Win 1892 44WCF Rifle (1896) at Home.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Range report added in post #16.
After 2 months of first negotiating then waiting the deal finally happened so the Winchester 1892 rifle caliber 44 WCF made in 1896 (1416xx) could make the trip to my house. 24 inch barrel with shotgun buttstock. Happily this 1892 has a very nice barrel with minor pitting in a few places. The rifling for the first 1/8th inch at the muzzle is worn but my cast .432 bullets show little wobble as they exit the barrel being pushed through from the breach. Just may shoot well.
The interior was heavy coated with old grease so again happily showed little rust. Rifle cycled my reloads smoothly before cleaning out all that old dried crud. I will know tomorrow how everything cycles with just a light coat of oil.
With the rifle is a 1909 vintage 1892 44WCF SRC that has been with me about 5 years.
Mike in Peru

[williamwaco]

Lucky Dawg! :mad:

[missionary5155]

Another look at the addition....8175681757

Mike in Peru

[Ithaca Gunner]

Very nice! I like the round barrel rifles better than the octagon and the shotgun but would really cinch the deal!

[missionary5155]

Good morning
What got my attention was the inside of the barrel. Have only seen one bore better than this one (down here) and bought that one fast 15 years ago. Have seen several bores that I deemed beyond hope. Have 2 others that have about 50% intermitant rifling that actually shoot 2.5+ inches at 50 yards. (minute of groundhog).
Worse condition I find with cast is if that muzzle zone is wollered out permiting the boolit to tilt randomly on exit. Even COW helps little in those cases but does help. Only real solution is counterbore or amputaion back to real solid rifling. The pictured carbine required amputation. No real loss as someone decided years ago to refinish.
This is my first 44WCF rifle I have seen down here. Seems the SRC's were far more popular on the rancheros. And no regrets getting a shotgun style rear end ! That was a real plus !
Mike in Peru

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Here is a technical follow up... Tightest 44 WCF chamber I have encountered down here. Even fired brass from my New Service will not chamber ! Must be one that the reamer was getting down to minimum specs. Going to have to segregate another batch of brass for this barrel.
Mike in Peru

[Pb2au]

Wow, excellent find. How did you come across the old girl?
Signed, very jealous in Ohio.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Here in Arequipa we have 2 "toy" stores. (valley has 3 million people) Both owners are freinds and know I am always looking for "Old things". About 2 months ago walked into Angel's store and there half covered was this particular 44WCF. I asked the details and why he did not call me.. Blah, Blah... But the asking price was $400. Looked it over starting with the barrel and I was :>). Had a few problems .. ugly soldered on the barrel sling attachment (now removed). Ugly nailed on the bottom of stock sling attachment (another day). Rear sight damaged (another day). Front sight bent (repaired). Needing a strip down cleaning (done). So I offered $300. Two days later owner removed rifle. Telephone calls, promises, more calls and finally Angel told the guy to either sell it or never bring in another gun to sell. So yesterday after 3 more days of promises and calls seller finally brought it back and I brought it home in two parts tied to my Yamaha in cloth bags.
Most sellers are not so "control freaks" with their items. I will probably chuckle next time this feller has something for sell. Probably make an offer that is $5 less every day I have to wait.
Few people here want 44WCF. Angel showed me one of two boxes of Winchester he has for sale. 50 rounds is 300 soles or $108 ! Last time I bought any was 12 years ago. That was $65 for 50. here you can buy ammo one at a time. That is how he will sell those 100 rounds. But he charges 20% more for that service. So no one wants a 44WCF... except some one who likes a challange.
Loaded up a dummy and it cycled like butter. Loaded 10 and cycled 3 through it ... nice !
Mike in Peru

[John Allen]

I really love the old leaverguns. The 92's are my favorites. If they could only talk could you imagine what they would have to say

[TXGunNut]

Very nice find, Mike. Hope she works out for you.

