Brazilian Cowboy: Rossi R95 Trapper Review

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The lever action is the gun that refuses to die. With all the high-tech, whiz-bang products on the market, the endurance of the lever gun is proof of both the practical utility and enjoyable nostalgia of the classic American carbine. As lever actions once again expand their footprint in our collections, companies such as Rossi have responded with numerous options to choose from. The R95 is the firm’s lever action in .30-30 Win., a rifle that combines classic lever-gun looks with modern materials and design elements.

The entire series of Rossi lever-action rifles is manufactured in Brazil and imported by Rossi USA. The R95 is available in four configurations: a rifle with a 20-inch barrel and walnut stock; a Trapper carbine with a 16.5-inch barrel and walnut stock; a Triple Black carbine with a 16.5-inch barrel and an all-over Cerakote finish; and a stainless steel rifle with a 20-inch barrel and a laminated stock. I tested the walnut-stocked Trapper carbine with the 16.5-inch barrel, which to me is the most attractive of the four offerings. This is a carbine that looks and feels like one you may have seen in your grandfather’s rifle rack, and it is just as practical now as it was back then.

It’s been repeated enough times that it might actually be true: The .30-30 Win. has accounted for more whitetail deer than any other cartridge. Regardless of the veracity of that statement, the .30-30 is a capable cartridge for deer-size game. In fact, with modern loads such as Hornady’s LeverEvolution, the cartridge is more effective than ever. The .30-30 cartridge was designed from the ground up to function reliably in a lever-action rifle. The case has plenty of taper to ensure slick feeding, as well as a healthy rim for extraction. It’s no wonder, then, that Rossi chose the .30-30 as its first non-handgun lever-gun cartridge.

Receiver

The R95 Trapper is built around an alloy steel receiver. While the traditional Winchester 1894-style receiver made scope mounting a real challenge, the R95 uses an arrangement more akin to the Marlin 336. I don’t believe it would be unfair to categorize the R95’s receiver as a Marlin clone. To the contrary, Rossi reports that many accessories designed for Marlin rifles—including sights, rails, stocks and the like—should be compatible with the R95.

On this system, the bolt articulates inside the receiver, creating a rigid flat top suitable for scope mounting. To that end, the R95 is drilled with four 8-40 holes tapped to accept common scope mounts. I had a Leupold mount designed for a Marlin 1895 on hand, and it bolted right on.

The bolt on the R95 is round. When the lever is cycled, the bolt forces the external hammer back, cocking the carbine. The extractor differs from those stamped metal parts found on many other lever actions, opting instead for what could be best described as an M16-style unit. The spring-loaded extractor is held onto the bolt by a pin and articulates as needed. The extractor is effective and can also be readily removed for cleaning and maintenance, unlike traditional designs. An ejector is mounted inside the receiver, and actuates near the rear of the bolt’s travel.

Smooth Feeding

The system works well, with cartridges feeding into the chamber and extracting/ejecting smoothly during our time with the R95. Loading the chamber cocks the hammer, of course, so engaging the safety and/or lowering the hammer to the half-cock position is necessary if the user is not ready to fire immediately. Recocking the hammer is required before firing.

The safety is a traditional crossbolt sitting perpendicular with the bore. With the safety pushed to the left, it is in the Fire position and vice versa. The safety does not lock the trigger or firing mechanism but instead blocks the hammer’s fall, preventing it from contacting the firing pin. There is also a firing pin block that acts as a passive safety. The hammer must be at the half-cock or full-cock position in order for the manual safety to be engaged. Though many lever-action rifle and carbine users carry them with a loaded chamber and the hammer at half-cock, the owner’s manual for the R95 suggests that even if the hammer is lowered to the half-cock position, the manual safety should still be engaged.

The lever on the R95 has an oversize loop. Besides looking cool, the large loop has several advantages. For one, it allows room for operation of the lever while you’re wearing heavy gloves. Second, if you’ve got very large hands, the lever won’t bite them during recoil. Finally, the big lever allows more hand/arm mobility, ensuring that the lever can be cycled without removing the stock from the shoulder. It bears noting that the lever and action on my test carbine cycled very smoothly.

Barrel and Sights

The R95 Trapper features a 16.5-inch cold-hammer-forged barrel with a 1:12 twist. The six-groove rifling is compatible with jacketed as well as cast lead bullets. The barrel uses a traditional crown and is not threaded. With its short barrel, this is an extremely compact and handy carbine.

