1892 Winchester Carbine Date of MFG/Value

[sentinel89]

Good afternoon,

A friend of mine who's wife wanted his friearms out of the house just sold me a Winchester Model 1892 in .38 WCF (38-40?) for $250. He sold it to me because I am a shooter and a product designer for a local firearms manufacterer, but I am far from a expert on old firearms.

It has a full length magazine tube, flip-up rear sight, saddle ring and what appears to be a brass front sight. The reciever is nearly completely silver on the right side, top and bottom. The lever is the same and the left side of receiver has a little blueing left, mainly around the saddle ring, but there is a semi '8' pattern where the saddle ring wore through the bluing. The barrel retains musch of it's original bluing with no rust or pitting. There are a few scratches in the barrel bluing, but they do not go into the metal. The mag tube is the same but no scratches. The bore is shiny and rifling is strong. The wood has dings and scratches but no cracks and has flecks of varnish here and there. There is little bluing on the barrel bands. The screws on the left side of the receiver are buggered up a bit, right side are perfect. Overall, I guess I'd rate it about 65%.

I have some questions if you don't mind. First is date of manufacture - serial number is 6130XX. I think this is a 1910-1911 range but wanted to be sure. Second is value - was this any kind of a bargain?

It will make a nice addition to my collection and will look good next to the Marlin model 39 I also picked up from the same guy.

Thanks for your time and have an excellent weekend. Your insight and knowledge is greatly appreciated.

 

[rcmodel]

Receiver serial is for 1910.
It may have been assembled & shipped at a later date however.

Assembly date is usually found on the bottom of the barrel under the mag & forearm.

It is pretty unusual to still find one with a shiny bore after so many years of black powder & corrosive primers in it's younger days.

Saddle-Ring carbines like yours with good barrels are in high demand from the Cowboy Action Shooters.

In the condition you describe, I think your 92 carbine would easily sell for a Grand or more.

rcmodel

 

[Chipperman]

There isn't any Winchester rifle that is worth less than $250 in decent condition, with the exception of some .22s.

You got a great deal.

....and we need pics.

 

[sentinel89]

Pics of the 1892

Here are a couple of pics of the 1892. A photographer I am not. Hope they came out OK.

The elevation adjustment bar on the rear sight is loose and it won't stay in position when the sight is raised. The scratch on the receiver is worse than it looks - I didn't even notice it until I took the pic. The loading gate is worn in the right places, but not as bad as the receiver. Is it possible this was replaced - resulting in the buggered up screws?

I just wanted to say thanks for the information. I had no idea it was worth this much. So, would it be unwise to have this professionally restored or should I just keep it the way it is? It's a beautiful piece of American history and I'd like to keep it.

Thanks again for the info. I greatly appreciate it.

 

[Cosmoline]

Oh man, and it even has a nice patina! The scratch is unfortunate but not fatal. Do not try to fix it or anything else until you can have it appraised by a Winchester expert. There are many variations in the 92 so knowing exactly what this is will give you a better idea of insurance value.

Certainly, do NOTHING to it for right now. Don't even try to take it apart unless you have the exact size bits available and know your way around a '92.

 

[Jim Watson]

A full and proper restoration would be hideously expensive; and the gun is not in bad shape as it is, scratch and all. If I were going to shoot it, I would look into getting the rear sight fixed or replaced with something fitting the factory dovetail, saving the original of course. Otherwise I would leave it alone. A SRC with shotgun butt is bound to be rather uncommon.

 

[sentinel89]

Update on the Winchester 1892

Chalk this up to good luck and being in the right place at the right time...

After viewing the posts about this rifle, I went out to the bookstore and purchased The Blue Book of Gun Values Twenty Ninth Edition. I let my neighbor know the true value, which at 65% is around $1600. He told me he didn't care what it was worth (same with the Marlin Model 39 I posted about), he just wanted them out of the house so his wife would stay off his back about them.

We're not great friends, but we've been neighbors for the past 4 years and have helped each other out with home improvements, borrowing tools, the occasional party, etc. He's a good guy, but his wife is... shall we say... difficult at times.

I drive by their house whenever I leave mine as they are the last house on our dirt road. And since last year, I have had to close my eyes for fear of puking at the Hillary '08 sign she proudly sports at the end of the driveway. So that explains the gun attitude she has.

