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Rossi Model 92 Review

One of the most iconic images in our cinematic history is the American cowboy with his lever action rifle. John Wayne had his 1873 Winchester. Chuck Connors had an 1892 Winchester. Even Zoe carried a mare’s leg 1892 in the “Firefly” universe. The lever action rifle is a uniquely American invention, a rifle design that was a huge leap forward in firearm technology, yet destined for the hands of American hunters and outdoorsmen rather than soldiers.

The Rossi Model 92 retains much of that heritage, from the walnut stock and forend to the curved buttstock that matches the receiver finish. Obviously designed after the 1892 Winchester rifle, the Rossi 92 has the same straight stock (as opposed to the curved, near-pistol grip of the Marlin 1894). Models are available in a wide variety of chamberings, from period-correct .44-40 and .45 Colt to more modern calibers such as .44 Magnum and .454 Casull. Barrel lengths vary from carbine length 16 inch up to full rifle 24 inch, and receiver finishes are available in stainless, blued, or case-hardened.

The model used for this review was chambered in .357 Magnum/.38 Special and came with a case-hardened receiver and blued, octagonal 24 inch barrel. The capacity of the tubular magazine is twelve rounds in either .38 Special or .357 Magnum. The front sight is a gold bead, and the rear sight is a buckhorn leaf. Both sights are adjustable, with the front drift-adjustable for windage and the rear has a sliding adjustment for elevation.

It’s not without its flaws and quirks, though. Loading is tedious and getting the last few rounds into the tubular magazine can be an exercise in finger strength. .357 Magnum cartridges are longer and often need to be “finessed” into the chamber. However, .38 Special cartridges loaded without incident. Brass from the last round in the magazine would often not get ejected from the rifle. The safety lever, while easy to use and manipulate, looks out of place on a classic lever action rifle.

These quirks and flaws do not take away from the rifle’s biggest strength, in my opinion, which is that this gun is just plain fun to shoot. With standard .38 Special loads, there is essentially zero recoil, especially in a seven pound rifle with a 24-inch barrel. During a shooting match, the 92 was passed from an experienced shooter to novice alike, including an 11-year old boy and everyone that used this firearm commented on how easy it was to handle. Even the heftier .357 Magnum rounds were easy to handle, with the long barrel turning all of that powder into velocity rather than muzzle flash.

Accuracy is very good for a pistol caliber rifle. 25-yard offhand groups measured an inch or less, and were no more a measure of the rifle’s accuracy than that of the shooter. If the purpose of this rifle is to harvest deer at distances out to 100 yards, it will perform this task admirably. No, it won’t match a Remington 700 in .308 Winchester at 200 yards, but it’s not designed for that task. If it’s a fun day of plinking with light .38 Special reloads or introducing a new shooter to rifles, the Rossi Model 92 is an ideal choice.

Reliability for the 92 was average. As mentioned above, loading .357 Magnum rounds required more than just closing the lever. It was necessary to close the lever slowly and in some cases a light “feathering” was needed to get the rounds into the chamber. It fed and fired everything reliably, and the only issues with ejection occurred with the last round in the magazine. Using the Model 92 as a defensive firearm might require a little gunsmithing of feed ramps and improving the springs, but out of the box for plinking it’s just fine.

The Rossi Model 92 is a solid lever action rifle based on the Winchester 1892. The MSRP starts as low as $559, for certain models. It’s available in pistol calibers only and is one of the best values in lever action rifles on the market. There are a few rough edges that may need to be smoothed out, but for a fun plinking rifle or an occasional deer-taker, the 92 is certainly up to the task at hand. Anyone in the market for a pistol caliber lever action rifle would be well-served to check out the Rossi Model 92 product line.

