In the modern era, revolvers seemingly come in just a few frame sizes. Most are based on specific calibers and adapted and evolved to other calibers. Take, for example, most compact .22LR revolvers. There are basically two sizes. We have the micro-sized NAA-style guns, which you could conceal in a Speedo, and then we have J-frame-sized guns adapted to .22LR. The problem here is that we don’t get an optimum size for a defensive-oriented, concealed-carry revolver. We don’t get guns like the Rossi Princess.
The NAA revolvers are so dang small that they are tricky to use at anything but contact distance. Plus, the single-action design makes it challenging to fire rapid shots. You have hardly any grip, and the guns can’t be reloaded under stress. The J-Frame guns are solid, but they’re designed for .38 Special, not .22LR. This makes them larger than they need to be.
Although the Rossi Princess has been out of production for decades, it’s the perfect size for a concealed carry defensive revolver. It’s a double-action, seven-shot .22LR with a side-opening cylinder and a hand ejector. It’s got a two-inch barrel, but it fits in the palm of your hand. The Princess is considerably smaller than any J-frame but much more capable and easier to shoot than any NAA-type revolver.
The Rossi Princess – Not an Original
The Rossi Princess, sometimes called the Rossi Ladysmith, isn’t an original design. Rossi is a Brazilian company, and Brazil is home to numerous S&W clones. The Princess is one of those clones. From 1902 to roughly 1921, S&W produced a series of nearly identical revolvers known as the Ladysmith. The Ladysmith guns came in .32 S&W and .22LR and were built on the long-discontinued M-Frame.
The M-Frame and I-Frame were both fairly small frames, but calibers like the .38 Special put these smaller frames out of business. In the 1960s, Rossi unleashed the Princess, but it’s not like the guys in Brazil ever called it that. That seemed to be a piece of American marketing, specifically done by their importer. The importer of my gun is Int’L Corp out of Washington, D.C.
The Rossi Princess copied the S&W M Frame, but not in every little detail. The Princess uses a coil mainspring instead of S&W’s flat mainspring. The original guns from S&W existed before transfer bars, so the Princess used an Iver Johnson-style transfer bar and rebounding firing pin. Rossi used Zamak to produce the frame.
The GCA and the Rossi Princess
The barrel insert and cylinder were steel. Zamak is a rather weak metal that’s used in cheap guns. It’s often called pot metal, but it seems fine for a caliber like .22LR; just don’t expect decades of hard service.
Princess production began in 1957 and lasted until 1984. However, they were only imported into the United States from 1965 through 1969. The Gun Control Act of 1968 severely restricted the importation of small handguns. The GCA established a point system to allow for imports, and guns like the Princess couldn’t get enough points. The short barrel, small grip, caliber, and sights killed its ability to be imported.
The Rossi Princess In Hand
I got a Rossi Princess at a local auction. I had never heard a thing about the gun, but I was intrigued. The name and .22LR chambering intrigued me. I only saw photos and didn’t understand just how small the gun was.
When I picked it up, I was an instant fan. As someone who had never seen a Ladysmith or M Frame in person, I was impressed at how small the gun was. Instantly, I thought about how a gun this small would make an excellent defensive pocket gun.
Due to the gun’s age and the fact that it’s made from Zamak, I kept to the standard velocity bulk pack .22LR. I wasn’t going to throw any high-velocity stuff through the Rossi Princess. Diligent viewers might have noticed a distinct lack of a cylinder release. To flip the cylinder out, you have to reach in front of the ejection rod and pull a little know forward. This releases the cylinder and allows it to pop open.
There, we get seven cylinders. Seven rounds in a small gun isn’t bad. We have to pull that tab forward to close the cylinder, and then the cylinder will lock closed. The Princess wouldn’t be a speedy reload, but reloading is possible.
The grip is quite small and only allows for two fingers to fit. The small frame and my large hands feel somewhat odd together. This gun certainly isn’t made for hands my size. If the caliber was more substantial than .22LR, this might be a problem, but it’s not, so it isn’t.
To The Range
With the gun loaded with some basic .22LR, I started tossing lead down range. The double-action trigger is brutal. It’s super heavy and long. That’s a bit of a trend with rimfire revolvers. The heavy trigger is due to the heavy mainspring. You want the hammer to strike hard to increase reliability.
Rimfire ignition can be tricky, so a heavy trigger allows for more reliable ignition. While it sucks for the end user, the gun goes bang when you pull the trigger. The Rossi Princess has an exposed hammer, and the single action is much better than the double action.
Sighting In
The front sight of the Rossi Princess is a tall ramp that aligns with a small rear sight in front of the hammer. Nothing can be adjusted, and the sights are rather small. The long, heavy trigger does no favors for accuracy. I can hit a target at seven to ten yards, but not a small target. With single-action trigger pulls, if I take my time, I can put all seven rounds in a five-inch group at seven yards.
Double action opens that up to 10 inches or so. The trigger is so heavy that my sights move all over the place as I shoot the gun, making it tough to shoot the weapon accurately. Doing it quickly exacerbates the issue. I can put all seven rounds into the upper torso area on a man-sized target at seven yards. Luckily, recoil doesn’t factor into the gun’s performance. A .22LR doesn’t offer hardly any recoil, even in a gun this small.
It’s not optimum, but in a pinch, it’s not bad. I wouldn’t carry the Princess, but I’d carry a modern reincarnation of the gun with what’s maybe a bit better trigger.
READ MORE HERE: The Best Snub Nose Revolvers
A Modern Princess
A modern princess would have a better trigger. It would still likely be stiff for reliability, but we can probably smooth it up. It’d ditch the ramp sight for something more like a bright gold bead or even an XS front sight. Lop the hammer offer for deep concealment, and we’d have a little pocket gun.
The Rossi Princess is a curiosity these days, but I’d love to see someone take advantage of the small size of the .22LR in a revolver. The Princess and Ladysmith would be a welcome comeback to the world of deep concealment firearms.
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