Custom Winchester Model 1892 .357 Magnum Lever Action Rifle, Circa 1908
SOLD FOR: $1,650.00
LSB#: LSB260625WM036
Make: Winchester Repeating Arms Co.
Model: 1892
Serial Number: 439838
Year of Manufacture: Circa 1908 / Modern
Caliber: .357 Magnum, converted.
Action Type: Lever action with a full-length tubular magazine.
Markings: The upper tang is marked “MODEL 1892 / -WINCHESTER- / TRADE MARK”. The left barrel flat near the receiver is marked “357 MAGNUM” in a recessed panel. The underside of the receiver is marked “439838”.
Barrel Length: 20″, shortened; octagonal profile.
Sights / Optics: A low blade front sight is mounted at the muzzle. The barrel-mounted rear sight is an open notch with a stepped elevator.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The two-piece smooth wood stocks have a straight grip, straight comb, capped forend and crescent metal buttplate. Sling swivels are fitted at the forend cap and underside of the buttstock. The stocks have been refinished and show scattered scratches, dents and dark handling marks. There is no major stock damage. The LOP measures 12 3/4″ from the front of the trigger to the rear of the buttplate. The stocks are in Very Good overall condition as refinished.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Refinished, with intermittent cold blue throughout. The stocks are refinished. The rifle has been cut down and converted to .357 Magnum.
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 9/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 5% of its metal finish. Most of the metal has worn to a light gray patina, with scattered brown discoloration, scratches and intermittent cold blue. There are small spots of oxidation and surface roughness, particularly on the magazine tube and receiver edges. The screw heads show tool marks, and the visible model, caliber and serial markings remain legible. Overall, the rifle is in Good condition as refinished and altered.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly.
We did not fire this rifle.
As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: One installed brown leather sling with a tooled decorative pattern, adjustment holes and swivels. It shows creasing, scuffing and surface wear.
Our Assessment: The octagonal barrel, capped forend and crescent buttplate place this Winchester firmly in the Model 1892’s early rifle tradition. Its .357 Magnum chambering belongs to a later chapter. Browning’s design brought the general arrangement of the larger Model 1886 into a smaller action for shorter cartridges; this example carries that nineteenth-century design forward through a substantial conversion built around a receiver dating to approximately 1908.
The changes extend beyond the caliber marking. The barrel has been shortened to 20 inches, the wood refinished, and cold blue applied intermittently across metal now largely worn to a light gray patina. A tooled leather sling adds another distinct detail to the rifle’s present appearance. The bright bore stands in marked contrast to the heavily worn exterior. The conversion’s date and origin remain unknown, but the combination of the traditional Winchester rifle form and later .357 Magnum chambering gives this example a clear identity.