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Winchester Model 70 Review

In the beginning, Peter Paul Mauser invented the 98. America “borrowed” the design for the 1903 Springfield, was sued, paid up and then after WWII Winchester “borrowed,” it again when Mauser wasn’t really in a position to complain. The Model 70, “The Rifleman’s Rifle”, is, in essence, a result of post-WWII market conditions that proved fortuitous for both Winchester and the American shooter. The Model 70 offered excellent accuracy, the use of new-fangled scopes and a price tag that the average sportsman could live with.

During the course of its career the Model 70 was at first a controlled round feed action like its Mauser ancestor, but in 1964 turned into a push feed action. The push feed models were an all-original design but met with little enthusiasm, the result of which was to turn the pre-64 models into instant collector’s items. Currently the Model 70 is back in its original controlled round feed form with dual-opposed locking lugs and a non-rotating extractor (finally putting an end to fifty-odd years of teeth gnashing) and available in several of its original variants.

While the Model 70 controlled round feed action is very similar to others that came before, it is in many respects an improvement. The 70 is an extremely smooth, well-built action that rarely jams. The safety is, in the opinion of many, perfect, and has been borrowed by others many times. It is also capable of handling the highest pressure cartridges which, coupled with its reliability, made it a favorite among dangerous game hunters. There is no reason to think that the current incarnation of the controlled round feed Model 70 will not meet with as much favor as the first one did.

The new model 70 lost points for its trigger because currently Winchester is not equipping them with adjustable triggers. The included trigger is nice, but consumers more or less expect an adjustable model these days. One point was also deducted for Durability because a few changes have been made in the action that differentiates it from the original; the front ring of the receiver has been slightly enlarged and a new, finer thread pattern is used to attach the barrel. In theory, these changes should improve the strength of the action, but until the new changes have been run through the ringer, it’s prudent to at least point them out to the prospective buyer.

Ranked #3 of 7 in our Best Bolt Action Rifle Comparison

Remington 700 Review

Based on several preceding designs by Remington, the 700 action is the final evolution of a concept that Remington began working with in 1948. What Remington wanted to create was a bolt-action rifle that would give the same reliability as existing models while minimizing the number of parts and machining processes. In the course of this development the 700 also turned out to be more accurate and safer than many existing models, so all the better.

In keeping with the maxim: if it ain’t broke, rename it and sell some more, Remington seems to enjoy giving its rifles different model designations. So far, it has produced the 721, 722, 600 and a few others that are all essentially the 700 action all shooters associate with Remington. As silly as it may sound, it is hard to argue a model that has been working well for over sixty years.

The 700 and its associates all have dual-opposed locking lugs with rotating extractors and are all push feed actions — the first successful ones, actually. This design allows for a fully enclosed bolt face that surrounds the cartridge head when chambered. Originally considered a great safety feature (case head breaches that would turn a modern shooter pale were still a matter of course in the 1940’s), presently the enclosed bolt serves to greatly increase the 700’s strength while allowing it to keep a slim profile. Remington’s “Three Rings of Steel” ad campaign touts this and it really isn’t bull fertilizer – you can get away with things on a Remington 700 action that you likely wouldn’t walk away from with any other rifle.

In the course of its career the 700 has found great favor with sportsmen and target shooters and various branches of our military use slightly modified versions of it as their sniper rifles. There are currently many millions of 700 action-based rifles in circulation and Remington offers a great selection of current production models suited to almost any use. It is hard to imagine anything that will ever cause Remington to cease production of the 700.

The 700 lost a point in the category of Feeding/Extraction because its extractor is considered by some a bit substandard when compared to the rest of the action. The extractor sits inside the enclosed bolt face (many actions compared here are said to have enclosed bolt faces but the 700 is the only one with a completely enclosed bolt face). This gives the action added strength but occasionally proves insufficient for gripping the case head. Most of the time it works great, but it should be borne in mind — especially if something like a dangerous game rifle is a consideration. Two points were also deducted in the category of Versatility because the 700’s design does not necessarily lend itself to conversion to straight-walled cartridges or conversion to cartridges with different head sizes. This is of little to no concern to most shooters, but the prospective buyer should be aware of it going in.

