Older Rossi .38 special revolver

Looks just like my old Rossi 68. Probably Interarms imported. Is the thumb latch bulls-eye shaped? Those smooth grips were found on some early ones. Mine had a broken hammer spur and a horrible finish when I bought it for $90 a few years back. I cleaned it up, parkerized it, and put some Pachmayr compacs on it. It is surprisingly accurate for being so small (and cheap!).

Got one myself. No. I would not shoot +P. Stick to full waddcutters for target AND defense with these.

Some of the older Rossis are nice guns. I have a model 851 which is a good looking piece and a great shooter in single action. (DA - ugh.)

I would not consider loading that old iron with +P. And I would not stand nearby if you did. Enjoy your old Rossi.

I have an older Interarms Rossi .38. No problem with +P. I shoot mostly standard pressure WC reloads but the 158 +P LSWCHP HD rounds haven't blown up in my face, nor do I anticipate that they ever will.

what is this mark on the slide? It is a small shield with a B and a P connected.

Click to expand...

Can't tell by the picture, since the quality isn't that great, but I don't see a slide on your revolver.

The logo you describe could well be an agency badge or mark. Perhaps the revolver was once property of the Policia Brasilia?

It's an old round butt 68. My 3" 68 is a great shooting, finely fitted and finished (late 80s/early 90s saw some pretty sloppy finishing) very accurate square butt revolver. I'd prefer the round butt. I bought it new for my step dad in 1981 so I could get my Grandpa's Smith M10 away from him. He just wanted something for home protection. I doubt 500 rounds have been fired in it total. I inherited it back when he passed away. I mostly shoot cast wadcutter loads in it, but have fired some mildly +P loads, 158SWC over 5.0 grains Unique in it as I also did in my old 88 (stainless) that I sold off.

The 68 I have is as well put together as any Smith. However, as mentioned those late 80s guns left a lot to be desired for finish, tool marks under the hammer spur, minute gaps in the side plate fit, that sort of thing. They shot okay, but the early 80s M68 I have is a gem.

I had an Interarms imported Model 88 with a 3" barrel and a minimally adjustable rear sight. It was stainless and was actually put together very well, compared to a number of comparable S&W revolvers at the time. I never put any +P rounds through it so I can't comment on that inquiry. All in all it was a very handy revolver to have as my upscale (in terms of caliber), Kit Gun.

I wouldn't hesitate to shoot standard .38 specials through it if the gun locks up properly. No need to stick to just wadcutters. I personally won't shoot +p through mine. Think of it as a S&W Chief's special (Mod. 36) from a similar time period (~1970s)... Can it fire +p? Yes. Should I fire a bunch of +p? Probably not. If you're going to carry it, put some +p in there, but practice with the regular stuff. Mine shoots 130gr. WWB all day long. The thing going for it is that it isn't a Chief's Special! It's okay if it gets beat up, or a little surface wear.

On a side note, mine is a square butt revolver. I tried some square butt, S&W J frame target grips, but they don't quite fit. The Pachmayr grips for the Rossi 68 make the gun much easier to shoot. Even though it's an all steel gun, those little smooth wooden grips make the thing squirm in my hands. That 3" barrel is the bee's knees, too. Just right.

Most of all: ENJOY IT!

Geldarr

My Model 88 also had those tiny square butt wooden stocks that were somewhat difficult to get a good grip on. I eventually added a Tyler T-Grip adapter and it was a big improvement.

Good find and it should handle a light diet of P+ once or twice a year.

I have owned several Rossi 68's and still own and shoot a Rossi 88 regulary.
I would NEVER shoot a +P load out of them, and the manual that came with my guns advised against shooting Jacketed Bullets out of them.
Yea , You can shoot a +P out of the gun, and maybe it wont come apart in your hand, but the gun will surely not last very long.
I do shoot Light 110 or 125 JHP Handloads out of my guns ocassionally, but not some steady diet.
The guns are well built for their cost, and if shot with Target Load ammo, they will almost last forever.
But if you NEED a gun to shoot the +P's, then buy a better Quality gun.
And just to shoot a Cheap gun with high pressure defense ammo is just plain foolish.
And if your gun is Used, then who knows if the previous owner was shooting +P's out of it and it is stressed to the max already, and is ready to blow up with one more +P.
Just shoot lead bullets out of it, and if you want, load it up with a cylinder full of 110 JHP's for self defense if you need it for around the house.
It will serve you well, and that is what I do.

www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=23
http://www.hornady.com/store/38-Special
http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/handgun.aspx?id=828

With the loads from these ammo companies that are all standard pressure rounds one can have a defense round that will get the job done.

I use the Federal load in my Taurus 856 Magnesium Lyte model (6 shot) and older Taurus 85CH.

These loads will work well for the Rossi 68s and 88s.