[JewellGuy]

Hello everyone!
A pleasure and experience to meet you all and thank you for your visits.
This is a .38 which I inherited from my loved father. Now he’s asleep in death from heart failure at the age of 69.
My father has left behind many old rifles also.
This is a .38 he kept beside his bed loaded with hollow points. Rarely fired, maybe 5 shots on a New Years night.
My mother is curious what this .38 might be worth.
Your thoughts and observations would be much appreciated. Thank you very much.
-Jewell

 

[ral357]

$175 to $200. Rossi is not the most expensive revolver. Well suited for the use your father had for it, kept ready but not shot a lot. Do not fire any higher pressure +P ammo in it stick to standard pressure ammo. If it was mine I would shoot it a little with 148 grain wad cutter target loads, keep it clean and lightly oiled.

 

[Hawg]

Rossi's are inexpensive guns but pretty good ones. That one looks to have had a good bit of use. If your dad didn't shoot it much he probably bought it used. Like ral357 said don't use +P in it but it will be fine with any standard .38 special ammo.

 

[JewellGuy]

.38 was always kept for self protection. +P understood!
a cool gun. More sentimental than anything.
Revolvers never jam he would say.
thank you for the response and insight.
148 grain wad cutter is foreign to me. The +p was always just for home defense. Interesting 🤔

Rossi's are inexpensive guns but pretty good ones. That one looks to have had a good bit of use. If your dad didn't shoot it much he probably bought it used. Like ral357 said don't use +P in it but it will be fine with any standard .38 special ammo.

yup. It was bought used at my aunts antique store 30+ years ago

 

[Old School or Nothing]

SNS

 

[howlnmad]

SNS

What makes that a saturday night special?

 

[Old School or Nothing]

What makes that a saturday night special?

The person using it would make that the case not the revolver. To me means low cost 38 that fits in your pocket. Not so much a known term any longer - more of a 70s thing along with zip gun and etc...

I think it looks like a nice handgun based on what is on the market today. I like the 3" barrel and 5 shot also 👍. Rossi version of the chief special.

I'd say retail today it would go between 200 and 400 $ depending on where you where and who wanted it. 40yrs ago used maybe 40 to 70 $ in a gas station show case along with an assortment of various 25 and 32acps in the same price range. Hoodlem street price 25$ (70s SNS).

 

[msheff]

I bought this one new in 1989 for $215.99

 

[jim brady]

I never thought much of Rossi revolvers until I swapped a few hundred factory Winchester 9mm 115 grain in trade for one that I got for my son as a carry weapon. His had the 5 shot cylinder and 2" barrel. Dang! When I gave it to him he took it down to our dried up creek and shot about 100 rounds .38 Special - and at 25' or so never missed a shot. He loves that revolver. He now has a Glock for his CCW, but will never trade that Rossi. I load cast lead 158 grain RN to @ 800 FPS, and that little revolver just eats them up.

Value? I "paid" 300 rounds of factory 9mm - so whatever that would end up in dollars. Like the other guys said, feed it reasonable ammo, keep it clean and oiled and it will last you another lifetime.

 

[msheff]

I won’t ever part with mine. It will be handed down to one of my kids.

 

[Hawg]

The person using it would make that the case not the revolver. To me means low cost 38 that fits in your pocket. Not so much a known term any longer - more of a 70s thing along with zip gun and etc...

I think it looks like a nice handgun based on what is on the market today. I like the 3" barrel and 5 shot also 👍. Rossi version of the chief special.

I'd say retail today it would go between 200 and 400 $ depending on where you where and who wanted it. 40yrs ago used maybe 40 to 70 $ in a gas station show case along with an assortment of various 25 and 32acps in the same price range. Hoodlem street price 25$ (70s SNS).

