Rossi or Henry lever 357

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Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by Medic » 20 Jun 2018, 7:07 am

Hey guys, hoping to hear from owners about the real
Accuracy they achieved with your lever guns.
Photos would help.
I had the Alfa 357 revolver carbine and it was abysmal.
Loved the cartridge though.
Thanks.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by in2anity » 20 Jun 2018, 9:05 am

Without question the Henry. Overall, Rossis are not exactly renowned for their quality. But presuming similarly profiled barrels, the two should be similarly (mechanically) accurate. Especially if you intend on using for comp however, there is a lot more to it than just mechanical accuracy,

If you can afford it (which I would say save up until you can), I'd be looking at Winchesters or pre-rem marlins - buy once, cry once. These are the most commonly found rifles in competition circles. And if it's for silly-wet, a 24" barrel is going to be noticeably easier to use over a 20”.

The most accurate 357 rifle I have ever seen is a JM stamped 1894CB with a full 24" barrel. This undoubtedly also relates to the fact that they are easily scoped, thus being inherently easier to measure mechanical accuracy - but yeah, they can consistently shoot sub 2moa (even with peep sights) which is exceptional for any (traditional) lever gun.
Last edited by in2anity on 20 Jun 2018, 11:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by Wm.Traynor » 20 Jun 2018, 10:38 am

My Rossi was a piece of junk.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by bigpete » 20 Jun 2018, 11:31 am

Rossi. Bloody awesome little guns
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by Rod_outbak » 20 Jun 2018, 1:07 pm

Mate had a Rossi .357 LA years ago.
It was pretty accurate, but he had continual problems with the tube-mag feeding rounds into the loading gate.
I think we lost count of how many times we had to pull the mag tube apart to un-jam it.
Nearly had a pig fang the crap out of me when it jammed at the worst possible moment; one afternoon.

It might have been as simple as a new part required, but we couldnt find/see anything that looked bent or out of place.
It put both of us off Rossi guns after that, and my mate sold it shortly afterwards..

When it was working, it was a neat little thing, and accurate/ hard-hitting.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by bigpete » 20 Jun 2018, 2:52 pm

Mine works flawlessly and is accurate as. Prefer it over my marlin cb to be honest
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by in2anity » 20 Jun 2018, 3:22 pm

bigpete wrote:Mine works flawlessly and is accurate as. Prefer it over my marlin cb to be honest

Is that a remlin cb BP?
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by Wm.Traynor » 20 Jun 2018, 7:15 pm

I would respectfully suggest that in the very least, some brands are a lottery.
You pays your money and you takes your chances.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by bladeracer » 20 Jun 2018, 9:42 pm

bigpete wrote:Mine works flawlessly and is accurate as. Prefer it over my marlin cb to be honest


I wish I'd been able to grab the Rossi I wanted instead of the Marlin that was available. The Marlin is a great rifle if you only want to shoot jacketed bullets, expensive though. The new Marlin .357 Magnum is interesting but I'd still rather find a Rossi.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by wrenchman » 21 Jun 2018, 2:50 am

i did handle both about a week ago the henry steel boy was a much nicer action and smoother the lever throw was much shorter
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by in2anity » 21 Jun 2018, 8:42 am

Of course the Rossi will go bang - and indeed I've heard many say the Rossis are sufficiently accurate, but comparing apples with apples, the Henry is simply a better quality rifle. You just need to see the price difference as proof of that.

If accuracy is important to you, barrel profile is in fact going to be more important than brand - and the Henry's come in heavier octagonal barrels - so by definition, they should be less whippy than the traditional rounded-barrel rossi. Realising potential accuracy is another matter however... and the Henry comes drilled and tapped out of the box to take a rail - so there's another selling point for the Henry. Scoping a rifle makes load-development a hell of a lot easier and faster.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by Medic » 21 Jun 2018, 2:10 pm

Thanks guys its some good food for thought.
I was pretty much thinking henry.
I read somewhere they got an inch at 100 yards with their henry, but everything else I read doesn't match up.
I also intend to shoot a lot of berrys coated 125grn, they max out around 1200fps but I'm thinking I'll have to load them pretty soft cause with standard loads they get up to around 1800fps far as I read, probably causing some problems with the projectiles themselves. I do have an older box of the 158grains though.
Does anyone shoot the berrys plated out of their lever guns and if so, how have you loaded them for accuracy?
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by bladeracer » 21 Jun 2018, 10:56 pm

in2anity wrote:Of course the Rossi will go bang - and indeed I've heard many say the Rossis are sufficiently accurate, but comparing apples with apples, the Henry is simply a better quality rifle. You just need to see the price difference as proof of that.

