Gun Of The Week: Rossi Brawler

Welcome to our Gun Of The Week, and for this episode, we’ve got Rossi’s single-shot Brawler handgun on the range. This is a seriously tough, compact break-action that’s built for versatility. Watch our video below to see this dual-purpose single-shot handgun in use on the range with American Rifleman staff.

"Adaptable" and "handy" are key words that best describe Rossi’s modern single-shot handgun. A spinoff of the Tuffy shotgun series, the Brawler delivers .410 bore performance in a handgun-size platform. If that wasn’t enough, the Brawler pulls double-duty and can chamber .45 Colt, a classic centerfire handgun cartridge. This dual chambering capability is not a novel one, but what Rossi has done is modernized the concept. The Brawler is a mix of modern polymers and alloys. And most importantly, it is a safe and fun firearm to shoot.

The fact that Rossi’s Brawler chambers centerfire handgun cartridges and shotshells takes this gun beyond many others similar to it. With the Brawler, you get a gun that measures 14” overall and weighs 36.8 ozs. It is important to note that 9” of that length is the flat-sided, alloy steel barrel. The barrel comes with 1:24” right-hand-twist rifling and a muzzle crown. Rossi includes a set of sights mounted to the barrel, with a post up front and simple, square-notch rear.

One of the highlights of the Brawler platform is its included Picatinny rail. This rail section, which comes pre-mounted on top of the receiver, serves as the mounting platform for aftermarket sights and optics. With a magnified optic and .45 Colt loads, a hunter can easily bag deer-sized game at distances beyond the capability of most handguns. Couple the versatility of the chamber cut with 3” .410 bore turkey loads, and survivalists can simply bag turkey and other small game for camp. It really is a versatile gun, and it is right at home in a bed stand or tucked away in the truck or bug-out bag, too.

Putting the Brawler to use is quite simple, but first we must go over its manual of arms. To open the action, look to the right of the hammer spur, along the receiver tang where it meets the top of the grip—this serrated section will need to be engaged with a firm press down. With the support hand, once the unlock lever has been fully depressed, rotate the barrel assembly down to hinge the action, exposing the chamber. To load, simply drop a round, or a shell, into battery. Next, all you have to do is hinge the action closed until you hear a positive “click” and witness the unlock lever spring back into position. To ready the gun to fire you’ll need to cock the hammer. Once the hammer is cocked, the crossbolt safety must be pressed to the left, exposing the color red on the polymer-coated steel frame’s left side. Now the single-action gun is ready to fire.

We took Rossi’s single-shot Brawler to the range with a mix of loads and no malfunctions were reported. Our testers noted the gun’s rubberized grip as being quite comfortable, especially when shooting heavy-for-caliber loads. It was also noted that the stippling along the sides of the polymer fore-end are worthwhile additions to the gun, especially when using a two-handed hold, and that it helps secure the gun when using shooting sticks in the field. All told, the Brawler presents an affordable and versatile package that is hard to beat.

Rossi Brawler Specifications

Importer: Braztech International, L.C., Inc. USA

Chambering: .45 Colt/.410 Bore; 3"

Action Type: break-action, single-shot, centerfire pistol

Receiver: steel; black-polymer overmold

Barrel: 9" steel

Rifling: six-grooves, 1:24" RH-twist

Sights: fixed, square-notch, post front; Picatinny rail

Trigger: single-action; 4-lb., 10-oz. pull

Capacity: 1 round

Overall Length: 14"

Height: 5.9"

Width: 1.2"

Weight: 36.8 ozs.

MSRP: $258

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