A little history on this design first. Back in the early 1890s, Winchester asked John Browning if he could design an improved pistol-caliber lever action that could replace the lumbering old Model 1873. Silly question. Browning responded that if he couldn't have a prototype ready in under a month, Winchester could have it for free.

Browning went right to work, and basically scaled down the superb Model 1886 Winchester (his design also). The Model 1886 was known as having an extremely smooth action, but it was big and designed for such heavy hitters as the .45-70.

In only 2 weeks, Browning had a functioning prototype of what was to become the Model 1892 Winchester. Initial calibers were the .32-20, .38-40 and .44-40. These were later followed by the .25-20, and even later, the .218 Bee.

The one millionth rifle was presented to Secretary of War Patrick Hurley on December 13, 1932. Admiral Robert E. Peary carried one on his North Pole trips. Who hasn't seen John Wayne win the West on the silver screen with a '92 equipped with a large loop lever? I understand that the Duke owned several.

Winchester phased out the '92 in 1941, but that only paved the way for clones in more modern calibers to appear, and these are still being made prolifically today. Improved metallurgy has made calibers such as the .44 Magnum possible in this small action. Winchester has re-introduced various iterations of the '92, and these are being made in Japan. A friend of mine was excited to tell me that he'll soon be the proud owner of a takedown Winchester Trapper model in .357 magnum. I understand that the modern Winchesters have tang safeties, a deviation from Browning's original pattern. These aren't cheap, but Miroku has made good stuff for Winchester. Forget that safety, though. The half-cock was good enough for Browning, and it's good enough for me.

I have a Browning '92 in .44 Magnum/.44 Special. Let me tell you that it kicks like a mule. My shoulder still hurts from firing it a year ago. It's a true copy of the original Winchester, albeit with a stupid gold-plated trigger. My sense of esthetics, such as it is, was offended by that. I also have a Rossi "Puma" in .357 Magnum, which I consider the ideal caliber for this little 20-inch-barreled carbine. I found it grossly annoying, however, that Rossi has, in recent years, chosen to tack on a ridiculous "safety thingy" on top of the breechbolt, and the wood they've been using recently is really sad - it looks like dark-stained 2x4 pine wood. The example I have even has a factory repair to the fore-stock, and I bought it new! It's a fun gun, though - 10 shots quick, accurate, light and handy.

Well, at the Phoenix gun show this weekend I got all of my annoyances with Rossi settled, and bought a cherry '92 saddle ring carbine from none other than a grand-nephew of the late great Gene Autry. This Rossi was made pre-"Puma," I'm guessing in the late '70s to early '80s, being as how it was imported by Interarms and from the serial number. It does NOT have the PC safety, and the wood is gorgeous. It's in .357/.38 special - my choice for this gun. A plus is that the cost was quite reasonable.

The recoil is comfortably manageable. It uses modern commonly available cartridges. It holds 10 rounds in the magazine. Power rivals the .30/30 cartridge (which, like the .44 Magnum, kicks like crazy in a '94 Winchester lever action). The '92 has a really smooth action - a dab of lithium grease on the locking lugs is an instant action job. It can serve for small and medium game out to 200 yards if necessary, and can make an acceptable home defense weapon. Now I'm a happy camper, owning a '92 that looks good, mimics ol' John Moses' original design, and didn't cost me an arm and a leg to enjoy.

The Model 1892 is indeed my favorite center-fire lever action; it's "just right" in .357 Magnum chambering.

How about you?

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Thank you for an enjoyable read.

I am really loving my Rossi Model 92 in .357. Got it about two months ago, have run a few hundred rounds through it, it has smoothed up nicely and is very accurate.






I also have a Marlin 1894 in .357, the Model 92 is much smoother, with similar accuracy, at least out to 50 yards. Haven't tried the Model 92 at 100 yards yet, the Marlin will shoot about 3" at 100 yards.

I've got a Winchester 1886 in 45/70 on layaway, (new one, made by Miroku), looking forward to getting and shooting it. Then, a Uberti 1873 and my Winchester "Jones" will be complete....

