Winchester Model 1892 .45 Colt 20″ Lever Action Rifle 1914 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,240.00

LSB#: LSB260708WC006

Make: Winchester Repeating Arms Company, New Haven, Connecticut

Model: 1892

Serial Number: 714283

Year of Manufacture: 1914 / C&R

Caliber/Gauge: .45 Colt

Action Type: Lever action with an exposed hammer, top ejection, and a loading gate on the right side of the receiver, fed by a full-length tubular magazine.

Barrel Length: 20″ Round

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade on a serrated ramp. The rear sight is a Marble’s U-notch sporting sight dovetailed to the barrel, with a flat spring base and stepped elevator; the leaf has a light-colored diamond-shaped insert below the notch. An aperture tang sight is mounted to the upper tang, with a hinged staff, knurled elevation sleeve, and eyepiece.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth wood with a straight wrist, straight comb, and smooth crescent steel buttplate. The forend is secured by a barrel band near its front, with no forend cap. The buttstock has scattered light handling marks, with small dings and dark marks toward the rear of the stock near the buttplate. The edges of the crescent buttplate have worn bright. There is no major damage. The length of pull measures 12 3/4″ from the front of the trigger to the rear of the buttplate. Overall, the stocks rate in Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Refinished

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 9/10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 90% of its metal finish, all of which is a later refinish. The barrel, magazine tube, and right side of the receiver retain strong blue. The left side of the receiver has toned to a lighter brownish gray. There are bright scratches on the top of the barrel between the receiver and the rear sight, light scratches on the front sight ramp, and a small ding on the underside of the receiver beside the serial number. The right side of the receiver has a small open hole toward the top. There is light handling and operational wear. The screw heads show light wear with serviceable slots. The underside of the receiver at the front is marked with the serial number, and the top of the replacement barrel near the receiver is stamped “45”. The left side of the receiver has a saddle ring stud with no ring present. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.

Our Assessment: John M. Browning designed the Winchester Model 1892 as a scaled-down and simplified version of his Model 1886, sized for the popular pistol cartridges of the day. Chambered for the .25-20, .32-20, .38-40, and .44-40, it let a rider carry a rifle and a revolver that shared the same ammunition. The light, slick-cycling ’92 became one of Winchester’s great successes, with more than one million made by the time original production ended in 1941, and it later found lasting fame on screen in “The Rifleman.” The .45 Colt, introduced in 1873 with Colt’s Single Action Army, was never among those original chamberings; it arrived in the ’92 only with modern-production rifles.

This rifle is built on a 1914 Model 1892 receiver fitted with a replacement 20″ round barrel stamped “45” and chambered in .45 Colt, a later conversion rather than a factory configuration. It has been refinished and retains about 90% of that blue, with strong color on the barrel, magazine tube, and right side of the receiver. The full-length magazine and barrel-banded forend give it a classic, handy profile, while the Marble’s rear sight, ramped front sight, and aperture tang sight make for a versatile, shooter-friendly sight package. The 9/10 bore is bright with sharp rifling, the stocks are attractive and free of major damage, and the action functions correctly. Chambered for the cartridge of the Single Action Army, this good-looking ’92 brings the classic rifle-and-revolver pairing to the .45 Colt and should appeal to lever-action enthusiasts and cowboy-gun shooters alike. Please see our photos for a better understanding of the condition and good luck with your bids! – L.S.