Rossi Rio Grande and Rossi 92 carbine: the end of the era of Brazilian carbines with Henry shackle

The choice of weapons in the Wasteland is very large, but a variety of rifles and carbines are always popular with most players. For example, in Fallout 76, the lever action carbine is the weapon of choice for many characters, despite some of its associated disadvantages. This weapon first appeared in Far Harbor, an add-on to Fallout 4, and then successfully migrated to Fallout 76. In terms of combat effectiveness, it is comparable to the Gauss carbine, which in Fallout 76 is the dream of almost every second player. Here is a list of all guns from this category:

• Homemade carbine
• Combat carbine
• Shotgun
• Radium rifle
• Lever action carbine
• Black powder rifle
• Assault carbine
• Tesla Carbine
• Gauss carbine
• Brotherhood of Steel Scout Rifle
• The Dragon

You can independently convert most of these excellent means of shooting aggressive fauna into automatic fire mode. This is convenient, but the damage from one shot will noticeably decrease, and ammunition consumption will increase. And installing modifications on carbines in Fallout 76 allows you to turn an initially modest gun into a real weapon of mass destruction. This makes it possible to adapt your weapons to your preferred play style, and the right build will only strengthen your already strong points.

Receiver modifications

Unknown lever-action rifles: Colt Burgess vs. Winchester

Burgess folding shotgun. Photo from their magazine “Popular Mechanics”

“So be it,” said the mandarin’s daughter. “You, Kwon-Si, will rebuild your walls for the last time into the likeness of the wind itself, no more and no less.” We will build ours in the likeness of a golden serpent. The wind will lift the snakes to amazing heights. And he will break the monotony of the wind, give it purpose and meaning. One is nothing without the other. Together we will find beauty, and brotherhood, and long life.” (“Golden Serpent, Silver Wind” by Ray Bradbury. Translator V. Serebryakov)

It has always been and will be that, along with famous inventors, in their shadows lurk dozens, if not hundreds, who are in no way inferior to them, but... simply less successful, who were “simply unlucky.” One of these gunsmith inventors was Andrew Borgess, the same age as Tyler Henry and Oliver Winchester...

Diagram of the 1873 Burgess rifle. Very clever design! The bolt was a continuation of the lever and was connected to the receiver cover! When the lever went down, the bolt at the end of the lever became vertical and at the same time moved the receiver cover along with the extractor (!) back. The cartridge was fed in the same way as on hard drives. When the lever returned to its place, the part that was the bolt pushed the cartridge from the tray into the chamber and moved the receiver cover forward, while the extractor tooth fell on the rim of the cartridge. Well, the trigger hit the firing pin, which passed through the entire bolt

Interestingly, the legendary John Browning Arms and Companies also patented something similar in his 1888 patent
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A continuation of “about the Winchester” came out - a story about rifles, and people immediately wanted “about Savage” and “about Borgess”. But here it is: my material was about rifles (or “savage”) at VO (This strange Mr. Savage: rifles and a pistol), and this article also had a continuation, but about a pistol. So I’m unlikely to be able to add anything more interesting to the story of 2019. But it is simply necessary to talk about Andrew Borgess, as well as about his rifles, even if they are not as famous as the same “Marlins” and “Winchesters”. The man had a very interesting destiny, and he came up with interesting and unusual designs...

Burgess's 1880 lever-action rifle patent, which became the basis for the Colt Burgess carbines.

With 894 patents to his name, Andrew Burgess (1837-1908) is one of the most prolific firearms inventors the world has ever known (second only to John Browning in the number of firearms patents issued to Americans) and a man of many talents except for the design of firearms.

He was born January 16, 1837, in Dresden, New York, the son of John Christian Burgess and Ahsa Christie (Davis) Burgess, and was the grandson of a Hessian deserter from the American Revolution. He was an accomplished photographer whose family farm bordered the homestead of Civil War photographer Matthew Brady. Burgess ended up apprenticed to Brady and filmed the entirety of Reconstruction in the post-Civil War South, as well as documenting the execution of Emperor Ferdinand Maximilian in Mexico. Andrew Burgess is believed to have taken the famous photograph of Abraham Lincoln attributed to Brady that appears on the American $5 bill.

"Colt Burgess" with a round barrel. Weight 3.9 kg

Burgess later photographed the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, after which he returned to the United States. It is believed that during the Franco-Prussian War, when he worked as a photographer, he developed an interest in firearms. Moreover, he received his first patent on September 19, 1871, and it proposed converting Peabody and Werndl rifles into magazine rifles.

