Thread: Rossi lever action first round cartridge loading issue

Hi to all

I am currently assessing a Rossi lever action (357/38 special) for purchase and have experienced an issue whereby the first round does not properly feed as the cartridge comes out of the tube on an angle and the loading ramp does not engage. When I straightened the cartridge up (with a small screwdriver) the ramp then engages and the other nine rounds will cycle into the action properly.

I have used two different makes of 38 special ammo and the problem persists (but only on the first round.

Does anyone have an idea what the issue might be?

mine works great on 357, 38 jams up

try it with one less round in mag.........

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

try it with one less round in mag.........

It does not matter how many rounds are in the tube, it does this with the first one you try to load (even if there is only one round in the tube).

so a sideways angle?
Bit odd doing it always on first one.
wont be today but might have to get mine out for a look.
As suggested maybe try 357 ammo. Slightly longer.
Is it a new one or pre-loved?

If it were me i would give it a miss based on your intended use. First round jams suck if you are competing

so....what does the first round do thats different??? what happens if you top/side load the first round in through ejection port. and then load the mag.....
does it load if first is fired or not fired???? eg can you cycle laded rounds out/through easy enough if you top load the first???

the only thing I can picture is the round coming into action is held down by the empty coming out...but it must be something simple....

Quite easy to see why this rifle is on the market.

It is difficult to say without seeing it happen. I imagine from what you are saying the first one is coming out crooked from the magazine tube and jamming before it gets onto the lifter (what you call the loading ramp)
Try unscrewing the end of the mag tube, (at the muzzle end - it may be stiff to get it off, but it will come off, you just unscrew the screw from memory) then hold the end of the mag spring in one hand with it sticking out, so that it make the magazine have less spring pressure, and try cycling it then. I am betting it will feed with less magazine spring pressure. Rossi springs are strong.
(If so, clip the end of the magazine spring off (less is more) until you get where it feeds but it still strong enough to work properly, if you see what I mean.)

Other option is a longer cartridge OAL. The .357 will work I am sure, because they are longer.

Rossis can sometimes be finicky, but it is an excellent design and they can be tuned to run like Rolls Royces.

Originally Posted by JohnDuxbury

It is difficult to say without seeing it happen. I imagine from what you are saying the first one is coming out crooked from the magazine tube and jamming before it gets onto the lifter (what you call the loading ramp)
Try unscrewing the end of the mag tube, (at the muzzle end - it may be stiff to get it off, but it will come off, you just unscrew the screw from memory) then hold the end of the mag spring in one hand with it sticking out, so that it make the magazine have less spring pressure, and try cycling it then. I am betting it will feed with less magazine spring pressure. Rossi springs are strong.
(If so, clip the end of the magazine spring off (less is more) until you get where it feeds but it still strong enough to work properly, if you see what I mean.)
Rossis can sometimes be finicky, but it is an excellent design and they can be tuned to run like rolls royces.

Don't think its spring tension, OP said it does not matter how many are in the mag so that is not the problem.

softening spring wont do anything a single round alone in mag doesnt do,or will it???

It's because it's a Rossi.
My first one wouldn't even function.
They one they replaced it with worked sometimes.
Buy a decent lever instead.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

It's because it's a Rossi.
My first one wouldn't even function.
They one they replaced it with worked sometimes.
Buy a decent lever instead.

My M1894c Marlin never missed a beat for sure at least for the 50 ish shots I fired out of it before it went to a new home

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

It's because it's a Rossi.
My first one wouldn't even function.
They one they replaced it with worked sometimes.
Buy a decent lever instead.

i have zero issues with my rossi l/a44 or my 22mag semi