oscarflytyer wrote:These are NIB rifles on sale. $399. One I picked off the shelf - properly indexed. Yes, bluing looked good. Hate the wood finish! Glad to know what it is (what the hell is Rubber wood?!?! NO CLUE!), and that it can be refinished! Would HAVE to do that! I also know I can remove the worthless/nasty/useless receiver safety and replace with a peep sight - which I need anyway (~$60).
Rubberwood is the principle hardwood of Brazil.
If you need a peep, do not wast your money on Safety Mounted Peep. Personal experience. Instead, buy the
Skinner Barrel Mounted Peep.
I get that you don't like the safety, but even the safety plug that is offered will stick out like a sore thumb. I took them off, used the Safety Peep, used the plug, and ended up putting the safety back. If you do remove the safety, keep track of the spring and very, very small ball bearing. Rossi will not replace them and removing them will void the warranty on the rifle. Personally, I've come to appreciate it. I'm always manipulating the rifle in my reloading room, checking the fit of ammunition, or coming in from hunting and emptying the rifle of ammunition. Anyone who hasn't sent a levergun off either hasn't used that type of action much or is going to do it. This is experience talking.
I never used the cross bolt safety on the Marlin's until I set one off, my 1894F 41 Mag. I had shot a hog at night from my yard and wanted to empty the rifle before taking it in. I only had a couple of rounds left in the tube. In the moonlight, I tilted it to see if it was empty and thought that was stupid as it was pointing at the house my grandkids and daughter lived it. I swung the barrel up, closed the action and used my thumb to let the hammer down as I relieved the trigger and it went off. Put a .411" hole right through the carport of my very nice barn/carport/garage. About a year later I was having the insulation replaced on that building under warranty, and the crew asked me if I wanted that panel replaced. I said no, I wanted the reminder.
At the time I sponsored Texas Youth hunts on the ranch, and we used the garage as the hunt headquarters and the carport for eating on picnic benches. After the safety briefing by the huntmasters, they always ask the landowner to say a few words so I would hand every kid a .411" 265-grain bullet, tell them the story, and ask them not to ventilate anything other than a deer or hog.
Next, for the rifle, buy a couple of cans of nonchlorinated brake cleaner and make sure you have a supply of your favorite gun oil. Remove the buttstock and flush the action out with the cleaner until the cleaner runs clear. These rifles are packed with grease for the boat ride north and this grease will harden and cause all kinds of problems. Spray your action dripping wet with the gun oil and then lever the action and actuate the trigger catching the hammer 100 times. Open it up and flush it out until it runs clear. Do this five times for a total of 500 cycles. More if the action flush is still not clear. Get both cleaner and oil in the firing pin hole and up under the carrier. Everywhere inside the receiver. This will take care of the break-in. After a minimum of the 500 cycles, oil it and blow it out with compressed air. You will have a very slick levergun.
Don't worry about spring kits or anything else other than your sights until you shoot it.