I have an identical 92 SRC that was purchased in about 1939 at Hudson’s Sporting Goods in NYC by my dad. But the letter with the RIA auction gun is incorrect in many details. It is now known that these 92 carbines were in fact assembled at Winchester from parts on hand for Paramount Movie studios for use in their films. I believe the new research was done by Leroy Mertz? I have personally held and examined 3 of these carbines, all identical and all in the same serial range. Winchester also made other odd models at the same time, some without any forearm at all to resemble an 1866. I have records of auction sales of these over the years and that is about the average price seen. These are a little known and not often seen variation of a factory made Winchester Carbine.

Here is an older post about one of these. The content won’t open up for me, maybe Bert can open it?

M92’s | Winchester Rifles | ForumWinchester Collector

deerhunter said
Here’s another one listed by everyone’s favorite seller on Gunbroker!

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/644344065  

Considering the source, I didn’t bother to read the description.

Yes, all of the guns I have observed in person and in pictures have the open dovetail on the barrel ahead of the forearm. This is because Winchester clearly used 24″ octagon rifle barrels that were in stock. Winchester then cut them down to 20″ and used them as is with the open dovetail. This variation is actually settled fact now for some years. Not really up for discussion of originality except by folks seeing one for the first time and don’t know the history.  And their doubts are very understandable.  But with so many identical guns known and the research done,  they are now accepted as a desirable factory made variation which they are.