Article on the Model 1892 Winchester Rifle

Hello all,

I am a Model 1892 collector and researcher. I happen to own 27 of these rifes right now. I am conducting a research survey and would love to add any and all rifles I can get in touch with. You can read about the work in these forum posts. Please contact me via email with the serial number of your rifle and some photos of all the stamped writing on the gun. I can tell you how your rifle fits into the changes made during production and give you an estimate of its potential value. With over 4200 rifles in the effort so far I have seen a lot of these rifles.
Paco Kelly's Leverguns.com ? View topic - Winchester Model 1892 Production Survey
WinchesterCollector.org :: View topic - Model 1892 Survey

Thanks for any help you can lend
Michael
 
I don't know how many winchester 1892's were made but in all my years of fooling around with firearms I have only seen two in the flesh. One in 44-40 and the other was the El tigre also in 44-40. I have to guess that them who has them ain't turning any of them loose. Frank
 
You can still get higher quality 1892's from E.M.F. Company, Inc. They are made by Rossi, but to a much higher fit and finish standard. I have 1892 carbine in with a color case hardened receiver that is very nice.

396287119.jpg
 
Another good article John. I have a clone in 357 that is marked Hartford. It is stainless and since I like nickel Smiths it fits right in. You make a good point in the fact these rifles can kick a bit even in what seem to be not that wild handgun loads.
 
I own a rossi in .357 and a browning 92 in .44 mag. I owned several original winchester 92s years ago. One was a shot out rifle in .25-20 that I had converted to .357. I also owned this .44 wcf carbine that dated 1902 and came off a indian reservation in the dakotas. It was later stolen out of my house.

Guns7.jpg


35744mag.jpg
 
Always enjoy your articles, John. They're the first thing I read when my copy of The Blue Press arrives. Didn't realize that "Paladin" was the author.

My truck gun is a sweet little Rossi '92 bead-blasted stainless-steel Trapper in .45 Colt. Steve Young in Texas worked his magic on this little gun so the action is "slicker than snot on a marble."

It's tough enough to shoot Buffalo Bore loads through it, bringing the muzzle velocity and energy pretty darn close to the low end of a .45-70.

For day-in-day-out work around here, the little '92 always gets the nod.

Once again, great article for a great gun.
 
Winchester 92

This is my first wrighting on Smith & Wesson Forum

I find it odd that the first post is about a Winchester 92. Until recently I had no intrest in the/any lever action gun. I was at a local major retailer a few months back and saw a lever which my oldest son would have wanted for "Cowboy" shoots in Oklahoma. I am in the Chicago area. I found a M92. Not knowing much about these guns I picked it up and made a few phone calls, still not sure what I was looking at I decided to get it. After a little research I found out it was a 1918 production take-down model in 44WCF I had the gun looked at by a competent Gunsmith. I have had it out several times and just love it. My son will just have to wait a while for it.

I think these things are addicting, 3 days ago I ran into someone with another one for sale. This one was an older one which turned out to be an 1895 production with an octagon barrel (not a take down) as the other one is. This one however is nickel plated with a large loop. This one has a much nicer action and a switch (?) to fire when the lever is closed.
Due to the condition of this Winchester I am sure it has been reworked. altho The rollmarks are perfect. The is no distortation in any of the words or the numbers. The finish is showing age but no bare spots.
any comments or help fiqureing out if this CAN be the real thing would be great. Thanks
 
lostandhopeles said:
This is my first wrighting on Smith & Wesson Forum

I find it odd that the first post is about a Winchester 92. Until recently I had no intrest in the/any lever action gun. I was at a local major retailer a few months back and saw a lever which my oldest son would have wanted for "Cowboy" shoots in Oklahoma. I am in the Chicago area. I found a M92. Not knowing much about these guns I picked it up and made a few phone calls, still not sure what I was looking at I decided to get it. After a little research I found out it was a 1918 production take-down model in 44WCF I had the gun looked at by a competent Gunsmith. I have had it out several times and just love it. My son will just have to wait a while for it.

I think these things are addicting, 3 days ago I ran into someone with another one for sale. This one was an older one which turned out to be an 1895 production with an octagon barrel (not a take down) as the other one is. This one however is nickel plated with a large loop. This one has a much nicer action and a switch (?) to fire when the lever is closed.
Due to the condition of this Winchester I am sure it has been reworked. altho The rollmarks are perfect. The is no distortation in any of the words or the numbers. The finish is showing age but no bare spots.
any comments or help fiqureing out if this CAN be the real thing would be great. Thanks
Click to expand...

A picture or two of the details would be nice - do a search for "posting photos" for details on how to do it. Welcome to the forum!