I have a 357 puma too. I havent worked with a lot yet, but it shows promise. Years ago I had a winchester 92 converted to 357. Another time I had a winchester 73 converted to 38 special. I think the 92 clones in 357 are a great idea. I like the caliber to shoot better than my browning 92 in .44 mag. Here are the twins.

I agree. I have a 92 made in 1927 in .32 WCF (or, as it currently known, the good ol' .32-20). I bought it about 10 years ago for a very good price (for the seller!) of $1400. The original barrel has a like-new bore and it is literally a point-and-shoot rifle. This rifle will stay with me forever and then my Arkansas son-in-law will probably get it, a reward for being so good to my daughter and just being an all-around cool guy in general.

I have two Winchester M1892, both in .38 WCF, aka the 38-40. My love affair started as a young boy when my grandfather let me shoot his '92. I believe it is a 1908 variation with a stag or bone blade front sight. My second '92 is a 1926 model with a half tube. Both are full octagon barrels. What great shooters!

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Isaiah 55:8-9
Phil. 4:13

The .357 Magnum M92 is a surprising carbine. To us, it is as close to recoil free as we've found, accurate, handy, powerful enough, and as lightweight as a steel & wood long gun can be.

Here is a 20" Rossi made EMF brand tuned a bit by Steve's Gunz out of Port Arthur, TX. With a friend.

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July 4, 1776 not Jan 30, 1909

I bought a stainless Rossi M92 .44 mag carbine earler this year.

This rifle being my first experiences with the M1892 action..the Rossi M92 also..and my third .44 mag carbine.

Bought specificly for a feral hog gun/truck gun. Has served me very well thus far.

have had less opportunity to hunt hogs this summer with the intense heat and all(hogs ain't roaming much during the heat of the day...but I've shot a couple pigs the last couple months.

The 240gr .44 mag softpoint is a pig slayer..and the Rossi gets them there.

I bought an 1892 Winchester in 44 mag this spring, and just took it to the range this past week. I really like it, but was surprised a the punch that little gal has! I sold my Marlin 1895 cow boy, and replaced it with the Winchester, and it is easier to handle than the 26 inch barreled Marlin, a lot lighter, and it certainly kicks less than that 45-70-but I got love bites on my shoulder/chest from that 44mag! Now, after reading this, I guess I'll be looking for a 357 mag as well-maybe with a 16 inch barrel(?) Flapjack.

I own a Winchester 1892 in .44 WCF made in 1894. I really like that rifle. I have also fired a Marlin Model 1888. The Marlin 1888 is a fairly rare rifle because they only made it for one year before they started the 1889 in side eject. The 1888 is top eject. I believe Winchester wanted the 1892 because the Marlins were so vastly superior to the Winchester 1873.

Great thread. I too have an abiding appreciation for the '92. My 1st was a Browning in 44 Mag. It does kick but with Hornady's Leverevolution soft pointy tip ammo, it's a new rifle with ballistics that would make old John Moses turn in his socks. It's a very flat shooter and with 250 yard usable range. The Leverevolution ammo did the same thing in my '94 30-30.

When I had a chance to buy one of the 1st issues with engraving and saddle ring very reasonably priced, I bought it too but it remains unfired.

My next was a 44-40 14" trapper model that's extremely fun to shoot and handle. It was a Turnbull restoration so it looks new except for the bore but that's what made it affordable; the collector value was gone.

Then last year an 85% original finish 25-20 1929 carbine with gleaming bore walked into the gunshow with owner attached. $1500 later it and 2 boxes of ammo went home with me. That's when I became hooked on small bore '92s. My 1st shot was a dead ctr X ring bullseye and it'll do it everytime.

My 5th and last was bought brand new; a Miroku Winchester from GunsAmerica this year; one of 500 short rifles in 32-20 with 20" octagon barrel and crescent butt. I knew what a great job Miruko has done on my Browning '92s and Model 71 so I didn't hesitate. I was not dissappointed. A new Lyman tang peep sight now sits where the safety button used to reside. It still has the funky rebound hammer but shoots like a dream!

If another comes along, it may have a new home as well.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Looking for a pre 64 model 94 now actually.

This 92 .44 wcf was stolen out of my house along with other guns in 2002 in lancaster california. It was a wall hanger that came off a indian reservation in the dakotas. Serial #269815

My last 92 was a OBFMCB in 25-20 and was one of funnest guns I have ever owned...wish I still had it.

