Rossi Model 68 Champion II

     Notes: The first revolver of this series, the Model 68, was a development of an earlier revolver (the Model 27 Pioneer), and was basically the Pioneer with an adjustable rear sight and a ramp front sight.  It had a barrel slightly under 3 inches, and was available only in .38 Special.  It was produced from 1978-85.  The Model 68S is a modernized version of the Model 68; it has a 2 or 3-inch barrel, a shrouded ejector rod. Blued or nickel-plated finish, and walnut grips. It began production in 1993 and remains in production.  The Model 69 is basically a version of the Model 68 in .32 caliber.  The Model 70 is the same idea, but is chambered for .22 caliber.

Rossi Model 87

      Notes: This is a tiny snub-nosed revolver designed specifically for concealed carry.  It was introduced in 1983, and exported to almost 70 countries worldwide, acquiring a “Saturday Night Special” reputation as a cheap and easy to hide handgun.  Virtually all of the hammer is concealed, and there are almost no protrusions other than a very small front sight.  The grips are rubber with finger grooves.

Rossi Model 712

     Notes: This revolver resembles many of the Smith & Wesson designs of the time (1992), with a continuous ejector shroud, adjustable rear sight, high front sight with a red stripe, and wrap-around rubber grips with finger grooves.  The Rossi 712 is of complete stainless steel construction, like many Rossi revolvers.

Rossi Model 718

     Notes: This weapon is designed for basic police use, though it has many features that are unusual in such a weapon.  The Model 718 has a heavy bull barrel, adjustable rear sights, and hard rubber or wooden target-style grips.  The construction is of stainless steel, with a matte finish.

Rossi Model 720

     Notes: The Rossi 720 appears to be a near-copy of various 1970s and early to mid-1980s Smith & Wesson snubby revolvers chambered for larger calibers – in this case, the .44 Special.  In fact, the steel frame is a near-duplicate of Smith & Wesson’s K-frame, though with an unshrouded shell ejector bar. 

     Most Model 720s were finished in stainless steel.  The grips were usually simple wrap-around checkered rubber, although Pachmayr rubber grips were also available.  Designed to be easily concealed, the barrel lengths were either 3” or 3.5 inches (with the 3.5”-barrel version being very rare), and the cylinder held only 5 rounds.  The Model 720 came standard with fixed sights (square notch in the rear and a ramped blade up front, both atop a solid sighting rib; the rear sight was white-outlined and the front had a bright red insert), though Rossi would install adjustable rear sights upon request, or dovetailed sights which could be exchanged with other types of iron sights.  In addition, atop the barrel was a solid aiming rib for quick shots.  Operation was either DA/SA or DAO, depending upon the wishes of the buyer.  Most used an exposed hammer with a checkered surface, though a version with a shrouded hammer was also built.  The Model 720 appears to have been built until at least 2003; however, it is not at the time of this write-up (Apr 2007) sold by Rossi nor does it appear on either the Rossi USA nor the Brazilian Rossi sites.  It should be noted that the Model 720 is not strong enough to fire the .44 Magnum round, nor can it even handle .44 Special “hotloads” such as +P type ammunition or certain wildcat ammunition loaded with extra propellant.

Rossi Model 763

     Notes: Introduced in 1989, this weapon is meant to be a sporting and hunting handgun.  It has the typical Rossi design of all-stainless steel construction, a continuous ejector shroud, and wrap-around rubber grips with finger grooves.  The barrel is long and has a ventilated barrel rib for sighting, as well as an adjustable rear sight.

Rossi Model 845

     Notes: This is a typical .38 Special-firing revolver.  As is normal for Rossi, the Model 845 is made entirely of stainless steel, except for the wrap-around rubber grips with finder grooves.  It is a typical mid-sized revolver, designed primarily for service use by police.  The Model 845 was introduced in 1991.

Rossi Model 851

     Notes: Though designed to be a backup weapon, the Rossi 851 is actually a pretty good-sized revolver, especially in its 4-inch barrel version.  The grips are oversized to allow more positive control of the weapon, and the barrel has a ventilated sighting rib.  The Model 851 is made from stainless steel with a brushed finish, but another version of the same revolver called the Model 951 is made from standard blued steel.  The rear sight is adjustable, and the front sight has a bright orange insert to aid in aiming.  (Due to the bright metal finish, blackening of the rear sight notch is recommended by most experts.)  The weight of the weapon helps tame what might otherwise be unmanageable recoil.

Rossi Model 873 Lady Rossi

     Notes: As the name might indicate, this snub-nosed revolver is designed for ladies’ self-defense.  Unlike most Rossi revolvers, the grips are of wood, though they may be smooth or textured.  It is, however, still made of stainless steel.  This weapon was introduced in 1995.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon is available only in South America and Panama.

Rossi Model 971

     Notes: This is a basic-pattern revolver firing .357 Magnum ammunition.  It has a solid sighting rib along the barrel, and is strong enough to fire +P loads.  It is made from steel and typically finished blued with walnut grips.  The adjustable rear sight is white-outlined and blued instead of the stainless steel finish of the rest of the revolver, and the front sight is a ramp with a bright red insert.  Grips are generally of wrap-around checkered rubber, though wooden grips are also available.  The trigger pull of the Model 971 is known to be a bit creepy, and the cylinder latch and ejector rod tend to stick. 

     There are several variants: the Model 971 Comp has a shorter barrel, but also has a 2-slot compensator at the muzzle; the Model 971S is made from stainless steel and has black rubber grips (but is identical to the standard version for game purposes); the Model 971VRC (Ventilated Rib Compensated) comes in several barrel lengths, all of which are compensated, a shrouded ejector rod, and black rubber grips.  In addition, several options are available for the Model 971, including finishes and cylinders which are fluted or unfluted.

Rossi 988 Cyclops

     Notes: The Rossi Model 988 (known as the Cyclops primarily in the US and Canada, where it is distributed by Interarms), is aimed at the high-end market.  It is a slab-sided, heavy revolver built almost entirely of stainless steel, except for the optional rubber grips (Pachmayr grips and conventional wooden grips of various grades and shapes are also available.  Introduced in 1997, it is available with a 6 or 8-inch heavy barrel; at the muzzle are four compensator ports on each side of the barrel.  Coupled with the weight of the Model 988, felt recoil is quite low.  The top of the frame is drilled and tapped for scope rings, which are included when one purchases the Model 988.  I’m not sure if the Model 988 is still in production (it is not now, in December of 2006, found on their site), but the rate of production never was high, and possibly still isn’t.

     Twilight 2000 Notes:  Production of the Model 988 in the Twilight 2000 timeline basically stopped when their primary customers in the US were no longer able to import them.  Most examples of the Model 988 are found in the Twilight 2000 timeline primarily in South America (mostly in Brazil, Venezuela, and Peru) and southern Central America.

Rossi Model R351/461

     Notes: In 2000, the production of almost all Rossi revolver designs stopped, and several new models were introduced.  One of these was the small R351, a snub-nosed .38 Special revolver with the extra safety feature (apart from the fixed point firing pin and blocking bar safety present on all Rossi revolvers) of a hammer spur lock.  This lock is operated by a removable key, and prevents the hammer from moving.  The R351 is finished in blued steel; a variant, the R352, is finished in stainless steel.  The R351 is capable of firing +P ammunition.  The grips are of soft rubber with finger grooves.

     The Model R461 is basically a larger version of this revolver, having a 6-round cylinder capacity and firing .357 Magnum ammunition.  The R461 has a blued finish, while the R462 has a stainless steel finish.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.