If accuracy is important to you, barrel profile is in fact going to be more important than brand - and the Henry's come in heavier octagonal barrels - so by definition, they should be less whippy than the traditional rounded-barrel rossi. Realising potential accuracy is another matter however... and the Henry comes drilled and tapped out of the box to take a rail - so there's another selling point for the Henry. Scoping a rifle makes load-development a hell of a lot easier and faster.


How does price prove one thing is "better" than another? Often it just proves one company spent a hell of a lot more on marketing their product.
Agreed about the scoping for load development, and you can get a scope mount for the Rossi's.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by in2anity » 22 Jun 2018, 7:43 am

bladeracer wrote:How does price prove one thing is "better" than another? Often it just proves one company spent a hell of a lot more on marketing their product.


Because Henry is totally renowned for their huge marketing budget, and being front-and-centre in the "tacticool" realm :sarcasm: All I was saying was that in this specific case, the higher priced Henry is reflective of a higher quality product. Agreed "proof" was the wrong word; I should have used the word "indication".
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by Wm.Traynor » 22 Jun 2018, 10:26 am

bladeracer,
I agree that price is not proof of quality. it could even have something to do with exchange rate or tariffs.
But speaking of high prices, it makes me wonder what the Japanese Winchesters and M81 Brownings are like for accuracy, functioning etc.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by in2anity » 22 Jun 2018, 10:51 am

Wm.Traynor wrote:bladeracer,
I agree that price is not proof of quality. it could even have something to do with exchange rate or tariffs.
But speaking of high prices, it makes me wonder what the Japanese Winchesters and M81 Brownings are like for accuracy, functioning etc.


Yes I often have the same thought - you don't see them around much do you. FWIW, reading between the lines I know Gamerancher was (somewhat) of an advocate for even the new Winnies (in preference over remlins), if that's saying anything. He always came from a pretty substantive competition silhouette perspective.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by Sus_scrofa » 22 Jun 2018, 9:09 pm

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Why not a pump 357mag like a beretta gold rush?
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by K&D4GUNS » 01 Jan 2020, 8:23 am

Rod_outbak wrote:Mate had a Rossi .357 LA years ago.
It was pretty accurate, but he had continual problems with the tube-mag feeding rounds into the loading gate.
I think we lost count of how many times we had to pull the mag tube apart to un-jam it.
Nearly had a pig fang the crap out of me when it jammed at the worst possible moment; one afternoon.

It might have been as simple as a new part required, but we couldnt find/see anything that looked bent or out of place.
It put both of us off Rossi guns after that, and my mate sold it shortly afterwards..

When it was working, it was a neat little thing, and accurate/ hard-hitting.



I find mine does the same if I fully load the tube feeder, I only load 7 now (hunting, 5 obviously if MS) and have no issues. Great gun, super accurate, even with the buckhorn sights (but I’m changing to Skinner peeps) and can’t beat it for the price! It only likes 158gn pills though!
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by in2anity » 01 Jan 2020, 11:33 am

K&D4GUNS wrote:I find mine does the same if I fully load the tube feeder, I only load 7 now (hunting, 5 obviously if MS) and have no issues. Great gun, super accurate, even with the buckhorn sights (but I’m changing to Skinner peeps) and can’t beat it for the price! It only likes 158gn pills though!


Even Marlins can be prone to jamming the small, straight wall cartridges. I have a little Marlin 94CB chambered in 32H&R mag - that gun is unreliable as all hell with 10 up the tube. Lucky ms banks only come in groups of 5 :lol:

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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by Diamond Jim » 01 Jan 2020, 3:12 pm

