Missing 92's

[TXGunNut]

Used one 1892 for trade bait a few weeks back and the other one is headed off to spend the summer with John Taylor in Washington state. About the time our first bunch of triple-digit heat hits I'll be wishing I'd gone with it, lol. Going to miss the little guys. I'd like to find one in 38WCF to pass the time but in no hurry. Been studying upon 1886's a bit, need to study up on fundraising just case in I find one I like. [smilie=l:

[fordwannabe]

I a couple 92's and a couple 1886s, both are wonderful but for different things. AND I CAN'T DECIDE WHICH I LIKE BETTER SO I BOUGHT BOTH KINDS AND MY KID WILL NOT GET ANY MONEY WHEN I DIE BUT HE WILL HAVE SOME COOL STUFF!

[runfiverun]

I'd like to find one in 38-40 too.
the last one I seen in person was rumored to have belonged to both Parker and Elmer during it's lifetime.
I think one each of their baby teeth was gold plated and imbedded in the butt plate of the stock.
I quit listening when he mentioned the price which was something like his stores monthly rent on top of his house payment.

[Frank46]

Funny thing is they made a bunch of then but can recall only seeing a few for sale. And when they do go on the market at our local gun show you better give some serious thought to taking out a 2nd mortgage on the homestead. Frank

[shdwlkr]

I have three 92's one mostly original, one with relined bore, one that will be a .256 win mag and one 86. I have some 94's also and looking for more, at least I think I have all these as I have not seen them in a long time so they may have got taken by someone who thought they were there for the taking. When things go into storage there is always the chance when you finally get to take your stuff out there is less than what went in

[TXGunNut]

I'd like to find one in 38-40 too.
the last one I seen in person was rumored to have belonged to both Parker and Elmer during it's lifetime.
I think one each of their baby teeth was gold plated and imbedded in the butt plate of the stock.
I quit listening when he mentioned the price which was something like his stores monthly rent on top of his house payment.


Oops, passed on a decent one a few weeks ago for a decent price but it had more collector than shooter value. It had one very unusual special order feature but it also had a marginal bore.
I've been looking at a nice 44-40 but the bore is just a little rough for me, not in the mood to add a cartridge right now. Both could be shooters but I won't pay collector prices for questionable or marginal shooters. I'm just not a serious enough collector yet, I guess. The 92 I traded in looked like a shooter but I was wrong.The 92 I'm getting relined has a little collector value but it has the slickest little action I've found so far, looking forward to shooting it for awhile so not really concerned about collector value. Will let the next custodian deal with it. ;-)

[bob208]

my first 92 was a rifle octagon barrel full mag. real good bore and in .38-40. shot some ground hogs and a deer with it. my next 92 was a carbine with button mag in .44-40 with a good bore. my next was a rifle in .32-20. I used it last summer to shoot ground hogs because .22's cost too much. I still have them all and a few more.

[Shawlerbrook]

I love my 1913 vintage 25 20 Standard Rifle, but would love a SRC in either 38 40 or 44 40.

[clum553946]

Been looking for a nice 76 in 38-40, but the right gun for the right price has eluded me so far!

[northmn]

38-40 has an appeal to me. Been some discussion as to why it exists as it is close to the 44WCF but slightly "inferior". I think it is kind of a interesting caliber. Both were what is called "opportunistic" calibers, in which the rifles were carried about anywhere and all the time. Kind of like modern pickup rifles, or one like I carry on my 4 wheeler/tractor. Times have changed a bit now though where the ability to shoot anything at anytime as back then. Deer hunting for me has narrowed into a 2 week period with bucks only. While I could have shot a lot of deer with a 38-40 ther have been more than a few where I appreciated a more modern gun.
Still a 38-40 has a certain appeal to me. I lug around a 357 a lot which is similar. The historical cartridges are fun. However, the eyes are not all that great anymore. I would prefer not to install a receiver sight and fiber optic green on an original 92 and it would really look out of place on a 73. I can modify rear sights and shoot them but I prefer receiver sights. Getting ammo for them is a bit challenging. I bought 32-20 brass at a better time and it lasts a long time as long as one does not hotrod it. Loading dies, molds and brass for old cartridges are getting spendy. 38-40's can be made out of 44-40's but I would bet there would be case loss as the 44-40 is a fragile case. Some are complaining about getting brass for the 25-20. 38-40 would be fun but requires a bit of commitment.

DP

[runfiverun]

the 38-40 is a bit odd when you think about the 44-40 being right there already.
but if you compare it to the 40 short it moves right on up and ahead of it by quite a margin.
the rifle would be similar to using a 10mm.
pretty good at social distances and easy to manage for follow up shots.
I had a pair [okay half a pair my dad had the other one] of ruger Vaquero's in
38-40/40short for a while and liked to carry mine when out and about the property.
the 180gr rnfp I was using in it would penetrate like crazy but had enough diameter to get the job done.
and the recoil was rather mild.
I'm loading the last batch of the boolits I cast for it in the SIL's 40 short and letting him have at it.
I could stand to have a rough exterior if the barrel would allow me to shoot 401 diameter boolits in it.
I just haven't seen the right priced rifle yet.
I wouldn't pass on a good 32-20 either, that one would be a bunch easier for me to get going with.

