If you’ve been reading my reviews for any length of time then you know I’m a fan of rare and quirky firearms. A side by side .410 already gets pretty far on the list but when you add in double triggers, external hammers, and an action which is resized from its bigger bore brothers, The Overland is a clear winner.
Apparently the .410 gauge Overlands are rare, which makes sense since I never knew these guns existed until I saw one sitting on a used gun rack a few years ago. For me it had been love at first sight, I couldn’t put the darn thing down! There may have also been some amusing girlish sounds involved at the time. Having only gotten to fire an old Ithaca .410 side by side many years ago I knew how fun these small, lightweight scatterguns could be. They’re easy to carry and incredibly pointable with a mild thump for recoil, which is good as the Overland lacks any kind of sling studs. Seems a little silly for something called “The Overland,” but I digress. .410 as a caliber already intrigued me because in a sense it just seems kind of silly. In the shotgun world the .410 is whimsical, and as such it requires a whimsical platform to chamber it.
Yes, I’m looking at you Taurus Judge. And Rossi Circuit Judge. And Smith & Wesson Governor. And any .410 chambered Derringer.
Imported via “Interarms,” the full name of these guns is a little weird, starting with “Amadeo Rossi” and ending with “The Overland.” Going by the name “THE” Overland I already knew this was going to be a funky gun. The action really does look like a scaled down 12 gauge and Overland shotguns were also available in 12 and 20 gauges, though I’m not sure about any others as information on them isn’t the easiest to find. Nor are spare parts, particularly for the .410 which appears to be approaching unicorn territory within The Overland’s small family tree.
Start with a pair of 26″ barrels both with fixed full chokes. A single brass bead gives you an aiming reference up front. In the back those lovely external hammers give you a proper old-school feel which makes this gun an absolute hoot to shoot even when you’re missing your target. A lack of automatic ejectors simplifies the design and makes opening and closing the action nice and easy, though I admit being able to pop the empty hulls out with a flick of the wrist would have been awesome. I think Rossi made the right move by going pure manual here as it brings a proper Cowboy sort of experience without punishing your shoulder. A .410 side by side could be shot a bunch before you’d get tired of it. The barrels would get too hot to touch before your shoulder would complain, as I’ve discovered.
Speaking of simplicity there are no controls for which barrel to fire as each has its own trigger, but also there is no manual safety. When you want to shoot, thumb back a hammer and go. It really is a basic no frills design!
Pairing the tiny size of the chambers, the ear-like hammers, and how the recoil impulse is a lightweight thump as the shotgun hops around in your hands, I have affectionately taken to calling mine “Bunny.” A cute name for a cute gun, it’s so tame that I would feel comfortable placing this side by side in anyone’s hands for an enjoyable experience. When you see how birdshot opens up on a splatter target or eviscerates a soda can it’ll make anyone’s face light up in a hurry, all without the usual intimidation factor that comes from the larger bores.
Disassembly starts with a button on the front of the forend, then it’s business as usual for a double barrel. Break it open and unhook the barrels from the receiver. Nice and simple, which seems to be the ethos of the Overland.
If there’s any rabbit left in the room to address, it’s that from a build quality the Overland is simply “mid.” The wood is just okay. The fit and finish are okay. The hammer and trigger pulls are okay. The nuts and bolts are about as average as you can possibly get with a side by side but that also helps to keep the price down…except that Cowboy Action shooters apparently love these fairly hard to get Overlands. They’ve also been out of production for a while after a fairly limited lifespan. Prices have held surprisingly well for these considering they’re Rossi’s which is a branch of Taurus Arms, known for producing budget blasters.
If you do manage to find one it’s worth paying close attention to the condition as finding spare parts is extremely difficult and there is no aftermarket support to speak of that I could see. Mine had needed one of the hammer springs replaced and to this day I have no idea what the local gunsmith found to replace the old one with. Cracked stocks and buttplates seem fairly common and you are almost guaranteed to be stuck with any such blemishes, which is a real shame as I’m sure these guns were amazing value for the money when they were in production.
The .410 crowd already seems like a small niche of a bigger niche and options can be limited when looking for any scattergun in the smallest of gauges. I may have very limited experience with double barrels but I still think fondly of my range outing with a .410 Overland. If you can find one at all I’d say it’s worth a closer look, especially if it isn’t priced out of this world or too badly worn. The kids’ll love it.
