Winchester 92, Saddle Ring Carbine, in 32-20

What exactly do you mean "short barrel" version? Winchester did indeed make versions which would now be "Short Barreled Rifles" under the NFA '34 -- but which may be exempt if listed in the ATF's "Curio and Relic" list by serial number. Those barrels range in length from 12" up to 15".

We just had a thread on this: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=629035

But your rifle has a barrel which would measure pretty close to 19-1/2" and that's not an SBR.

There are a LOT of variables with old Winchester rifles and carbines. They offered all sorts of special options.

Your barrel is probably a 20 inch. Close the action and put your cleaning rod down the barrel until it touches the bolt face. Mark the rod where it leaves the barrel. That is your true (legal) barrel length. From the bolt face to muzzle, not from the end of the receiver.

They made Carbine model 92 with short barrels and a carbine butt-stock (band around the barrel and fore-stock) and they also made Short Rifles, which had either a crescent butt or shotgun butt stock and had the rifle type fore-end stock.

Back when I had money (before aviation) I used to collect Winchester rifles. I ran across and owned more than a few which had been cut back or trimmed during their life times. They were pretty picky about how and where they marked the top of the barrel. Sometimes the markings would seem to be far too close to the muzzle, indicating that the barrel used to be much longer when it was born at the Winchester factory.

If I measure from where the barrel meets the receiver to the very tip....it measures 19.5 inches.

Click to expand...

That's not how barrel length is measured.

See Float Pilots explanation above.

rc

That's not how barrel length is measured.

Click to expand...

True, but it isn't going to measure shorter than that. I don't think it's an SBR Trapper.

Yeap, 20 inch saddle ring carbine. Somebody refinished the stock......

My last remaining M-1892 (actually made in 1892) is in 38WCF. It is the rifle version. ABOVE with Rossi re-pro under.
Note the crescent butt and rifle style fore-arm.

Float pilot, I also had a 1892 in .38 made in dec of 1892, ser no 3024 it was a SRC, in great shape, sold it darn it, when in 1892 was yours made.

It is 11XX so I am not exactly sure. I only know 1892.

It has been in the family since then. The top of the hammer is so worn down that sometimes it does not cock all the way. The bottom of the bolt can't quite push it far enough. No luck finding a Winchester hammer. Maybe a little epoxy under the bolt would make up the difference. It is fairly accurate at 100 yards (2 inch group) if I use a light load and cast lead.
The rifling is a touch thin.

GMan, I think what you have is actually a "short rifle" version of the 1892 rather than the carbine version. The difference is how the tube magazine is held on to the barrel by that "hanger" dovetailed into the barrel. The carbines had foreward barrel bands next to the front sight.
This is an opinion .... I forget whether having a forend cap was part of the definition & I note yours has a band there.
But I think it's actually a short rifle.

It's kind of a cross breed it seems.

A short rifle would have a steel forend tip, no forearm band, a dovetailed mag tube hanger, and a curved rifle buttplate.

A carbine would have a forearm barrel band, a barrel band holding the mag tube at the muzzle, and a carbine buttplate.

Since yours has some of both, I'm not sure what you would call it.

Maybe a parts gun?

rc

There was also a date when they stopped marking them as 1892s and then started to stamp them as model 92s. Like yours. There were also changes in the type font they used on the barrel stamps depending on when they were made.

http://www.savage99.com/winchester1892_dates.htm

http://proofhouse.com/win/winchester.htm

http://oldguns.net/sn_php/winmods.htm

http://armscollectors.com/sn/windates.htm

Here is another model 92 in 32-20 with a 1922 serial number. It looks very close to yours....

Curious configuration. A pure carbine with a rifle magazine. Wonder what a letter would divulge?