Thursday, May 26, 2011

Completely Useless...

...yet, I want one so bad I can taste it.


Paging Zoe...


Yep. That's a brace trio (thanks Kevin) of Rossi Ranch Hands at the NRA convention. There was one of each flavor represented: .45 LC, .44 Magnum, and .357 Magnum (don't ask me which is which, though...). Weighing in at 4 pounds, requiring both hands to operate, and only having a capacity of 6 rounds, there's little to like about this gun - except that it's so damn cool it ought to be illegal*. The worst part is, the MSRP is only $536, meaning that in a free state you should be able to walk out the door with one for darn close to $500 - less than a new S&W 686 or Ruger GP100...

And neither of those guns were used in Firefly...

That is all.


*Figure of speech.

24 comments:

Gunmart said...

Its the only cowboy gun you will ever see in a gangbanger's hands

Butch Cassidy said...

Henry makes one in 22. While the whole concept is silly, it would go nicely with my long-time stocked Henry...

But then I would be tempted to get a stamp and SBR it.

Weer'd Beard said...

"except that it's so damn cool it ought to be illegal*"

If they don't count as "Assault Weapons" due to their weight and features, they'll probably never get the "Safety Roster" to approve them.

So in Mass, they pretty much are!

Veeshir said...

Butch, I'm planning on getting the Henry .22.

I want a mare's leg but I don't feel like spending nearly a $1,000 on one (the Henry .45lc) or getting the Rossi.
For $300 that's a cool weapon. And I don't have a .22 pistol yet, so it fills a niche.

Broken Andy said...

Yup. Very cool. I just can't bring myself to buying one though because I see no real use for it. And I know that is a silly way to think of it.

Jay G said...

Like Weer'd said, if the weight doesn't run it afoul of the AWB (where it would be outright banned in MA), it's certain;y not going to be on the "Approved Firearms Roster" {SPIT}.

I think the weight - 48 ounces, assuming the "4 lbs." is correct - is below the AWB requirement for pistols (50 ounces?), so if someone bought it and brought it into MA it could be sold via private sale (ZOMG! GUNSHOW LOOPHOLE!). However, given the rarity, I'd wager it would fetch somewhere in the $700s or so (NAA Mini revolvers typically fetch between $300 and $400 in MA, for example...)

If I could pick one up new for ~ $400 I'd consider it. Used for $700? Err, no, I'll save my money for the Coonan if I want an oddball .357 Magnum launcher...

Cemetery's Gun Blob said...

I'd buy one if it came in 44.40.

Not so in love with the large loop though.....

ZerCool said...

Cemetery - Chiappa had one chambered in .44-40WCF at the show.

I want one of these in .357 .. badly.

Kevin said...

Actually, that would be a "trio." A "brace" is a pair.

(I remember you complaining about the misuse of "mayhem" on VC one time.)

And yes, useless as they are, I want one, too. In .45LC.

WV: greters - The Walmart greters are armed with Mare's Legs.

Angus McThag said...

Plus $200 for the SBR stamp.

Plus $45? for a stock.

Cowboy Action CQB Carbine!

.45ACP+P said...

If the old Western TV show was any indication, it CAN be operated one handed. I also seem to remember John Wayne in "True Grit" one-handing a pair of full sized rifles.

Melody Byrne said...

Y'all are thinking too narrowly about its usage. There's a reason they call them Ranch Hands. If you're dealing with large dumb livestock (or large dangerous predators) it's the "oh shit" gun in the way that a little Kel-Tec is an oh shit gun. If you come across hurt livestock that need to be dispatched humanely or a wolf it'll do the job without being a pain in the ass to carry. It's what you carry when a revolver won't quite do the job or you don't want to carry a revolver with a large chambering.

Personally my eventual ranch "oh shit" gun will be larger and heavier, but there's use for the mare's leg in the backcountry.

Rabbit said...

I saw both the Henry and the Rossi at a local shop a couple of weeks ago. I think the Rossi is the superior of the two, even though it has that funky lawyer safety on top of the bolt. It can be removed and replaced with a plug.

*IF* we ever get open carry in Texas I'd sure consider doing so with a Ranch Hand. Still, finding a niche for one, to me, is a challenge but it'd be as nice a truck gun as I'd want.

Chris said...

Because some things are just cool that's why. That, and people want to be Steve McQueen from "Wanted Dead or Alive" http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/File:Mcqueen.jpg

I can't think of a damn use for a Ferrari either, but I still want one.

Tam (remotely) said...

Melody Byrne,

"It's what you carry when a revolver won't quite do the job..."

So if my .44 Magnum S&W won't do the job, I'll grab my .44 Magnum Rossi? Got it. ;)

(I don't think the cow gives you style points for the gun the revolver cartridge comes out of.)

Anonymous said...

Melody, I follow you and Chris extensively and respect your opinions, but I think you may be off the track on this one. There's nothing that these things can do that can't be done better with a 4-6" revolver. Lighter, simpler, easier to maintain, actually portable on your person, and deployable and shootable with one hand (two hands if precision shooting is required). I'm at a loss to see what job those things would do that a revolver wouldn't. It's not more accurate, nor easier to shoot. If you can't hit well with a revolver then put some Crimson Trace grips on them. Works like a charm. I've tagged coyotes at over 30 yards with a CT grip .357.

These things are way, way cool, but I can't see ANYTHING they do better than a S&W or Ruger DA revolver or Vaquero.

But I won't let practicality get in the way of a gun purchase either. If I want one, I'll get one for sure. Just won't pretend that it's GOOD for anything.

FormerFlyer

Anonymous said...

As usual, Tam said it better, using 20% as many words as I did.

Man, I wish I could write like that.

FormerFlyer

Matthew said...

Formerflyer,

Writing like Tam is easy.

Just start with your own text and chisel away everything that doesn't sound like a snarky female Hoosier.

WV: podedde - Sean Combs nickname if the bottom falls out of the music business.

Sendarius said...

I know that in the US weights and measures are different to standard Imperial - for example a US gallon is approximately 4 litres, while an Imperial gallon is approximatley 4.5 litres.

HOWEVER is a US pound REALLY 12 ounces? As in 4 lbs = 48 oz.

In the rest of the world, 4 lb = 64 oz.

Skip said...

The dairymen around here put cows down with .22lr.

Melody Byrne said...

I'd guess the dairy men don't deal with grizzlies or moose.

Seriously though I'd put it as a matter of preference, short barreled levergun or revolver. Both do the job, one gets slightly more muzzle velocity, and depending on whether you spend your time on the back of a horse or on an atv or whether you walk everywhere makes a difference in how you carry.

Plus they are just cool.

Tam said...

Melody Byrne,

"Plus they are just cool."

Heh.

Yup! And that's plenty of reason right there. :)

(Plus, you know... Firefly!)

jimbob86 said...

"Just start with your own text and chisel away everything that doesn't sound like a snarky female Hoosier."

Last I checked, she ain't a native Hoosier ...... Tennessee or Georgia, or some such.

JB Miller said...

I have shot one of these. Ever since then I have wanted one. It doubles the effective range of a .44 mag.

Everyone I know that has shot one, wants one...