Feature, continued

This figure illustrates the overall design of the Rossi 92.  It is an excellent guide for taking this gun apart.	This figure illustrates the use of a locking screw to retain a pin that looks like another screw.
Here are the steps for taking apart the Rossi 92 for cleaning or doing gunsmith work.  This work requires the use of drift punches to remove some pins that hold the action together.  Work carefully and in a place where loose parts and springs do not fly away and get lost.  Use a dish or little parts box to hold loose parts while working on guns. 1. Unscrew the tang screw and remove the butt stock. 2. Slowly pull back the hammer until the small hole in the main spring rod is visible in the ‘V’ of the main spring rod block. Insert a pin or needle into the hole to retain the main spring. 3. Remove the bolt pin stop screw. 4. Drift out the bolt pin from the right side. 5. Swing down the lever and open the bolt. Be careful not to lose the ejector, ejector spring, and ejector collar. These will protrude from the front of the bolt assembly. 6. Remove the locking bolt stop pin screw from the left locking bolt (see illustration above right). 7. Remove the locking bolt pin. 8. Remove the lever. 9. Remove the hammer/lower tang screw. 10. Place your index finger on the rear of the lower tang. Compress the trigger with your thumb, and remove the lower tang by pulling straight back from the receiver. 11. Remove the hammer assembly. 12. Remove the bolt assembly. 13. Remove the ejector, ejector spring, and ejector collar from the front of the bolt. 14. Remove the two carrier screws and remove the carrier.      Reassemble the Rossi by reversing the takedown order.  Assembling the bolt, ejector, and lever of a standard Rossi can be tricky, but attempting to reinstall the Rossi with a lengthened, but lighter,  ejector spring can be more of a challenge. More information will be provided on installing the bolt by the editor following the main article.  Proceed as follows to reinstall the bolt into the frame: A. Insert the assembled ejector, ejector spring, and ejector collar into the front of the bolt. B. Insert the bolt half-way into the receiver. C. Insert the lever into the bolt. D. Ensure the ejector is aligned properly in the bolt, then close the bolt with your thumb pressing the back of the bolt. E. Press forward on the lever to seat it completely into the receiver. F. Insert one of the locking bolts from the top of the receiver to hold the bolt closed. G. Align the holes in the bolt and lever with the pin hole in the receiver, and insert the bolt pin. H. Return to step 11 and work back to step 1.

   I am not a professional gunsmith, just a shooting enthusiast and hobbyist, as well as a tinkerer. If you are unsure about any of the following procedures, please refer the work to a qualified gunsmith. For polishing I use wet/dry 600 grit emery paper wetted with Hoppe’s gun oil. To remove metal I use a jeweler’s file, then polish with the emery paper. For stoning I use a hard Arkansas stone. To polish pivot pins I use oiled 600 grit emery paper, or oiled automotive crocus cloth. Work slowly and carefully and check functioning frequently. It’s always easy to remove a little more metal, but adding metal is very difficult. As we learn, we may have to replace a part or two that we damage in our haste and inexperience. That's should be considered part of the risk we take in order to enjoy the adventure.

Warning: Disassembling and tinkering with your firearm may void the warranty.  I claim no responsibility for use or misuse of these instructions; proceed at your own risk!

Disassemble the rifle and thoroughly clean all parts.  The following is a check list to aid in the work that needs to be done to smooth the action on the Rossi 92.

Trigger Assembly
____1. Polish sides of trigger
____2. Polish trigger spring and trigger mating surface
____3. Lighten trigger spring by bending up
____4. Stone/polish hammer mating surfaces inside the lower tang
____5. Polish trigger pivot pin

Hammer Assembly
____1. Polish hammer strut
____2. Polish hammer sides where they contact the lower tang
____3. Polish hammer face
____4. Remove 3-4 coils from mainspring and flatten end, or replace with Wolff 19lb Vaquero mainspring
____5. Polish hammer pivot pin

Carrier
____1. If the carrier is too tight in the receiver, remove some metal from the right side of the carrier.
____2. Polish both sides of the carrier at the pivot pin holes

Ejector Assembly
____1. Remove all burrs
____2. Polish shaft
____3. Polish all mating surfaces
____4. Work the ejector spring only if necessary as follows:
____4.1. Assemble the ejector, ejector spring, and ejector collar and insert into the bolt.
____4.2. If the ejector protrudes about 1/4” from the front of the bolt, remove 2 coils from the ejector spring and flatten end (NOTE: When reassembling the bolt, the ejector will lie almost flat with the bolt face. This is alright because once the finger lever is in place the ejector spring will be under tension.)
____4.3. If the ejector lies almost flat against the bolt face, do not remove any coils from the ejector spring.
____5. Polish collar ends

Finger Lever
____1. Polish ejector collar cam surface
____2. Polish lever retaining pin (only if necessary).   (NOTE: This is the pin in the rear of the finger lever that sits in a detent in the receiver and holds the lever closed.)
____3. Polish front and cam surfaces of bolt locks

Loading Gate
Sometimes the loading gate is too long and the cartridge rims get stuck on the sharp end of the gate.
____1. Use a stone to remove just enough metal off the end, and maintain the same contour. The end of the loading gate should sit almost flush in the receiver. (NOTE: This is important to ensure the last round loaded into a full magazine will feed properly.) Do not remove too much metal or the loading gate will protrude from the receiver
____2. Make sure the sides of the gate move freely in the receiver opening. If not, lightly stone the sides of the gate until it moves freely.
____3. Polish the ramp on the back of the gate (only if necessary). This helps the cartridge to be positioned correctly for loading on the carrier. The secret is to make a few strokes on the stone, then try for fit. The goal is to get the gate to fit in the opening almost flush without sticking out.

Bolt Assembly
____1. Polish hammer cam surface on the rear of the firing pin
____2. Polish hammer cam surface underneath rear of bolt
____3. Remove burrs and loose metal
____4. Polish sides and rails
____5. Ensure ejector rides smoothly in ejector cutout
____6. Polish front of bolt lock cam surfaces
____7. If extractor is too stiff when the bolt closes without a case, remove metal from the REAR of the extractor until there is still a small amount of tension on the extractor.

Receiver
____1. Remove burrs and polish bolt rails. Try bolt in receiver to test for free travel. Stone and polish any high spots

When reassembling the rifle, be sure all parts are lightly lubricated. Too much oil attracts dirt, too little oil causes excessive wear and friction. 

Eight Bits

Editor Note: Resist any temptation to polish either the locking bolts or the channels they rid in.  These control the headspace of the rifle and should only be altered by a qualified gunsmith. 

As an alternative to modifying the original springs that came with the rifle, it is common to install an aftermarket spring kit that provides the appropriate tension for a smooth operating Rossi 92.  The Lee Spring kit comes with a replacement ejector spring that is much longer than the original.  Here is the editor's trick for installing the bolt into the rifle with an long and weak ejector spring.

   I used these directions as the basis of modifying my own Rossi 92.  That gun had an action that was so bad that I could feel the grinding of the metal as I worked the action.  That gun would not feed any ammunition other than copper jacketed and those often jammed with the nose of the bullet not quite moving into the chamber.  After following these instructions, I ended up with a buttery smooth action and a rifle that feeds any ammunition I load. 

   I would like to thank Eight Bits for his contribution to this issue of the newsletter and for his support by sponsoring this article.

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