Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors 1892 38-40 question

I have had a 1892 Winchester in back of my safe many years and recently took it out to give it a look. Was surprised when i checked serial number it was made early 1893. Serial 24611. It seems solid but has issues in that someone carved a Birddog in buttstock and embedded a brass US emblem and couple other small emblems. It has 22 inch octagon barrel with half magazine.2 inches from end of barrel on underneath side it has what appears to be silversolder filling a notch that makes me think at one time was where a full length magazine ended. Im searching for a period correct Buttstock with metal buttplate. Not sure its worth spending much on but when i saw serial number it made me get interested in getting someone that knows something about its opinion on whether it worth restoring.

Thanks

Gary

Re any restoration, one of the big questions is likelihood of the barrel being chopped. The dovetail makes that possibility a greater suspicion.
Pix would be great!
Best & Good Luck!
John

Will see if i can get some pics up.

Thanks

What's the bore like? If it's decent you at least have a fine shooter!

Gary, I'm no qualified antique firearms expert, not even close, but I have dabbled in the game for many years. My advice, would be to take a deep breath, pause, think. Modifications and stuff like you have described...I think attitudes have been shifting a little over the last few years. What used to cause buyers to faint and have the vapors, is now becoming more acceptable. I don't know how to explain it exactly, but some buyers are now looking at things like crude carvings, minor metal modifications, with more tolerance. Call it what you want, authenticity, Americana, bunkhouse art. Yes, price wise, modifications will take a hit, investment grade collectors want museum pieces, always will...but this is overplayed by shrewd dealers, oh Gary, it's ruined, just ruined, dearie me, but you are a nice guy and I'll give you 400 bucks for it...type thing.
My long winded point, think long and hard, research the market before you restore anything. I have a 92 in .25-20 with a rearing horse deeply cut in the butt and a vine cut into the fore end, everybody that sees it says, cool stuff, bet that was done by some snowed in cowboy in the bunkhouse before WW1. You have a unique piece of American history there, warts and all.

All interesting and good comments.
Pics would help us help you as were earlier suggested.

HS 58

I'll second that emotion!

Sometimes folk art carved onto guns carries them into a whole 'nother realm outside of the accepted definition of "collectable condition". Pics of this one would be great to see.

A M1894 stock from the same era would work on the gun.
A 24” barrel was standard on a M1892 Sporting Rifle.

Since 1892's were brought up?...topic drift red alert...I have been prowling the inner nut for a couple days and can't find an answer with my weak google foo. The burning question...what is the distance between the muzzle face and the magazine tube front hanger center pin? A fairly honest guy is proffering me a '92 Short Rifle this Saturday...ok...but short rifles are fairly rare, so I axed him, are you sure it is a short rifle...they made damn few, and there are a lot of cut-down rifles floating around out there. Maybe the muzzle was damaged, and they cut it back and shortened the mag tube correspondingly? In high dudgeon, the owner replied that it was represented to him as a short rifle and he darn sure wasn't trying to peddle a cut-down. So, according to Winchester, the aforesaid distance muzzle to hanger should be the same as a full rifle. But I'd like to have the facts before I buy. If somebody has a 92 rifle, maybe they could put the calipers to it for me.

Have seen the distance between the muzzle and front sight used to determine if a barrel has been cut. Google will shed light on this subject.

Jack, If it was cut back, they got the front sight right, I had the seller measure it. But the photo he sent me...the front hanger looks too far forward...red flag? I don't know...I really need the measurement, he is already irked at me. I have a carbine I can measure but that is apples and oranges.

well, my 1st time posting pics on here. Could be a little better. Thanks for all the comments and i do believe the barrel has been cut. Front sight reinstall certianly not correct. Otherwise action is solid.

Thanks

If anyone has one of the metal buttplates that could be bought or where i can find one i think thats all i will do to it and hang it over the fireplace.

Any thoughts on value as is?

Let me start and try.
Well, the Collector value is diminished IMO.
It seems antique Rifles in similar condition or close likely go for any where's around $500- $1500 Bucks,
Caliber meaning a lot. Condition is always important, and yours being what it is, is just that. A Shooter.
Now if a person wanted to get it back to original, especially being a lower serial numbered Antique,(pre 1898),
at the Cody Museum, or even WACA, a person can find out on a work up sheet what configuration the Rifle was when it left the Factory
and possibly get it back to original.
One never knows what previous owners had in mind before we've taken possession of certain Firearms and as the old saying goes "If They Could Only Talk".
You Never know if someone really likes the Way it is, it could top the Numbers I am talking about!
Auction prices surprise us all the Time. JMO!!!
I hope this Helps.

HS 58

That carbine butt stock isn’t original to the gun.

Thanks for the comments.

Short rifle info magazine cap 1/8 from end of barrel on standard length 3/32 on short rifles. Shorter than standard magazines will have rounded caps. Magazine band is 3 3/8 to 3 1/2 from mag cap. short fore end is 8 3/8 short rifle center of rear sight dovetail to the receiver is 4 inches. muzzle to center of front sight dovetail is 15/16s. There are some short rifles with standard length fore ends and 5 inch rear sight. I do have short rifles with saddle rings and trapdoor butt plates that letter and I have seen one with a carbine butt

Well i do believe if i could find a decent original unaltered 24 inch octagon barrel and a buttplate the rest may be correct. Found they were shipped with many different variations of the 92.