Ranked #4 of 7 in our Best Bolt Action Rifle Comparison

CZ 550 Review

The folks at CZ have been building tough, reliable, Mauser-style controlled round feed actions almost as long as Mauser has. CZ, for the most part, specializes in offering rifles with old-world aesthetics and a decided lack of modern bells and whistles. The American gun-buying public has always seemed more intrigued with modern touches than the Europeans have, and CZ does most of its business across the pond. The Americans who do get a hold of a CZ 550 are usually pretty happy with it, though. CZ rifles are essentially store bought models of the sporterized 98’s that many generations of Americans grew to love and for some there is no finer rig.

The 550 action has much in common with its Mauser ancestors and CZ has always been proud to point this out. The bolt has two opposed locking lugs mounted at the front of the bolt (the third rear lug from the 98 has been discarded as unnecessary) and a large non-rotating extractor. To those who favor 98-type actions, the CZ is a regular marvel. All the rough edges of the original have been buffed out to create a smooth action right out of the box without the chunkiness of their predecessors. The 550 is available in a couple of variants that feature modern bedding techniques with synthetic stocks but, by-and-large, CZ prefers to offer nice-looking wood stock models. Naturally, with wood as a base some CZ’s will not toe the mark like some modern shooters expect, but just about every 550 can still deliver close to minute of angle accuracy, which is more than sufficient for big game hunting.

Some people find the CZ 550 a bit boring due to the many design features it shares with the Mauser 98 and its lack of modern frills. The 550’s boring nature is part of what makes it such a great action, though. Every concept in the 550 has been in use, getting tested for a hundred years, which means when you buy one the legwork is done and you can sit back and enjoy a truly trustworthy rifle.

The 550 only lost two points in our comparison. One point was deducted for Accuracy because while most CZ’s shoot pretty darn good, the standard Mauser bedding system and wood stocks that CZ favors can occasionally give some trouble; it’s not likely, but should be borne in mind. Another point was deducted for Long Term Cost of Ownership because the 550 isn’t the most popular of American rifles and it can be a bit trying to find parts for them at your local gun shop. Thankfully, the 550 rarely breaks, so most owners will never know this.

Ranked #2 of 7 in our Best Bolt Action Rifle Comparison

Savage 110 Review

Imagine for a moment that it is around 1957, your name is Nicholas Brewer and you work for Savage Arms. Your boss walks into the office one day and says “Nick, we need you to design a bolt action rifle for us. This gun has to be as accurate and dependable as the stuff already out there and you have to figure out some way to make it cheaper. Oh, by the way, don’t violate any existing patents and make it flexible enough that we don’t have to ever retool.” Most folks would take out the want ads and start looking for a new gig.

The Savage 110 was what Brewer came up with and it really did meet all the requirements. Borrowing from a few existing designs, Brewer created a push feed, dual-opposed lug action with a rotating extractor and enclosed bolt face. The bolt head itself was separated from the rest of the bolt body and held in place by a through pin. The 110 also had a few features geared towards ease in production that were all new. The barrel was headspaced by a big lock nut and threaded into the receiver. The receiver itself could be produced from a single piece of seamless tubing and stamped parts were used wherever possible. The use of a separated bolt head (which had never really been tried on a commercial rifle) made the bolt lugs essentially self-lapping and resulted in great accuracy without added machining. The end result was a rifle that could easily compete on the range and blow the completion away on a sporting goods store gun rack.

The number of incarnations and variants that Savage has produced on the 110 action over the years would fill an entire page. In essence, they are all the same sturdy, affordable unit that Brewer designed and they all work pretty well. Savage has even farmed this action out in the form of the Stevens 200 rifle, which has met with great success. The 110 is Savage’s go-to action and by whatever designation it is called will be around for a long time to come.