I only have one 92 and it is a round barrel rifle with no finish except in a few areas, but no rust or pitting. The great thing about it is the pristine bore. Also chambered in 25-20 and that is a fun cartridge. A little noise and a gentle push on the shoulder. Another reat little lever gun is the Marlin 1894 in 32 20 and 25 20. They are a little smaller in proportion and the 92 has a female athletes body, a little bulked up whiler the Marlin is a little more trim like a pretty lady in a black dress. Both are great guns and the 32-20 and 25-20 are two of the most fun calibers you can shoot. Both unfortunately are hard to find in the early guns with a good bore.

Recently acquired Amadeo Rossi 92 in 357mag. Imported by Interarms, Came into my shop last week. Original owner decided to sell it, still unfired. How many of these are out there? Any info?

Attached Images

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	AmadeoRossi92src-2.jpg (66.7 KB, 101 views)

I have a EMF model 1892 saddle ring carbine in .357 magnum. It's made by Rossi for EMF with a higher grade of fit and finish. Mine has a color case hardened finish and that unfortunate safety thingy.

Steve's Gunz who specializes in model 1892 rifles will remove the safety thingy for 40 bucks.

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- Change it back -

I have a Browning M92 in .44 Magnum that I like a lot. Very reliable feeding. I trust it for home defense.

My Browning 92 in .44 Magnum is used in Cowboy Action Shooting. Loaded to proper levels of course. I have several boxes of Hornady 265 grain JSPs and intend to load them in it to use on feral hogs.

A slick rifle but they do jam up at the speeds that CAS shooters use them so they are not popular with the top shooters.

I am not a "top shooter" so I don't care, I use mine.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

My Interarms Rossi '92 has serial number K0470XX, and the best info I can get from those that know these rifles pretty well is that it was manufactured in the late '70s or early '80s. Factory records from that era are non-existant, or apparently so. Taurus bought out Rossi in 1998, and their customer service department can provide more accurate dates of manufacture for the newer ones with the safety thingy. If anyone knows of an accurate date of manufacture chart for the Interarms '92s, I'd sure like to see it.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

My 357 is K1018xx, and I bought it sometime between '95 and 2000.

I'd sure like to know, too. I've got 5 them. One's an M prefix, one's an N, one's an NA (but it was sold by Navy Arms so that's probably why) and the other's an AM.

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I always take precautions

Well, I'm not usually much of a fan of small bores so the .357 doesn't excite me.

Improvements in metalurgy have permitted the .454 Casull in the 92, let alone the 44.

My pistol caliber carbines are all in 45 Colt, a much better round in my book than any other offered. Light loads like the 255 grain Keith at 1150 fps have zero recoil. Twenty two grains of #2400 under a 310 grain Keith is still nice for recoil and hits like Thor's hammer.


Cat

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Think for yourself.

I have worked up some .45 Colt loads in my Marlin 1894 Cowboy that will move a 300 grain bullet at 1400 fps. That is approximately the old .45/60 load of a 300 grain bullet at about 1400 fps. That load killed a lot of elk and grizzly.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

Boy, I picked this little 92 up at a gun show back in the 70's. It's in 25-20 and shoots like a dream.

I have this Browning B92 in .44 Magnum. Bought it at a Salt Lake City gunshow a few years ago from an older gentleman who had spent many years in Alaska. He said this rifle had spent a lot of time "on duty" at his cabin in Alaska.

He also had stripped the high gloss Browning finish off the stock and had the wood checkered, whoever did it did a very nice job. If guns could talk ...


I also have a B92 in .357 magnum. I haven't played with it much yet. I bought it from a Cowboy shooter and the action has been slicked up and the sights changed, including a front sight with a fairly large ivory bead. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of it.

I also have a pair of stainless Rossi trappers, in 357 and 44 Mag. I bought the 44 from Steve Young and had him work his magic on it before shipping it to my FFL. It is as smooth as a warm knife through butter. It also has sights very much like the Patrige sights on a S&W revolver, and since most of my open sight shooting over the last 30 years has been with S&W revolvers, I like 'em.

