Looking for reviews of Win 1892s and the clones?

[Canuck Bob]

I researched smooth short action levers and have decided to narrow my search down to Win 92s or clones.

The clones are the most likely because the originals are rare and expensive up here.

So far I've spotted the following new clones;
Browning 1892
Winchester 1892
Rossi 1892
Armi Sport- Chiapa 1892

Did I miss any?
I would sure appreciate any input both positive and negative on these rifles please.

And thanks to everyone who responded to my "Smoothest Action" thread.    

[mattmillerrx]

I have the Rossi.  Action is bad out of the box but for about 20 bucks and a little time it can be better than any of the others.  But if you don't want to mess with one, I would go Browning or Win.

[AtlLaw]

I have a Rossi M92 in 44 mag, 24 in. oct. Bbl.  I really like this rifle!  Smooth action, deadly accurate with my handloads.  I don't see how it could be any better!     Well, it isn't quite as smooth or pretty as my Uberti M73, but it's lighter and seems to fit me better.   

[Dee]

I bought mine about 6 years ago. It is the Navy Arms "Deluxe Lever Action" version made by rossi. Great walnut, great fit, and super accurate. Ain't for sale. By the way, it's in 357 mag.

[Rangr44]

[So far I've spotted the following new clones];

Browning 1892 - aka: Miroku (Japan) - Tied #1 in fit/finish, only made in .357 & .44 Mag

Winchester 1892 - aka: Miroku (Japan) - Tied #1 in fit/finish, also made in .44-40 & .45 Colt

Rossi 1892 - aka: (old) Puma, LSI, BrazTech, Navy Arms - some older models are rougher, most newer are best.

Armi Sport- Chiapa 1892 - #2 in fit/finish, aka: (new) Puma, Cimmarron, Taylor's - much finer finish/bling than Rossi @ 2x price, slowly emerging from mechanical/production difficulties.

Bottom line:

Most bang for the buck: Rossi M92
Nicest rifle choice: Browning/Miroku
Nicest rifle + $$ : Winchester/Miroku
Most bucks for the bang: Chiappa 1892

.

[Canuck Bob]

Thanks Ranger,

I looked at the Winchester Trapper on thier website.  I really like the gun with the takedown feature but it would be close to $2000 here!

Looking more like a Rossi right now, under $600 after taxes and shipping.

The Chiappa's are in the $1300 to $1500 range.  I'd buy the Winchester first.  At least I'd be buying a Winchester even if it was built in Japan.

I found a used Browning 65 in 218 Bee, $2000.  Plus a Win 92 in 25/20, $4000!  I thought there was a recession goin on.

[mattmillerrx]

Funny thing is the recession has driven gun prices up...or maybe it is our current political situation and not the recession.  Well you get the point what ever the cause.

[olydraft]

 I have a ROSSI M-92 and couldn`t be happier. Had it out yesterday and put 25 rounds of 230 gr semi wadcutters through it, I love it. Open sight were very accurate right out of the box. I would highly recommend it. Also the action is pretty smooth. I would assume that the more it is shot the new feeling will work itself out...   Gary

[mattmillerrx]

I should probably clarify my post a little.  I love mine and would buy again.  I also would not pay the extra for the other models.  But the Rossi can be made into a far better gun than it comes from the factor.  A lighter trigger spring is a must and tightened my groups to less than half of what it shot out of the box.  Inside a 100 yards this little .357 will rival some of my bolt guns for accuracy.  I have the octagon 24 inch barrel as well which is hard to find in the other models as far as I know and the cost would be even more than than those listed here if you did find one.  Another must is to clean up the little burs inside the action that the factor left in there.  Beyond that I would go ahead and take out any high spots I found which I only had one if I remember right, but a lot of burs.  I also changed out the springs, the only problem I ran into was with the ejector, the quality control on mine was not good and I spent a lot of time fixing it and it now ejects in a neat little pile at my feet.