The R95 is fitted with well-made iron sights. The front sight is a plain black 0.080-inch bead that is drift-adjustable for windage in its dovetail. The rear sight is a buckhorn style that is adjustable for elevation. For those unfamiliar with a buckhorn, it is basically three sights in one, and it is surprisingly useful. The user can place the bead in the sight’s bottom notch, allow it to “float” at the center, or align it with the top of the horns depending on the range to the target. I feel that many younger shooters who don’t have a lot of experience with iron sights might discount the utility of the buckhorn. I know I did before my eyes were opened to it. With a little practice, it is both fast and effective.

As I mentioned, the R95 is also set up for simple scope mounting using the 8-40 holes on top of the receiver. I did mount a scope for accuracy testing, but if the rifle were mine, since this is not a gun I’d choose for long-range performance I would simply use the iron sights. Besides, I like to carry a lever-action rifle by wrapping my hand around the receiver forward of the lever, and a scope makes that impractical. For those looking for the best of both worlds, a low-profile red dot optic would be a great choice.

Stock, Trigger, and Finishes

The two-piece stock, made from a Brazilian hardwood, showed a surprising amount of figure for a sub-$1,000 carbine. In lieu of checkering, the grip panels on both the pistol grip and fore-end are textured. The length of pull on the R95 measured 137/8 inches including the soft rubber recoil pad. The pad is contoured, varying in thickness from 0.80 to one inch. The pad has a great deal of give and did a nice job of cushioning recoil.

All the rifle’s metal was finished in black oxide, which is a fancy way of saying it was satin blued. In terms of sheen, the receiver’s finish was more on the matte side while the barrel was a touch glossier. The lever was obviously made from a different alloy and took on a slight plum hue. Overall, the fit and finish on the carbine were pretty good.

The trigger on my test sample broke right at six pounds after a bit of creep. It’s cliché to say that the trigger felt lighter than the trigger gauge indicated, but this was the case with the R95. No, a six-pound pull isn’t ideal for shooting tiny groups from the bench but, given the rifle’s likely role, it wouldn’t be a big issue in practical use.

Loading the R95 is straightforward. Cartridges are pushed through the loading gate and into the magazine tube that sits below the barrel. The magazine holds five rounds, and an additional round can be loaded into the chamber. One of the true benefits of a lever action is the ability to top off the magazine at any time without taking the rifle out of commission. Fire two rounds, stuff two more into the magazine and keep rolling.

Accuracy

Accuracy was about what you’d expect from such a carbine, with groups in the 1.5 m.o.a. range. But for the rifle’s tendency to string shots vertically, the groups would have been considerably tighter. Where this carbine shined was in more practical situations, making rapid offhand shots on steel targets and the like. This would be a great gun for hound hunting or other fast-paced situations.

In my book, the real virtue of this carbine is its utility; it is a working gun. It would make an ideal truck gun, useful for everything from hunting to personal defense. With regard to the latter, in jurisdictions where semiautomatic rifles are heavily regulated, a lever gun should be viewed as the next best thing. At our place, I never seem to have a long gun when a coyote is snooping around calves or a feral hog is rooting up a pasture. The fact that this is a relatively inexpensive firearm would make me more comfortable letting it bang around in a side-by-side or on the back of a four-wheeler so it would always be there when needed.

Traditionally, firearms coming out of Brazil have been serviceable if a bit rough. Today, the quality is improving, and Rossi is part of that evolution. The Rossi R95 Trapper is a slick little carbine that is a good example of a budget-minded firearm that doesn’t look or feel the part.

Whether you choose to leave this carbine as is or trick it out with the expanding number of accessories on the market, it is worth a look. With a suggested retail price that’s $300 less than the comparable Marlin, there is a lot of value packed into this handy little package.

Rossi R95 Trapper Specs

• Type: lever-action centerfire
• Caliber: 30-30 Win.
• Capacity: 5+1
• Barrel: 16.5 in., 1:12 twist
• OAL: 35.5 in.
• Weight: 6 lb., 11 oz.
• Finish: Black Oxide
• Stock: Brazilian hardwood
• Sights: drift-adjustable front, adjustable buckhorn rear; drilled and tapped
• Safety: crossbolt, firing pin block
• Trigger: 6 lb. pull (measured)
• MSRP: $950
• Manufacturer: Rossi, rossiusa.com

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