American made 1892

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oldbear1950

New member
I would like to see one of the American gun companies build a new model 1892, made in America, not Japan, Italy, or Brazil.
I would just hope they could keep the cost reasonable.
Also put it out in all the popular pistol calibers, with various barrel lengths and even make a take down version
 
I don't think there is such a thing as a reasonable lever action anymore. Can build a precision bolt gun for the price of most lever actions. Even used one's shot up to ridiculous prices and haven't come back down.

That being said I fully agree with you and would love to see more of the og winchester designs made in America again.
 
Lever action rifles require multiple machining steps and a lot of labor. Therefore, it is anathema to American industrial planners, everything is planned for the least number of machine processes and to eliminate any hand operations. So, Italy or Brazil is a logical step, labor is cheaper there and they are producing a specialty product. As for the 1892, the Chiappa is the better of the two, the Rossi/Braztech is a look-alike product, most of the Winchester design has been streamlined and cheapened. That said, they are OK if you just want a plinker or a truck gun.
 
Trivia Alert.

John Garand not only designed the operating system of the M1, he laid it out to make a lot of use of broaching instead of slower single point lathe, mill, and shaper.

Could it be done for a lever action?
CNC isn’t holding the price down.
 
I think my Henry all weather 45 70 with the loading gate, brushed chrome, 18 inch barrel will do anything a 450 marlin will do only better
 
I don't think there is such a thing as a reasonable lever action anymore.
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Doesn't seem to be much of anything "reasonable" any more.

And, yes, I know times have changed, manufacturing has changed, popular demand has changed, value of $ has changed all that, and more....

I grabbed one of my "way back machines" (an old book, in this case a 1974 Gun Digest). Prices are, of course MSRP for the time, but consider these points...

Marlin lever guns were about $125, Win 94 was $110. Win and Rem bolt guns were around $150 to $180 and the Rem 742 was about $180 as was the Browning BLR. the BAR (base grade) was $229 and change and the AR-15 (.223 only) was $234, and change.

Think about that, those "too expensive to make in the US today" lever guns were the CHEAPEST new deer rifles available back then.

It isn't entirely US labor costs that have changed things, though it is certainly one of the factors.
 
I think my Henry all weather 45 70 with the loading gate, brushed chrome, 18 inch barrel will do anything a 450 marlin will do only better
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Could be--the marlin 450 is essentially the 45-70 rated to a higher pressure tolerance.
 
expensive

Excellent point on the 1974 prices. I too have a collection of "time machines" and am fortunate (maybe not) to have been alive when those prices were real.

Another observation to support the affordable lever rifle back in the day. I live very close to a public range and scavenge brass their frequently. Twenty years ago, by far and away, the most common spent brass lying about was 30-30, no doubt shot from a Winlin lever carbine. A lever carbine from Marlin or Winchester was more affordable than a M70 or M700 bolt rifle,, and so was the ammo. I saw a lot of lever carbines at the check stations when I visited, and the scoped Marlin was likely more common.

All that has changed with the advent of the price point poly rifle. More power and range than a Winlin, possibly more accurate, and easily scoped, and less expensive than a vintage Winchester or Marlin or even a new Henry. There's less brass lying about, there may be more folks reloading.....but a disturbing trend is that the scrappers are picking it up before I get there!!:mad:

When I do find brass, it is usually '06 or .270 in deer season. Nine millimeter and .223 abound, reflecting the interest in tactical/defense shooting these days.
 
Could be--the marlin 450 is essentially the 45-70 rated to a higher pressure tolerance.
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The .450 Marlin was created by taking the high pressure handload performance possible in SOME .45-70 rifles but unsuitable and potentially unsafe in others, and putting it into a new case designed so that it would not chamber in any .45-70 rifle.