[Dirt Bag]

WHAT IF...... A guy got holt of a original mod 92, and spent a winter on it fluffing it up. Read through this thread a couple times and then went to GunsInternational to see what's on the menu......See a few affordable rifles in 25/20  that need some work to be everyday shooters. Now, the collectors will give me hell for re barrelling/relinig, re stocking and re finishing, one of these, but I figure a guy could build one into a sweet thing.
     It sure aint rifle country around here, and only a few of us tinker with them other than 22s. Don't know much about this 25/20 chambering, but it seems like it would be good for iron sight shooting around the house or rolling a beer can down a gravel road with cast bullets etc. RE "fun".  Got our first Hornet for that reason ---- If we were to touch off the Swift or the Roberts, the guy down the road would be running aroung his house looking for cracks in the foundation.
  What say? Would this be practical as opposed to buying a repro that's ready to run? Appreciate any input from those of you who have been there and done that, and what about this 25/20 cartridge?
     As always,    Hoping this finds everyone well;
                                                                           D.B.
 

[Dee]

Back in the 70s a lot of L.E. officers I knew (some Rangers) down here in Texas bought the original Winchester 92s in 2520 and other calibers and had them converted to 357 magnum. It was an easy do with re barreling. That's where a lot of the old 92s went down here and it makes originals hard to find.

[Lurker]

I sometimes hate being a contrarian. However, you can't run fast enough, or fight mean enough, to get me too even consider a Rossi.

When I pick up a rifle, or a hand gun, I want to feel the quality. Rossi doesn't have enough quality for me... In fact when I have picked up a Rossi in the past I hear a little voice saying Mattel...!

I have Uberti 1873's that are a delight to hold and shoot. I have two Cimarron deluxe rifles (Uberti's). One in .38-40, and one in .44-40. Soon there will be a .32-20 in residence.

I have two Winchester/Miroku 1892's. one in .44-40 and one in .45 Colt (notice I didn't say the non-existent Long Colt). I love them to death, as I do the Cimarron/Uberti 1873's. I didn't have to do anything to these rifles, to make them shoot well.

I don't want to make the owners of Rossi rifles feel ashamed for buying a firearrm that is cheaper in grade, and in quality. I hope you fellows can make your rifles last for a hundred thousand rounds, shooting the center out of the target every time. I have always bought a quality firearm. Not because I could afford to, but because I couldn't afford not to.

The .25-20 cartridge, is a smaller iteration of the .32-20 cartridge. The .25-20 makes a great small varmint/small game rifle for around the farm, when anything above that caliber would be too much. I have Marlin 1894's in .25-20 and .32-20. I have knocked over a lot of Jack Rabbits and Coyotes with them, using cast bullets, using only a tang sight and my 73 year old eyes.

Marlin made a run of .25-20's and .32-20,s in the late 1980's built on the current 1894 Marlin frame. If you find one, I would snap it up, because they are real fun guns.

Sorry if my remarks about the Rossi rifles may have stepped on some tender toes, but that is just the way I feel about any Rossi firearm.

Flame away folks... I have asbestos undies...!

Bill

[Dee]

Lurker is right. All of his guns are better than ours, and so are all his choices in life are too. He is just a more knowledgeable guy than us, and most likely everyone else. He just has a better grasp on the firearms industry than everyone else. Thank you Lurker. I'm gonna this very morning, go sell all my guns, even the REAL Winchesters (not the Jap) kind, and my REAL Smiths and Colts (not the Italian kind) and I'm gonna buy Uberti and and Marlin guns. Their the only ones that are any good. I don't know what any of us could have been thinking when we bought and liked those Rossis. Whew! What a mistake. Their not any good. We should have bought what you bought. Everything else is made by Mattel, or a subsidiary.