[TXGunNut]

120 years ago I think the appeal of the 38WCF VS the 44WCF was a slightly faster round with less recoil. Today I think it's the novelty of the odd cartridge name and maybe even it's lineage to today's 10mm and 40 S&W cartridges. The 44WCF is one grand old round but I seem to generally prefer something just a little different and the 38WCF fills that bill. My shooting buddy has a few 38's and 44's and seems to prefer the 38. I can verify that old man has excellent taste in firearms, lol.

[pmer]

I had a 38-40 in a '92 and it is one of those guns I sold and latter regretted. I've been looking for one off and on but then decided to have MGM make a carbine barrel for my Contender and that turned out pretty good. Here is a write up I did about it last year.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?283656-TC-38-40-carbine-MGM-barrel

[northmn]

Mike Venturino wrote a couple of articles on the 38-40 and cliamed to like it, especially in revolvers. When you look at a box of 50 cartridges, the 38-40's would weigh a couple of ounces less than the 44-40. Doubt if anything would react much differently whether shot with one or the other. It is easy to be practical and say just buy a 44 mag or a 41 Henry now where brass is easier to get and you can load to a broader level. Not as much fun either. The 357 is a more practical rifle cartridge than my 32-20. The 32-20 is more fun. I used to collect military rifles. Talk about weird combos like the 8mm Autrian carbine using a true 330 diameter bullet. It was fun. Had to find stripper clips for it to make it work.

DEP

[TXGunNut]

Yes, DEP, a 357 or 43 would make more sense but what's the fun in that? And yes, keeping my eye out for a nice Colt in 38-40 as well. ;-)

[northmn]

Problem with getting older, lots of been there done that. I appreciate using those combinations as once used. 38-40 and 44-40 are good examples. Loading a 357, 41 or 44 to match just don't quite cut it like using the real thing. Kind of like taking out my Rolling block and shooting smokeless equivalent loads in the 45-70. BP is different and is why I bought he thing in the first place. Just got a H&R single shot 243 for a beat around rifle and am starting to look at the old rolling block again. The single shot feature kind fo puts the fun back into shooting. I used to go through a lot of different stuff with old military rifles and that was kind of fun, but ran out of money and time. Still playing with the Swiss 31 and a few Russians and the 8mm mauser and old 303's was fun. Modern 308 would make more sense but they were fun.

DP

[rbuck351]

To me, the 92Win and the 25/20 make one of the best small game walkabout guns ever built. I shoot the Lyman 69gr cast (actually 73grs w/gc and lube) to about 1950fps and about 2" @100yds. This makes a very effective small game round to 125yds or so. I load the same boolit with 4.5grs of W231 for 22lr velocity and cheaper than 22lr. I also have a W92 in 32/20 but much prefer the 25/20.
For bigger game I have the Rossi 92 in 454 but it's not even in the same class as a fun shooter as the 25/20.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Went to a gun show in Showlow Az this past Saturday, nice little show. Probably 80 tables. As typical guns were for the most part over priced. One of the venders there had three tables with mostly Winchesters ( lever guns ) a number off 94's but a lot of 92's several 32-20's and a couple of 25-20s, I don't remember the prices because I kinda went into shock 'lol' and yes a second mortgage might have covered at least one. He also had some 44-40's and at least one 38-40. I am nostalgic but not at those prices, so I think I will just stay with 92 Rossies in 357, 44, and 45 colt.

[TXGunNut]

I saw a table like that recently, prices were a bit silly but he was willing to haggle down to a reasonable price. Took me awhile to figure it out, by then I'd talked myself out of a rifle on his table.

[northmn]

Seen those tables before. Think some of them don't want money so much as a trade. The prices are such that they will sell, but a lot of them do not much care. One table I saw was original Sharps, but the prices were pretty stiff. Was sure nice to view them. I have also seen some other interesting rifles/pistols. Sometimes you can get a fair deal on a Marlin by a Winchester collector for example.


DP

[TXGunNut]

This table was the personal collection of a guy who did gun shows for 30+ yrs. These were the guns he bought & kept. His widow and sometime partner were selling the guns but weren't in any hurry to sell them. The gun I saw him sell, a nice 1873, sold for a pretty reasonable price. Guess it's a good thing I didn't bring much money, lol.

[TXGunNut]

Well, I guess I won't be missing my 92 so bad after all. A Rossi 92 joined my stable this weekend and I should have more than enough 38 ammo and boolits to last until I get it back. It's not a Winchester but it sure looks like I'll have a good time with it while the 1892 is gone.

[northmn]

I probably take my 357 Rossi with me the most. Don't know if they fixed it yet but mine did not offer enough rear sight adjustment to shoot 357's. The 158 shot high and the 38 specials barely worked. Think they fixed it. Rifle is a fun little rifle and the 38/357 offers enough versatility in loads to do about anything with it. Had to D&T mine for a receiver sight as that is what I almost need now to see the sights. Used a dissasembly manual for the 92 Winchester and they are built the same except for the hammer safety. Some go to great length to make a substitute, or you can epoxy it in place if you want. I just leave mine on fire. Kind of awkward with a receiver sight. Found out after disassembly that I could have D&T it with far less hassle. Need to do one to learn how to do it:-)
Won't say its like shooting an original 92 but it is a fun rifle and I kind of beat it around a little more than I would an original.

DEP