After spending time with a number of replica products, it was nice to spend some time shooting a gun marked with the Winchester brand. The most obvious difference was pulling the Winchester from its box and finding a new firearm in perfect condition; form, fit and function. This is a gun a customer would be proud to own, even if it went on to get honest hunting and shooting scars through use. Lately, some of the value priced replica guns we’ve received have had badly scratched stocks, loose and missing hardware and mottled bluing. Hardly the things that make a paying customer happy. So, yes, this genuine Winchester was a welcome change of pace.
The deer hunter
I know that SAS shooters are attached to the Model 1892 and I can understand why. The carbines are good shooters, accurate and reliable and traditional in appearance. For me, the rifle is a six pound eastern ultra light. Something quite suitable for those of us who hunt deer in hill country where 50 yards represents the wide open spaces.
Winchester indicates the current Model 1892 is strong and able to withstand the use of established American loads. The manual’s disclaimer indicates Winchester will not be responsible for incidents arising out of the use of anything other than SAAMI spec ammunition. Based on email I receive, and representations of what some folks call acceptable pressure levels, I believe this is a prudent statement for Winchester to make and a position to take. Winchester has no control over the output of handloaders or a non-SAAMI compliant specialty ammunition manufacturers.
I set up to run a few rounds through the gun, but I was having fun so I shot up a lot of ammunition. It was an opportunity to get a good feel for the gun and how it would hold up after seeing at least a few hundred rounds. Pictured left to right above – Barnes, Buffalo Bore, Winchester, Cor-Bon, Hornady, MagTech.
The standard 45 Colt comfortably qualifies as a deer hunting cartridge based upon bullet diameter, bullet weight and round’s ability to exceed five hundred foot pounds of muzzle energy. Not unlike the 45-70 Government, the 45 Colt is over one hundred twenty-five years old, and still very popular. Readily available factory ammunition runs from duplicating original black powder performance to 70% greater power. Hornady, through the use of proprietary smokeless powder, has been able to boost muzzle velocity over the standard load by 25% without exceeding the SAAMI pressure spec.
| Winchester Model 1892 – 45 Colt – In Velocity Order | ||||||
| Brand |
Type |
Overall Length “ |
Bullet Weight |
MV Ft/Sec |
ME Ft/lbs |
3 Shots ” 50 Yard |
| MagTech | Cowboy | 1.580 | 250 | 909 | 459 | 1.5 |
| Hornady | Leverevolution | 1.647 | 225 | 1074 | 576 | 1.0 |
| Winchester | PSX1 Defender | 1.585 | 225 | 1103 | 608 | 0.8 |
| Buffalo Bore | SAAMI 45 Colt | 1.592 | 255 | 1230 | 857 | 1.2 |
| Barnes | Vortex | 1.583 | 200 | 1273 | 720 | 1.4 |
| Cor-Bon* | DPX | 1.579 | 225 | 1510 | 1139 | 0.9 |
|
*For comparison only – Not recommended ammunition |
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The table’s velocity data was collected from an Oehler chronograph with a proof screen, which has always been very accurate. Most everything on the table was expected with, perhaps, the exception of the Hornady Leverevolution. I am used to seeing exceptional velocity out of the product, but here it was very close to light cowboy action shooting loads and surpassed significantly in velocity by three other standard pressure products. No ammunition presented a feed or cycle problem and I can’t remember shooting a rifle with less recoil and quieter report.
I’d hit it… if I could see it
I am so old I’m almost a collectable. In fact, I expect one day “American Pickers” will show up and offer my wife $50 for me. They’ll barter a bit. She’ll insist they are overpaying, and the little guy… can’t ever remember his name, will bundle me with our garden gnome for $55. Where was I? Oh, yeah..
Typically, scopes are installed on rifles when their accuracy is being assessed which minimizes my vision as a contributing factor to the outcome. In this instance, because scope mounting was not an option, I went with the rifle’s buckhorn rear and 0.065″ brass bead front sight… and a lot of patience. If I planned on doing much more shooting with the Model 1892, I believe I would have opted for a tang mounted peep sight, which would have greatly improved the situation. For younger eyes, the factory metallic sights are fine.
And in closing…
OK, I have to stop shooting and poking around this rifle because I have a pile of work ahead of me. I really like this little gun; the way it looks, the quality, the way it shoots and the way it… feels. It even smells like a Winchester. Heck, I even like the little retro beige manual.
You can’t buy an almost Winchester Model 1892. If you want the real thing, and the quality that comes with it, you can only buy that from one company – Winchester.
For further details visit www.winchesterguns.com
The Winchester Repeating Arms Model 1892 Part 1
The Winchester Repeating Arms Model 1892 Part 2
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