which would you buy?

[kevin.303]

all right, i found my self a genuine Winchester 1892 SRC in .44-40 for $450 Cdn. problem is the same dealer had a lot of other great Winchesters for around the same price, and i can't decide what to get. i'll probably get the '92 but if it's sold in a month then i'm not sure. what would you get? here's pics and a brief discription.



(215)- Winchester Model 1892 Saddle-Ring Carbine, cal. 44-40 WCF, 20" barrel, VG bore, S.N. 629XXX, dated 1911, silver/gray finish, rear of forearm worn from saddle wear, small vrack at front of forearm, receiver tapped for missing sight, screw in buttstock from missing sviwel, rear sight is not original, good candidate for cowboy shooting, Good condition, $450.00 Can + shipping.


(221)- Winchester 1894 Rifle, cal. 32-40, repairs to cracked handguard, Blue/Brown finish, S.N. 187XX, Dated 1895, Good to VG cond., $ 400.00 Can + shipping.


(224)- Winchester Model 1894 Rifle, cal. 30/30 WCF, 26" barrel, Good to VG bore (some minor pitting), S.N. 602XXX, dated 1912, sights have been modified, Good to VG condition. $ 450.00 Can + shipping.


(258)- Winchester Model 1894 Saddle Ring Carbine, cal. 38-55, 20" barrel, bore is pitted and rough, deep dents on forearm and a few on buttstock, S.N. 568XXX, dated 1911, Good condition. $450.00 Can + shipping.



(132)- Winchester Model 1895 Rifle, cal. 303 Brit., 25" barrel (barrel has been replaced with an Lee-Enfield one), S.N. 17XXX, sold as non-shooter for parts or decoration, dated 1898, shotgun butt, silvery brown Patina, Good to VG condition, $ 500.00 Can + shipping.

[Rick Teal]

I voted for the '95 in .303.  I have one myself, and think its a really cool gun.  I'm not too impressed that its been rebarrelled with an SMLE tube, but if it doesn't work right you could always pick up another barrel and have it redone.  I'm not too familiar with the possibilities, but it might also be possible to have the SMLE barrel set back and re-cut to tighten up the chamber.  

My barrel looks really worn, but the gun remains a shooter.  It was manufactured in 1905.  The old guy who owned it scratched his initials in the side, and used to cut notches in the forearm for each deer he shot (14).  It's a nice piece of hunting history.

[rvtrav]

I voted before reading the message post with the rifle conditions description.
  I opted for the 38/55 because I already have all the other guns listed, well except that my '95 is in 30/40 krag.
  after reading about the condition of the guns I would go for the .303 first and the .44/40 would be a close second.
  If you ever take the guns hunting etc. the .303 would likley (because of the replacement barrel) be the best shooter, and the most versitle caliber of the bunch.

[rvtrav]

Hey, mostly I just wish that I could walk into a gunshop and see all those good old guns in one place, and I know I would be dreaming for the prices that you have listed!!!
  Old Winchesters are hard to come by around here, especially anything other than a .30/30!
  They wouldn't last out on display in a local store for more than a couple of hours, let alone a month.

[kevin.303]

true, but i've already got .303 and .30-40 bolt guns, and from the sounds of it the '95 is a fixer upper. also i'm buying it with the intention of my 11 year old cousin using it in a few years and he's pretty small, so a SRC would be the right size. and i can shoot CAS with it.  aw heck, i want them all!

[kevin.303]

ARGH!!!! the '92 was sold long ago, but he never removed it from the site!! what is wrong with internet dealers!!! :x

[leverfan]

Kevin-

I think a lot of people were voting without scrolling down to read the conditions of the guns first.  The poll didn't include conditions.  I doubt that '95 would fare so well if voters knew it was a non-firing parts gun before they voted.  Too bad about the '92 being sold already, it was an interesting rifle.  

Maybe you should keep looking, and keep saving your money, until you find a rifle in really good condition, with a decent price.

[kevin.303]

yeah, i'm gonna keep saving, but not sure for what. i found a good condition 1886 in .45-90 for $750, but hard to find ammo and really to much gun for anything i hunt now. i do need a shotgun, so maybe a Winchester 1300 Upland Special, but a new computer would be nice, this ones 7 years old with win 95 and a 33k dialup connection. why is there so much month left at the end of the money?

[Oldtimer]

First, if you want something to hunt with, the .30-30 would be the easiest one to get into the field.  Second, if you don't mind having to scrounge a little for ammo, and especially if you reload, the .32-40 would be my choice, especially if the bore is good.  
As to the 45-90, it is a long 45-70 ( the 70 case is 2.1 inches, and the 90 is 2.4 inches), so you could use .45-70, with the bullet loaded out.  The original cartridge used a 300 grain bullet, and with black powder, it moved along at about  1500 f/s from a 26 inch barrel.  The twist was 1-32, so it would not stabilize bullets over 300 grains.   PMC is supposed to be making ammo.

[hillbill]

if yu get the 32-40 (my choice) be sure and try it with jacketed bullets, my win hi wall shoots baaaad with cast but shoots great with copper 165 grns. the bore looks terrible but will keep them all in a teacup at 50 with the jacketed bullets and about any load of 4198.

[kevin.303]

i bought a gorgous, unfired high grade Browning Auto 5 instead, pics of which can be seen in the shotgun forum here;
http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=65976&highlight=

i'm so happy!!

[86er]

I guess I'm guilty of "reflex voting". I failed to look at all the pics. After further revue, the only gun that would interest me would be the '92. That one appears to be a good buy. The rest are not of interest to me. You can do much better on '95s up there than you can down here in the States. Check out Joe Salter's site. His guns are mostly Canadian imports and are reasonably priced, IMO.

www.joesalter.com