Rossi R95 Laminate .45/70 Gov’t: Tested and Reviewed

With their new R95 Laminate model in .45/70, Rossi brings a solid contender to the increasingly competitive field of lever-action heavy hitters. The enduring lever-action platform is a blend of utility and nostalgia for the American shooter, and the .45/70 Gov’t might just be the oldest centerfire cartridge that still holds mass appeal. The sphere around the lever gun has been buzzing in recent years, with the revamped Marlin coming alongside stalwarts like Henry Repeating Arms. Even Smith & Wesson is getting into the game. 

Though Brazilian firearms maker Rossi has been around for generations, they haven’t been widely known to American hunters and shooters for producing utilitarian lever guns that could hang with their born-and-bred American counterparts. Well, that might not be the case anymore. Within the past couple years, they released the Rossi R95 lever gun in .30/30, and now, I’ve finally gotten my hands on the Rossi R95 Laminate in the quintessential brush cartridge — the .45/70 Gov’t. I’m often surprised by guns and not in a good way. However, after blasting just about every live round of .45/70 that I have through this Brazilian shooting iron, I’m quite impressed with the Rossi R95.

Rossi R95 Laminate .45/70 Specs

• Action: 1895-style lever action
• Stock: Gray laminated wood
• Cartridge: .45/70 Gov’t
• Capacity: 5+1 
• Weight: 7 pounds, 4 ounces (measured)
• Trigger: 5 pounds, 13 ounces (measured)
• Barrel: 18 inches, stainless, 1:12-inch twist, threaded 5/8-24
• Length: 36.75 inches (measured)
• Sights: Brass front bead, adjustable peep rear
• One-year limited warranty
• Price: $1,014

Key Features

• Snag-free side-gate loading
• Large, rounded lever loop with paracord wrap
• Long PIcatinny rail with rear peep
• M16-style extractor
• Robust recoil pad

Review Highlights

• Strong, smooth action
• Reliable feeding and ejection
• Suppressor-ready
• Comes ready for a variety of optics
• Would like to see better handguard fit and QD sling cups
• Some of the fit and finish details could use refinement

Rossi R95 Laminate .45/70 Accuracy and Reliability

I was limited to a few different loads for the Rossi R95 Laminate .45/70, but its accuracy is similar to other .45/70 Lever guns and sufficiently precise for the .45/70 cartridge’s range limitations. To record my data, I recorded 5-shot groups for record from 50 yards, shooting off a tac table and sandbag atop a tripod — following the same protocol we use for .45/70 rifles in our annual gun test. I used both Federal Premium 300-grain Hammerdown and Black Hills 405-grain LFN factory loads, as well as hand loaded 305-grain Lehigh Controlled Fracturing bullets at 2,100 fps and 400-grain Speer JFN bullets at 1,850 fps. Overall, the rifle averaged 1.356-inch five-shot groups at 50 yards and printed 1.5- to 3-inch groups at 100 yards.

• Federal Premium 300-grain Hammerdown average group size (50 yards): 1.454 inches
• Black Hills Ammo 405-grain LFN average group size (50 yards): 1.520 inches
• Lehigh Defense 305-grain Controlled Fracturing hand load average group size (50 yards): .708 inches
• Speer 400-grain JFN hand load average group size (50 yards): 1.462 inches

The Rossi R95 Laminate .45/70 is A Smooth Operator

One thing that immediately grabbed my attention with the Rossi R95 was the smoothness of the action. Perhaps I was guilty of assuming it would be a flashy wannabe, more suited for spaghetti westerns, but it took no time to notice that the lever operated with less effort than a number of lever-actions I’ve used over the years. 

This out-of-the-box impression wasn’t tarnished by time on the range either. Cartridges feed into the side gate smoothly and each cartridge catches just enough as the rim hits the receiver to hold it in place while the next is fed behind it. Often, it  seems that the loading ports are too pinchy and sharp. Sometimes, cartridges want to squirt back out of the loading gate while loading and  the shooter must actively hold a cartridge in place, halfway loaded, to smoothly feed the next round behind it. The loading gate was nicely deburred, and it never pinched my thumb. The rifle ejected empties and cycled live ammunition just as effortlessly, and in over 200 rounds fired, I never experienced a stoppage. 

After shooting 50 rounds or so, nearly every screw on the rifle had loosened — including those holding the Picatinny rail on the gun. Any shooter should consider stripping the rifle down and thread-locking most of the screws before you even get started. 

Rossi R95 Laminate .45/70: The Brush Rifle Formula

Among real and vicarious bushwhackers alike, a compact stainless-steel .45/70 is right at the top of the list of desirable thicket rifles. If there’s a single shining example of this, it’s the Marlin 1895 SBL, which was the result of a rogue project by OL contributor Matt Foster, and featured laminate furniture, stainless-steel parts, a full-length magazine tube, and a threaded muzzle. 

The Rossi R95 Laminate .45/70 is built in similar fashion. It sports an 18-inch 1:12-twist barrel and a large lever loop that’s wrapped in paracord to cushion the hand. It’s topped with a long section of Picatinny rail that spans the top of the receiver and 6.5 inches of the barrel. It comes with a brass front bead and generously-sized adjustable .115-inch peep that falls between a standard and ghost ring in size. In hand, this quick-pointing rig feels ready to distribute gratuitously large slugs to any toothy or otherwise angry critter that might need it.