The 110 lost points a few points in our comparison for: ergonomics, due to a sometimes sloppy-feeling bolt throw, feeding/extraction, due to occasional jamming in feeding. Also reliability, due to the action’s rather high number of parts that, however rarely, do still fail, and fit/finish, due to Savage’s well-known commitment to sacrificing aesthetics in the name of accuracy and cost control. All of the 110’s foibles are well known to 110 owners, but most either don’t care, or stop caring, when they discover how well their surprisingly affordable rifle shoots.

Ranked #6 of 7 in our Best Bolt Action Rifle Comparison

Weatherby Vanguard Series II Review

The Vanguard rifle imported by Weatherby has been around for a long time. This action is a push feed design that features a relatively large rotating extractor affixed to one of the bolt lugs and an enclosed bolt face. In design the Vanguard is very similar to the push feed version of the Model 70, but has met with greater success. Ergonomically the rifle has much in common with the Remington 700 but can be produced at a lower cost. This combination of good ideas has made the Vanguard very appealing to shooters.

The Vanguard has a reputation for accuracy and dependability at a reasonable price. Until recently, the Vanguard line was considered lacking in flash, but the introduction of the Series II rifles is a departure with special purpose models and more features. The Series II rifles are the same reliable action the Vanguard always had with a new, rather ingenious, three-position safety and the addition of extras like special coatings, bedding blocks and adjustable triggers.

Now that the Vanguard line has begun to offer special models, the sky is pretty much the limit with a flexible design like the Vanguard’s; given the low initial cost of production the Vanguard may even pop up some day in different action lengths. In their current versions, any of the Series II rifles are an excellent value available at prices lower than can be had for similar rifles from other companies.

The Vanguard lost one point in our comparison in the category of Ergonomics because the bolt throw can at times feel less-than-smooth with an occasional bit of binding. We also deducted one point in the Long Term Cost of Ownership category because the Vanguard can be a little difficult to find replacement parts for due to its foreign manufacture which, seeing as Vanguards rarely require replacement parts, is not that big of a deal. Two points were also deducted in the Versatility category due to the fact that the Vanguard’s design does not lend itself to conversion and it is not factory chambered for a very wide variety of cartridges, somewhat limiting the possibilities with this action.

Ranked #5 of 7 in our Best Bolt Action Rifle Comparison

Ruger M77 Hawkeye Review

The second incarnation of the Ruger 77 has met with nothing but success. The Mark II is a controlled round feed action with dual-opposed locking lugs and a non-rotating claw extractor. In many ways the Mark II filled the gap left in the market when the Model 70 switched to a push feed action. For a long time almost all American-made rifles were push feeds due to the fact that many of the push feed designs work just as well as controlled round feeds and the push feed was traditionally much cheaper to produce. Bill Ruger’s commitment to investment casting and mechanical genius allowed Ruger to produce a controlled round feed action that was actually lower in cost than many push feed designs. The 77 is never as slick as the original Model 70 right out of the box (this has been referred to as “Ruger Smooth”), but after break-in it’s hard to tell the difference. One of the best advancements the 77 brought to the market was integral dovetail scope mounts machined into the top of the receiver. In addition to reducing points of potential failure, this system allows the scope rings to be installed correctly every time with only a large screwdriver, which is a real boon for the mechanically disinclined.

Controlled round feed actions have a reputation for jamming less and extracting better than push feed designs. Whether this reputation is deserved is always going to be a matter of contention, but what is for certain is that the controlled round feed Ruger 77 works wonderfully. As a platform for different variants, the Mark II is accurate enough for varmint rifles while still being reliable and strong enough for safari rifles. The Mark II is a favorite among gun cranks looking for an action to rebarrel for a wildcat cartridge. Ruger has produced so many variants of the 77 over the years that they are getting hard to keep track of, but they have had no trouble selling any of them and have received few complaints.

The 77 Mark II suffered in our comparison in Fit/Finish because Rugers are not always as pretty as they could be. That being said, current Ruger rifles look far better than the original offerings and they are improving all the time.

