Hello everyone, This is my first post on the 92 section. It looks like the right place to be. I have a 92, chambered in 25-20, and it was made in 1895. I enjoy looking at it, but sometimes i`m kinda curious to see how it would shoot. It has a good enough bore alright and the action is tight. But i`m not sure wether you should shoot jacketed bullets thru it or not, and should you shoot blackpowder shells out of it? Any advice would be apreciated, thanks Chuckinator

i have a 92 in 44-40 been shooting it alot with cast and jacket's even killed a few deer with the 44 in a 73 win, haven't had the chanse to use the 92 on one yet, the 44 .put's um right down, the williams book is a good one if you like to shoot the lever's. had no problems with it this rifle was made in1898

The current factory load is loaded to about BP pressure...the old HV loading is long out of production (but I'd be careful of any loose rounds of old ammo you pick up/are given...esp. if there carry a jacketed bullet)..from a pressure stand point, wih a sound condition rifle and a good bore, you should be OK.

From a wear stand point, the presures and the softness of the bullets used in the 25-20 are better for barrel wear than tough jacketed and high pressure. May look into cast bullets if you expect to do any significant amount of shooting, but a few rounds of the current jacketed load shouldn't do any harm..

I'd shoot it a little with the soft factory loads if you are darn sure it's in good shape.

The '92 is a pretty strong gun for what it was, current ammo is pretty mild, and the area of the case head isn't very big, lessening the pressure on the bolt lugs.

A box or two ought not to hurt it one bit. Neat find.

One thing I'd suggest, the very first round, chamber just one cartridge, then on a mild round like that, hold the entire gun out away from your body at arm's length, keep your head to one side instead of directly behind the bolt, and the just pop one into the berm.

Even if the range is busy and you don't want to get funny looks, just keep your head out from behind the bolt.

As always wear safety glasses & hearing protection.

Thank you evrybody, who replied about my inqiry. The info was very interesting. It sounds to me like it would probably be better to just admire it`s nostalgia, rather then fire it, even though it sounds safe enough. I would have, a short time back, just have slapped a shell in it and fired it, but a couple of years ago i acquired a 73, in 38-40, and i just had to shoot it. Well anyway i took it out in my yard, placed a round in it and fired at a milk jug. And it BLEW UP. It put a big goose egg in the barrel, and exploded the forearm. And scared me to death! That`s why i was concerned. By the way, i hit the milk jug, but i destoyed a classic piece of history. Thanks alot

Sounds an awful lot like the bore was obstructed on the '73, it was a pretty weak action and if pressure was the issue I'd have expected that to go first.

Hindsight is 20/20 but your example might serve as a useful warning to anyone else in the same situation... thanks for sharing.

:D I have a '92 25-20 carbine also made in 1895(783XX)that has had many hundreds of HV loads fired through it with no harmful effects. The bore looks axactly the same as the day I bought it back in the early 1960s. This is an everyday working gun that has spent it's life bouncing around in a jeep or pickup. It isn't much to look at, but man does it shoot. Regardless of manufacture date, the 1892 Winchester is definitely not a weak action by any measure. If you are concerned about shooting your 25-20, have a gunsmith that is familiar with levers check it out. That little gun was made to be used. Enjoy it.

If you are concerned about shooting your 25-20, have a gunsmith that is familiar with levers check it out. That little gun was made to be used. Enjoy it.

I second that! If a gunsmith gives you the okay, I'd shoot it. I've never fired a '92 in .25-20, but I think it would be an incredibly fun little gun to plink and hunt small game with. You might really be missing out on something by just letting it sit there!

Yeah, the 25-20 is a heckuva lotta fun to shoot. And cheap too, if 'ya reload. The brass doesn't cost much and cases last for many reloadings. 12 grs of H4198 pushing a 75 gr Speer flatnose makes a right handy little varmint load. I like the 25-20 so much that I've picked up three of 'em over the years; two Winchester '92 SRCs and a Remington 12R carbine. If you have any interest in this great little cartridge, you should grab one. Try it, you'll like it.