Last summer my FIL passed away. From his tiny collection of guns, my MIL gave me his 1892 in .32-20. He has had a box of ammo for it. It hadn't been shot in forever so I took it to a local smith that is well know and reputable and had them go through it, completely clean it, reassemble and function test it. When I got it back I headed to the range. Now for the problem. At 25yds the grouping is more like that of a shotgun. I could barely keep my shots on a 8.5x11" piece of paper.

I like the gun, and I know it has some value, but if it won't shoot I don't know know what to do with it. I afraid anything that would fix the accuracy might destroy it's value.

Please offer any suggestions you might have on what you would do if faced with this situation. Here's some pics:
Winchester Model 1892 Slideshow by Hunter8282 | Photobucket

Thanks!

check condition of the barrel for worn rifeling and pitting.
also try some new ammo I reload for that caliber and I cast my bullets, it may be that you need larger diameter bullet.

Sounds like you may have a worn barrel or are using ammunition that is sized poorly for the rifle. I'd look for obvious barrel defects such as worn rifling, bad pitting, bad crown, or a burr at the muzzle. With a worn or pitted barrel, the only option is a re-barrel or sleeve...

With a re-barrel or sleeve you can opt for a more modern cartridge such as .357, many have found a sweet shooter with a Winchester 92 chambered in .357.

As for checking bullet sizing, see if you can find some cast lead .32/20 loads, they may grip the rifling better than jacketed bullets.

I'm sure others will chime in with better advice, good luck on your quest for accuracy, whatever you do will be worth it to have a classic lever rifle you can shoot with satisfaction.

Another vote for trying new ammo.

I had something similar happen once and it was just simply the ammo.

And if new ammo doesn't help, have the smith check the barrel crown. Just a small ding will play havoc with accuracy.
Gary

If you haven't already done it, check the manufacture date. One place is Proofhouse.com

Depending on the age and condition, and since it's a family heirloom, you may not want to do anything to the gun. Some of those old Winchesters are worth a pretty penny.

Definitely try some fresh ammo. If it's the barrel, you can have it sleeved or replace it. Homestead gun parts sells the barrels. They're not cheap, but are of very high quality.

I know you said you had him clean it.
Still I wonder if it could be leaded up

__________________
Paul
S&WCA #2726

What a beautiful sporting rifle. It does this collectors heart purr knowing you wish to keep this beauty as is. Some cant see the beauty in honest wear. A good solution would be to have the existing barrel relined. This solution has been used for years and does little devaluing and is almost invisible to the naked eye. Of course I would try different ammo, cast bullets and a good scrubbing before considering relining.

In my experience, most factory 32-20 ammo made these days is generally pretty crummy.

My 32-20 M&P couldn't hit the broad side of the barn with Remington ammo. When I started handloading with good, correctly sized cast bullets it became a great shooting gun.

If you want to shoot it much, it might be worth looking into handloading. A set of Lee dies will cost you less than a box of factory 32-20 ammo...

Hunter I am sure you did your homework the 32-20 was more on the rare side for that model 92. compared to the more produced 44-40's.

Just my .02

Excellent Rifle
Pete

My research has led me to believe it was manufactured in 1911! That lines up with Proofhouse.com which leads me to believe it was an early 1911 manufacture.

Interesting comments on the ammo. What I have for it is Remington Express 32-20 100gr Lead RN. Can anyone point me to source for good ammo with proper cast bullets? I'd like to just buy some for testing purposes. I also examine the bore and crown again to see if I can see anything.

Thanks for all the comments so far.

Recently returned to shooting condition a 1914-vintage 1892 in .25-20 (same case necked down to .25 caliber, only about 4% of total 1892 production was in this caliber, so YAY! when I found it). Also have a 1892 in .32-20 I've been shooting for years with cast bullets and handloads.

That is a very nice looking '92. I strongly recommend against any modifications such as rebarreling, relining the barrel, caliber changes, etc. Collector demand is excellent, but anything other than factory original takes a huge chunk off the value. (Assuming all correct, good internals, good bore, etc, you're looking at north of $1,000-plus as is).

The .32-20 cartridge was very popular from the 1870's until about WW2. Ammunition of that period was all mercuric-based priming, and a wide variety of cast and jacketed bullets of varying diameters and profiles. There was a great deal of variation in new barrels, with different bore and groove diameters. I suspect that you are dealing with a combination of some bore corrosion, throat erosion, muzzle erosion, possibly a small ding to the crown, and ammunition not completely suitable for the rifle in question.