For all uses under all conditions and especially when price is taken into account the 77 Mark II action is currently the best value in the market, and many say it is superior to far more expensive actions available from custom companies. The 77 Mark II might be Bill Ruger’s best idea among many great ones.

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Ranked #1 of 7 in our Best Bolt Action Rifle Comparison

Sako A7 Review

Sako has been around for a long time but only sold its offerings on the European market until about 1950 when it began offering mini-Mauser type actions and rifles chambered for varmint hunters or target shooters in the US. For a long time the only Sako rifles chambered in big game calibers a person was apt to bump into were guns brought back by servicemen who had done duty in West Germany or other European countries. Only in the last few decades has Sako begun to be a real player in the American market. The USA prefers, and has no lack of, homegrown rifles, but Sako has been doing well and can claim many satisfied customers.

The Sako A7 action is a push feed with three lugs, an enclosed bolt face and a fairly large extractor. Sako extractors deserve special mention because they are often chosen to be used as replacements for other push feed action extractors when building custom rifles. It can be argued that no push feed extractor is better than a controlled feed extractor, but the Sako style is definitely the best of the bunch in push feed designs. The three-lug bolt with guides cut into it makes for an extremely smooth action that many shooters rave about.

Sako rifles and the A7 in particular have developed an excellent reputation for accuracy over the years. The A7 is sold with a MOA guarantee, but even if it was not MOA accuracy would be expected. Sako seems to have put its varmint rifle experience to good use in this department. The A7 is probably never going to be as popular as many American-made rifles in this country, but it does have a following that seems pretty happy with their purchase.

The A7 lost one point in the feeding/Extraction category due to the fact that occasionally the ears on its detachable magazine seem to get a bit loose and do not properly hold the rounds in place. The owner if so inclined can fix this issue or the clip can be replaced. Speaking of replacing parts, two points were deducted for Long Term Cost of Ownership. Sako is a Finnish company and does business in America through intermediaries, which is probably good for its bottom line, but makes it tough on owners looking for spare parts. It’s not impossible to get Sako parts, but it’s harder than it is with other companies. Two more points were deducted in the Versatility category because between the A7’s rather unique magazine and the action’s unique design it does not make for very good conversion fodder and, if rebarreled, should be left in its original chambering. This probably isn’t that much of a concern to Sako owners due to the fact that they usually feel they got just what they wanted to begin with, but the prospective tinkerer should bear it in mind.

Honorable Mention in our Best Bolt Action Rifle Comparison

Tikka T3 Review

Tikka is an offshoot of Sako and is essentially the vehicle Sako has chosen to market its lower-priced rifles to the American shooters. Tikkas tend to be a bit more in keeping with American tastes than many of Sako’s offerings and so far, the Tikka brand has found a lot of favor with American buyers. For a long time shooters have wanted a rifle that was as smooth and well-fitted as the Sako’s, but without the high price tag attached to it. The Tikka line fills this niche (in the opinion of some) rather nicely.

The Tikka T3 action has two opposed lugs, an enclosed bolt face and a rotating extractor. Guides are cut into the lugs to produce a smooth bolt throw and even though it is a two lug design the T3 has a 70 degree bolt lift a unique attribute for a two lug rifle, which generally have a 90 degree bolt lift. There isn’t any magic at work with the design — the T3’s lugs just don’t engage as far into the receiver’s recesses as other designs; they engage just enough to provide the required strength but stop a bit short to provide a lower lift. The top of the T3 receiver is interesting because it is equipped with rails that will accept 17mm clamp type scope mounts but also tapped to accept a more traditional set of scope mounts. Having options in choosing a scope mount is a real rarity with modern rifles.