If you believe in Karma, then this is my payment for all those early mornings seeing that sign planted out front on my way to work. Thankfully, it's not going to be there for much longer...

I'm gonna grill him a nice T-bone and get him a case of Sam Adams. Only veggies and wine for her though... are you surprised??

Thanks again for all your help, advice and info. I may part with this 1892 but the Marlin I am definitely hanging on to.

 

[oneshooter]

From the pics. That is not a carbine, they were normally built with round barrels. What you have is a rifle, built with a octagon barrel. I have one from the same time period, it was my great-grandfathers rifle when he was a County Sheriff in MS.
Got a New Service that he carried, also in 38WCF.

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas

 

[Jim Watson]

Looks like a round barrel in the pictures to me.

 

[oneshooter]

You'r right. I only looked at the left hand pic.

I'm SOOOOOOOO embaressed!!!!!!

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas





Going to clean my glasses, and monitor now.

 

[Cosmoline]

he just wanted them out of the house so his wife would stay off his back about them.

I wonder what the blue book value on a screeching harridan is. Probably less than the Winchester.

 

[Kman]

Sentinel89, Don't sell either rifle, and if you happen to run into any more keep it to yourself. Seriously, those are two very desireable pieces and you have next to nothing in them. Hang them on the wall and forget you own 'em. They both have tremendous potential to greatly increase in value, it's money well spent.

 

[Gordon]

"Sentinel89, Don't sell either rifle, and if you happen to run into any more keep it to yourself. Seriously, those are two very desireable pieces and you have next to nothing in them. Hang them on the wall and forget you own 'em. They both have tremendous potential to greatly increase in value, it's money well spent."
+1 but maybe shoot it a little!

 

[sentinel89]

Shotgun Butt?

Because this has a shotgun butt, does it make it more uncommon? Was steel crescent buttplate the norm? Is it more or less desirable in this configuration? Any chance this could have been replaced? And would it be worthwhile to get a letter from Buffalo Bill Historical Museum ($60) to document this rifle?

My apologies on the 20 questions and I greatly appreciate your knowledge and insight. I'm new at this, but I'm learning fast with your help.

 

[JohnBT]

I don't know about the production numbers/percentages of various features. Here's something I just copied...

"Model 1892s could be had with shotgun-style buttstocks, capped in steel or hard rubber, pistol grip buttstocks, extra heavy, extra light, extra short or extra long barrels, half round/half octagon barrels, partial length magazine tubes, fancy woods, checkering, engraving, set triggers and on and on. "

 

[Jim Watson]

A carbine would normally have a carbine buttplate of distinctive style. It has an extension onto the top of the buttstock.
Rifles usually got the crescent rifle buttplates.
Shotgun butts were usually a special order item in those days. Available but not common.

 

[HPJeep]

Remember that this is a Winchester. That company is famous for not only making fine firearms but also making it with any number of special order features if you have the funds. I'd go ahead and get the letter from Cody so you know for sure if yours is completely original. A shotgun buttplate is not all that unusual. And by all means do NOT restore it! It will ruin the value of this fine 92. Keep it, enjoy it and yes go ahead and shoot it! I still shoot Winchesters that were built in the 1870s but we are careful with them. Fun to shoot Coke cans that are attacking our wagon train with vintage iron.

 

[s2brutus]

According to this website:

http://www.proofhouse.com

that serial number is from 1911.

Don't know how accurate the site is, but it's pretty handy. Has lots of serial numbers.

Nice find.



I think if I was your neighbor I'd have kept the rifles JUST to piss her off.

 

[only1asterisk]

If you decide to sell it, put me on the list. Honestly, it is a great old rifle. If you don't intend to use it, sell it to somebody who will love, cherish and shoot it.


David

 

[sentinel89]

Thanks for All the Help and Info

I will be getting a letter from the Buffalo Bill Museum just to find out if this 1892 is all original or not. I will keep you posted and let you know what I find out.

I just wanted to say thanks again for all your help, knowledge and insight. You have been corresponding with a guy who is a modern firearms enthusiast, and the most valuable piece in my safe was a S/A M1A Scout/Squad.

These two purchases are now the centerpieces of my collection. I seriously doubt I'll have another find like these in my lifetime, but now I will keep my eyes and ears extra open just in case.