Another point to consider about the lower price of lever guns back then, volume production. They made a lot of them, lots more than the higher priced guns, and that does have an effect as well.
 
with guns coming in from Japan (marked Winchester and Browning, made by Miroku)
Italy, imported under Uberti, Cimarron, Chiappa, EMF, and others, and of course, Rossi from Brazil, it seems they are still making a lot of lever guns,
Oh and can not forget Henry, and Ruger built Marlins. Just seems the prices should not be so high
 
From Italy, original style Henry's, 1866, 1873. 1876, 1892, 1886, 1894, surprising no 1895, 1892s from Brazil, and all of the different Winchester lever guns built by Miroku in Japan. The various Marlins built now by Ruger, and the Henry's a copy of the original Henry, and the more modern Henry's both the almost Marlin copies, and the various 22 Henrys.
Lots to choose from, a lot more than just the Marlin, Winchester, and Rossi's of old
 
Henry’s pistol caliber levers are probably the closest thing you’ll find in an American made, similar to Model 1892, so I doubt one can be manufactured here for less than $1000.
The Chiappa (Taylor’s) 92 is a very nice rifle and one in 44 magnum is on my list. Everything from Italy, as far as reproduction firearms, went up 25-30% after the Covid shutdown.
There’s a reason Winchester and Browning moved production to Japan. Other than the current Henry’s and the Ruglins I think you’re out of luck.
 
A century ago lever guns were still the dominant type of hunting rifle. That began changing after the end of WW I with large numbers of men who had been taught the bolt action in the service looking for something similar.

Today, lever guns still are a large share of hunting rifles, but not the dominant factor they once were. Also, today, lever guns are nearly exclusively hunting or pest guns or for nostalgia games. Competition rifles are now nearly entirely bolt action or semi auto.

SO, essentially the lever gun is a niche firearm. Its still a large niche but its not what it once was. Lever guns still rule in some places, but that is slowly changing as well. And I'm not talking about new sales, either. In some parts of the country, deer hunter are still using more than a few levers and others made pre WWII. Particularly in areas with lower income folks, where deer guns are once a year for a week or three use. Grampa's ole lever gun still brings home the venison so its still used. Especially by folks who are just getting by financially.

Look at the lever guns of today, (not counting .22s) the overwhelming majority are modern versions of pre 1900 Winchester/Browning or Marlin designs, and the Savage 99. More modern guns like the Win 88 failed the test of market longevity. Henry's are surviving, even doing well enough to keep introducing new models (which seem to resemble Winchesters more than original Henrys :rolleyes:) The BLR is still going, the Sako levers have gone away...

However the era of levers being everywhere in large numbers is about over, and they are no longer cheap because there were more levers than lever gun customers like there once were. Or so it seems to me...
 
Only thing I have against the Henry's, and I have both the 22 GOLDEN BOY, and the all weather 45 70 with 16.5 inch barrel is the weight. I have made suggestions to Henry, and we will see. They are great guns, a little on the heavy side, but their customer care is second to none.
As far as weight goes we will have to see.
 
Cheap, light, durable,....pick any TWO....:rolleyes:;)

Not an immutable law of physics, but a general rule most things fall under to some degree or other.

I don't have anything against Henrys but I'm not a particular fan, either. I have, or have had lever guns from Winchester, Marlin, Savage, even Browning, in calibers ranging from .22LR to .45-70. Henrys simply offer me nothing I don't have already covered, or care about.

But, that's just me...:rolleyes:
 
as for the center fire Henry's, they all seem to be a copy of the Marlins. In fact , when I ordered the peep site, was told by the folks where I bought the site, is the same bolt pattern as the Marlins.
The gun ROSSI marketed for a while also seemed to be a Marlin copy.
Have to admit when two different gun companies in two different countries copy your gun, got to be a good design.
 
Have to be honest though, I think a large part of the appeal for me at least, as a left handed shooter, a lever gun just seems to make a lot of sense, I do wish Savage would reintroduce their model 99 with the rotary magazine. It at least was made in some very viable cartridges. .348, 358, 308, 300 savage, and 243. It seems those cartridges are not as popular as they once were. Back in 1980, when I first moved to Mobile, AL, the 243 was a very popular cartridge here. Now it seems is hard to find guns in that caliber.
 
I do wish Savage would reintroduce their model 99 with the rotary magazine.
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They could, but I doubt the market would allow for it. It wouldn't sell enough in this day and age to justify the costs of putting them back into production.

I had a .358 Win Savage 99 for several years. I really liked the rifle it just didn't shoot as well as my cheap bolt action Stevens 200 rifles. I finally sold it to a guy who appreciated the Savage 99 more than myself.

If you want a lever rifle in those viable hunting cartridges you mentioned. The Browning BLR or Henry Long Ranger would be your best bets. They'll be hunting accurate enough for the majority of people that want to use them.
 
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