"Colt Burgess" with an octagonal barrel. Weight 4 kg. Regular length 1.090 cm. Barrel length 610 mm. .40-40 Winchester cartridges. Magazine capacity is 15-12 rounds. A total of 2,556 of these were made.

When Brady fell on hard times in 1874, Burgess bought his photography studio, but then sold it back to him in 1876. At the same time, being a photographer, he took several photographs of famous Americans at that time. Among them were: Edwin McMaster Stanton, Secretary of War; William Pitt Fessenden, Secretary of the Exchequer; General Winfield Scott Hancock.

At that time, it was known for its revolvers, and Winchester for its lever-action rifles. But in 1883, it was Andrew Burgess who introduced Colt to an improved model of a lever-action rifle, essentially similar to the M1873 Winchester, but with several important improvements that made it more accurate, reliable and durable.

A noticeable difference between this rifle and the Winchester is the side door for loading cartridges, which is significantly moved forward, since the Burgess receiver is much shorter. In addition, it is designed differently...

It is clear that Winchester was unhappy with the competition from outside. Shortly after production began, representatives met with Colt representatives and showed them several of the Mayson revolvers they intended to put into production. Such competition was disadvantageous for both companies. Therefore, an agreement was reached between them that if Colt would not make rifles, then Winchester would not produce revolvers. So production of the Colt-Burgess rifle ended just 16 months after it began, and was never resumed. When it ceased, the total production of Colt-Burgess rifles and carbines was only 6,403, all in .44-40 caliber, of which about 340 were sent to the company's London agency. True, the price of Colt and Winchester differed. Thus, the M1873 Winchester carbine had a price of 17 dollars and 50 cents, while the Colt-Burgess carbine cost $24. But here a lot depended on the seller’s ability to persuade the client...

If the Winchester door lid was pressed out by a cartridge, then the Burgess door was moved forward, and cartridges were inserted into the opened hole. This diagram from the 1886 patent clearly shows how exactly this door was constructed

Andrew Burgess then collaborated with Eli Whitney to develop a lever action repeating rifle chambered in .45-70 Government. It was hoped that this gun would show its best side during military trials in 1878 and would be adopted by the army. However, this did not happen, although Whitney continued to produce its sports and military versions.

Here it is this rifle with a bayonet. (Photo by Amoskeag Auction Company, Inc.)

And this is one of Whitney's rifles... ("Whitney Scarf" to be more precise)

In 1881, the Marlin Firearms Company introduced the Model 1881 lever-action repeating rifle to the market, all of its key features were patented by Andrew Burgess. This rifle began to be produced in various calibers from .32-40 to 45-70 Government.

Burgess then founded his own gun company in Buffalo, New York in 1892. His company was called the Burgess Gun Company, and produced shotguns and bolt-action rifles operated by a unique pistol grip until it was purchased by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1899. Winchester usually bought companies that competed with him and then closed them.

And then Andrew Burgess came up with this: a smoothbore, six-shot, 12-gauge breakaway carbine!

One of the most notable firearms to emerge from the hundreds and hundreds of patents Burgess received was the collapsible smoothbore carbine, intended for police, courier services, prisons and banks. It was produced by his own company from 1892 to 1899.

Appearance of the gun according to the 1894 patent

In essence, it was a pump-action shotgun that had a movable semi-pistol grip that moved back and could just as quickly be moved forward by the shooter. And it was connected by a rod to the bolt! Six shots in less than three seconds was its rate of fire with a magazine filled with cartridges, but most users appreciated its other quality: compact storage when folded. With a special holster, this folding gun could be worn under a coat, and then quickly taken out and instantly put into action.

"Stuffing" of the receiver. Patent 1894

Well, his folding gun was first put into production back in 1884. The magazine could hold six cartridges, the barrel length could be 19-20 inches. The mechanism of this gun is interesting, which remains the only such system in history. An iron sleeve was placed on the neck of its butt, which activated the bolt. There was a lifting lever on top to release the barrel and fold it down. Each gun came with a leather belt holster.

Buttstock sliding neck device. Patent 1894

These guns were available in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. It was advertised as a specially designed weapon for police and courier services, such as Wells Fargo couriers, US Marshals, prison and bank guards.

