Winchester 1892 in 32 WCF...new to me!!

[davet]

No pics yet.....'cause I'm too darn tired to take 'em. I picked up a well worn, rode hard and put away wet.....maybe half-drowned.....Win 1892. The S\N indicates it was made in 1911. I'm not real sure about the rifling on this one and I plan on slugging the bore. I like the rifle and the action is nice 'n smooth. Factory octagon barrel and full length magazine tube. (I dunno.....but that must hold like 500 rounds in it!!)

The bore still had powder residual in it. Wood is in good shape for one that year.....not a collector. If it doesn't shoot well I'll likely get the barrel relined. I can shoot this rifle at my Club's indoor range 'cause it's a "pistol" caliber!!

Fuzzy pics to come.

Buzz cannot have any comment on the pic's that I post. (Just sayin)

[davet]

[CoureurDeBois]

Hard to tell from the photos but I think it will clean up good with some oil and steel wool.

[davet]

I'm in the preliminary stage of the clean up. When I bot it I took a flashlight to examine the bore. The last 5" or so I couldn't see any rifling in the bore. Now, after soaking it for over an hour in bore-foam, plus a pile of brush strokes with Butches and Kroil, I'm seeing the rifling. I'm starting to think this rifle never saw a cleaning since 1911!!!

But I do agree with you .....I think it will clean up ok. I'll work up some loads and see if it shoots half decent....for a 108 year old rifle!!!

The previous owner tried to "update" the wood and put some type of varnish on the wood.....and on a good part of the metal as well. I plan on cleaning up the wood without doing a re-finish. I'll see how that works.

[davet]

I got it all cleaned up....inside and out. I've never cleaned a firearm so dirty. Its 108 years old.......and likely had dirt from the 20's in it!!!  The mag tube got deep scratches on it when I pulled it out. The front tube holder had some type of tac-weld beads on it and it was tough to disassemble. Hence the "new" patina look on the tube. I have my doubts if it was the original mag tube as the bluing on the tube was much better than the barrel. (None on the barrel or receiver). I doubt the tube would age better than the rest of it. The rifling appears to be fair. I slugged the bore at .313. I can get 115gr. lead bullets of either .313 or .314. Everything I've read states the bullet should be .001 larger than the bore. I'm going to see if my bullet guy will split me a 100 bullet order and give me half .313 and half .314.  I need brass yet and dies. 

[Muab Dib]

Enjoy the journey Dave; one fine looking rifle!

Muab

[bushmaster]

Looks great Dave! Love them old lever guns!

[davet]

Thanks gents!! I always find it interesting to hold a piece of history. This little rifle is "heavy" for the size of it. Full octagon barrel is one of the reasons, but there are no "MIM" parts to this firearm. The cartridge carrier (transfers the cartridge from the mag tube to the chamber) is machined from steel and likely will never wear out. Even at 108 years old it still looks darn good!!!

[davet]

Shot it today!! 115gr. lead RNFP over 2.2gr. of Trail Boss. This is just 25 yards.....but I was happy. I shot the 30 rounds I loaded.

[davet]

I shot about 15 rounds of a 115gr. lead bullet over a charge of RL-7. The (minimum) charge of RL-7 should give me a velocity of about 1,000fps. Definitely more punch that the 2.2gr of Trail Boss. The groups also tightened up. Just looking at a ballistic program, if the bullet is going 1,000fps and the zero is at 50 yards, the bullet will drop 8" at 100. And something like 16" at 125yds. Runs outta juice fast!!!

[davet]

I purchased a vernier tang sight to mount to my 1892 32-20. From the pics below, It just doesn't fit how I would like it to. So, I sent this one back and swapped it out for a tang post type sight. The post type (Marble's) is much more compact and will fold back. I really wanted the vernier type as they are stronger......but big 'n ugly doesn't make it.