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Thread: My Miroku/Winchester 1892, 45 Colt

  1. #1
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    Buckshot's Avatar
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    My Miroku/Winchester 1892, 45 Colt

    .............This is the one I'd bought from a local gunshop and it was on consignment with a few other rifles. For some reason the PO had removed the buttplates from a couple? Why that had been done is a mystery, but the shop said they'd ordered a new one and when it came in they'd call. After about a month they called. I boogied to the shop but apparently they'd ordered one for a carbine. They asked if they gave me $50 back (I paid $350 for it) would that be okay, so I did that.



    It's a rifle with a 24" round barrel.






    The wood had that modern poly-something or other clear plastic finish so many rifles have these days, and I'm sorry but I really do not like it. Since I had to fit the new buttplate I went ahead and stripped it off, and then re-stained it. I need to do it again as I didn't do enough sanding in the wrist area, so it didn't take the stain like the balance of the stock did. I was afraid of taking off too much wood and after re-assembly it was obvious I could have taken off quite a bit more. Something to do later.



    In the right photo the unfinished portion of the buttplate is noticeable. Needs to be sanded, polished and then I plan on heat bluing it. It is quite a handsome rifle. I slugged the barrel and it's .444" x .452" and a bit surprising to me it has a 16" twist. My Rossi M92 in 45 Colt has a 32" twist. I did the modification to eliminate the stupid rebounding hammer foolishness and was seriously thinking of grinding in a half cock notch but didn't, in the end. It has a quite nice trigger as it is and felt no need to mess with that.

    I took it to the range with 100 rounds representing 4 different loads using the Lyman 452664, 255gr RF-BB and the 50 yard results were rather dismal. Back at home when I ran a solvent soaked patch down the barrel there was no leading. I think it may have a case of "Levergun-itis". A couple weeks later on a trip to the range I took the Rossi to see what it'd do with the balance of the ammo I'd tried in the Miroku. The Rossi outshot it by a mile. BTW, the Rossi slugs .446" x .451" so it's grooves are barely half as deep. I doubt that has anything to do with it, but there it is.

    The Jap Winchester wasn't shooting wild groups. It was simply that the groups were larger then one would have liked to see even from an open sighted lever action. The bore shines like it was chrome plated and the muzzle is perfect and the action is as slick and well machined as can be. When I took it apart for the woodwork, the forend, cap, magazine tube and it's hanger were a VERY snug fit in all respects, so I suspect that there is something going on there.

    ................Buckshot
    Father Grand Caster watches over you my brother. Go now and pour yourself a hot one. May the Sacred Silver Stream be with you always

    Proud former Shooters.Com Cast Bullet alumnus and plank owner.

    "The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."

    Shrink the State End the Fed Balance the budget Make a profit Leave an inheritance

  2. #2
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    Sweet rifle you have there! Seems like you got a pretty good deal on it too. The twist rate for .45 Colt is pretty confusing to me; I never understood why some guns such as Ruger revolvers, Marlin 1894s and your 1892 have 1-16" twists while others had 1-30"+ twists. 1-16" does seem pretty darn fast.

  3. #3
    In Remembrance w30wcf's Avatar
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    Buckshot,
    Nice looking rifle. Several years ago, a friend bought the same rifle. He tried a number of different loads wit both 250 cast and jacketed and it would not shoot much better than 3" @ 50 yards ......and that was on a good day.

    Long story short, I was at the range shooting my Marllin .45 Colt Cowboy one day when he was there. I was shooting the 300 RCBS GC .456" diameter in w.w. +2% tin (320 grs.) over 20/296. The bullet was seated to crimp over the front band.

    I gave him 5 rounds to try, after which he was extremely happy to say the least.
    Those 5 rounds went into 1 ragged hole!

    Further testing indicated that his rifle definitely preferred 300+ gr bullets the best.

    w30wcf
    aka w44wcf
    aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
    aka John Kort
    NRA Life Member
    .22 W.C.F., .30 W.C.F., .44 W.C.F. Cartridge Historian

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    .............w30wcf, that's good to hear and had thought the fast twist might like a heavier slug. I have several loads using a Lee GB of a 270gr Keith type SWC and the Lee 457-340F:



    I lube-size to .457" and then run them up through a Lee .454" die. Ditto the Lyman 458191. Have to see how it likes the heavier slugs. In the photo the boolits are seated for use in a Vaquero. For the Miroku the case had to crimp over the top of the front drive band.

    ..............Buckshot
    Father Grand Caster watches over you my brother. Go now and pour yourself a hot one. May the Sacred Silver Stream be with you always

    Proud former Shooters.Com Cast Bullet alumnus and plank owner.

    "The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."

    Shrink the State End the Fed Balance the budget Make a profit Leave an inheritance

  5. #5
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    Buckshot,

    I have the Winchester 94 Trapper with the 16 inch barrel in 45 Colt and it shoots a heck of a lot better then what you're saying you new acquisition does. You may remember I use to hunt groundhog with it in PA and shot up to slightly over 200 yards. I was using the 255 grain RCBS SWC and it shot that quite well. I'm not sure what the twist is in that 94 but I know it's faster then my Marlin Cowboy. Felix would remember, I want to say 1 in 20.

    The 16 twist doesn't sound out of line when you compare it to revolver which run right about in that same bracket. I do hope yours has a tighter chamber then my because mine is awful fat, the Marlin isn't. Again Felix can attest to the Winnie 94 in 45 Colt having a fat chamber.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master corvette8n's Avatar
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    Buckshot:
    It's almost to purty to shoot.
    Looks like youll have fun sorting it out.

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
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    Buck shot I have that same identical rifle and mine shoots very well with cast or jacketed. The load that really shines is 28grs of H110 and WLP primers Sierra 240gr JHC power jacket #8820. The load I mostly shoot out of it is 9 grs of unique and the Lyman RFN 250 GR bullet and that load I can jump pop cans at 50 yards all over the place, off hand . Maybe you got a bad one, but I was really impressed with how accurate that rifle is.

  8. #8
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    First I know that each rifle is it's own piece of steel and will react different than one that came off the line right behind it. We have a shooter who shoots that rifle with the 255-265 bullet with 8 grains of Unique and does very well at winning most side matches out to 200 yds.
    Shooter of the "HOLY BLACK" SASS 81802 AKA FAIRSHAKE; NRA ; BOLD; WARTHOG;Deadwood Marshal;Bayou Bounty Hunter; So That his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat; 44 WCF filled to the top, 210 gr. bullet

  9. #9
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    ................Yeah I think I have a M92 with a case of Levergun-itis, drat the luck One of these days I'll have to strip the forend and mag tube off and see how it fares.

    .............Buckshot
    Father Grand Caster watches over you my brother. Go now and pour yourself a hot one. May the Sacred Silver Stream be with you always

    Proud former Shooters.Com Cast Bullet alumnus and plank owner.

    "The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."

    Shrink the State End the Fed Balance the budget Make a profit Leave an inheritance

  10. #10
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    and chambered in the ultra rare " ..45 Colt " - WOW!
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check