Help with old Winchester 92

[503]

Hello,

I was recently gifted an old winchester 1892 in 38 WCF. It has a 24 inch octagonal barrel. I dated the SN to 1903. It's in rough shape, the wood isn't bad and the metal has a nice patina.

The action and trigger work, however the lifter doesn't and will need to be repaired. I'm taking it to a good gunsmith to have it cleaned internally and hopefully fixed. I believe I should leave the finish alone though.

If anyone has any more info on the gun and what I should/ should not have done to it let me know. Also if anyone had any guesses on approximate value I'd appreciate it since I have no idea.

Thanks in advance,

503

 

[Mekaniks]

Very cool old gun for sure!
I am not going to be much help. But, you might reach out to the Winchester museum in Cody Wyoming and ask them if they have any records and get a letter on it from them.

 

[503]

Very cool old gun for sure!
I am not going to be much help. But, you might reach out to the Winchester museum in Cody Wyoming and ask them if they have any records and get a letter on it from them.

I'll do that, thank you!

 

[JimP]

Can't help you much, but I would leave it as is and make it a wall hanger.

Most of the time any restoration will decrease any value that it might have unless you want to turn it back into a shooter.

 

[503]

Can't help you much, but I would leave it as is and make it a wall hanger.

Most of the time any restoration will decrease any value that it might have unless you want to turn it back into a shooter.

I may do that, depending on how much it would be to have it brought back to shooting condition.

 

[JimP]

Looking at the muzzle it may require a new barrel to make it a shooter. If you replace any of the parts let the gunsmith know that you want the old parts back. Then place them in a plastic bag with a few of those desiccant packs that we get with everything anymore.

 

[503]

Looking at the muzzle it may require a new barrel to make it a shooter. If you replace any of the parts let the gunsmith know that you want the old parts back. Then place them in a plastic bag with a few of those desiccant packs that we get with everything anymore.

Yea the barrel is rough. I'll post what the gunsmith tells me, I appreciate it

 

[Ridge Runner]

I agree @JimP, that's what I did upon getting a '92 & '96 both were manufactured in the 1890's.

Ask Winchester about restoring the rifle and what effect the value difference of a restoration by them would make.

A good bore cleansing to check how bad the bore pitting is, would be the first step in deciding whether to repair and use or to make it a wall hanger, conversation piece.

Does that rifle use the true 38 caliber cartridge?

 

[503]

I agree @JimP, that's what I did upon getting a '92 & '96 both were manufactured in the 1890's.

Ask Winchester about restoring the rifle and what effect the value difference of a restoration by them would make.

A good bore cleansing to check how bad the bore pitting is, would be the first step in deciding whether to repair and use or to make it a wall hanger, conversation piece.

Does that rifle use the true 38 caliber cartridge?

I will definitely check with them. I'm not sure, it's makes 38 WCF. That's the same as the 38-40 I think. Correct me if I'm wrong

 

[JimP]

Yes the 38 WCF is the same as a 38-40 and is loaded with a .40 caliber bullet and not a .38.

It was based off of the 44-40 cartridge

 

[503]

Ammo for that is $$$

 

[Boone66]

Of you want to actually shoot it, the barrel will have to be replaced, or lined. It's pretty rough to have much collector value.

 

[Ridge Runner]

To avoid hijacking your OP I'll start a new OP : Let's See Your Lever Actions

I'll post photos tomorrow of my 38-55 Legendary Frontiersman and 32-20.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Very cool old gun for sure!
I am not going to be much help. But, you might reach out to the Winchester museum in Cody Wyoming and ask them if they have any records and get a letter on it from them.

@Mekaniks
I reached out to them and never got a reply despite sending several emails.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I agree @JimP, that's what I did upon getting a '92 & '96 both were manufactured in the 1890's.

Ask Winchester about restoring the rifle and what effect the value difference of a restoration by them would make.

A good bore cleansing to check how bad the bore pitting is, would be the first step in deciding whether to repair and use or to make it a wall hanger, conversation piece.

Does that rifle use the true 38 caliber cartridge?

@Ridge Runner
It's surprising how some of those old girls clean up in the bore. Some despite having a rough bore can be pretty good shooters.
Being a 38WCF means it's a 38-40 Winchester. Not a true 38 cal but a .401 /10 mm calibre. It's a 44-40 necked down.
Bob

 

[Sarg]

Nice old rifle, I love the Octagona barrels.
I have a 44/40 & two 32/20 myself, had tens & tens of them over the years.

Unfortunately most of the early ones have pitted/rotted bores from poor cleaning after firing Black powder cartridges, but if cleaned nicely shooting jacked bullets can work, when I had a few 38/40s I used heavy 10mm bullets putting a cannelure on them & use Lee crimp die (which you need on most of the tube feed rifles anyway) shot Goats & some Deer with them.

Not too hard to clean yourself, they are a simple action to work on, I’d be surprised if a clean didn’t tidy yours up, other than a worrying bore & maybe chamber ?

 

[Russ16]

Frankly unless it has some providence that links it to a famous figure or something it doesn’t have much in the way of collector value in that condition. Don’t really just depends on how much you want to put into it to make it a shooter.

I have one similar condition but a a better bore. It is fun to shoot.

 

[Mekaniks]

@Mekaniks
I reached out to them and never got a reply despite sending several emails.
Bob

That's unfortunate. In the past they have been fairly responsive. It may be a foreign email address SPAM thing...

A call to their records office might help.

I will try to reach out to them next week and see if we can get something sorted....