The 44 is such a winner that I bought it's twin in .357. At the time they were scarce and I bought it locally, then shipped it to Steve for him to work his magic.

I have been surprised that the Rossi's are considerably more accurate that their Browning kin, although on my Browning 357 that may be due to the large front sight bead. This pic was taken before the 357 visited Steve Young and had the safety removed.



I have used the Rossi 44 to take a couple of Texas feral hogs. Both were dropped in their tracks with the first shot. And the little Rossi trappers aren't much heavier or harder to carry than a long barreled sixgun.

I have some 180 grain LBT cast bullets for the 357's. I plan to work up accurate loads for these and use the 357 Rossi on my next hog hunt. Something similar to the round on the right

Has anyone experienced the Big Horn Armory 500 Mag lever gun yet?

Built on an '86/'92 action and about 1/2 way in between in size.

Big Horn Armory Model 89 Lever-Action 500 S&W Magnum Carbine

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Jim
S&WCA #819

This is one of my favorite rifles, and one the rest of the family enjoys shooting. It is in 25-20, originally put together in 1922. It is a great cast bullet rifle.

I am going to buy myself an original Winchester 92 in .38-40 for fun and excitement. I would like to know if there is a specific serial number after which the guns were made with a higher steel content in the receivers? I have looked around for this information without much success and if somebody actually knows this information it would be a big help. There's two old '92's right here locally and the serial numbers are not far apart but both of them are under 200,000. I think the one in nice shape is an 1899 manufacture and the one that's rather degraded is a 1900 manufacture.

I have a nice condition .38-40 carbine barrel for my restoration I just want to buy the receiver that's steel if I can. Maybe I need to look further? I don't know when they switched from iron to steel.

I don't know much about them at all, but will learn as this goes along. Thanks!

Thank you calmex for resurrecting this thread. I'm also interested in your serial number/steel content question. My 1892 .44-40 SRC is serial numbered 998xxx from 1929, not that I'm about to 'hot-rod' this nice old gun but really I would like to know.

I know as much about the 1892 Winchesters as your favorite actor's key grip, but I believe I read somewhere (before I actually became interested in buying one) that after 1902 they were steel. I repeat; I believe I read that. I'm not saying this is correct.

However, when I stumbled upon 2 different 1892 rifles in .38-40 very close to home within the same week, I suddenly became fanatically interested in finding out if there's a "magic serial number" I need to look for. I think a 1929 model should be as steel as steel gets.

But remember, you could get an opinion on the Model 1892 Winchester rifle as qualified as my own by watching back-episodes of Marcus Welbey M.D., so don't go with my opinion as the "final opinion" on the matter.

Had a Rossi 20 inch .357 in the 80s which I traded for a Winchester Trapper in .357 in the 90s. Had the stupid cross-bolt safety.... removed and a plug made..........

my dumb question.... is the Winchester Trapper built on a 92 (pistol caliber) or 94 (30-30) action?

I, too, love the model 92. I have two made by Rossi, both in .45 Colt. One is blued, with a 24-inch octagon barrel, smoothed up by Steve Young. The other is a bead-blasted, stainless, with a 16-inch barrel, also with a Steve Young action job. The 16-incher is my main truck gun.


Fits nice in a scabbard, too, when I want to pack it on my saddle or in the Rhino.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

A couple of 38-40's, both from Oklahoma (Indian Territory)

Since "trapper" just means it's a 16" barrel, you could have either a 94 Trapper or a 92 Trapper.

Open your lever all the way. If there is a kinda rectangular block attached to the lever, like in the top and bottom guns, it's a 92. If half the innards fall out, like the middle gun, it's a 94.

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I always take precautions

Thanks.........

This is a pretty old thread, but what the heck ...

I purchased the Browning '92 when it came out. My OCD was worse back in the 1980's. I refinished the gold trigger, restocked the carbine in real walnut and shortened the barrel to 16". I also added a saddle ring and a genuine custom large loop lever. The hard part was getting steel barrel bands on the little gun.

Sure does kick with magnums, but I used to shoot light loads for more fun. Finally felt a bit silly about the large loop lever so I have since replaced it with a standard one.