Owner’s Manual for the Rossi Muzzleloading Rifle & Muzzleloading Matched Pair R E A D C A R E F U L LY B E F O R E U S I N G Y O U R F I R E A R M
Notice: The Rossi Muzzleloading Rifle has a receiver that can be fitted with a centerfire cartridge barrel. Therefore, it is a FIREARM. All regulations governing the sale, shipment and transfer of firearms must be followed, including, but not limited to use of Form 4473 by Licensed Dealers and the use of Licensed Dealers for shipment. Notice: It is recommended that you record the model number, serial number and date of purchase of your Rossi firearm for future reference.
Owner’s Manual for the Rossi Muzzleloading Rifle & Muzzleloading Matched Pair R E A D C A R E F U L LY B E F O R E U S I N G Y O U R F I R E A R M
This Booklet The safety warnings in this booklet are important. By understanding the dangers inherent in the use of any firearm, and by taking the precautions described herein, you can enjoy complete safety in the use of your Rossi firearm. Failure to heed any of these warnings may result in serious injury to you or others, as well as severe damage to the firearm or other property.
Safety Warnings Not Just For Beginners Regardless of your familiarity or experience with firearms, you need to study this manual. The safe handling of firearms requires specialized training, discipline and caution. Firearms, by their nature and intended function, are deadly instruments. Accidental death or serious injury can result if they are handled improperly or carelessly. Firearms rarely cause accidents. Firearms accidents almost always are caused by a failure to obey the basic rules of gun safety.
Firearms Are Not all Alike Many makes and models of firearms might LOOK nearly the same. However, they differ widely in design and operation, and in the location and function of various controls. Study this manual thoroughly. Educate yourself on the characteristics and operation of your particular firearm before attempting to handle it. Do not permit others to handle it - unless they also have done so. You should have an instruction manual for every firearm you own.
14. DANGER: Load and unload with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. 15. SAFETY FIRST: If a firearm fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, keep it pointed at the target for at least 30 seconds. Sometimes slow primer ignition will cause a “hang” fire and the cartridge will go off or the rifle will discharge after a short pause. 16. SAFETY FIRST: Never shoot at hard flat surfaces or water, bullet may ricochet. 17.
Warning Rossi firearms are manufactured to perform properly with the original parts as designed. It is your duty to make sure any parts you buy are installed correctly and that neither replacements nor originals are altered or changed. Your gun is a complex tool with many parts that must relate correctly to other parts. Putting a gun together wrong or with modified parts can result in a damaged gun, danger and injury or death to you and others through malfunction.
Ammunition 1. This muzzleloading rifle is designed to utilize only Pyrodex™ 50 grain pellets, Barnes™ 250 or 300 grain solid copper hollow point sabot projectiles and 209 shotgun primers. The maximum load is three (3) 50 grain Pyrodex pellets. The recommended load is two (2) 50 grain Pyrodex pellets. Use of any other black powder equivalent or projectiles is dangerous and may result in accidental death or serious injury. Use only new, good condition primers. DO NOT USE SMOKELESS POWDERS IN THIS GUN.
4. Firearms may be severely damaged and serious injury to the shooter or to others may result from any condition causing excessive pressure inside the chamber or barrel during firing. Excessive pressure can be caused by obstructions in the barrel, propellant powder overloads, or by the use of incorrect shot shells, cartridges, projectiles, Pyrodex pellets or defectively assembled shot shells or cartridges.
On the muzzleloading rifle, if the powder has discharged, open the breech and carefully remove the primer while keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Then, using the breech plug wrench, carefully remove the plug and look down the bore. If you cannot see clear through then there is something lodged in the barrel. Do not attempt to “shoot clear” the obstruction. If the bore is obstructed, do not attempt to shoot it out by using another shot shell or cartridge or by blowing it out with a blank.
Muzzleloading Glossary Muzzleloading is an exciting and different part of the shooting sports. As with any other specialized area, muzzleloading has its own set of terms and definitons. It is very important that you learn and understand these key terms to ensure safe and enjoyable shooting. Charged: A muzzleloading firearm is considered charged when the Pyrodex or powder has been put into the barrel. WARNING: A charged muzzleloading rifle must be handled with extreme care.
