1892 barrel question
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Hi from an old newbie. Looking for an explanation of how this could happen. I've been offered a '92 rifle that per serial # is 1903 with octagon barrel. Haven't seen gun (just photos). Top barrel flat marked "MANUFACTURED BY THE " (top line) "WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN, CONN U.S.A." (bottom line). NO WHERE IS THERE A CALIBER MARK! Gun has typical fore-end cap for a rifle, however the octagon barrel looks more like carbine length. Looks like semi-buckhorn rear site & either brass or nickle blade on dovetail front site. Front site looks set back from muzzle normal distance but magazine holder is dovetailed directly under front site instead of set back further. Owner says it "looks like 32-20". I know, assuming is a bad thing to do, but assuming it's been re-barreled, is there an explanation for no caliber marking? DUH? THANKS!
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Interesting concern. Welcome to the forum.
I don't have the answer. There are several Winchester savvy members here that might drop by with a solution. I need to know too. GOA Life Member
NRA Sustaining Member USMC Korea vet Retired CWO3 USCGR |
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Well, now I know more than yesterday. The '92 owner sent a picture of the muzzle end of the barrel along side of the muzzle end of his 30-30. Now I see a "known" along side an "unknown". The bore of the '92 is WAY too large to be a 32-20. He has no traditional '92 ammo so I asked him to take a .357 mag round & attempt to insert it , bullet first, into the bore. Drops in up to the brass. Next he attempts to chamber it. Goes all the way in with no wobble all the way to the rim. Closes the action & re-opens it . Cartridge extracts perfectly! Knowing that this rifle now has a carbine length octagon barrel with no caliber markings, I am left to suspect the following. A previous owner ruined what was at one time a historically correct 1903 rifle by cutting the action end of the barrel off & probably paying serious $ to a machinist to thread it, re-chamber it to .357 mag. & head space it, creating a cowboy action gun. He could have left it original & sold it for enough to buy 3 or 4 new Rossi carbines (one for every caliber) & not ruining an original gun. And I thought I'd seen everything. SAD!
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Oh I shudder when learning about serious surgery on nice older originals. There is no do over.
Thanks for sharing this conclusion with the forum. GOA Life Member
NRA Sustaining Member USMC Korea vet Retired CWO3 USCGR |
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.270 WIN
Posts: 184
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 7:56 pm Location: Northern California |
Late to the party as usual due to fires. could it have been a .38-55?
Too old to be nice, never too old to learn!
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92" were never made in .38-55. The loading gate is, also, too small. |
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.270 WIN
Posts: 184
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 7:56 pm Location: Northern California |
Just thrown' out ideas .
, The '92 was made in .38-40 though. Too old to be nice, never too old to learn!
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