Info on Rossi M88?
Robert.Gibson
#Got great little .38 snubnose this weekend at a gunshow. Rossi M88
#5-shot revolver. I dig it. It's surprisingly accurate, seems very
#reliable, and seems to be pretty well made. It's solid. I'm curious
#about whether it's +P rated, whether I can find any wood grips for it,
#and other people's experience if they own one. Thanks
Frank,
My 2-cents.
Rossi's old ad blurb was "Good Guns at Good Prices." I've always thought
they delivered on this promise most of the time following 1989. The Rossi
pre-1990 models were a somewhat different story, however that's old news
and certainly has no real bearing on your M88 snubby.
Rossi's M88 is the last "all Rossi" variation of their present Model R352
.38Spcl stainless steel 5-shot snubby. The "new" R352 incorporates the
"Taurus Security System" locking hammer feature while the "old" M88 didn't
....other than that they're twin brothers.
For myself I've owned the blued steel version, the Rossi M68, for something
like seven or eight years....it continues to be my favorite .38Spcl snub.
Mine came from the factory with Rossi's standard "skinny" wooden grips. I
didn't like 'em much at all and they were soon replaced with a Barami Hip
Grip and Tyler T-Grip combination. The T-Grip gives me a thicker grip
area to hang on to while the Hip Grip enables me to carry the snubby in a
decent CCW mode without a holster....it hooks over my belt while the pistol
itself is tucked in under my pants. Some people like 'em and others don't
....whatever. It works for me <Shrug>.
Per Amadeo Rossi's owner's guide the M68/M88 snubbies are NOT rated for
+P level ammunition....that warning kept the company lawyers happy. Out
here in the real world my standard carry load is Remington's Golden Saber
125gr BJHP +P .38Spcl ammunition....five in the snubby and ten more in
a couple of Speed Loaders I generally carry in my jacket pocket. The
key is to shoot +P level ammo in MODERATION....95% of the practice firing
with this particular snubby is done using el-cheapo generic police reloads
(158gr SWC) with the very last cylinder loaded up with the Golden Sabers.
This as a gentle reminder to me of the differences between the practice
loads and my chosen carry load. I would not subject my Rossi M68 to the
stress of firing only +P level ammunition, but occasionally firing five +P
rounds has not harmed the pistol in way that I can see....it still locks
up tight (after some seven years the gap between the cylinder and forcing
cone of the barrel remains at a very snug .003 inches) and it functions
every bit as reliably as it did when I first bought it. If anything it's
a bit better since the trigger's "feel" has improved with use....it's lost
that vaguely gritty "feel" it had when it was brand new.
While certainly not "the best and/or most expensive" .38Spcl snubby to be
found it's my opinion the Rossi M68/M88 models were quite good enough for
everyday use by almost anyone....and the prices weren't too bad either.
This holds true for Rossi's "new" R351 (blued) and R352 (stainless) snubs
too....again in my opinion.
Robert Gibson
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increased turning resistance of the cylinder and increased trigger pull. use
copper clad or plated.