Project355
Member
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2020
- Messages
- 672
While ago I was looking for a nice 375 H&H Model 70. Looked at some of the Euro rifles but they were just a little "thick" in the middle. The Model 70 is more svelt. At any rate, the one I found slipped thru the cracks, but...in the process I found another rifle I've been jonesing for - '92 with 20" tube in 45 Colt.
Just came in today. Appeared new in the box, still had that factory preservative smell on it, all the papers, lock, and was spotless clean all around, and all inside. I'm sure somewhere someone has a list of Miroku serial numbers so I can establish the date, but it doesn't really matter.
First thing I noticed was the near flawless fit of wood to metal. Amazingly precise at the buttplate, all around the upper and lower tangs and at the forearm. Since this was a short rifle, it has a forearm cap, and that is fit equally great. Zero issues. The wood appears to be actual black walnut, and its a little on the open grained side (not filled with finish), but the applied matte finish is nice, smooth too. Second thing I noticed was the really nice trigger. First pull or two was a little gritty, but that was probably preservative. After that, light and crisp, almost no takeup. Gun range el cheapo "spring type" trigger gauge said just under 4lbs. Feels like 4lbs to me, a good shootin' trigger.
One complaint is the hammer's strong spring. I think they're doing that to get up enough oomph to overcome the rebound geometry used on the forked mainspring strut. Top fork powers forward until there's no contact, and the bottom fork powers "backward" to rebound. That's easily adjustable though, and less "rebound" can be obtained and a lighter mainspring employed. I probably won't mess with it until its gotten quite a few rounds through it.
Sights suck. I can use flat-top rear, or full buckhorn rear, but that semi buckhorn just irks me. Front sight bead is too small for the kind of ranges a 45 Colt will shoot at. I won't be pinning the tail on the jackass, just hammering the chest of some critter. There's a company that makes a brass piece that you slip over the existing Marbles front sight. The bead can be increased to one of several sizes up to about .093 inches. Dunno about what to do for sights yet. Might put a ladder there, or full buckhorn. We'll see.
The action is smooth, even with the strong mainspring. Rifling is shiny, crisp. Chamber like a mirror. Loaded up 10 rounds that I assembled this last weekend, and they cycled through the action with one hitch - my fault - a short stroke on the lever. Empty brass I tried sailed two feet over my right shoulder and made a small pile on the carpet.
All the metal is nicely finished, really no complaints there, except... the engraving. Its the only gun that has more engraving than any Ruger I've seen. Left side "Winchester Model 1892 - caliber 45 Colt ONLY". Are they saying 45 Schofields are out? 45 Short Colt? Well, maybe not the Schofield, its got a little bigger rim. Dunno on that, might come down to individual lots o' brass and individual bolts. On the right side...In letters larger than all the rest is a line about being made by Miroku in Japan, then a smaller set of letters on the same line about being imported by Browning, then under that a line about Winchester is a Tradmark blah blah blah.... Gaudiest stuff I've ever seen on a fine rifle. Under the receiver is three lines of comprising of the serial number, which has been laser engraved. Yup three lines and it appears the serial number is 14 alpha numeric characters. Really? They made that many? I doubt it. Its a far east ploy to confound Yankee gun owners!
Seriously, a nice rifle. Would like to take it out and kill some paper this weekend just to try it out a bit. There's a local place that has a 25 yd indoor range that will probably allow me to shoot it there. More on that as it comes.
So, no 375, but... still a nice grab. It appears to have been unfired, just sitting in a box, and was exactly as described, so... I'm happy with it.
Just came in today. Appeared new in the box, still had that factory preservative smell on it, all the papers, lock, and was spotless clean all around, and all inside. I'm sure somewhere someone has a list of Miroku serial numbers so I can establish the date, but it doesn't really matter.
First thing I noticed was the near flawless fit of wood to metal. Amazingly precise at the buttplate, all around the upper and lower tangs and at the forearm. Since this was a short rifle, it has a forearm cap, and that is fit equally great. Zero issues. The wood appears to be actual black walnut, and its a little on the open grained side (not filled with finish), but the applied matte finish is nice, smooth too. Second thing I noticed was the really nice trigger. First pull or two was a little gritty, but that was probably preservative. After that, light and crisp, almost no takeup. Gun range el cheapo "spring type" trigger gauge said just under 4lbs. Feels like 4lbs to me, a good shootin' trigger.
One complaint is the hammer's strong spring. I think they're doing that to get up enough oomph to overcome the rebound geometry used on the forked mainspring strut. Top fork powers forward until there's no contact, and the bottom fork powers "backward" to rebound. That's easily adjustable though, and less "rebound" can be obtained and a lighter mainspring employed. I probably won't mess with it until its gotten quite a few rounds through it.
Sights suck. I can use flat-top rear, or full buckhorn rear, but that semi buckhorn just irks me. Front sight bead is too small for the kind of ranges a 45 Colt will shoot at. I won't be pinning the tail on the jackass, just hammering the chest of some critter. There's a company that makes a brass piece that you slip over the existing Marbles front sight. The bead can be increased to one of several sizes up to about .093 inches. Dunno about what to do for sights yet. Might put a ladder there, or full buckhorn. We'll see.
The action is smooth, even with the strong mainspring. Rifling is shiny, crisp. Chamber like a mirror. Loaded up 10 rounds that I assembled this last weekend, and they cycled through the action with one hitch - my fault - a short stroke on the lever. Empty brass I tried sailed two feet over my right shoulder and made a small pile on the carpet.
All the metal is nicely finished, really no complaints there, except... the engraving. Its the only gun that has more engraving than any Ruger I've seen. Left side "Winchester Model 1892 - caliber 45 Colt ONLY". Are they saying 45 Schofields are out? 45 Short Colt? Well, maybe not the Schofield, its got a little bigger rim. Dunno on that, might come down to individual lots o' brass and individual bolts. On the right side...In letters larger than all the rest is a line about being made by Miroku in Japan, then a smaller set of letters on the same line about being imported by Browning, then under that a line about Winchester is a Tradmark blah blah blah.... Gaudiest stuff I've ever seen on a fine rifle. Under the receiver is three lines of comprising of the serial number, which has been laser engraved. Yup three lines and it appears the serial number is 14 alpha numeric characters. Really? They made that many? I doubt it. Its a far east ploy to confound Yankee gun owners!
Seriously, a nice rifle. Would like to take it out and kill some paper this weekend just to try it out a bit. There's a local place that has a 25 yd indoor range that will probably allow me to shoot it there. More on that as it comes.
So, no 375, but... still a nice grab. It appears to have been unfired, just sitting in a box, and was exactly as described, so... I'm happy with it.
Last edited:
