browning 92 also. The Rossi doesn't compare to it either. However, the Browning has an imitation feel also, even if quality is better. In fact, I prefer the look of my particular Rossi to my Browning, and use it way more often.
However, I'm not really comparing them, because I don't really care.
I look at it this way.....
If selling Rossis keeps the interest up in leverguns, we all win. ALL of us. It will not negatively affect the value of collectible originals. Look at the 1911, or Colt SAA.
If quality is indeed an issue, the market will dictate it be remedied, or the demand will find another source.

Rossi on, boys!

[.45colt]

Shhhhha , keep your head down, don't say a word He is about always lurking , watching , ready to turn YOU in to the police for having a R***& . We can just hope to see another day to live on when the RRA is gone..............................................then We may once again speak the word R***I. .

[rossim92]

JimT, if you could find your way to southeast Penna. and kindly, ever so kindly bring our find Sixgun around on this.

Here...these guys want your Rossi.....

i know that gun's old!, I remember watching these two on the tube. anybody remember the show "good times" ? seemed like tv was more tuned to the real life back in those days, not off of this fluff we are seeing. My fav show was M*A*S*H*. I have the complete set of dvd's with the cut version of the original movie. I rather watch them then tv series now a days, I watch movies on netflix and amazon prime.