[Lloyd Smale]

lets see winchester/uberti-800-1500 bucks Rossi 300-500 bucks. A few swipes with a file on the rare rossi thats not allready smooth and the action is just as good. Now if a guy wanted a real pretty gun it would be easy for the extra 500 bucks have a stock made that would hands down be nicer then a factory urberti and be fit with even more care. No brainer to me. If a guy will buy a marlin and use it out of the box I sure cant see where hed bad mouth a rossi. the fit and finish is at least as good on a rossi as any marlin and theres no lever gun that comes with a worse action then a marlin. That said the nicest 92s ive shot have been the brownings IF you can find one. Most guys wont part with them.

[Dee]

You don't know what your talkin about Lloyd. Lurker said the Rossis weren't any good and at 73 years old he should know. Unless of course he has dementia , alzheimer's, or senility.  I never thought of that. Glad the gun stores were closed this morning. I coulda made a mistake.

[Canuck Bob]

I finally found a Rossi to handle.  Its a new one with the goofy safety button.  The fit and finish would match any Marlin or Winchester lever made in the last 25 years.  I was very surprised.

The last one I looked at years ago was a piece of junk.  Maybe the whole Taurus thing smartened them up. 

I have to say it was smoother than the Marlin by a bit.  Both unfired shop guns but it was a slick little gun.  The Marlins are nice too but supply is limited up here as they relocate.

As a lever fanatic it seems like a Winchester should be in my cabinet?  Even if it is a nice clone.

[jimster]

Some of the importers of the Rossi levers had some different specs, Navy Arms, Legacy Sports, EMF Hartfords.  Interarms brought them in years ago too.  Some of these were made with different wood and finishes, different sights, different wood to metal fit.  Navy Arms probably had the best wood on a Rossi.
I have the Hartford model in .45, if I ever find another one in .357 I'm snatching it up. I have only owned one original 92, the Hartford model I have does what that did, it feeds, ejects, and shoots where I look.  I like the Marlins, never had one that was as slick as a 92 action though. The Rossi's might have a couple springs in them that will be stiff until used a whole bunch, or you could change them, usually the ejector spring is a bit heavy, and maybe the extractor might be too stiff. That stuff will wear in after a whole bunch of use, or you can fix that easy enough. The old interarms Rossi I had years back worked great, the wood was too dark and ugly, but that never missed a beat either.  If I find another Hartford in .357 to sit next to my .45, the .45 will be getting a rest for awhile. 

 
 

[Bob]

Well, I'll be redundant and say I love my Rossi too! I have one of the old Puma's, a 357 trapper with a large loop and I put a Marbles tang sight on it and it's just the cat's meow! Didn't have to change the front sight either.
Bob

[FourBee]

I wanted a '94' 30-30 like the one my Dad bought back in 56 or 58.  But when the '92' caught my eye, that's all I could think about.   Found a PUMA__ LSI .357 Mag., 20" round barrel at a GunShow for $380.  Seller said he thought it had been shot, but it didn't look it.   I checked with LSI and they said they shipped it in '05'.  I got it home, and it was tuff to work the action - for 1. it was full of packing grease, and 2. the parts hadn't been worked (if at all) enough smooth out.  I've had it now for a few years, and I wouldn't part with it at all.    The .357mag is a pleasure to carry and shoot, and out of a 20' barrel it has proven to be pretty fiesty.  I like using 158 grain SoftPoint ammo, but the 180 grain HollowPoint bullet looks appealing.  Think I'll try it.
   

[Mikey]

I just picked up a Rossi made 92 with a 20" bbl in 38/357 and what a hoot - that means it's a whole bunch of fun, lemme tellya.  Shooting 38s through it is like playing, the 357s are a tad heftier in recoil but it's still like playing and from a 20" bbl they will pass through whitetail out beyond 100m.  

My Rossi seemed smooth right out of the box but had a extraction problem - dropped it back off at the dealer who shipped it back with a letter enclosed describing the problem and within 10 days the Fed-Ex truck delivered it back directly to my door, fixed.  The action is a bit stiffer now as the extractor claw rides up and over the case rim but I expected that and am very happy with the much more positive feeling.  

I'm going to try and get back out to the range this weekend to shoot it again.  It is way too much fun.  jmtcw.