1892 Winchester Serial #

[MI2600]

I recently picked up an 1892 Winchester. The serial# appears to be either 1575XX or L575XX. There another 1892 currently on Gunbroker that has a similar "1" or "L" type serial number:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=361788717

Like mine, the first digit does not look exactly like a 1 or an L. I haven't been able to find any information about this on other sites.

Can anyone clarify this?

 

[adelbridge]

MODEL 1892
YEAR

START OF YEAR

NO. MADE
1892 1 23701
93 23702 12285
94 35988 37520
95 73509 33212
96 106722 38213
97 144936 14376
98 159313 6118
99 165432 6388
1900 171821 11590
01 183412 8375
02 191788 17083
03 208872 45063
04 253936 24610
05 278547 36878
06 315426 61070
07 376497 61422
08 437920 38620
09 476541 45621
10 522163 64833
11 586997 56486
12 643484 51268
13 694753 47922
14 742676 28768
15 771445 33177
16 804623 25408
17 830032 23787
18 853820 17122
19 870943 32706
20 903650 3104
21 906755 3721
22 910477 6823
23 917301 9028
24 926330 12311
25 938642 16355
26 954998 18898
27 973897 16986
28 990884 5633
29 996518 2720
30 999239 491
31 999731 996
32 1000728 596
33 1001325 862
34 1001863 591
35 1002455 503
36 1002959 460
37 1003420 614
38 1004035 216
39 1004252 136
40 1004389 193
41 1004583 92
The Model 65 was numbered in the 1892 Model series.

 

[MI2600]

Another site referenced the "L" and an inverted "T", but didn't explain their significance, if any.

 

[MI2600]

I received an answer from the Gunbroker Forum.

The L or inverted T was used by Winchester for the initial "1" in serial #s for the 1892s between 100,000 and 199,999. Any subsequent 1s would appear as normal 1s.

 

[2bitrifles]

Hello MI2600,

As you were told the inverted L and T markings are indeed the number one in the 100,000 range. The table of SN and DOM dates which are posted earlier in this thread are not correct. I am conducting a research survey of the Model 1892's and would like to add any rifle I come across into my work. You can read about the work at these threads:
http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=27559&p=343093&hilit=1892+survey#p343093

http://www.winchestercollector.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3460

http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=606355

If you have any questions about your rifle I will be glad to help. Based on the partial SN you supplied it was manufactured during early 1901. You can read this blog post from another site I work on to learn more:
http://www.gunvaluesboard.com/when-exactly-was-your-gun-manufactured-1404.html

Thanks
Michael

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I have a '92 with the first digit being a 'L'. I have always taken it to be a '1'. I have covered over the last two digits in this photo, the SN is 1505XX. According to George Madis in The Winchester Handbook, and the data base at oldguns.net, my '92 was made in 1897.

 

[2bitrifles]

Driftwood,

Your rifle was actually serialized in October of 1900. It most likely was fully assembled and in the warehouse before the end of that year. The DOM information in the Madis book is not correct for most Winchester rifles and shotguns. All of the online data bases only copied the same information over and over. I would love to add your rifle into my survey. You can contact me via email if you would like at [email protected]

Here is a link to more info about the survey:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=733948

Thanks so much
Michael