We did have to subtract a point in the Feeding/Extraction category on mostly theoretical grounds; the T3 does not produce as much camming power as other designs and this gives one pause wondering if it will put up with hot loads on hot days or dirty ammo. In practice the T3 seems to cam well enough, but it is something to consider. Points were also deducted in the categories of Accuracy, Reliability and Durability. These deductions all center around the T3’s use of a floating key-type recoil lug on the bottom of the action. This is the same system used on Sako actions, but Sako seems to get away with it better that Tikka does. If this recoil lug becomes loose in its mortise over time the Tikka will begin to shoot about as well as a scattergun. This doesn’t happen often, but then again the T3 hasn’t been around that long, either. Points were also deducted in the categories of Versatility and Fit/Finish. This is because the T3 is essentially a homogenous unit not lending itself to conversion and the workmanship on it is not as good as that of its Sako brethren, but the whole point of the Tikka line is lower prices so these issues are hard to hold against the overall design. A few points were also held back in the category of Long Term Cost of Ownership. Tikka is a bit aggravating when it comes to obtaining spare parts. If a small piece of the trigger breaks, Tikka will only sell you a complete trigger unit to replace it. This policy probably isn’t in place to overcharge the consumer, but is instead probably an attempt at keeping shadetree gunsmiths from tinkering with Tikka’s products. It is a bit vexing, though, and should be kept in mind.

Honorable Mention in our Best Bolt Action Rifle Comparison

Thompson Center Icon Review

Thompson Center is a relatively recent competitor in the bolt-action market. In spite of the difficulties facing a recent market entrant, T/C is doing well with the Icon rifle and it possesses some features that cannot be found elsewhere, which isn’t easy either, in a market as crowded as current world of bolt actions.

The Icon action has three forward-mounted locking lugs, a relatively beefy extractor mounted on one of the lugs and an enclosed bolt face. Using three lugs instead of two allows for a shorter bolt throw and, in the opinion of some, a smoother-feeling gun. While a bit of an oddity in the current market, three lug designs have been around for decades and many companies are once again gravitating towards them for their lower production costs. The overall concept of the Icon is not a new one, but T/C does break new ground with the Icon in other areas. For starters, the Icon has a Weaver-style scope base machined into the top of the receiver. This integral base means that you never have to waste a day digging around for lost scope bases and is obviously more solid than any mounted unit could ever be. Scope bases are small matters that have a way of becoming big problems, and with the Icon this is eliminated. Another small, but important, plus is the fact that T/C has included a bolt disassembly tool with the gun. It doesn’t come up much, but chances are that over the course of a hunting career every hunter will have to strip down a bolt once. With some actions, this means using a stump or wood block to apply leverage while wishing you had a third hand growing somewhere. The included Icon tool makes the operation a simple one, requiring far less cussing. T/C’s final innovation is what it has dubbed Ultra-Wood. The Icon is available with a stock that looks like wood but is actually a laminate of carbon fiber and wood. This is supposed to produce a stock as strong and durable as synthetics, but still nice-looking. Time will tell how durable they are, but they are definitely a visual upgrade over standard laminates or synthetics.

The Icon lost one point in the Feeding/Extraction category because the action does not seem to react very well to bullets with flat or long, round noses. Since spire points are the uncontested choice of most these days, this probably isn’t much of an issue. Two points were deducted in the category of Long Term Cost of Ownership because with a T/C product replacement parts will only come from T/C. This is fine in one sense because T/C makes pretty good stuff and knockoff quality is always a bit questionable, but it does mean that T/C sets the price and you have to live with it. Points were also deducted in the categories of Reliability and Durability, mostly because the Icon is still a relative new kid on the block in the bolt-action field and a bit of caution should be exercised waiting to see if the design suffers from the growing pains that many do. The Icon should be a good, long term, piece of equipment but only time will tell. Points were also deducted in the Versatility category due to the fact that the Icon’s unique design does not lend itself to cartridge conversion. This is likely not an issue, as I’m sure that the Icon will appeal to most owners just the way it is.

Honorable Mention in our Best Bolt Action Rifle Comparison