Make: Winchester Repeating Arms

Model: 1892

Serial Number: 262246

Year of Manufacture: 1904

Caliber: .25-20 Winchester Center Fire (WCF)

Action Type: Lever Action Rifle with a Full Length Tubular Magazine

Barrel Length: 24” Round

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a brass bead dovetailed and set screwed to the barrel. The rear sight is a “V”-notch semi-buckhorn elevator sight dovetailed to the barrel. The tang is drilled, tapped, and filled for a tang sight (none included).

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut with a capped forend, straight grip and comb, and smooth steel crescent buttplate. The stocks have scattered compression marks, primarily on the left side of the forend at the receiver and on the left side of the grip and belly. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 12 3/4” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate has worn to white with scattered and light surface oxidation. The stocks rate in about Fine Condition.

Type of Finish: Blue, with a Case-hardened lever

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is minor erosion down the length. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 8 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 93% of its metal finish. There is some thinning on the edges of the receiver. The case color is strong on the sides of the lever but the rest of the case color has gone completely mute. There is finish loss on the muzzle and thinning on the tangs. There are light scratches on the receiver, and there’s surface oxidation. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Fine Condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer has a half-cock safety. The trigger is crisp. We did not fire this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 1892 was introduced as the successor to the iconic “Winchester ’73”, and replaced the toggle link action of the Model 1873 with a breechblock locked with two rectangular locking bolts, making the action much stronger. It was designed by gunmaking genius John Moses Browning, and was essentially a scaled-down version of his Model 1886 rifle, the first he designed for Winchester. The Model 1892 was small and light, and ideal for the classic .44-40 WCF round and similar pistol caliber cartridges. The Model 1892 rifle was popular with ranchers, and later was the lever action of choice for many Western movies and TV shows. John Wayne famously used both M-1892 rifles and carbines in many of his iconic cowboy roles.

This Winchester Model 1892 Lever Action Rifle was made in 1904 and is in Fine Condition. It features a 24” round barrel, 93% of its lustrous, original blued finish, with some strong case coloring on the sides of the lever, elegant two-piece smooth walnut stocks with only a few compressions scattered about, clear markings, solid mechanics, and a bright bore with sharp rifling and only minor erosion. This rifle is chambered in .25-20 WCF, still a very viable small game, fur bearing, and trapping cartridge. This is a beautiful, high condition Winchester Model 1892 lever rifle.