New Winchester 92

[halfmoonclip]

Been itching for a Miroku/Winchester 92 for some time, and they have been hen's teeth. Settled for a Rossi 92, which isn't a bad gun, but it's rough around the edges.
Finally tracked a Winchester down, and it arrived today.
The good news; it is light and handy, and handles well, as is the nature of the breed. It was already drilled/tapped for a tang sight. The front sight is a Marbles gold bead, and now the rear is a Marbles tang. The only bad news; the factory rear is non-folding, so it had to come off to clear the view.
Trigger is good, if not terribly light.
The only thing really bugging me; there is a tang safety, as well as a rebounding hammer. Belt and suspenders.
Now I need a little range time for a zero. More to follow.
Moon

 

[czhen]

halfmoonclip congrats in your new rifle. The Winchester 92 is just a perfect rifle for SASS, plinking or better yet hunting small/medium game. My Rossi needed some internal care to run smooth or better said properly.
You made the correct choice and yours will give joy and pride for long time.

 

[NorthBorder]

Ongrats Moon! I found one a few years ago in 45lc. It has great fit and finish. I don't really shoot it much because I have 2 Rossis to beat around with. I'm saving it for something good. I just don't know what, yet. Probably to give it to my son someday.

 

[JohnB-40]

Look forward to the photos,Miroku make some mighty fine rifles...What caliber is it?

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I have a .357 Rossi (no safety) which is "rough around the edges", not great wood to meatal fit, but it functions perfectly.

I'd rather have a tang-safety on a lever gun, than what the newer Rossi's have, or a cross-bolt like on the Marlins or now Ruger-Marlins. However, I believe I'd disconnect any additional safety on a lever gun, if I had one with said "safety".

I heard that it wasn't a lawyer proof thing, that they started putting the safeties on lever guns, but rather import laws, many countries won't allow lever guns to be imported unless they have the additional safeties on them. ? Don't know if that's true or not.

 

[Speedo66]

I have a Rossi with the safety, to me it's a non issue.

It's off, I don't touch it, don't even think about it.

Overall, very happy with the gun, feeds everything, have had zero issues with it.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I like my Miroku 1892 .45 Colt button mag.

I understand that the 1873 is more "authentic" and can be faster for CAS oriented mag dump gamesmanship (rather silly IMHO), but I find the 1892 far more practical in real life usage.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Speedo, I changed out the safety on the bolt on the Rossi, and simply use the safety notch...if you dropped it just wrong, I suppose the safety notch could sheer, but it is much harder with a carbine than a SAA.
I concur; the Rossi manual safety is far less obnoxious than the cross bolt on some older Winchesters and Marlins. Can't say I'm THAT unhappy with the Rossi. I have an '06 Winchester/Rossi .22 'gallery gun' that is just beautifully made. With a tang sight, it shoots straighter than the road to hell, even with its trapper barrel. Unhappily, the older version is no longer made; the current version isn't as nice.
Ugly Sauce, hadn't thot' in terms of import; you may be exactly right.
Of course, it's raining today; may scoot down to our 50' indoor range for at least a preliminary zero.
Thanks gang.
Best,
Moon

 

[halfmoonclip]

Hey .455 Hunter....what is a 'button mag' on your '92.
Yeah, I have a '73 in .45 Colt as well, another Mrioku. The thing is really nicely made, and the action smooth, but it weights a pound and a half more than the 92.
You are correct about the '92 just being handier and more practical. Tho' I don't take deer hunting very seriously anymore, the '92 will get a walk in the woods after Thanksgiving.
Moon

 

[.455_Hunter]

Hey .455 Hunter....what is a 'button mag' on your '92.

https://www.winchesterguns.com/products/rifles/model-1892/past/model-1892-button-magazine.html

Mine is definitely 5+1 in .45 Colt.

The one negative for me is the sharp crescent butt-plate. I would have definitely preferred a milder variant.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Tho' I don' take deer hunting very seriously anymore, the '92 will get a walk in the woods after Thanksgiving.

Exactly where the .357/92 shines for me. Hikes and treks in the back country. Joy to carry, holds lots of bullets so you don't really have to carry extras, (although I can't break that old habit), and powerful enough with a heavy load to feel warm, fuzzy, safe and confident. And with light loads very small game capable. I suppose one in .44 or .45 would be a bit superior in the power department...but I came across mine in .357 at a price I could not refuse. And again, a 200 grain hard cast bullet over a heap of WW296 is good enough for me. Anyhow, for sure, perfect trekking, exploring, woods-walking-bumming hiking rifle.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Ugly', did take what will likely be my last deer, with a .45 Colt carbine (a previously owned trapper '94 Winchester, again with a tang sight). The load was a little warmer than my standard Trailboss (someplace around 1000'sec, 255 RNFP), and that doe went down like she was struck with lightning.
Like the notion of a rifle for walkabout.
Thanks, .455; I'd never heard that term. Makes a tidy little carbine; yours does seem to have a sharper buttplate than the flat one on mine. BTW, found mine easy to load; sometimes you have to wrestle the rounds into other lever guns.

Did get to the range, briefly, today. Rained most of the day, so I went to an indoor, 50' range. From a rest, raggedy one hole groups, in not especially good light.
Moon

 

[3Crows]

I'd rather have a tang-safety on a lever gun, than what the newer Rossi's have, or a cross-bolt like on the Marlins or now Ruger-Marlins. However, I believe I'd disconnect any additional safety on a lever gun, if I had one with said "safety".

The Marlin CBS is easy to remove or disable (or learn to use effectively). The CBS can be removed or disabled without affecting the function of the rifle or disfiguring it and all Marlin CBS equipped rifles retain the functionality of the traditional half cock (safety). But rebounding hammers, tang safeties or transfer bar safeties cannot be removed and removing them does affect the function of the rifle. I will take the Marlin and the CBS any day over a tang safety.