Years ago (middle 1980's) I owned a Rossi pump-action .22 rifle. It was called the "Gallery" model, before geing assigned the M62. It is a cosmetic copy of the classic Winchester M62/M63A rifles that haven't been made since the late 1950's.
I say "cosmetic copy" because parts are not fully interchangeable, since Rossi (Brazil) tooled and manufactured this gun to metric standards, and based on the long-expired Winchester patents. It is not, as some believe, "made on old Winchester tooling" with interchangeable parts. Some pins are used, for example, in the breechblock where the original used tiny little screws. I have original M1890, M1906, and M62/62A Winchesters, and the major parts are definitely NOT interchangeable.
The sample I had, and several that I examined, had functional, but not high-quality metal polishing and bluing with noticeable waves and rounded edges. The wood was some cheap south american wood with little or no grain, and the finish was yucky looking stain and varnish. Overall, it functioned well, but was strictly utalitarian. It was traded off when another rifle came along.
Sine then, I've seen, handled, and even purchased another Rossi 62. The workmanship and details on the latest production (several years now) are very good! Polishing, bluing, and wood quality and finish has improved greatly, in my opinion.
One last thing: I knew a gunsmith in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada that was one of the first Rossi dealers in North America, and he had maybe a dozen .22 Rossi M62 barrels removed from customer guns for warranty repair. Mind you, this could happen to almost any mass-produced gun, but it happened to THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. Many of the barrels had distinct waves, ripples, and tears in the rifling, throat, and chamber. The barrels were obviously defective and escaped quality control inspection.
I can recommend the purchase of a new Rossi M62, but first examine it carefully for the points I mentioned.
HTH
John
