Winchester Model 1892 Large Loop Carbine
Must Have Outdoors 07.07.13
A Winchester lever gun is just cool. You can’t help but think of taming the Wild West whenever you see one. The smooth action and operation of the recently-released Model 1892 makes shooters even more thankful for the brilliant mind of John Browning.
In 2012, Winchester rolled out a Winchester Model 1892 that looks just like the original model that was first made over a century ago. The 92 has a 20-inch barrel, a nice walnut stock, and a curved carbine strap butt plate. Hands down, the standout feature of the gun is the large loop that allows the shooter to easily operate the action. Have I mentioned how cool this gun is yet?
The 92 has a Marble Arms front sight with brass bead and an adjustable rear sight. The magazine holds 10 cartridges and the 92 is available in four calibers: .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .44-40 Winchester, and .45 Colt.
The Model 92 is a shooter, and it’s very smooth to handle and operate. I tested the Model 92 in .44 Magnum and the recoil isn’t bad, but it’s noticeable. The steel butt plate doesn’t help either, but then again you don’t buy this gun for plinking.
The Grade 1 Walnut stock is nice and seems to fit the gun nicely. The 92 also features a saddle ring. Winchester put a suggested retail value of $1,259.99 on the 92. Rossi sells a large loop 92 clone for about half that, but I’m not sure that’s a fair comparison.
There are a couple of things about the gun that I know people are going to gripe about. First, the new Model 92 has a top tang safety. For me it’s not that big of a deal, but I see why some die-hard lever gun shooters don’t like it. A plus of the safety is that if you are hunting with it, you can have the hammer pulled back and simply flip the safety to shoot.
Second, the Model 92 is made in Japan. The fact of where its made didn’t change the quality of the gun, however having an American icon made in another country is something shooters may not like or understand–but business is business, I guess.
Overall if you are looking for a fun, well-made shooting firearm, the Winchester Model 1892 Large Loop Carbine is a great gun to add to your vault. I hope to take mine on a mountain lion hunt one day.
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