And this is how this gun worked! (Photo from Popular Mechanics magazine)

The shotgun was also used by police and prison guards in New York City. In 1895, one of Burgess's sales agents arrived at the office of New York Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt with a Burgess hidden under his coat. He pulled it out and fired six blank shots into the ceiling. This demonstration made a strong impression on Roosevelt, and he immediately ordered this gun for the guards of Sing Sing prison.

Burgess patent 1892. One of the attempts to use recoil force to reload a gun

Although these guns were primarily produced as shotguns, some were also produced in rifle calibers. And it turned out that this folding gun is very convenient for law enforcement agencies, who just needed such a compact weapon. Another reason: powerful damaging characteristics. Thus, a shot of buckshot at a distance of 40 yards left the criminal no chance of continuing resistance!

By the way, a lever-action rifle developed on the basis of the Sharps rifle should have an even shorter receiver. Her shutter did not move, but rose up along the grooves...

According to writer Mark Lee Garner in To Hell on a Fast Horse, the famous Pat Garrett (famous American lawman of the Wild West era, bartender, cowboy, buffalo hunter and customs agent, best known for killing the famous outlaw Billy Kidd) was just armed with a Burgess when he was killed on February 29, 1908 during a dispute over a plot of land.

Only three engraved rifles were made, and one of them (serial number 285) was given to William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody. The side of the frame shows Cody on horseback shooting a bison with a Colt Burgess rifle. Thus, the pleasing design and lever-action loading system, as well as the fact that one of these rifles was once owned by Buffalo Bill himself, greatly enhances their appeal. This example sold in September 2022 for $109,250

Burgess was remembered by his contemporaries for his unique method of work, since he, while in St. Augustine, Florida, used to work in a floating workshop next to a bungalow on the beach. When stress overwhelmed him on the shore, Burgess raised the anchor and floated with the flow, playing his favorite violin and... periodically firing a shotgun to drive away the seagulls that were bothering him.

"Colt-Burgess" made in Italy

Colt Burgess rifle design

The last patent was issued to Burgess in 1906, and he died of heart failure on December 19, 1908, at the age of 71.

To be continued…

Barrel modifications

Rossi Rio Grande and Rossi 92 carbine: the end of the era of Brazilian carbines with Henry shackle

Nowadays, few people remember about the 2011 Arms & Hunting . For the first time in Russia, a rifled hunting weapon chambered for a revolver cartridge was presented - the Rossi 92 . This became possible thanks to changes in forensic requirements, which since November 2011 have lifted the ban on the use of pistol and revolver cartridges in long-barreled civilian hunting rifles. Until this point, the only exception was for the “small-caliber” .22LR cartridge, which is also widely used in both rifles and short-barreled weapons.

The Brazilian Rossi 92 carbine presented at the exhibition was received with a bang. And not only because they were the first-born to open the way for long-barreled weapons chambered for a powerful revolver cartridge. These models themselves brought novelty to the long-established segment of hunting weapons in Russia.

Interest in the Rossi 92 was mainly built around its light weight, high loading capacity , caliber and ease of handling. In terms of rate of fire, the Rossi carbine with Henry bracket is somewhat inferior to semi-automatic weapons, while noticeably ahead of traditional bolt-action systems. A shorter (compared to a rifle) revolver cartridge requires less length and, as a result, the total weight of the entire structure as a whole. The result is a short and light, yet repeatable carbine .

You can read about different types of magazines in the article “Magazine for hunting weapons”.

The caliber of the weapon is also important. For hunting small and medium game at that time, the choice was between the .223 Remington cartridge and the 7.62x39. Both of these "intermediate" ammunitions use a pointed bullet that is more penetrating than stopping. The rudders of these cartridges simply broke small game, and for game that was tough to wound, their effectiveness was low. Since most of the hunting in central Russia takes place in forested areas, a large-caliber revolver cartridge with a high stopping power of the bullet would be just right.

With the Rossi 92 carbine, a line of revolver cartridges for it was presented. The most common carbine chambers two cartridges simultaneously: 38 Special and 357 Magnum. Visually, these cartridges differ only in the length of the cartridge case, while the bullet caliber is identical. However, the 357Magnum is almost 2.5 times more powerful. Taking into account the 508 mm length of the carbine barrel, the muzzle energy of the 357 cartridge approaches 1100-1200 Joules , while the 9 mm bullet has a high stopping effect. Even with open sights, a target the size of a young-of-the-year boar is easily hit from a distance of 70-100 meters. Effective firing range up to 200 meters. If necessary, you can shoot 38 Special cartridges, whose muzzle energy does not exceed 400 Joules, which allows you to hunt small game without the risk of leaving a wounded animal.

