Rossi Model 68 Experiment

[Tallball]

I've never had a 3" j-frame sized revolver, but I've been thinking that I might want to have one.

It seems like with certain holster positions I could carry it as easily as a 2".

I know that I like shooting 3" revolvers. I have several, but they're all too large to carry easily.

So I bought this Rossi Model 68. One of my preferred vendors on Gunbroker has been selling a few of these a week for a while. I figure they're LE trade-in, maybe from South America.

This is just an experiment. If I'm going to actually carry a small framed 3" 38 special around for SD, it will be a Ruger or a Smith or something. But I can experiment with this one, just to see how it feels to carry, how easily I can draw it, can I get in and out of the car easily wearing it, etc.

It looks to me like it will go bang when I get a chance to take it to the range. It actually locks up pretty good. The DA trigger is atrocious, so if I don't have a mule with me to help pull, I'll probably shoot it SA. I imagine it will shoot about like a 2", but maybe the increased sight radius will help my accuracy a bit.

If I like carrying and shooting it, I'll invest in a nice Smith or Ruger.

It seemed better to me to spend $175 (plus shipping and FFL) to see if a revolver like this will work for me. It would be my luck to plop down $500+ for a nice used revolver, only to find out that I can't carry it comfortably/effectively.

I also plan to open this thing up and take it apart, clean up the insides, replace the springs, get the surface rust off of a few spots, etc. I've only done that a few times, and this seems like a cheap way to get some more practice.

The results won't be anything like some of the beautiful work I see on this forum, but it would please me to get it all cleaned up and functioning smoothly. (I already ordered a replacement for the missing rear sight blade.)

If you ever carry a small 3" revolver, I'd appreciate advice on holsters. Or if you've ever owned a Model 68, I'd be interested to hear about it.

Anyway, here it is, straight from my FFL:

Rossi Model 68 38 Special

• Tallball
• Sep 11, 2021

 

[Haywood]

I've never had a 3" j-frame sized revolver, but I've been thinking that I might want to have one.

It seems like with certain holster positions I could carry it as easily as a 2".

I know that I like shooting 3" revolvers. I have several, but they're all too large to carry easily.

So I bought this Rossi Model 68. One of my preferred vendors on Gunbroker has been selling a few of these a week for a while. I figure they're LE trade-in, maybe from South America.

This is just an experiment. If I'm going to actually carry a small framed 3" 38 special around for SD, it will be a Ruger or a Smith or something. But I can experiment with this one, just to see how it feels to carry, how easily I can draw it, can I get in and out of the car easily wearing it, etc.

It looks to me like it will go bang when I get a chance to take it to the range. It actually locks up pretty good. The DA trigger is atrocious, so if I don't have a mule with me to help pull, I'll probably shoot it SA. I imagine it will shoot about like a 2", but maybe the increased sight radius will help my accuracy a bit.

If I like carrying and shooting it, I'll invest in a nice Smith or Ruger.

It seemed better to me to spend $175 (plus shipping and FFL) to see if a revolver like this will work for me. It would be my luck to plop down $500+ for a nice used revolver, only to find out that I can't carry it comfortably/effectively.

I also plan to open this thing up and take it apart, clean up the insides, replace the springs, get the surface rust off of a few spots, etc. I've only done that a few times, and this seems like a cheap way to get some more practice.

The results won't be anything like some of the beautiful work I see on this forum, but it would please me to get it all cleaned up and functioning smoothly. (I already ordered a replacement for the missing rear sight blade.)

Anyway, here it is, straight from my FFL:

Rossi Model 68 38 Special

• Tallball
• Sep 11, 2021

Once you get the internals cleaned and lubed, it may break in after dry firing. It might just make a good Cary gun. I carry my 3” J-Frame in the waist in the appendix area. It carries there just fine.

 

[MedWheeler]

I have a 3 inch stainless Taurus 85 from 1995. It's a rare bird; I've never seen another one. It carries very nicely and shoots well, too. It fits snugly in the Tagua belt-slide leather holsters in which I carry my Uncercover revolvers.

I also have a beater 68 from a pawn shop that has about a 2.75" barrel. I think that one was cut down by a former owner, as its front sight is also shortened. Mine is an Interarms-imported model, with the hammer-mounted firing pin. The one time I had it at the range, it kept locking up on me after every few rounds, requiring me to open and close the cylinder to cycle it again. It doesn't do this in dry-fire. The forward cylinder-to-cone gap is so small I think that heating of one or the other is causing them to bind. It also could be an internal lockwork issue, only happening under recoil or something. Haven't bothered to try further to figure it out.

The three-inch seems to be a perfect carry snub barrel length.

 

[Riomouse911]

3” J frames are just about the perfect blend of revolver carry ability, conceal ability and shoot ability.



4”, 3” and - 1 7/8” J frames.

3” Model 36-3:



You’ll like the combo .

Stay safe.

 

[StrawHat]

I have carried my Model 36-1 in a Safariland Model 29 or a Bianchi 5BH. Now I carry my 3” J and I frames in something classier and more secure.



Kevin

 

[Pat Riot]

I bought a Bianchi “Shadow 2” OWB holster for my S&W 60 Pro .357 magnum 3” J frame. I sold that gun but kept the holster. It works perfectly for my model 63.
I like the holster because it rides easy and I can use it strong side or crossdraw.

