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Winchester originality
tsr1965
Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
I have a Winchester 1892 in 38 WCF that dates to 1927. it has an octagon barrel that is only about 18-20 inches, and a half magazine tube with a button, not crowned end. If it was made into this configuration after it left the factory, it was very well done, as there are no signs of tooling marks on the bore crown, or muzzle, and no signs of it being refinished. However, the blue book says that octagon barrels were 24 inches from the factory gun. I have seen a couple on auction here at gun broker, that have short octagon barrels too. is it possible this might be a factory short octagon barrel?
Comments
What is the precise length of the barrel?
What type of butt plate does it have?
How is the front sight attached to the barrel?
If the front sight is dovetailed to the barrel, exactly how far is it located behind the muzzle?
Is the muzzle face crowned or perfectly square (flat)?
How long is the forestock?
It would help me immensely if you could post (or send me) several clear pictures of it.
Finally, if it turns out to be authentic (factory original), it is potentially quite valuable. If it is not factory original, it will have a very limited value, and virtually no collector interest.
WACA Historian & Life Member
Model 1892 Carbines were offered with 20 inch octagon barrels and with half magazines. The half magazine was rarely fitted. The number of special features available from the factory on early Winchesters is amazing[8D]
Not true... "Carbines" were never offered with anything except a round barrel. Winchester made special order "Short" Rifles with octagon and 1/2 octagon barrels. A half magazine was a special order option on the standard Sporting Rifle, Deluxe Sporting Rifle, "Short" Rifle, and on the Carbines, but they are not what most would consider "rare".
WACA Historian & Life Member
Actually it is great to have someone with Bert's amazing knowledge and resources to teach me the errors of my ways[:I]
Yes, it is possible. Winchester (on special order) made what is referred to as a "Short" Rifle. There are several things that can be checked on your Model 92 (and it should be marked "92" if it was actually manufactured in 1927) that will tell me the entire story.
What is the precise length of the barrel?
What type of butt plate does it have?
How is the front sight attached to the barrel?
If the front sight is dovetailed to the barrel, exactly how far is it located behind the muzzle?
Is the muzzle face crowned or perfectly square (flat)?
How long is the forestock?
It would help me immensely if you could post (or send me) several clear pictures of it.
Finally, if it turns out to be authentic (fatory original), it is potentially quite valuable. If it is not factory original, it will have a very limited value, and virtually no collector interest.
I bought what I thought was a short rifle when I first got into collecting. According to a collector of short rifles it had been cut down. The gunsmith who did the work had been a real pro and made it to meet all of the measurements and other machine work that the factory would do. The old collector told me that if the dovetail cut for the front sight was shiny, and not blued, then the piece had been modified after it left the factory. I checked this out with Waddy at the Cody Museum, and sure enough it had left the factory as a rifle with a 26" barrel (Model 1894). The old collector told me that all dovetail cuts were made prior to the barrel being blued. Luckily, I had gotten a good deal on the piece, and another party relieved me of it for what I had paid knowing full well its history.
Excellent observation by your pal,and a usefull bit of knowledge for the rest of us.Thank you