Warning Discharging firearms in poorly ventilated areas, cleaning firearms, or handling ammunition may result in exposure to lead and other substances known to cause birth defects, reproductive harm, and other serious physical injury. Have adequate ventilation at all times. Wash hands thoroughly after exposure. Operation of Your Firearm Warning These firearms have a “transfer bar” firing mechanism.
Manual Safety These firearms are manufactured with a manual safety - USE IT! “Rest” Position - Fully Forward “Intercept” Position - Safety On Fully Cocked - Safety On Make the Firearm Safe — The safety lever must be rotated counter-clockwise, fully, so that the lever covers the red F and exposes the green S. THE SAFETY LEVER CAN BE ROTATED COUNTER-CLOCKWISE TO THE SAFE POSITION WHEN THE HAMMER IS IN THE REARMOST FULLY COCKED POSITION OR IS PULLED TO THE REAR ABOUT 1/2”.
De-Cocking If the firearm is fully cocked and the user desires to place the hammer in the rest position, then the hammer must be under full control of the user. KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION. PUT THE SAFETY LEVER ON. WHILE CAREFULLY HOLDING AND CONTROLLING THE HAMMER WITH THE THUMB, PULL THE TRIGGER, SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY LET THE HAMMER MOVE FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 1/2” AND RELEASE THE TRIGGER. CONTINUE TO LET THE HAMMER DOWN UNTIL IT IS RESTING ON THE MANUAL SAFETY INTERCEPT BAR.
How To Load Your Firearm Muzzleloading Rifle See Page 22 for Shotgun and Centerfire Rifle Instructions Warning Before loading this or any firearm, always check the bore to be sure it is free of grease, oil or any other obstruction. BE SURE the chamber is empty and the entire barrel is clear. Open the breech and remove the breech plug using the wrench so you can visually check the full length of the barrel for any obstruction by looking through the chamber end of the barrel.
3. Make sure the barrel is clear and the safety is in the ON position. Close the breech, keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Carefully push the ramrod into the EMPTY barrel until it comes to a stop. Make a permanent mark in green on the ramrod just at the muzzle, being careful to keep your face away from the muzzle. This will give you a way to quickly verify an empty barrel by putting Mark Ramrod at Muzzle the ramrod into the barrel.
Before first loading the rifle for any shooting session, and after cleaning the bore in the field, fire a few primers without powder or bullets to burn out any moisture that may be present in the barrel breech. This aids reliable ignition, and helps avoid a potentially hazardous hangfire (delayed ignition of powder). Wait one minute for any glowing ember to die before loading.
Priming the Rifle Warning 1. Do not prime your muzzleloading rifle until you are ready to fire, and not a moment before. Ignoring this rule can result in accidental death or serious injury. 2. Always carry your muzzleloading rifle with no primer in the breech, with the hammer fully forward (un-cocked) or with the safety in the ON position and the hammer resting on the safety intercept bar. Cock the hammer only when you are in position and ready to fire.
Unloading Your Firearm To unload your muzzleloading rifle, discharge it into a safe backstop. This is the best and safest way to unload a muzzleloading rifle. In some circumstances, it may not be possible to use this method safely. In these instances, the following procedure should be followed for the safe unloading of a charged and/or primed muzzleloading rifle. WARNING: Be sure the firearm is always pointed in a safe direction and your fingers are well clear of the trigger and trigger guard area.
Warning The barrel can be bulged or burst if earth, snow, water or vegetation is allowed to enter the muzzle and obstruct the bore. Whenever the muzzle of your rifle comes into contact with the ground, or you have reason to suspect that foreign matter may be in the barrel, unload the rifle and look through the bore from the rear. It’s not enough to just look at the muzzle; debris can fall some distance inside where it can’t easily be seen.
How to Clean Your Firearm Warning Before cleaning your firearm, be certain that it is completely unloaded and the bore and chamber are clear. Field Cleaning Firing black powder produces heavy carbon fouling in the barrel with only a few shots. In order to maintain accuracy it is necessary to clean the barrel frequently while shooting. “Field cleaning” is readily accomplished with commercial water-based solvents specially formulated to dissolve black powder residue.
Full Cleaning After each shooting session, always thoroughly clean your rifle. Black powder residue is corrosive and will rust the action and bore if not completely cleaned away. Use a commercial bore solvent specifically formulated for black powder firearms. Put the safety “ON” and make sure the rifle is unloaded, and open the action. Unscrew the breech plug and thoroughly clean. Clean the barrel from either end, following the same procedure described in “Field Cleaning”.
