Rossi Pays Tribute To A Legendary Lawman
Rossi: Not a firearms manufacturer you associate with the Wild West, but they’re one of the busiest lever gun manufacturers out there these days. And now, they’re paying tribute to a legendary lawman of the frontier with their new Rio Bravo Wyatt Earp rifle.
Rossi firearms @ TFB:
Why Wyatt Earp?
Thanks to a career as a lawman in unruly frontier towns, Wyatt Earp built a personal legend over the late 1800s, especially due to his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Depending on which version of history you believe, he also had a shady side; he had plenty of naysayers.
But he had a reputation as being a cool customer when the chips were down, and unlike so many other Wild West gunfighters, Earp died of sickness in his old age, at 80 years old in 1929. He was one of the last remaining legends of the frontier era, and while Val Kilmer’s portrayal of Earp’s ally Doc Holliday will always be the highlight of 1993’s Tombstone, Kurt Russell’s depiction of Wyatt Earp set his reputation in stone forever.
A limited-edition Rio Bravo
And now, Rossi is tying Wyatt Earp’s name to a limited-edition run of its Rio Bravo lever-action rifle. Note that this is a .22LR rimfire, not one of its centerfires. And, it is significantly blinged out. The rifle has an engraved gold PVD receiver emblazoned with Earp’s likeness, a recreation of his badge and other decorations. Will it make you shoot any straighter, or faster? Probably not. But with only 500 of these made, it’s a cool collectible for a Wild West enthusiast.
The barrel length of this rifle is 18 inches, and it weighs 82.7 ounces unloaded. The tube mag under the barrel will take 15 rounds. Load it on Sunday and shoot all week, like the old saying on the prairies… and then shoot it another week.
A wood stock is standard, and a set of buckhorn sights. MSRP is $469; for more details, check out Rossi’s website.
All photos: Rossi
Professional hoser with fudd-ish leanings.
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