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Local guy brought this to the house this evening. Winchester 1892 made in 1927. SRC 20 inch octagon barrel, 44 WCF smoothbore. Opinions wanted. Smooth bore stamped on the barrel and Smooth stamped in the buttstock behind the lever. Proof marks appear correct. Made up or special order?
Exhibition shooters used shot for breaking glass balls & other aerial targets; could be made up for that purpose.
Papalondog said
Local guy brought this to the house this evening. Winchester 1892 made in 1927. SRC 20 inch octagon barrel, 44 WCF smoothbore. Opinions wanted. Smooth bore stamped on the barrel and Smooth stamped in the buttstock behind the lever. Proof marks appear correct. Made up or special order?
Check out this article (pages 24-29):
https://winchestercollector.org/magazines/202209/26/
Don
Many years ago, several (I think 3) of these carbines showed up at a WACA show back in the school gym days. All in very nice condition. Don’t know who had them or where they went. Very, very interesting Winchesters.
November 7, 2015
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Interesting, indeed. Quite possibly a bit late to have been used in the heyday of exhibition shooters but still quite interesting. Still a part of the history of Winchester, these exhibition shooters promoted the guns we love. Probably a bit early for movie guns as well. Would love to know the history of this 1892.
Mike
TXGunNut said
Interesting, indeed. Quite possibly a bit late to have been used in the heyday of exhibition shooters but still quite interesting. Still a part of the history of Winchester, these exhibition shooters promoted the guns we love. Probably a bit early for movie guns as well. Would love to know the history of this 1892.
Well past the heyday, but Herb Parsons was still shooting for Win into the ’50s, & the Topperweins through the ’40s. Shooters of this caliber didn’t need shot to hit aerial targets, but rather for safety considerations in public venues.
sb said
smoothbore marking under the barrel band?
Yeah, for me, this belongs in the column that suggests it is a made-up carbine. I would only be interested in this piece if the understanding was it has been made up.
I have definitely seen some “movie guns” that were SRC configurations with octagon barrels on them. Often times the barrels are Oval/P proofed which signifies non factory replacements. I have seen another rifle identical to yours as SN 981141 and have attached the images of it. I find no reason to think that the guns are not special order configurations made up by Winchester. The only weird thing is the fact that the “Smoothbore” stamp on the barrel is partially obscured by the barrel band.
Michael
Model 1892 / Model 61 Collector, Research, Valuation
Michael – that is very interesting. The fact that there is another one about identical to carbine the original poster shows, sways me toward carbines that were made by Winchester.
The barrel band over the smooth bore marking still throws me.
steve004 said
Michael – that is very interesting. The fact that there is another one about identical to carbine the original poster shows, sways me toward carbines that were made by Winchester.The barrel band over the smooth bore marking still throws me.
Historians have noted that Winchester used different barrels on guns they weren’t originally intended for, just to use up inventory. Perhaps the barrel was made for a rifle (no rear barrel band) and adapted to this carbine.
I’m glad you posted those Michael, I couldn’t see it on the smaller photos of the OP. Very interesting…
Maestro said
Historians have noted that Winchester used different barrels on guns they weren’t originally intended for, just to use up inventory. Perhaps the barrel was made for a rifle (no rear barrel band) and adapted to this carbine.
By default, an octagon barrel was always made for a rifle since carbines were never offered with an octagon barrel option.
Michael
Model 1892 / Model 61 Collector, Research, Valuation
twobit said
Maestro said
Historians have noted that Winchester used different barrels on guns they weren’t originally intended for, just to use up inventory. Perhaps the barrel was made for a rifle (no rear barrel band) and adapted to this carbine.
By default, an octagon barrel was always made for a rifle since carbines were never offered with an octagon barrel option.
Michael
Reminds me of some of the MGM movie M92 carbines that were made up with octagon barrels. They can quickly be identified by the dovetail (unused) dovetail cut in the underside of the octagon barrel – ahead of the end of the forearm.
steve004 said
Reminds me of some of the MGM movie M92 carbines that were made up with octagon barrels.
Ask Alec Baldwin about live rounds on movie sets. Only BP blanks have been allowed since the early days of movie making. A smoothbore would be no safer than a rifled bore under those circumstances.
clarence said
steve004 said
Reminds me of some of the MGM movie M92 carbines that were made up with octagon barrels.
Ask Alec Baldwin about live rounds on movie sets. Only BP blanks have been allowed since the early days of movie making. A smoothbore would be no safer than a rifled bore under those circumstances.
The only problem with that is I don’t really travel in his circle. It will have to fall to someone else here 
Chuck, By no means will I come up with his name. But the one I recall was an undercover spy/hero as the strong man for a modeling agency or something kind of close to that. .45 ACP blank at very close range as I recall. Guys, I need help big time with names! Don’t start yours with “I don’t remember his name….” as I sure can’t come up with it. Tim
November 7, 2015
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One of the Lee or Li martial arts actors was killed with the wad from a shotgun blank at very close range, as I recall. I read somewhere the Indians in one of the Wild West shows, may have been Cody’s, complained about being hit by wads. Even at a distance they sting a bit. If you’ll watch closely at the staged gunfights like the ones at the Irma Hotel they aim at the ground or to the side of their apparent target. All blank rounds I’ve seen require a wad to build pressure. Gun powder needs pressure to burn properly.
Mike
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