Rossi RS22

A photo of the Rossi RS22, a semi-automatic rimfire rifle chambered in the .22LR cartridge. It is made and imported into the U.S. by another Brazilian company, Braztech, for the Rossi USA brand. The rifle is also sold as the Mossberg 702 Plinkster, but with a different stock and seemingly without the option for a threaded barrel.

The Rossi RS22 is a semi-automatic rimfire rifle chambered in the .22 Long Rifle cartridge. It is manufactured (and imported?) for the Rossi USA brand by the Braztech company, which is also located in Brazil.

It features an ergonomic polymer stock, a magazine capacity of 10 rounds out of the box, a free-floating 18-inch barrel and adjustable fiber-optic style sights. The RS22 is also available with the option of a threaded barrel from the factory. This model of rifle is also sold as the Mossberg 702 Plinkster, but with a different stock.

A .22 Magnum variant of the RS22 is available as the Rossi RS22M. However, it it diverges in a number of areas, including a longer barrel (21 inches), a built-in picatinny rail for mounting optics, and what appears to be an upgraded trigger.

Specifications

From the Rossi USA website:

• Action: semi-automatic.
• Caliber / Cartridge: .22 Long Rifle.
• Magazine Capacity: 10 rounds, detachable (aftermarket 25-round magazines available).
• Sights: Fiber-optic, fully adjustable.
• Rifling: 1:12 twist rate, 8 grooves.
• Overall Length: ~ 36.2 inches (919.48 mm), free-float (threaded available).
• Barrel Length: ~ 18 inches (457.2 mm)
• Weight (Empty): 4.8 lbs (76.8 oz)

Interchangeability with Mossberg 702 Plinkster

The Mossberg 702 Plinkster is the same rifle, made by the same manufacturer, but with a different stock. Parts are entirely interchangeable. This includes swapping stocks, any internal components, detachable magazine (both OEM and aftermarket extended mags), and so on. However, it does not appear that Mossberg sells a variant with optional threaded barrel.

One Reddit user argues in this Reddit thread that the rifles are indeed fully interchangeable in all aspects, including quality. However, in the same thread, another commenter argued that the Rossi and Mossberg models are made to different standards, and that "It is not rare for the Brazilian equivalent to break in the first 100 shots, arrive rusted from factory, etc." Unfortunately, no verification is given for such claims on actual differences between quality control and so on. Perhaps this can be deduced from price difference, or perhaps there is just a small premium to pay for the American "Mossberg" branding?