All other calibers are larger than 45 Colt, a cartridge created in the early 1870s and used in Colt Peacemaker revolvers. 1873. Nowadays, this cartridge is widely used for hunting. A very low initial bullet speed (290-350 m/s) provides a heavy bullet (15-16.2 g) with a high stopping effect. The 45 Colt bullet leaves virtually no wounded wounds and does not break up game. It is also worth noting that despite the flat trajectory, the 45 Colt cartridge is very accurate - its technical accuracy does not exceed 75 mm at 100 meters.

For a beast that can withstand a wound, the 454 Casull . Created in the second half of the 20th century, this cartridge somewhat stands out from the concept of “revolver”. Externally, it is distinguished from the 45 Colt by the long sleeve length and the use of a small rifle primer. At the same time, the muzzle energy of the 454 Casull is up to 3200 J oules, which provides a powerful stopping effect upon impact.

The Rossi 92 carbine is made of steel. Designed by John Browning in the early 1890s, these weapons still combine a compact receiver with a high rate of fire.

The Rossi 92 model has become popular in Russia not only among hunters, but also among lovers of Western style. Hunters choose the Rossi 92 carbine for its lightness and ease of use, for its controlled shooting range, and for the absence of protruding parts (the Rossi 92 is convenient to use from a snowmobile).

The disadvantages of the carbine include the reverse side of its advantages: the high cost of cartridges . Alas, the protracted crisis is not conducive to frequent purchases of ammunition in large quantities. Today, most hunters are deliberately switching to less effective, but noticeably cheaper cartridges. However, for those who use weapons exclusively for hunting, the price of Rossi 92 cartridges will not seem prohibitive.

Developing a line of carbines with a Henry brace, the RossImportOruzhie company also presented a model with a smooth 410 caliber barrel. Based on the Marlin, the Rossi Rio Grande is a smoothbore version of the .45-70 caliber rifle. Due to the design features, the Rossi Rio Grande can be fired with 410 caliber cartridges with a case length of 65 mm. Such cartridges are produced by Izhevsk. The main advantage of the Rossi Rio Grande was the ability to own a smoothbore shotgun structurally similar to a rifle, which is a big plus under Russian legislation. Many believe that the smoothbore carbines VPO-208 and VPO-209 chambered for 366TK were the first-born here, but they only continued the idea originally laid down in the Rio Grande.

Being a non-automatic weapon, the Rossi Rio Grande is not demanding on the weight of gunpowder and projectile. The built-in safety margin allows the use of “hot” self-loaded 410*65 cartridges, with which it is possible to increase the shot power by approximately 30% without consequences for the weapon.

As of 2022, it is worth noting that the Russian market is somewhat saturated with models 92 and Rio Grande, so RossImportOruzhie decided to stop supplying these weapons to Russia, reserving only the supply of cartridges and spare parts (except for the main parts) for these weapons. Perhaps over time, when the consequences of the economic crisis ease, deliveries of these models will resume. To date, the last batch of Rossi 92 and Rossi Rio Grande carbines has gone on sale in partner stores of the RossImportOruzhie company.

More on the topic: Hunting carbine CZ-527

Similar

Stock modifications

The best rifles in Fallout 76

Many gamers consider the Gauss Carbine to be the best non-automatic weapon in Fallout 76, as it deals record damage per shot . However, each miss from it is very costly, since the ammunition for it is very valuable, and the capacitors take about a second to accumulate a full charge before firing. Therefore, the lever carbine, also featured in Fallout 76, is challenging him for the palm in this category. Its damage per shot is slightly less, and its rate of fire is also low, but still higher than that of the Gauss carbine. The lever action carbine is sometimes sold by the super mutant Graham , the nomadic merchant, and by the robot Friedrich in Whitespring Resorts . And modifications to it can be bought from Greg the robot in Grafton.

A homemade carbine is popular among beginners, which you can either buy from a merchant in Vatoga , or craft it yourself. Its characteristics leave much to be desired, but at low levels it is quite good. Also worthy of attention is the black powder carbine, a rare weapon that can be found in one single place. You can read more about it and other unique guns in our guide to rare and unique weapons in Fallout 76.

Sight Modifications

Choke Modifications