The true color of my holster is a little darker than what these photos show.





The muzzle of the barrel is about 1/4” shy of the bottom of the holster.

Midway has them in stock.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1336163122

 

[Biblethumpncop]

I have a S&W model 36 with a 3" barrel. I made a pocket holster for it and it works fine in pants with deep pockets. I use to carry a Charter Arms 3" a lot, but sold 2 of them and bought 2 S&W's (the 36 and a model 15). The CA were lighter and were less noticeable in my pocket. That started my buying spree of S&W 38's earlier this year, but I digress...

I also have a belt slide and an IWB holster. The 3" J frame is easy to carry IWB or OWB. Versatile enough to throw in the pocket too.

 

[tubeshooter]

Saw this thread with interest.
Decided to dust off the Rossi 3" gun I picked up for carry.

I really like the way the gun carries, but then again I used to carry a 3" SP-101 before.
So of course this is much lighter.

The all-steel extra inch of barrel and the slim grips make mine want to cant forward/tilt "past vertical" in my everyday IWB holster compared to a 2 inch snub. To be fair, said holster is dirt cheap and a better holster would likely take care of this issue easily.


I like this gun for what it is, and if the price is right I would gladly buy another.
Mine shoots very well.
Nice field gun for much less than a comparable S&W would cost.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I've never had a 3" j-frame sized revolver, but I've been thinking that I might want to have one.

It seems like with certain holster positions I could carry it as easily as a 2".

I know that I like shooting 3" revolvers. I have several, but they're all too large to carry easily.

So I bought this Rossi Model 68. One of my preferred vendors on Gunbroker has been selling a few of these a week for a while. I figure they're LE trade-in, maybe from South America.

This is just an experiment. If I'm going to actually carry a small framed 3" 38 special around for SD, it will be a Ruger or a Smith or something. But I can experiment with this one, just to see how it feels to carry, how easily I can draw it, can I get in and out of the car easily wearing it, etc.

It looks to me like it will go bang when I get a chance to take it to the range. It actually locks up pretty good. The DA trigger is atrocious, so if I don't have a mule with me to help pull, I'll probably shoot it SA. I imagine it will shoot about like a 2", but maybe the increased sight radius will help my accuracy a bit.

If I like carrying and shooting it, I'll invest in a nice Smith or Ruger.

It seemed better to me to spend $175 (plus shipping and FFL) to see if a revolver like this will work for me. It would be my luck to plop down $500+ for a nice used revolver, only to find out that I can't carry it comfortably/effectively.

I also plan to open this thing up and take it apart, clean up the insides, replace the springs, get the surface rust off of a few spots, etc. I've only done that a few times, and this seems like a cheap way to get some more practice.

The results won't be anything like some of the beautiful work I see on this forum, but it would please me to get it all cleaned up and functioning smoothly. (I already ordered a replacement for the missing rear sight blade.)

If you ever carry a small 3" revolver, I'd appreciate advice on holsters. Or if you've ever owned a Model 68, I'd be interested to hear about it.

Anyway, here it is, straight from my FFL:

Rossi Model 68 38 Special

• Tallball
• Sep 11, 2021

That’s about what mine looked like. I traded a Mecgar 15rd magazine for the Star M28 for it. Bobbed the hammer, removed the SA sear and notch, rubbed the tooling marks off the action internals using green buffing paste and a cotton polishing rag, didn’t mess with the springs, bought a replacement rear sight from a gun store I visit way too much, and finished it off with a good rub down using Ballistol.

I fit a set of S&W combat grips I had laying in the parts bin when the original wood grips bit the small of my thumb. A couple minutes with a Dremel and they still fit a Model 36 if I wanted to swap. I keep it in a Blackhawk holster loaded with 200gr .38’s It’s a pretty stiff load and the Rossi handles it perfectly.

 

[Geldarr]

Here's one that I bought for sub-$100 years ago. It had been dropped on the hammer and broken off the spur, so I filed it down to something more comfortable. I then installed a homemade shim to remove endplay. It locks up perfectly, and is super accurate to boot. My final changes were to swap out for some Pachmayr compacts and home parkerized finish. The parkerizing looks better then the picture would have you believe.

It is no-frills and not much to look at, but is a great gun.

 

[Tallball]

Geldarr, I wish mine was as nice as yours.

I've owned a half a dozen or so Rossi revolvers over the years, and some have been very good.

My Model 720's and the nice 6" 357 (maybe it was a Model 941?) are/were reliable enough for SD.

My recent Model 68 has at least one obvious mechanical problem that would prevent me from considering it for carry, but if I got all of the mechanical problems fixed and it was accurate and reliable, I would probably consider carrying it.

I recently carried the butt-ugly Taurus Model 85 that I "restored" a few months back, and it didn't look any better than the Rossi when I first got it...

So never say never.

 

[PapaG]

My favorite 3" revolver is a Ruger SP101. I also have and car carry a Security Six 2 3 /4" , close enough for me. My wife has as her preferred piece a Smith 36 3" with adj sights. All three are convenient, handy and , for us, more accurate than shorter versions.