Working Winchester 1892 Rifles

Most of the information about the Winchester Model 1892 rifle in this article also applies to the foreign-produced Puma rifles and a few others. Some of the generalities also apply to the Winchester 1894 lever action rifle. These rifles are often used in cowboy action shooting. Many are found in the hands of people who simply appreciate old steel and like to shoot lever action rifles. Others use the rifles as an important part of their hunting battery.

The Winchester 1892 is accurate, reliable after a few fixes, and fires the .32-20 WCF cartridge. With about the same energy as the .30 Carbine but with a heavier bullet, the .32- 20 is still useful for coyote and other small game. The first thing before working on these older guns is to conduct some research and understand their individual qualities. When a customer declares his gun won’t shoot we have to understand the basis for complaint. Can he shoot? Was the gun previously accurate?

Modern replicas are accurate with jacketed and hard cast bullets, sometimes, but the older rifles such as the original M1892 chambered in .44-40 have specific parameters that must be met for accuracy. A modern shooter using hard cast bullets may find the WCF cartridges less accurate than legend suggests. In the early days, firearms sometimes had less consistent bore diameter and this greater disparity makes for poor accuracy.

Rifles were more likely to be off specification than hand- Otherwise, they are very similar. The Rossi illustrated has an octagon barrel. guns, which insured feed reliability even with a dirty chamber and the less-than-perfect ammunition of the period. Bullets then were soft (usually forty parts lead and one part tin) and bumped into the grooves easily on firing. Harder alloys are popular today, producing fine accuracy in most firearms and reducing leading.

Softer alloys may make less accurate bullets but with proper bullets WCF cartridges are accurate. Another potential problem is proper chambering. A popular combination is a revolver and rifle with shared cartridges but differences must be accounted for. A heavy, hard cast semi-wadcutter bullet is designed to be crimped in the groove in the front of the driving band.

This is ideal for revolvers but may not chamber in a rifle, which works better with the bullet seated deeper and the crimp ran over the bullet at a higher point. If the same powder charge is used this may result in higher pressure. Older rifles will usually take higher pressure loads than older revolvers but this isn’t always true. For example, a heavy .44 Magnum load safe in a Ruger Blackhawk may exhibit high pressure signs in a lever action rifle.

So, having a good understanding of proper ammunition for the specific firearm is important. Lever Action Checks A common complaint is cartridges not feeding into the magazine tube. The usual culprit is the lever is slightly open. Close the operating lever and the cartridge should feed. Loose levers are another complaint. They are purposely made that way in some rifles but economy guns can be pretty loose. In one example I found excessive clearance of about 0.030 in the lever.

A 0.015 shim between the trigger and tang kept the trigger from wriggling as much. This wasn’t a function problem but a rattle issue. Pre-64 rifles are usually tighter. I have worked with lever action rifles in which the magazine tube is not completely screwed in from the factory, causing feed problems. Another problem is a cartridge that won’t feed out of the magazine tube. A simple fix is rapping the magazine tube lightly to straighten the

feed spring out. I have also had to remove the magazine tube for complete cleaning. It is surprising the amount of foreign material that can get into magazine tubes. Feed problems are sometimes caused by the operator error. I once had a customer bring in a M1892 that failed to eject after firing. The rifle was chambered in .32-20 WCF but the cartridges were .30 Carbine! He said his grandfather gave him the rifle with those cartridges.

I pointed out the differences between the two types of ammunition and demonstrated how only the rimmed .32- 20 WCF would feed properly in his rifle. He wasn’t the Lone Ranger on such foolishness. Many shooters do not realize that the lever is pressed forward, not down, during operation and that doing so results in better smoothness. The lever must run completely forward in order to pick up the new cartridge and load it.

I have run across more lever action rifle issues due to cowboy action shooting than from hunting. Cowboy action shooters fire their rifles more in one season than a hunter will in his lifetime. Due to historical interest, CAS competitors sometimes bring vintage rifles back into play. Never ignore simple fixes such as rust in the chamber. This is common and isn’t necessarily from black powder as merely failing to clean often enough will do it.

Some of the work I have done is simple, though this seldom makes the rifle more accurate. Working with different loads is the best rectly-sized O-ring to slip over it. This dampens recoil on the rifle, results in less wear and can offer a slight accuracy increase. Another problem is too-light hammer strikes. Note, pistol cartridges should be loaded with pistol primers, even when fired in a rifle; something to ask your customer.

If it’s not ammunition related, adjust the hammer regulating screw to make the strike heavier. We can also experiment with trigger and hammer springs for a lighter let off. I do this by lightening the hammer spring a few coils, then put the rifle back together to test the pull and ignition. Take it slow with this one. You may also install a thin shim under the spring and between the spring and the tang. Just a small piece of plastic is fine. There must be a hole through the shim for the retaining screw.

