Winchester 1892

G

gaseousclay

New member
I was at my local Scheels this morning and came across a Winchester 1892 that was being sold as used. Asking price was $1000 and I’m assuming it used to be part of someone’s estate.

Either way, it’s chambered in .45 Colt and is a beauty. My question is, how does this lever gun compare to the Winchester 94? I don’t know if this is a Miroku made Winchester but my assumption is that it is. Also, being a pistol caliber, what is the felt recoil compared to the 30-30 win? I’m not sure if 45 Colt ammo is hard to come by, so I’d like to research before considering buying.
 
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Winchester 94

Was designed to give rifle length cartridges in a smaller, lighter gun than the 1886. While it works, it is a rattletrap due to design. The 92 was always for pistol calibers and is much smoother.
They cannot be directly compared due to their designs. Each has its place.
 
Original Winchester 92s were never factory chambered for the .45 Colt. About every other rimmed pistol round, yes, but not the .45 Colt. .38-40 and .44-40 being the most common.

The old .45 Colt ammo had a smaller, thinner rim than today's brass does. At the time Winchester (and other rifle makers) felt the rim too small to provide adequate functional reliability, so they didn't make them.

Reproduction model 92s are now found in .45 Colt and work well with modern case ammo.

You can also find original Winchester 92s that have been converted (rebarreled) to .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum. Numrich Arms sold a lot of those barrels for many years. They might still. I haven't looked lately.
 
Winchester 92

The gun is very likely Miroku made gun. They are very high quality, solid guns. I have an Model 1873 with octagon barrel and case hardened finish and the workmanship is outstanding.
 
...smaller, lighter gun than the 1886. While it [the`86?]works, it is a rattletrap
due to design. The 92 was always for pistol calibers and is much smoother.
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If you mean the the 1886 is a rattletrap, I must beg to differ.
My Miroku-made 1886/45-70 extra light is as smooth as glass.

This evening I took it out to see how fast I could push pure lead (PC'd) through it:
1886-Gould-Fast.jpg


Being Extra Light, also fast/heavy enough to be headache material off a bench. :cool:;):(


Enough Hijacking: a Winchester/Miroku-made `92 is in the Grand Class (pun intended)


.
 
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Get a large loop lever and you can be Luke McCain.
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Takes a little more than that. :D

The Rifleman's rifle was modified with the loop lever, a setscrew in the lever to trip the trigger for rapid fire, and the feed mechanism was modified so the ammo wouldn't fall out when he spun the rifle.

And, if you aren't as tall as Chuck Conners, you will probably dig the muzzle into the dirt when you spin the rifle. :D

Being aware of all that, go for it!
 
Look about mid way on the right side of the barrel and it will say BACO and Miroku, Japan if it is a Miroku made rifle. As others have stated they are top quality rifles. It will also have a safety on the upper tang and a rebounding hammer unless the rifle has been modified and had the safety removed and hammer replaced.

Factory .45 Colt ammunition is pretty expensive if you don't reload. I shoot it a lot but I reload. I have several Miroku Winchester rifles (two are '92's) and really like them all.
 
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I'm not really concerned about cost for .45 Colt as much as I am availability. No sense in buying a $1000 rifle if I can't get ammo for it. A gun like the 1892 would only be for target shooting and nothing else really.

Who else does Miroku make firearms for? Weatherby and Browning?
 
You're not getting ammunition for anything right now.
But when the insanity calms down, it's as available as anything else.

postscript: A 45Colt rifle is a 100-yard/point blank combination for ground hogs to deer -- and any other critters as might need it's use.
Don't underestimate it.
 
You're not getting ammunition for anything right now.
But when the insanity calms down, it's as available as anything else.
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Not entirely true. A quick search on ammoseek yielded several online stores selling 45 Colt, albeit at higher prices. My local Scheels seems to have plenty of hunting calibers but not much in the way of pistol calibers. Again, you can still get ammo online you just have to pay more for it.
 
I just went to Midway -- three pages of Out-of-Stock/No-Backorder.
When that's the case, it's speculator/scalper city
 
The last 2 weeks I've gone to Scheels i've eyeballed their Winchester 92's in 45 Colt. They have 2 of them in a display that were part of someone's estate. They have another 92 chambered in .357 magnum but no ammo to be found. Welp, guess that makes it an easier choice for me to go with the 94 in 30-30 :)
 
Can any of you tell me how much recoil there is with an 1892 chambered in .357 magnum? I keep coming back to the 1892 at my local Scheels but have an unnatural fear of heavy recoil. Is it pretty bad on a 6 lb carbine compared to a 30-30 win? I know that felt recoil may be subjective to each person but I figured that maybe it's not as intense as a handgun chambered in .357 mag. Anyone here with an 1892 in .357 magnum that can share their thoughts/opinions?
 
I don't have a Model 92, but I do have a Marlin 1894c the old standard carbine, which is listed as being 6lbs. Recoil is a light nudge with magnums and almost non existent shooting .38 special.

To me, it is significantly less than a win 94 in .30-30. The 94 stock doesn't fit me well, and increases the feel, for me. The Marlin stock doesn't, in 30-30 its a bit bigger and heavier than the winchester and more pleasant to shoot.

In .357 the recoil is mild/light. Same gun in .44 Mag kicks about like a .30-30 feels.

TO me. Different folks feel things differently.
 
Pretty much what 44 AMP said. My henry .357, next to no felt recoil. My Henry .45 Colt, again, virtually no recoil. 30-30, you can get a bit.
 
Thanks for the info everyone. Now, if I can only justify spending $1000 on this rifle. Even worse, if I can’t find ammo for it that’s money wasted. Although, Scheels did have .357 magnum ammo 2 weeks ago
 
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