John
 
Way back winchester didnt make the large loop. I belive that was a custom alteration. I think the very first large loop was for john wayne in stagecoach by probley a private gunsmith, not the factory. But just lately winchester does now offer the large loop built for them by the japanese company that I cant spell. Too lazy to pull mine out of the safe and look. Browning had that company make them in their 92 model in .357 and .44 mag. I have the ones pictured on this thread. Steve mc queen in wanted dead or alive and nick adams in the rebel also used em. All the old hollywood westerns used the 92 but really for accuracy of storys they should have used the 73s.
 
feralmerril said:
Way back winchester didnt make the large loop. I belive that was a custom alteration. I think the very first large loop was for john wayne in stagecoach by probley a private gunsmith, not the factory. But just lately winchester does now offer the large loop built for them by the japanese company that I cant spell. Too lazy to pull mine out of the safe and look. Browning had that company make them in their 92 model in .357 and .44 mag. I have the ones pictured on this thread. Steve mc queen in wanted dead or alive and nick adams in the rebel also used em. All the old hollywood westerns used the 92 but really for accuracy of storys they should have used the 73s.
Click to expand...


The name of the Japanese company for which you are fumbling is Miroku. They've also made some nice O/U shotguns under thair own name.
 
Faulkner said:
You can still get higher quality 1892's from E.M.F. Company, Inc. They are made by Rossi, but to a much higher fit and finish standard. I have 1892 carbine in with a color case hardened receiver that is very nice.

396287119.jpg
Click to expand...


Faulkner--

Is that a safety just in front of the hammer? Is that an import requirement, or just to please the lawyers?

The worst misuse of a M-92 in the movies may be one that showed them with soldiers in 1838, fighting the Seminole tribe! I saw it in a theater when I was about eight and can't recall the name of the film. But I recall the rifles, as the levers worked so much more easily than the one on my Daisy BB gun. My parents were not gun-knowledgeable, so I thought the actors must be very strong .
 
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feralmerril said:
All the old hollywood westerns used the 92 but really for accuracy of storys they should have used the 73s.
Click to expand...
One episode of Wanted: Dead or Alive states that it is taking place six years after a certain war (the one fought 150 years ago, which goes by several names in this forum). That would make that episode taking place in 1871, so the proper Winchester would be the Model of 1866, aka "The Henry Improved."
 
Texas Star said:
Faulkner--

Is that a safety just in front of the hammer? Is that an import requirement, or just to please the lawyers?
Click to expand...

That IS a "safety thingy" installed in the rear part of the breechblock, mandated by current import regulations. It rotates, and when engaged, blocks the forward travel of the firing pin. My first .357 Rossi '92 (made in 2006) has one. When I first went to fire the gun, I sighted carefully, squeezed the trigger, and got a "click." The damn safety was engaged. This could be dangerous if you were to depend on the gun in an emergency. It's unsightly and best left alone in the disengaged position. There is a thriving business in replacement plugs for the thing, which still deviates from Browning's design. The arrangement disturbed me, so I got an earlier .357 Rossi (1980) without the safety thingy. I'm much happier with it, as it's faithful to Browning's wishes.

Here's a picture of a current one and an earlier one, so you can see the difference.

John

92S_zpsfe1b8412.jpg
 
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Must now have another.

John, Great post as always. The only problem (?) is that you are "hazardous my wealth." ;-). I have a 1906 '92 in 38-40, but now I will be checking out the local guns shows for more examples.

Your post are a large part of what makes this forum the best one on the web.
Keep up the good work. I have a savings account that is paying .05%, ;-( which I think is much better used buying classic guns for my collection.


Thanks again for your very informative article.


Art
 
I read that winchester is now haveing some made without that safety.
 
While doing some work in Belize one of the crews dug up the remains of a ’92 Winchester. In that damp environment the wood was long gone and the carbine had been mostly converted to iron oxide. The interesting thing was that the action was open when the carbine was dropped and not recovered. Did the big cat spring a trap on the hunter? Did the local Constable finally get the drop on the local bandit or was it the other way around?
 
I love relics. They all seen history and yet the white glove guys worship "virgin" guns. I see I had posted a old 92 I had several months ago on this old thread. Here it is again. It was made in 1903 and came off a indian reservation in the dakotas. Thats all I was told. Later it was stold from me in a house burglary in california in 2003. THIS 92 IS HOT! Serial # 269815. A small fortune of my family guns were stolen at the same time. Just hopeing.

Guns7.jpg
 
feralmerril said:
I read that winchester is now haveing some made without that safety.
Click to expand...

The new Winchester '92s, made in Japan, according to my recollection, have a sliding safety on the tang behind the hammer, same as the "new" Model 94. It's a "lawyer" safety, not required or even desirable for operation, but that's the cya mentality today. Another deviation from the original is a rebounding hammer.

John
 
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