[Spruce]

Very nice old rifle indeed. Glad you don't have to buy ammo.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Took the 44 WCF rifle out yesterday morning to test two loads.
Load "A" was my standard 220 grain "range mix" from a Saeco 443 with 8 grains Unique. This load has shot well to fantastic in all my 44WCF.
Load "B" was the same Saeco 220 grainer with 7 grains Unique, cereal box wad,and 7cc (yellow dipper) of COW. This is my load for fat throats, ilregular barrels, and wallored out muzzles. This is my "target load" for the SR carbine pictured above.
Due to time constraints I di my shooting at 17 yards sitting. A bunch of brushy weeds have grown up over my last rifle shooting at my canyon range and I did not have my machete along to clear the firing lane. But I figured if this rifle has a bad barrel it would show up.
Load A (the 8 grain no COW) made a nice tight cluster of 5 rounds. The first shot from the clean barrel was at 11 oclock but touching . the next 4 were a 3/4 inch clover leaf.
Loab B (7g with COW) made a .65 inch hole of 5 rounds.
Both loads impacted same elevation 1.3 inches high and 1/2 inch left of aiming point.
Next time out I will have 10 rounds of the 7 grain with COW and fire those at 40 yards with cross sticks.
So far I am very happy with this barrel. Even with some wear at the muzzle it keeps boolits together. The carbine also pictured shot 2 inch patterns at 15 yards with the 8 grain load. With the COW load it would improve to 1.3 inches. That barrel got wacked off and will cloverleaf the 8 grain load at 25 yards with cross sticks.
Mike in Peru

[helice]

Mike,
This has been a fun post for me. It pleases me to see that the old 92 is working so well. What are your plans for the exterior? It looked a bit "beat up" - or should I say it "has a lot of personality?":wink: Will it get tang sights? Are parts available down there?
Karl

[KirkD]

Glad to hear about your find and I enjoyed the account of how you came to own it. From the sounds of the prices there, it sure is a good thing you reload. I have only one 44-40 right now (an original '73) and it is a real pleasure to shoot.

[missionary5155]

Greetings Helice
Rifle exterior... It is all personality, beat up, well used, been down the trail and probably just the type of exterior that would make a collector cring. But a shooter historian can only smile. This perfectly matches my 44 WCF New Service. No finish, pits, and within a few years of production.
Rifle sights... has an "express" rear sight that is typicly missing the second leaf. Some previous person had soldered with one big nasty glop the short sight to the barrel so it could not rotate. Had been like this long enough the "300" yard leaf had rusted in place and would not move. Took that unit off Monday, soak it in brake fluid and it opperates now. But of course the short leaf will flop forward. The "second leaf" has been gone long enough the stub that remains at the break is badly oxidised and beyond tig welding another leaf to it. I can easily see adding a tang sight to this one.
Parts.. Have tried in the past to loacate a tang sight down here. None. Parts are a big maybe. There is a "smith" down here that I would not let touch my bent brass. He is good at "scabbing" things together so they will fire but his ideas and solutions are far more artistic than mechanicly sound. But that is the norm for all basic mechanics here. They are very resourceful but the solution may be more dangerous than the problem.

Howdy KirkD the 44WCF is a favorite with me also. I have never had a 1873 caliber 44. Have several 38 WCF's. But yep I agree.. they are a joy to shoot. Easy to load, plenty of power and easy on powder.
Mike in Peru

[missionary5155]

Good evening
Got back out this afternoon to reshoot at longer range the 7 grain Unique with 7 CC COW. Target was first fired at 25 yards with 5 rounds using cross sticks. I had moved the front sight Monday to get the windage better and that worked out well.
Then moved back to 40 yards (got tired chopping a path through the brush with a machete). Fired 3 rounds from cross sticks. Target is marked. Aiming point was bottom of the inverted "T".
My next project is to add some height to the front sight. Almost 5 inches high at 40 yards is a bit more than I desire.
The recovered 220 grainers are my range scrap. Would make a nasty hole on a preditor.
Top row are those fired at 40 yards. Lower row was some of the 25 yarders.
This is all the load development I will do. My meagar amount of Unique is near exausted. This load is capable of doing everything I can think of doing down here where there little more than a few wild dogs to thin out off and on.
Mike in Peru

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