I've had a Rossi lever gun for about 40 years but have never handled a Henry. My Rossi was one of three bought with two mates at the same time when Rossi began to be marketed in Australia in the 1980's. All three rifles were re-barrelled under warranty due to headspace problems. Since then I haven't had an issue that wasn't caused by me.
I use it occasionally for IPSC 3-gun competitions and it's plenty accurate enough for a 20" open sight rifle. They are quite common in my club.
I've never tested it off a rest for groups at 100m - it isn't that sort of rifle. Offhand it will consistently knock over soft-drink cans at 50m. It's light and handy for carrying in scrub and has knocked over a couple of goats from the back of a motorcycle.
It feeds everything I've put through it including its regular diet of 125gr moly coated semi-wadcutters that I load for revolver.
Mine is pretty smooth after all this time but I am told that new they can benefit from an action job.
The company has been around since 1889 in Brazil and has been making 1892 clones for a lot of that time. They are solid rifles.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by wrenchman » 02 Jan 2020, 12:39 am

i have a henry they will warrenty the hell out of it i have seen them get a hold of youtube shooters telling them there gun should not be doing some thing send it back.
mine was a gift from my son i was looking at buying a henry becouse i could scope it my eyes are old i have not put it on yet the sights are nice and i have not shot it past 100 yards.
I have not seen any of the rossi ones in a while when i was looking they were about 200 dollers us less then the henry cowboy action shooters were buying them slicking up the action and deburring the load gates
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by bladeracer » 02 Jan 2020, 2:59 am

wrenchman wrote:i have a henry they will warrenty the hell out of it i have seen them get a hold of youtube shooters telling them there gun should not be doing some thing send it back.
mine was a gift from my son i was looking at buying a henry becouse i could scope it my eyes are old i have not put it on yet the sights are nice and i have not shot it past 100 yards.
I have not seen any of the rossi ones in a while when i was looking they were about 200 dollers us less then the henry cowboy action shooters were buying them slicking up the action and deburring the load gates


I scoped my Rossi 92 as soon as I got it, a 2-7x32 scout scope.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by Diamond Jim » 02 Jan 2020, 11:26 pm

wrenchman wrote:i have a henry they will warrenty the hell out of it i have seen them get a hold of youtube shooters telling them there gun should not be doing some thing send it back.


Unfortunately, in my experience, we have to fight hard to enforce our consumer rights in Australia. Our government is not inclined to help shooters - it's not P.C.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by InisBineest » 20 Jan 2020, 1:40 pm

I'm curious (as one who owns and loves the Alfa:P) what was wrong with your Alfa Carbine? Did you not like the noise and blast from the cylinder gap or did you end up with other issues?
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by juano86 » 20 Jan 2020, 2:22 pm

Cant speak for the Henry, but i love my 16" Rossi in .357 mag
Plugged this guy in the eye at 50yrds in the rain. definitely shoots better than 'minute of pig'...
It loves the Hornady 158gr XTP's and i think its suitably accurate.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by Blr243 » 20 Jan 2020, 7:08 pm

Moonie. Rain. Same rifle. Same ammo drizabone coat lots of pigs. Melon holes lime bush. I get it
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by Maxjon » 20 Jan 2020, 8:54 pm

Visually the Henry looks much nicer metal work, and metal to wood finish is lots nicer. Read nothing very good about the Rossi, but lots of good about Henry......My vote is the Henry
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by bladeracer » 21 Jan 2020, 12:31 am

Bullbarrel033 wrote:Visually the Henry looks much nicer metal work, and metal to wood finish is lots nicer. Read nothing very good about the Rossi, but lots of good about Henry......My vote is the Henry


I have a Rossi 92 .357, and a Henry .22LR, and I would not recommend Henry. If somebody wants one I won't talk them out of it, but I wouldn't want anybody to buy one on my recommendation and end up disappointed. I also have a Winchester 94 in .30-30, Marlin 94 in .44 Mag, and Uberti 66 in .38 Special, all of which I would recommend ahead of Henry for quality. The Henry though is probably half the price of those, or less, and I agree, the Henry finish is lovely.
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by Wapiti » 21 Jan 2020, 8:58 am

Sus_scrofa wrote:
20180622_210752.jpg

Why not a pump 357mag like a beretta gold rush?


Wow, that is one sexy gun.

Do they function well, and what's the mag capacity?
Can you get a shorter barrel?
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Re: Rossi or Henry lever 357

Post by Kelsey Cooter » 21 Jan 2020, 11:27 am

juano86 wrote:Cant speak for the Henry, but i love my 16" Rossi in .357 mag
Plugged this guy in the eye at 50yrds in the rain. definitely shoots better than 'minute of pig'...
It loves the Hornady 158gr XTP's and i think its suitably accurate.


Oh man I want a 16" trapper. Looks fun as
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