Winchester Model 1892 restore!

[IATRKYHNTR]

I’ve had this Winchester Model 1892 for a long time. It’s in rough, and I mean ROUGH shape. Now I think it’s time to restore it! But first the story behind how I got this gun.

My Grandfather got hay fever really bad,  so every spring after the crops where put in he took his family up to northern Minnesota , where he was a fishing guide. So as a kid my father spent every summer on the lakes of Minn. (must be rough) One summer in the early 60’s a friend of my dads (who was around 10 at the time) found this leaning on a tree in the woods long one of the lakes. So my dad, beings the outdoors kid he was traded his bike for it. Grandpa wasn’t to happy about it. The gun had been sitting in the timber since the fall before. It was rough, and not in working order. The butt stock had sunk into the ground and began to rot. The interesting thins about this gun was the butt stock, there where 143 shoe nails, and 84 thumb tacks. Grandpa quietly asked around about the found gun. Turns out two elderly brothers, that where well known for poaching had lost it the fall before. They had been out on one of there poaching trips, when on the way out of the woods, they saw a Game Wardens vehicle parked by there old truck, so the left the gun in the woods.  Well after they let the area cool down a lil, they returned to the timber to look for the gun, but could not find it. The nails in the stock where for every deer they had shot with that gun, and the thumb tacks where for every moose!

Beings the gun wasn’t shoot able, grandpa thought dad should return it for his bike, but dad kept it. As the years went by, interest in the gun was lost, and a some point it was put out in the old chicken coop. When I was around 10 I found it, and always wanted to restore it. The funny thing was, dad thought it was a waste of time. Well I latched onto it, and have had it for 16 yrs now. The bad thing is, here a few years ago I moved into an apartment, so I had to keep some of my thing in a garage on the farm. This past summer some of the local hoodlums decided to brake in the garage and ether stole the butt stock, or tossed it somewhere. But I have all the other parts. It’s froze up pretty hard, and has some major rust, and pitting on it. My boss, and a co-worker are big Winchester collectors. I showed them the gun last week, and both of them think with A LOT of work I could make the gun presentable again, but doubtfully ever will be able to be fired again.

Here’s the pics…







The top of the tang here says “Model 1892, WINCHESTER, Pat. Oct, 14 1884”



Upon some clean up I found that it says “Manufactured by… Winchester Repeating Arms, New Haven Ct.” just in front of where the rear sight should be. And I also was able to clean the serial number up to where it was readable to, it’s 203****  I think it is ether a 32-20, or a 38-40, and has a 24” octagon barrel. I’m a long way form being where I want to be, but it’s worth a shot. I’m soaking the receiver in penetrating oil, and rubbing the surfaces with 0000 steel wool. Any suggestion or tips would be helpful, as would any web sited that might be helpful.

IATRKYHNTR
Nathan

[leverfan]

That's one of the best stories I've read on here, thanks!

As for the gun, if it was mine, I'd spend about $15 to make a really nice display box for it, and hang it up where it can be a conversation piece, and a good way to pass on family history.

Then, with all the time and money I'd saved, I would buy an EMF model '92 in whatever caliber suited me, and I'd spend all winter having a good time shooting it.  It might even be fun to duplicate what that old rust farm looked like long ago.  Pick an EMF with the same overall style as the old gun, then put the tacks into the butt, if you want.  It can be the living history, and yet another conversation piece.

That's just me, though, and other folks might see more reward in turning that wall hanger into a slightly nicer looking wall hanger.

[1860]

Most collectors I know would call that a "Relic" and leave it be.  They turn up from time to time, guys with metal detectors find them, or they a turn up in old barns and out buildings.  Too bad the stock is gone but I'd leave it alone.

BTW: I was around in the 60s and I don't think it is worth a Bike either, especially in those days :wink: .  But it's got a gret story the way it is.

60

[John Y Cannuck]

I'd keep working at it. I'm sure you can fire it one day. Haunt ebay for parts to replace the worst corroded pieces, including the barrel if need be. I have done it myself. Mine wasn't quite that coroded, but don't let that stop you.
it's not a project that makes a lot of sense to the tight fisted, you could buy a used one for what the restoration is likely to cost, but, you learn a lot, and have a lot of fun messing with it, so why not?

[IATRKYHNTR]

If I still had the butt stock, I might be more likely to keep it the way it is. But I have the time, so why not?

I've talked to a few pro gunsmiths, all of them have said it will be A LOT of work, but they all agreed that it's not imposable to restore it.

All I'm looking for at this point it to make it look like a run again, not just rust. If I get it to the point I can get it re-blued I will do that, and I have been told they can buff it out to make it look old and worn, with thinned spots in the blue, then I will stain a new stock and forearm, and make it look well used to, and the final step will be to add the nails and thumb tacks. Then put it up for display.

Once the holidays are over I will have more time to work on it, been to busy to the past few days anyway. I'm hoping to have most all the rust of it in a few months. I have a guy up in Wis, that is willing to work on it, and has worked on a 1892 that was just about this bad before, that one turned out looking like new. SO we will just see where this goes to.

IATRKYHNTR
Nathan