The Rossi R92 Triple Black for Defense

By Larry Case

I don’t really believe in the Zombie Apocalypse thing, but we live in strange times. Many Americans now believe the chances of them being at attacked at work, on the street, or even worse – at home, have certainly increased. Mob violence around stores, as well as carjacking, home invasions and burglaries seem common on the evening news. Folks who never owned firearms before now are walking into gun stores looking for protection for their homes and families. The choice of which gun works best for this has been long debated, but in recent years, more people are considering a lever-action rifle like the Rossi R92 Triple Black carbine.

Not so long ago, you didn’t hear much about choosing a lever-action rifle for home-defense. I am not exactly sure why that is, but I think some of it has to do with those of us in the gun writer world not taking the lever-action seriously and not talking about it. AR platform rifles have been immensely popular, and if they perform well for you and you like them, there is not a thing wrong with going that route. Likewise, the shotgun has many advantages to protecting home and hearth in the bounds of the yardage of most home protection situations.

The Rossi R92 and Personal Defense

So, if you are going with a rifle option to defend yourself, why on earth would you choose a lever action like the Rossi R92? Let’s look at some of the characteristics that make this gun a good home-defense gun.   

Maneuverability

A home-defense gun should be light, maneuverable and easy to handle. Home-defense scenarios almost always occur in the tight confines of rooms and hallways and a short barrel is the ticket to handle this situation. Back when I wore the badge, I once saw the aftermath of a citizen defending his castle with a long barreled shotgun. Upon hearing the bump in the night, the homeowner grabbed his trusty scattergun – which just happened to have a 30-inch barrel. Dashing down the hallway in the dark, he tripped over the family pooch and drove the end of the barrel into the thin drywall lining the hall. In the ensuing gymnastics of trying to free the barrel, and with very poor trigger discipline, he fired that 12-gauge, sending a load of #6s into the adjacent room. Lucky for everyone involved, the room was empty, the intruder was long gone and the owner just had some dry wall patching to do.

The Rossi R92 may be the epitome of ease of handling in a firearm. The R92 Triple Black carbine model features a 16-1/2-inch barrel. In the stress-filled chaotic realm of a home intrusion situation, you do not want a firearm that is unwieldy. Tight confines and going around corners cries for a gun that is easy to handle. The Rossi R92 weighs in at a shade over 5-½ pounds. That is light, and for these purposes – the lighter the better. A long barreled, heavy and cumbersome gun is not your friend in the event of a home invasion.

Ergonomics

You can hardly read a description of a firearm these days without seeing the word “ergonomics.” Hey, I looked it up, and mostly it has to do with making products that are safer, more efficient and more comfortable to use. Based on this definition, I would say the R92 certainly has good ergonomics and I will tell you why.

First, the stock and forearm on the rifle are coated with a black-textured paint. While it is not “sticky,” I would call it on the side of being “grippy,” as in it affords a solid, nonslip grip on the rifle. The need for a grip like this, to handle the rifle in any situation wet or dry, cannot be overstated. Next is the issue of the lever on the R92. The lever itself is the large loop style, which is very handy and allows for better control when wearing gloves and in simply finding the lever and operating the rifle in stressful situations. The lever also is wrapped – making it easier to work the action, whether you are on the range or in the heat of battle. The receiver and the barrel on the R92 are Cerakoted, which makes for a very durable, protective coating, but also provides a dark, nonglare surface in different lighting situations.

Loading and Firing Capabilities

Some would say that one of the disadvantages of a lever gun for home-defense is the time it takes to reload. Maybe so, but I say a lever gun, like the R92, more than makes up for this by delivering fast follow-up shots. No other action, short of the semi-auto, can put rounds on target as quickly as a lever gun. There are shooters that can run a bolt gun at great speed, but not with the speed of a lever gun. Quick, accurate follow-up shots can be the key to winning a gun fight and the R92 can deliver them.

Now about that loading thing. Critics may say that the lever gun is slow to reload. This may be true if you’re starting out with a totally empty gun, but the R92 having a side gate loading port can make loading rounds pretty quick. Also in the event of an altercation, the “shoot one, load one” method may be used. If you are exchanging shots with an aggressor and there are interims between firing, you can load rounds as the situation permits. The Rossi R92 has a round capacity of eight when fully loaded. The rifle that I worked with is chambered in .44 Magnum, which provides ample firepower for defense and hunting purposes and gives you a wide range of loads available. The R92 is also available in .357 Magnum, .45 Colt, and .454 Casull.

Sights

Any firearm needs a good sighting system to be effective. The Rossi R92 comes out of the box with an excellent combination of a rear aperture sight and a post front sight with a brass bead. This combination works very well with the aperture or peep rear sight offering a surprisingly wide field of view and fast target acquisition, both of which are very important in home and personal defense situations. The brass bead on the front sight shows up well in the sight picture, even in low light conditions. (The front sight is drift adjustable.)

The picatinny rail on this rifle is a very handy addition. I would have no problem installing a red dot optic and this combination would very accurate and deadly at the ranges associated with home-defense.

Truck Guns Anyone?

I could not talk about this little rifle without addressing its possible role as a truck gun. Just what in the heck is a truck gun anyway? Gun writers, bless our little hearts, love to throw around names and terms for things in the firearms world. Like a pesky childhood nickname you can’t seem to shake, once these terms are applied a couple times, they tend to stick. There is really nothing wrong with “truck gun,” which usually describes a versatile, all purpose firearm that can be stashed in the truck, left there, and pulled out to address most any situation that calls for a firearm. Personal defense, an impromptu hunting opportunity, dealing with various varmints as in snakes, coyotes, or armadillos, the truck gun can handle it all.

I would say this, if you look up truck gun in Mr. Webster’s dictionary there maybe should be a picture of the Rossi R92 there. Light, fast handling, short barreled and easily stored behind the seat, to me and in my not so humble opinion the Rossi checks all the boxes for truck gun duty.

There is certainly a well deserved resurgence in the lever action rifle world. They are not just that old .30/30 Grandad has stashed in closet anymore. If you familiarize yourself with the rifle, practice and train with it, the Rossi R92 Triple Black is a very good option for your home and personal defense.

Rossi R92 Triple Black in .44 Magnum’s MSRP: $1,060.99

About the Author

Larry Case has been a devoted outdoorsman since he was a child. He will admit to an addiction to turkey hunting (spring and fall), but refuses any treatment. He enjoys the company of turkeys and Cur dogs that are loud and people who speak the truth softly. He doesn’t consider himself an expert on anything, but has some pretty strong opinions on most everything. Larry has a long-suffering wife that has endured his hunting and fishing escapades for 30 years and two grown children who hope Dad will stop embarrassing them by wearing camo year-round and making comments about field dressing or skinning something in polite company. He owns too many dogs, not enough shotguns and is usually scheming on a new hunting or fishing spot. Larry served 36 years as a DNR Law Enforcement Officer in West Virginia and retired with the rank of Captain. He currently has a weekly outdoor, hunting, fishing and gun related column that appears in 8 newspapers in 5 states. He has published in “Outdoor Life,” “American Shooting Journal,” “NRA American Hunter” and “Guns and Ammo.” His website/blog is www.gunsandcornbread.com.