I wouldn't classify that as a SNS. SNS usually refers to the zinc framed guns that sold for less than 50 bucks in the 60's and 70's. 400.00 might be a fair price if it was like new, That one has too much wear on it. I think ral357 is spot on with the value.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

I picked up an Interarms Rossi Model 685, 2" .38 Special in a pawnshop 6 or 8 years ago for $200.
The best $200 I've spent in a long time. Wonderful trigger for a J-frame and as another poster noted very accurate.
I have carried it into town on occasion, but it mostly resides in a desk drawer within arms reach of where I am sitting right now.
It stays loaded with standard pressure 158 grain lead round nose. Perfectly adequate for defense against something after the chickens or for a trip into our one-stop-light town.

 

[BlueDragonLair]

I never thought much of Rossi revolvers until I swapped a few hundred factory Winchester 9mm 115 grain in trade for one that I got for my son as a carry weapon. His had the 5 shot cylinder and 2" barrel. Dang! When I gave it to him he took it down to our dried up creek and shot about 100 rounds .38 Special - and at 25' or so never missed a shot. He loves that revolver. He now has a Glock for his CCW, but will never trade that Rossi. I load cast lead 158 grain RN to @ 800 FPS, and that little revolver just eats them up.

Value? I "paid" 300 rounds of factory 9mm - so whatever that would end up in dollars. Like the other guys said, feed it reasonable ammo, keep it clean and oiled and it will last you another lifetime.

I wouldn't classify that as a SNS. SNS usually refers to the zinc framed guns that sold for less than 50 bucks in the 60's and 70's. 400.00 might be a fair price if it was like new, That one has too much wear on it. I think ral357 is spot on with the value.

I bought a new Rossi 38 spl 2" barrel, 5 shot, in stainless in late 70's or really 80's for less than $60. Anyway I know it was a few years before TG&Y closed(sure missed that store) . Mama wanted it due to look of stainless. But she didn't shoot it hardly any at all. I started carrying it in late 90's and still today it is a daily. It's light and compact and fits a Uncle Mike's IWB holster very well inside a pair jersey cloth pants.
BTW: Still have the red cardboard box with it's factory papers it came in.

 

[howlnmad]

Ain't nothing wrong with a Rossi. S&W had a contract years ago to supply handguns to Brazil. When they lost that contract, Rossi purchased the plant and all the tooling. Taurus has since taken over Rossi.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

SNS

No, it's not a "SNS."
Rossi makes pretty good guns. They are basically copies of S&W revolvers. Made of quality materials, they are entirely serviceable guns.
I have the exact same gun here.

 

[tedwitt]

I've got a Saturday night special, it's a.38 special, cost $175.00 new, 5 shot with a 3" barrel. Don't even remember the maker.

 

[ral357]

No, it's not a "SNS."
Rossi makes pretty good guns. They are basically copies of S&W revolvers. Made of quality materials, they are entirely serviceable guns.
I have the exact same gun here.

Rossi revolvers are far from junk. They are not comparable to Smith and Wesson however. I did a lot of study on the differences in the mid 80s trying to decide if Smith was worth the extra money. Because I shot a lot back then, sometimes 500+ rounds through various guns on a weekend, on the advice of the owner of the LGS I did business with back then I went with Smith. That 686 has many thousands of rounds from mild to wild reloads and it is still tight and accurate today. I do not believe the Rossi would have held up. It was substantially cheaper but you usually get what you pay for.

 

[howlnmad]

That 686 has many thousands of rounds from mild to wild reloads and it is still tight and accurate today. I do not believe the Rossi would have held up. It was substantially cheaper but you usually get what you pay for.

So your statement is an assumption, not based on fact?

 

[msheff]

Mine was on my side this morning at our Sunday morning breakfast get together. I switched to my 32 Keltec in my pocket for church.

 

[Hawg]

Ain't nothing wrong with a Rossi. S&W had a contract years ago to supply handguns to Brazil. When they lost that contract, Rossi purchased the plant and all the tooling. Taurus has since taken over Rossi.

Methinks you're thinking of Taurus. Beretta had a factory in Brazil and when they left Taurus bought the factory and tooling. S&W had a contract to supply guns to Brazil but they were shipped from the U.S. Taurus did acquire Rossi in 2008.