Rossi LWC: Lightweight, Simple Single Shot

Looking for a basic hunting rifle—a very basic hunting rifle? Rossi is expanding its single-shot lineup again and might have what you want. The new Rossi LWC is a throwback to both recent and ancient rifle history when if you wanted an affordable rifle, it was simple and plain.

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A proven formula

When you’re considering centerfire hunting rifles, a break-action single shot is almost as classic as it gets. Consider this: Despite all the love that vintage falling block rifles get, break-action rifles were sold right alongside them in the gun shops of the 1800s. They worked. And 100+ years later, the break-action single shot was still a common item in gun shops across the U.S. when Harrington & Richardson had their Handi-Rifle lineup. Until 2010, when Savage Arms introduced the Edge (which became the Axis) bolt-action rifle, the Handi-Rifle was the most affordable hunting rifle you could buy while still having some expectation of accuracy and general usefulness.

That changed over the next decade as every gunmaker brought out a cheap bolt-action. But Rossi, too, was making single-shot break actions back in the 2010s, and they kept on making them even as H&R was sold to Remington and then ended Handi-Rifle production. Rossi is still making a rifle that’s very similar to that H&R classic, and the LWC is the latest entry in that lineup.

What’s in a name?

LWC stands for Light Weight Carbine, and that’s exactly what you get here. A 16.5-inch barrel, a synthetic stock, and a Picatinny rail mount over the receiver. No iron sights. An overall length of 31.5 inches, and an unloaded weight of roughly 5.25 pounds. It’s a small rifle.

But depending on what caliber you choose when you purchase the LWC, you can get big-hitting power. Currently, the Rossi USA website lists the LWC in lighter-recoil calibers like 350 Legend, 300 Blackout, 5.56x45mm and .357 Magnum (not all of these are actually available yet). But they also list the rifle as coming soon in 6.5 Creedmoor, which might not be a hard-recoiling round, but certainly offers a lot more downrange zip than a .357.

So who’s the rifle for? Theoretically, a wide range of shooters with one thing in common: They want to save money. A hunter in a state with straight-wall cartridge laws might want the 350 Legend or .357 Magnum. A hand loader looking for a fun range toy might want the 5.56x45mm round, or the 300 Blackout (especially with that threaded barrel, which could take a suppressor). And that 6.5 Creedmoor might actually make a great backpacking rifle, as long as the accuracy is there to reach out long-range out west.

Pricing appears to be set at $333.99 this year. For more deets, check out Rossi’s website here.