RM66 on the Ranch

RM66 on the Ranch

I live out in the sticks of the Ozarks. When I'm not on foot, I'm on an ATV or driving a UTV – as my grandson says a "spide-a-side." Or, I might driving in an old hunting truck. I routinely carry a sidearm, usually some type of revolver. When Rossi sent the RM66, and it fit perfectly in a holster designed for a similar type revolver, I started carrying the revolver around the ranch this summer. 

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This revolver is one of three new wheelguns offered by Rossi. Each one is a six-shot, with double- and single-action functions and hammer-block safeties. The RM 66 is chambered in .38 Special/.38 Special +P/.357 Magnum. Rossi sent me the big boy barrel – a six-inch, full underlug barrel. The other two iterations of this revolver come in four- and three-inch barrels. 

The RM66 has been designed with a matte-finished stainless steel barrel, frame and cylinder. Black wrap-around rubber grips make a sweaty grip possible, making for easier summertime draws out of the holster. The rear sight is fully adjustable, and you can replace the front ramp blade. 

Range Time

I took the RM66 out to the range before carrying it, to get a feel for how it shoots. 

I used the following ammunition:

• Fiocchi Range Dynamics, full metal jacket, 130 grain in .38 special.





• Barnes VOR-TX, hollow point, 140 grain in .357.





• Barnes TAC-XPD Defense Ammunition, hollow point, 125 grain in .357.





• Sellier & Bellot, full metal jacket, 158 grain in .357. 

Not only did I shoot amazingly tight groups (3 inches at most) at 7 yards offhand, I also hit a 25-yard, 8-inch steel target consistently. As opposed to a snubby, the longer barrel improves accuracy for my shooting due to its longer sight radius. I also could manage shooting the gun single- and double-action.

I liked the trigger pull; it felt smooth and steady. I asked my hubby (a former competitor on the United States Air Force Academy's pistol team) to test the trigger pull. He used a digital trigger gauge, and the single-action force required (averaged over five tries) measured 4 pounds, 9.8 ounces. Of course, the double-action pull was almost triple that amount, which isn't unusual for wheelguns, but its double-action smoothness made-up for the harder pull. 

On the Ranch

I carried this gun around the ranch, and on one trip in particular, I belted a pair of dry-on-the-fly shorts with my gun belt and holster, and took the gun and the grands creeking. That can be a wet situation – with splashing and hopefully not a spill. The kids got soaked, but I stayed dry from mid-thigh up and I felt confident with carrying the gun on my right side.

A stainless steel finish on any gun makes it a perfect hot weather carry gun. However, just as with any gun, you must take care of it and do your best to keep it dry. According to a daily bulletin at "Accurate Shooter," you need to remove sweat and salts from the barrel and the frame – meaning a good swabbing out and wipe down after a trip to a creek, or even to the range in the summertime. You also need to store your guns in a dry safe, perhaps with an installed dehumidifier rod, such as the one I use. Certainly, wipe down your stainless gun after use, before storing it.

For the price point of $636.99, I believe this is an excellent outside-the-waistband carry gun. I heartily recommend.

Learn more about the RM66 from Rossi.

Source: RM66 on the Ranch