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by Scott Crawford - May 29, 2024 If you follow the reviews here at 1895Gunner.com, you might notice that this is the third R95 Rossi I've reviewed. Two prior reviews were both .30-30's of different design and this is the first R95 in .45-70 Government. While they have the same action, each rifle has had new and exciting changes. This rifle, in my favorite caliber is a light weight, short barreled, easily handled in tight spaces perfect design. I've always been a fan of an 18" barreled .45-70 and these 16.5" barreled Trappers offer even quicker/easier handling. Rossi currently offers three .45-70 models. This Trapper with the 16.5" barrel and two more rifles, one with a 20.0" and one with a 22.0" barrel. I wouldn't be surprised to see an additional offering in Tripple Black down the road for the .45-70. When I initially took the rifle to the range, I had a lot of fun shooting the factory iron sights however I need a scope to do any real testing of groups. I ended up adding a Hawke Optics Vantage 1-4x20 IR scope for this task. I generally stick with a 1-4 power scope on most of my lever guns which work well for target shooting and hunting conditions I find in NW Georgia. Although not pictured in the stock photo of the Trapper, it comes with a rail on top of the receiver so no need to buy a base to mount your scope, just add rings and your glass and you're ready to go! 
The Rossi R95 Trapper .45-70
So, let’s get down to business. This R95 Trapper comes with a 16.5" barrel as previously mentioned, it holds five rounds in the tube and its 35.5" in overall length. The action is very smooth, noticeably smoother than the new Marlin .45-70's and extremely reliable out of the box. The trigger pull is a bit heavy at 6 lbs. however not unlike most stock factory lever gun triggers. The factory iron sights are useable however for any real accuracy downrange I'd add a skinner peep sight or glass to improve your shooting. No different than any other lever gun. The iron sights keep it looking like a rifle from the old west and they work however I just like the advantage of optics. 
The Rossi Trapper is a handy 16.5" barreled Lever Gun The Wooden stock & forearm are good looking stained hardwood that feel right when handling and pulling up to a firing position. While they are not walnut stocks, they truly look very good. Both have some stippling which is different than standard checkering however they do provide enough grip in wet weather. Also, the wood to metal fit is every bit as good as any of the other manufacturers for production rifles. The barrel & receiver are finished with black oxide, not an expected bluing however I like the finish. I believe it will probably be more durable than bluing. The barrel is threaded with a 5/8"-24 and comes with a threaded cap if you're not using a muzzle brake or can. This option is becoming more and more expected, especially on a big bore where a brake can help reduce kick and muzzle jump, especially on a short barreled thumper like this one. 
The lever and internal action are extremely smooth While this rifle looks very much like a Marlin with the cross-bolt safety and noticeably different ejection port, and the fact that some aftermarket Marlin parts will work on the rifle, this is a Rossi. It is a smoother operating rifle. Yes, I said it, it is noticeably smoother. The bolt on the Rossi does differ from a Marlin bolt in that the extractor is a different setup and possibly more reliable. The bolt is not interchangeable with a Marlin bolt, just wanted to be clear on that. Besides, if you ever change out a bolt, headspace needs to be adjusted which should be left for the factory or a qualified gunsmith. I just wanted to point out that they are not the same. On with the details. The only drawback I found on the rifle was the recoil pad on the stock. While it works just fine on most factory ammunition, I found it lacking when it came to warmer loads that I made myself. When hammering 400-grain rounds down the barrel at maximum powder loads, it was an arm bruiser. When I went back to factory rounds, no problem whatsoever. There are of course aftermarket pads that could be changed out that would alleviate the problem however if you stick with factory ammunition, it will not be needed. The lever when worked with deliberate forceful action was very smooth and easy to use. I especially liked the shape and size of the lever, allowing for gloved or large hands to work with ease. Even the trigger guard cutout in the lever is larger than say a Marlin or Henry, perfect for gloved hands and less chance of an accidental discharge while wearing gloves. Great design change. The factory sights on this model consist of a rear adjustable Buckhorn and drift adjustable blade front sight making for very quick target acquisition. This design is very functional and right out of the box I was on steel at fifty yards.   The Front & Rear Sights on the Rossi Trapper As you can see from the picture below, I also tried out a wide view Hawke Optics Reflex sight which made for some quick target acquisition when shooting water bottles. This is an option which could prove very useful, especially for self-defense scenarios.  The metal fit and finish on this particular model is very nice. The black oxide receiver just blends in nicely with the hardwood stock & forearm. The overall finish is well done on each part.   The rifling twist on this model is 1:20 Right Hand which works well for a .45-70 Government load. I found the accuracy, repeatability quite good for a short barreled (16.50") rifle. I was using one type of factory rounds and my hand loads which I didn’t tune specifically for this rifle, I felt the rifling and twist rate worked well with a variety of bullet types. I used .459 diameter coated cast and .458 diameter jacketed bullets which provided good groupings overall.  Now let’s talk ammo. I shot Federal Hammer Down 300-grain jacketed factory ammo and several types of hand loaded ammo mentioned previously. I experienced similar accuracy across the full spectrum of what I sent down the tube! Very pleased with the overall accuracy of the six-groove rifling on this big bore rifle. While the Point of Impact varied slightly between the four types of ammo shot (as expected due to differences in muzzle velocity/bullet shape & weight), the shot grouping experienced with this rifle was very good. The factory rounds recorded muzzle velocities right at 1,800 fps while my hand loads were running between 1,600 and 2,000 fps, depending on the load. Each of the four types of ammo tested grouped under 2.00" at fifty yards shooting from the bench. My handloads with 350-grain Hornady Interlocks grouped the best at just over .75" in a five-shot group.  At just under 7.50 lbs., naked, this model is about average for a Trapper model and very handy. Again, the 35.50" overall length of this rifle is short enough to be utilized very comfortably in a ground blind or in a tree stand and would make an excellent truck gun. The price is lower than most other trapper models offered by other popular brands. Do yourself a favor and look into a Rossi Big Bore Trapper in .45-70. The overall package is well worth having! Unboxing the new Rossi R95, .45-70 Trapper Parting Shots  I wanted to summarize what I thought of the overall package compared to my other lever action rifles. This rifle is about the same overall length as my others, same weight and carries the standard five rounds. The stock to metal fit is every bit as good as my other guns however the action wins hands down. Overall I'd say these new Rossi R95 rifles handle well (with good balance), provides very good grouping and ranks high on overall finish of metal to stock fit. Would I buy one? I absolutely would add one to my Gun Room because you all know, I do love lever guns! If you're looking for a reliable, handy and noticeably lower priced big bore, look no further! Technical Specifications
  
IN THIS ARTICLE Rossi Firearms
Federal Ammunition
Hawke Optics
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