Agree that the 32 and 25 WCF are too good in the field to give up, particularly for handloaders.  

The particular trigger for my wanting a Model 92 was something that happened when I was about 12 years old, growing up in an industrial town on the Gulf Coast in the early post-Korean War years. People from everywhere lived on our very modest street and the son of a West Texas half-Comanche ranch hand/oil roughneck was my best friend. He opened a closet and showed me the first Model 1892 I’d ever seen, chambered for a cartridge I’d never heard of, the 32-20. Said his daddy killed a deer every year with it. It was loaded , with one up the spout and the hammer on the half-cock notch, too!  Along with a well-worn Colt’s SAA in 38-40 I eventually got to shoot.

My friend’s father was the oldest of 9 kids in a Depression Era family for whom food and money were scarce.  At age 16, his own father had given him a horse and these two weapons, and sent him off to seek his fortune! 

He’s another 25-20 to add to this thread.  Just picked her up yesterday…

Manuel said
He’s another 25-20 to add to this thread.  Just picked her up yesterday…

  

Rarely encountered 92 with H-style checkering – I am surprised the take-down feature is not noted in the records.

Thanks guys!

Already in the process of getting the letter.  Now i have seen here on the forum where some features that were left out of the records on some letters but were on the rifle and deemed to be authentic. This rifle was in Cody for the last 20+ years…..I have the return receipt from the museum as well.  

One question, what does “Smokeless” mean on the letter?  A friend here on the forum said it could have been sighted in for the “High Velocity” rounds….Could this be true?

Zebulon – Bill,

Oh without a doubt i will be sending some lead down the range in the backyard!

Manuel,

That’s one nice model 1892 Deluxe you got.

Al

 I like your gun, those are  hard features to get in a 1892. It would not concern me if the takedown feature does not show on your letter. The serial number on a 92 is on the receiver, that makes it original regardless of what the letter says. T/R

Blue Ridge Parson said
Exactly.

The Cody letters are not infallible, as this beautiful deluxe takedown rifle demonstrates.

BRP

  

I agree – in my mind there is no doubt the gun is correct and that is why my previous post said I was surprised the takedown frame was not noted. I think the owner is doing the right thing by contacting the museum and asking them to take another look at the ledger. However, I don’t think the re-look will make any difference. I have both seen and owned Winchesters over the years which had a letter that did not note some feature – the more extras/features on the gun, the greater the chance of this happening. There are a lot of extra features on this gun and as the Winchester employee was noting them back in 1906, the takedown feature was just overlooked – easy to do. When the owner talks to the museum, on request they will provide a copy of the ledge page for the entry. When you see that you will find the space for the leger entry is full and whether on purpose or because the Winchester employee just spaced it out, the take down frame was left out.

My H checkered 92 is only 323 guns later (by serial number).

mrcvs said
I DID have a takedown Model 1886 rifle for which the takedown feature was not mentioned.  Cody corrected it, and so it’s assumed it was inadvertently omitted from the letter.

  

lan – human error – I am sure your experience has happened to other collectors also. But, museum staff are experienced and maticulous and I am confident perform their job with a high degree of accuracy. In my opinion, there is always a much greater chance a feaure of the Winchester was missed when entered into the ledger rather than a mistake made by curator staff when they reviewed the ledger entry and prepared a museum letter. I hope Manuel gets some confirmation the takedown feature was in the ledger and missed by curator staff when preparing the letter but I don’t think that will happen. Either way, he has a rare Winchester, original and correct from what we can see in the photos. Very few Wichester lever collectors can say they have a “deluxe” 92 in their collection.

This one, (25-20), is going out to the range this afternoon for a shoot

Manuel said
Michael,

 

Here are two quick picks i took this morning..

  

The barrel address, caliber stamp and proof marks placement are identical to my gun (323 guns later than Manual’s).