The .45/70 is a shot-putter rather than a distance champion, and the appeal of a rifle like the Rossi R95 Laminate is that it delivers heavy, deep-penetrating bullets from a short, maneuverable platform. The rifle has good capacity, and palatable recoil with factory ammunition, and can be cycled and fired again quickly. With the generously-sized 10-inch rail, it’s plug-and-play when it comes to either magnified rifle scopes or simple red dot optics. 

An 1895 with A Modern Touch

The Rossi R95 features an M16-style extractor in place of the stamped sheet-metal extractor that snaps around the bolt body on other 1895-type rifles. This is a feature that might not jump out at most shooters, and I’m not sure it offers an advantage that’s tangible enough for me to detect. But it works well on many other platforms and performs flawlessly in conjunction with the floating spring-steel ejector housed in the left side of the receiver. 

The Picatinny rail is attached to the rifle via four T10 Torx screws — three on the receiver and one on the barrel — and allows the shooter to mount just about any magnified or red dot optic of their choice. It’s a great fit for an LPVO or scout-style scope, but totally adequate with the factory iron sights too — which are tall enough to see over most .45-caliber suppressors. The rear peep is adjustable for elevation by sliding up and down a ramp built into the rail, and has a separate dovetail for windage adjustments.

Rounding out the trio of more contemporary features of the Rossi R95 Laminate, the ⅝-24-threaded muzzle is ready to accept a suppressor or muzzle brake — if you hate your ears. Even when topped with my Silencerco Hybrid 46 can, the R95 isn’t too unwieldy and would make a fine boat and brush rifle. Even heavy-handed .45/70 loads are silly fun to shoot through a can. Should you need to rip through a few of them in tight quarters, your hearing will thank you.

Rossi R95 Laminate .45/70 Fit, Finish, and What I’d like to See Improved

Generally, I’m quite impressed with the components and build quality of this rifle. It’s certainly nicer than many Remington-made Marlin 1895 rifles and can stand on its own in terms of quality and reliability. The barrel, magazine tube, and receiver have an attractive stainless finish, and the buttstock fits the receiver nicely. There are, however, some things that I’d like to see more refined for a $1,000 lever action.

Most notably, there is a small amount of play in the fore-end of my rifle. I can also feel the laminated wood give as I squeeze it. I’d certainly have a gunsmith bed the fore-end to eliminate that, otherwise it is liable to crack eventually.

My only other mechanical nitpick is that I’d prefer to ditch the crossbolt safety. The Rossi R95 uses a traditional style hammer — not the transfer-bar type that the similar Henry X Model uses — but it does have a functional half-cock position and most experienced lever-gun shooters will use that rather than the crossbolt. 

Metal and Finish Details

Second, the laser engraving of the logo, caliber, and import markings isn’t hideous, but it could be better. The edges of the barrel engraving seem prone to develop a rusty hue that’s tough to clean up. Another small but noticeable detail is the dovetailed stud which attaches the magazine tube to the barrel. It’s slightly discolored with a visible tack weld to keep it in place. Not the end of the world, but a blemish that an expensive lever gun shouldn’t have.

Lever-gun experts will also quickly notice the over-polished receiver. Getting this detail right is tricky. A trained eye will see the rounded edges on the receiver flats, and visible waves from the buffing wheel. You can feel these micro ridges with your fingernail. Run them from top to bottom, it’s silky smooth. Run your nail horizontally from front to back across the flat of the receiver, and they are easily noticeable. 

I’d also like to get rid of the sling stud that’s built into the fore-end cap. It’s a little tacky. I think a set of QD sling cups would be excellent to incorporate with this platform. Also, the fore-end cap, the trigger, and hammer, the polished-style finish appears to have a plated finish. It looks a bit too much like what you’d see on a kids cap gun. So far, I haven’t seen signs of wear or flaking, but I think a more subtle surface would better compliment the rest of the rifle better. 

Pros and Cons of the Rossi R95 Laminate .45/70

As with any gun, the Rossi R95 has potential advantages and drawbacks. Considering those will help you make the best decision when you’re shopping for a new lever gun.

Pros

• Good material and finish quality for price point
• Smooth and reliable function
• Great optics compatibility
• Suppressor ready
• Handy and maneuverable
• Decent accuracy for a .45/70

Cons

• Fit of the fore-end should be a little tighter 
• Would like to see QD sling cups
• Need to check torque on all the screws/use thread locker

Final Thoughts on the Rossi R95 Laminate .45/70

Though I have a few complaints about the Rossi R95 Laminate .45/70, they are minor. Overall, I’ve been impressed by the rifle. I think that I was bracing myself for a potential lower-tier firearm and that’s simply not what I got. It’s undeniably a nicer rifle and better tool than many older 1895 models —yes, even Marlins. It’s tempting to balk at the thousand dollar price tag, but when compared fairly to the $450 lever actions of 20 or 30 years ago, and similar rifles on the market today, you’re getting your money’s worth. If you just want a good-looking, dependable lever gun, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not taking a look at the Rossi R95.