One shim in the old 1892 and two shims in the modern Rossi worked fine. accuracy enhancement but we can greatly improve function. A neat trick for limiting wear that also seems to improve accuracy is toremove the barrel band and find a cor- When looking over fit and function, look for burrs on the long bearing surfaces. Newer Winchester 1892s are usually free of these as may be expected of a two thousand dollar rifle. The original 1892 rifles do not have them.

After over 75 years of use they are probably long worn away and the long bearing surfaces and places where parts meet sometimes need a polish on the Rossi rifle. The bolt, the sides of the hammer, and the breech are well worth your attention. I use a stone and take things These old parts diagram still work. Note small parts that sometimes are easily misplaced.

Top Do not remove this safety. slow and easy. As far as the Rossi rifle, it is great for the money while taking into account that a less expensive firearm may have less factory refinement. The old Winchesters seem to give the most problems, although the problems are age related and not due to the design or quality. Sometimes the cartridge stop will stick, similar to the M1894. The problem is basically a double feed with two cartridges on the carrier.

Top Bottom Far Sometimes the upper cartridge flies out of the gun, which is ideal to avoid a tie up. To cure this, the carrier and carrier detent are worked and smoothed with a stone. One coil off of the carrier detent spring often aids in proper operation. Next, move to the ejector and ejector shaft. You can see machine marks on these parts in many rifles. Stone them carefully for better function.

On aside note, for reasons unknown, some CAS competitors will fire the obsolete .38 Colt in their lever action .357 Magnum/.38 Special rifles. This shorter cartridge is seldom feed reliable in the modern lever action rifle. Some modifications are questionable but not a safety issue if the

com) was fitted to a modern Rossi, a great option for many shooters. It isn’t a good idea to leave the rifle loaded for long periods. customer asks. As an example, a young lady had broken a nail on the loading gate of her Winchester copy. These can be pretty stiff in both Rossi and Winchester rifles. You can disassemble the rifle and bend the gate spring until it loses some of its tension, making it easier to press in.

While I don’t think reliability is compromised, this is a game gun and not for hunting dangerous game or personal defense. I also replaced the plastic magazine Most of the work done on these rifles is the result of normal wear. follower with a Winchester 92 steel follower. I have seen no issues with the Rossi follower but steel trumps plastic as a no-brainer on a cowboy gun. Winchester M1892 steel followers for the .32-20 WCF fits the Rossi .357 Magnum with some twisting of the spring into the new follower.

I have found no differences in disassembling the Rossi or Win-

The author the action spring of the Rossi Model 92 for easy removal. This isn’t much different than a revolver action spring. chesters. The Rossi, being anew gun, is tighter and a tad more difficult to take down the first time. The same should apply to the new model Winchester 92 as it appears quite tight. Remove the tang screw and slip the butt stock off to the rear. Pull the hammer to the rear and locate a small hole in the mainspring rod. This is visible in the "V" of the mainspring rod block.

A small pin or nail may be inserted into this hole to prevent the mainspring from flying off. Remove the bolt pin stop screw. Look to the receiver. At the top near the rear of the receiver is a bolt pin. This pin is driven out carefully with a punch right to left. Open the action by pressing the lever forward. Look closely at the locking bolts exposed on the attachment point of the lever. You will see the screws that attach to the left hand side locking bolt.

Remove the locking bolt pin screw from the left hand side of the lever/locking lug. With the locking bolt pin removed, remove both locking bolts from the bottom of the receiver. As you remove the lever, take care not to lose the ejector, ejector collar, and ejector spring. They are only a light press fit in the breech bolt. Apart that serves a dual purpose is the hammer screw which is also the lower tang screw. Hold the trigger to the rear and remove the lower tang.

The lower tang is removed by pulling straight back out from the receiver. There is a small pin that the trigger pivots on, easily lost and a loose fit. The hammer assembly then pulls away. At this point the bolt may be removed from the receiver. As I have already mentioned, the ejector, ejector spring, and ejector collar area loose fit in the breech bolt and care must be taken that they are not lost. Next, remove two carrier screws and the carrier comes out easily.

The cartridge guides and the loading gate do not need to be removed. Reassemble in the reverse order. Assembling the bolt, ejector, and lever can be a tough job. To get them back together, insert the assembled breechbolt into the receiver. With the bolt in the open position, insert the lever. Ensure the ejector is aligned properly, then close the bolt. Press forward on the lever to seat it completely into the receiver. Align the holes in the bolt and lever with the pin hole in the receiver and insert the bolt pin.

A small tapered punch can help align the holes if need be. As is often the case, putting the rifle back together can be more difficult than taking it apart. Be certain that the bolt is properly assembled with the small parts. They area press fit and a little loose so be certain that the bolt is moved back into the receiver at the proper angle. Place the bolt into the receiver, then move the operating lever into place. Align the ejector properly and close the bolt.

To properly seat the operating lever, press it forward into the receiver. Carefully align the holes located in the receiver and press the bolt pin into place. A small punch may prove useful. AG