Welcome to another American Rifleman Gun Of The Week video, and here, we’re looking at the classically styled RM66 from Rossi USA. This is the full-size hunting and target model offered in Rossi’s revolver lineup, which also includes a 4”-barreled gun and a 3”-barreled carry model. Watch the video above to see the RM66 in use on the range.
The firm of Amadeo Rossi, based in Brazil, has been in the gun business since the late 19th century, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that U.S. shooters began seeing Rossi-made guns stateside. Though the company made and still makes long guns, revolvers were always a mainstay in the Rossi lineup, and that was true up until 2018, when Rossi discontinued its revolver line to focus on long guns. Now, though, these handguns are back in a big way.
Outfitted with a 6”, full-lug barrel, the RM66 is the largest of the revolvers currently in the Rossi lineup. Chambered in .357 Magnum, the guns feature a six-round cylinder and are made entirely of stainless steel. In terms of controls, the Rossi mimics the cylinder direction of Smith & Wesson revolvers, with the cylinder advancing counter-clockwise with each pull of the trigger. Unlocking the cylinder from the frame is done like a Smith & Wesson, too, by simply pushing forward on the textured release latch located on the left side of the frame. A generous-length, shrouded ejector rod allows shooters to easily kick out spent cases. The Rossi design includes locking points at the front and rear of the cylinder.
As befitting a hunting or target revolver, the RM66 is topped with a windage- and elevation-adjustable rear sight, and that’s paired with an all-black ramped front sight with a serrated face to reduce glare. A white, squared off outline on the rear face of the rear sight provides a contrast to the all-black front. The rear sight is attached to the top strap via two screws, while the ramped front sight base is secured with a single screw. The front sight itself is pinned, allowing owners to remove and replace it, if desired. These guns are built with a single-action, double-action operating system, providing a wide, generously textured hammer spur that’s easily reached for single-action operation. On our test revolver, the double-action trigger pull measured in at just under 11 lbs., and thumbing the hammer back into single-action reduced the pull weight to just under 4 lbs.
At the bottom end of the gun, the RM66 has a squared-off grip profile, completed by a generously sized, wraparound rubber grip. The grip features finger grooves on its front face and has a relieved area on its left side to provide clearance for spent cases. A textured surface provides additional purchase, ensuring control when firing full-house magnum loads. Even with hot .357 Magnum rounds, the Rossi RM66 is a pretty comfortable gun to shoot. That’s, no doubt, due in part to its 34.4-oz. unloaded weight. That, plus the full-length underlug, means there’s plenty of weight working against recoil and muzzle rise, making this one of the easiest-shooting magnums we’ve had on the range in a while.
Rossi USA RM66 Specifications
Importer: Rossi USA
Action Type: double-action, centerfire revolver
Chambering: .357 Mag.
Barrel: 6" stainless steel
Frame: stainless steel
Sights: fully adjustable square-notch rear, post front
Trigger: double-action, 10-lb., 14-oz. pull; single-action, 3-lbs., 11-oz. pull
Capacity: six-round swing-out cylinder
Overall Length: 10.88"
Height: 5.38"
Width: 1.46"
Weight: 34.4 ozs.
MSRP: $621