Close examination of the bore will tell the tale on its condition. Mild to moderate corrosion or pitting can be tolerated as long as the rifling lands and grooves remain clear and strong. Bore diameter may vary from about 0.311 to about 0.316 or so (although 0.320" wouldn't really surprise me). As others have noted, condition of the crown (where the bullet exits the muzzle) can have considerable influence on accuracy. Recrowning is a very simple procedure if needed and will not affect the value of the rifle.

Slugging the barrel (driving a soft lead slug through the rifled barrel) will reveal the actual bore and groove dimensions. If the barrel is significantly oversized there is little hope for jacketed bullets of standard diameter to shoot well. Cast bullets, however, can provide excellent results if properly configured (body diameter at or about 0.001" above groove diameter, nose diameter at or about 0.001" above bore diameter, within general tolerances for the caliber, i.e. 110 to 120 grains, round or flat nose for use in tubular magazine). Short version: there was so much variation in manufacturing tolerances, back in the day, that your rifle may never have shot well with factory ammo, and any deterioration of condition since new probably isn't helping matters a bit.

.32-20 is relatively easy to reload. Dies are made by most of the major manufacturers. For cast bullets I recommend using the Lyman M-die for neck expansion to seat cast bullets smoothly and easily. Modest roll crimp. Case wall are quite thin and cases do not tolerate much abuse in sizing, neck expansion, seating, crimping, etc, so take your time and work the brass gently.

Powders such as 2400 and 4198 provide very good performance with modest pressures. Small pistol primers have always worked for me (some recommend small rifle primers in rifles of this caliber, but my .32-20 loads need to work in the old Winchesters as well as my old Bisley Colt, so I use the pistol primers). Gas check bullets are my preference, but the .32-20 velocities don't really require these as long as the bullet alloy is up to the task (1200 to 1500 FPS or so).

Realistically, I would expect a good load to shoot 4" to 5" groups from the bench at 100 yards with the 1892 Winchester in .32-20. Plenty adequate for small game out to 50 yards or more. Lots of fun to shoot with minimal recoil or muzzle blast.

Well worth the effort to find out what it likes and feed it accordingly.

Also check for a bulged or ringed bore. Some of the earlier jacketed 32-20 ammo would at times shed their jackets in the bore and the next round hitting the jacket would bulge the barrel.

Try everything mentioned to get it to shoot w/the original bbl.
If it doesn't satisfy you, get the original bbl relined.

Done right it won't even show on the outside.
Yes collectors will cry, but most collectors wouldn't give the rifle a second glance,,no disrespect meant.
It's just not in 'collectible condition' ,,little finish if any, the hammer spur has been altered w/ file notches, rear sight isn't original,,front may not be.
It's a well used, so called honest Winchester 92. A lot of people like them that way, me included!
But they do not demand big prices. The money getter is the 44-40, doesn't matter what the production records say is rare. Condition counts and that includes bore condition.

That said,,sentimental attachment can be way beyond market value on guns like this. At times we just want to be able to put them to use once again.
A relined bbl as a last resort won't hurt the market value in this instance (IMHO), won't change the appearance of the rifle, and may bring a scatter-shot wall hanger back to the range and field again..

hunter 8282, how many rounds did you shoot ? sometimes after an old barrel has been cleaned it may take 20 -30 rounds fired to "season" the bore & start "shooting again". hth.

I have a 32-20. Ammo is the first suspect. I bought 100 rounds Remington for the brass. After I shot those up and started loading for the gun, accuracy came with the reloads.

The cheapest most likely is try other ammo.

David

The 1892 is my favorite of the Winchester levers. I'm sure that you have other rifles that are more practical to shoot. I would be proud to own that rifle and never shooting it wouldn't bother me a bit. I'd still treasure it and enjoy it just the same.

I have an 1892 which was made in 1892. I cherish it. I have shot it with ammo I reloaded to minimum pressure. My advice would be to cherish your 1892 in the condition it is in now and not ruin its sentimental and collector value with any modifications. If you have no sentimental attachments to the rifle offer it for sale. Someone may very well appreciate it in its present condition.