How To Load Your Firearm Shotgun and Centerfire Rifle See Page 14 for Muzzleloading Instructions Warning Before loading this or any firearm, always check the bore to be sure it is free of grease, oil or any other obstruction. BE SURE the chamber is empty and the entire barrel is clear. Open the breech and visually check the full length of the barrel for any obstruction. Failure to do so may damage your firearm and can result in accidental death or serious injury.
Unloading Your Firearm To unload the firearm, press down on the top lever and pull down on the barrel. This will cause the fired or unfired shot shell or cartridge to be ejected from the chamber. Rimfire cartridges and shot shells will fully eject from the firearm, while centerfire cartridges will be partially extracted and need to be removed by hand. Warning Always make sure the chamber will open in a safe direction. Cartridges and shells ejecting from the chamber can cause injury.
Take Down Instructions If you wish to “take down” your firearm for transport or storage, proceed as follows: 1. Make sure firearm is unloaded. 2. Unscrew, counter clockwise, the forward sling swivel until it is not engaged in the barrel, then pull forearm down and forward from barrel and receiver assembly. Press the opening lever down and pull barrel down and then back out of receiver. 3. Reassemble in reverse order. Use a very thin coat of light oil during below freezing conditions.
Repair Instructions Your firearm has been designed, engineered and manufactured in accordance with Rossi’s rigid quality control standards. However, any mechanical device may occasionally require adjustment or repair. Parts All firearms require periodic maintenance and inspection which may reveal a need for adjustment or repair.
IS OR 35F 34F 73F 40 72 41 77 G F 42H 29 A 27 17 44H 16 M 26M 27 33F 30 68 28M 71 H 25 14D 70 21 69 43H 50 D 46J E 38 49 J 31 39 23L 47J 48J L 24L 45 20 15D 27 27 52 79 Muzzleloader Exploded Diagram 26 ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
Muzzleloader Parts List Barrel Assembly ...................A Receiver Assembly...............B Receiver .........................14-D Barrel Pin .......................15-D Firing Pin ...........................16 Firing Pin Spring................17 Locking Plate .....................20 Trigger Guard ....................21 Trigger Assembly..................L Trigger ............................23-L Trigger Lever Pin ............24-L Trigger Spring....................25 Hammer Assembly ..............
IS OR 35F 34F 75F 40 41 77 G 78 F 29 6 27 28 ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
Muzzleloader/Rifle Matched Pair Barrel Assembly ...................A Extractor..............................6 Extractor Rod ......................7 Front Sight ..........................9 Extractor Lever Pin............12 Barrel Pin .......................15-D Firing Pin ...........................16 Firing Pin Spring................17 Locking Plate .....................20 Trigger Guard ....................21 Trigger Assembly..................L Trigger ............................23-L Trigger Lever Pin ....
Muzzleloader/Shotgun Matched Pair 30 ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
Muzzleloader/Shotgun Matched Pair Barrel Assembly ...................A Extractor Spring ..................5 Extractor 20GA....................6 Extractor Stop Pin ...............8 Front Sight ..........................9 Extractor Lever..................10 Extractor Lever Spring ......11 Extractor Lever Pin............12 Barrel Pin .......................15-D Firing Pin ...........................16 Firing Pin Spring................17 Locking Plate .....................20 Trigger Guard ....................
Specifications Muzzleloading Rifle Barrel Length 23” Calibers .50 Approx. Weight 6 lb., 5 oz. Overall Length 38” Muzzleloading Matched Pair Calibers/Gauge .50/20 ga. .50/.243 WIN 32 Barrel Length 23”/28” 23”/23” Approx. Weight 5 lb., 10 oz. 6 lb., 5 oz. Overall Length 38”/43” 38” rev. 06/03 ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
This page intentionally left blank 33 ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
A WORD TO THE WISE MOST GUN ACCIDENTS HAPPEN BECAUSE THE SHOOTER CARELESSLY VIOLATES THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT RULE OF SAFE GUN HANDLING: ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION! IMPORTANT: DO NOT DISCARD KEEP THIS MANUAL WITH YOUR FIREARM. UPON CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP TRANSFER THIS MANUAL WITH THE FIREARM. © Copyright 2002 Braztech International, L.C. Rossi is a registered mark of Amadeo Rossi, S.A.
