Info on Orignal Winchester 1892 Conversion to 357 & 44 Magnum

[LeverGunner]

In Cartridges of the World, Frank Barnes said that many 1892s were converted into 357 Magnum caliber. I've only ever seen 1 come up for auction on gunbroker, and never heard of another.

In the book Winchester Lever Legacy, by Snooky Williamson, He tests an 1892 that had been converted to 44 Special.

Does anyone know how common it was to convert the 92 to either cartridge?

Anyone have converted guns they'd like to share?

[Pat C]

Numrich made the 44 mag barrels to convert.Ive converted small cal frame 1892 to large caliber. I have tge thread here with pictures.

[GunnyMack]

I'm about to drop some Cnotes on a 92 that has a 'postal ' barrel installed. However it is a 218 Bee. I'm also gonna try and talk this guy out of his 92 25-20 also!

[LeverGunner]

Numrich made the 44 mag barrels to convert.Ive converted small cal frame 1892 to large caliber. I have tge thread here with pictures.

Thanks, I'll try to find it.

[LeverGunner]

I'm about to drop some Cnotes on a 92 that has a 'postal ' barrel installed. However it is a 218 Bee. I'm also gonna try and talk this guy out of his 92 25-20 also!

Sounds very interesting! I've always wanted to try a 218 Bee, but not had the chance yet.

[hpbear101]

I think it was fairly common in the 50's and 60s as there weren't many options for new caliber lever guns to go with Bill Ruger's new Blackhawk's and other revolvers at the height of the cowboy/western programming on t.v. and in the theaters. I have a nice 92 that was a 32-20 that was re-bored and rifled to .357 magnum. Dad bought it at the Missoula Mercantile in the late 60's. The barrel is marked over for .357 but no information markings on who did the work, it was very likely Vernon Groom from Missoula. I recently passed on to my son an 1886 that my dad had given me, it is a 45-70 that Groom had done for dad in the 60's and is marked "GROOM", it was originally a 40-65.

[Walt]

Hickok45 has a model 92 that was rechambered and rebored from a .32-20 to .357 magnum. He talks about it at length in one of his videos.

[Wiresguy]

I believe Robert Snapp of Clare, Michigan was converting '92's to 357 and 44 Magnum in the 1970's. He later was well known for his work on custom Martini rifles. I once owned a K-22 that he had previously converted to .32 H&R.

[LeverGunner]

I think it was fairly common in the 50's and 60s as there weren't many options for new caliber lever guns to go with Bill Ruger's new Blackhawk's and other revolvers at the height of the cowboy/western programming on t.v. and in the theaters. I have a nice 92 that was a 32-20 that was re-bored and rifled to .357 magnum. Dad bought it at the Missoula Mercantile in the late 60's. The barrel is marked over for .357 but no information markings on who did the work, it was very likely Vernon Groom from Missoula. I recently passed on to my son an 1886 that my dad had given me, it is a 45-70 that Groom had done for dad in the 60's and is marked "GROOM", it was originally a 40-65.

Thanks for sharing. Got any pictures of it?

[LeverGunner]

Hickok45 has a model 92 that was rechambered and rebored from a .32-20 to .357 magnum. He talks about it at length in one of his videos.

Thanks. I haven't watched him in a while, I'll have to check that out too.

[LeverGunner]

I believe Robert Snapp of Clare, Michigan was converting '92's to 357 and 44 Magnum in the 1970's. He later was well known for his work on custom Martini rifles. I once owned a K-22 that he had previously converted to .32 H&R.

Thank you for that information.

[JimT]

In the early 1960's it was being done in Phoenix, AZ ... I remember seeing several of them in gunshops there. Probably 1961 or 62.

[Pat C]

Not sure on any Winchester designs but Rossi incorporated the small cal cartridge guide design in tge .357 /.38 92

[Pat C]

Small cal to large cal conversion

https://levergunscommunity.org/viewtopi ... 90#p903690

[LeverGunner]

Thank you Pat!

[Eddie Southgate]

In the 50's and 60's when there were a lot of 92's coming to the states from Mexico the conversions were very common. With what real 92's are currently bringing having one converted now would be a losing proposition. Too many new reproductions to fool with devaluing an original by converting it. I see one that was converted every so often on GB or one of the other online sites but you do not see them very often compared to the number of them that were converted.

[LeverGunner]

I appreciate all the replies. I am not thinking of having an original converted, rather, getting up an original that's been long ago converted.

[Pat C]

There are plenty of parted out 1892 frames and parts out there. I buy them when I find them for future projects.
Once they are parted out doesn't matter anyway.
I save these orphans, breath new life into as many as I can.

[samsi]

In one of his Gun Notes columns Elmer Keith recommended Ward Koozer of Douglas AZ for 44 magnum conversions, though I've no idea how many he did.

A local shop had a 357 conversion (briefly) that I would've liked to have but the shop owner decided to keep it for himself.

[LeverGunner]

There are plenty of parted out 1892 frames and parts out there. I buy them when I find them for future projects.
Once they are parted out doesn't matter anyway.
I save these orphans, breath new life into as many as I can.

That is an option that I'd not considered. Thanks.

[kaschi]

Speaking of Model 92 conversions, I'm sure some here have seen them converted to 45ACP also. My cousin had one in the 70s. It functioned well and we had a lot of fun with it and a bunch of WW II era ball ammo. The carbine was rebored from a 44-40, (the original barrel was used in the conversion). Additionally, the left side of the receiver had the stamp of a South American Police Agency. It would be interesting to know how many 92s were converted down there and which police departments used them.

[samsi]

I wish someone would do 45ACP as a standard chambering in a 92 or Marlin 94, it would be a hoot.

[marlinman93]

I've seen a couple for sale converted to .38 Special, but not to .357 or .44 Mag?

[hfcable]

i have one that was converted to 44 magnum and have had it ore than 20 years and suspect it was done way before then. i had it converted to a trapper length take down and it is a really nice little package,

it is accurate and feeds 240 gr and 300 gr loads quite well

cant find my pictures of it.

[LeverGunner]

I've seen on some of the auction sites a couple of 357 chambered 92s, and one 44 special. Never saw a 44 magnum, and only the one 44 special.

[Malamute]

Ive seen a small handful of conversion to 44 mag and one or two in 357.

Steve of Steves Gunz has mentioned that most of the earlier 92 hes seen that were converted to 44 mag ended up with headspace problems, the 357s not seeming to be afflicted quite the same. i dont recall the break-off point he mentioned where it was OK to do that conversion.

I see already messed with guns and smaller calibers with trashed bores, I wouldnt feel too bad converting one of them to 357.

[Ray Newman]

"Steve of Steves Gunz has mentioned that most of the earlier 92 has seen that were converted to 44 mag ended up with headspace problems, the 357s not seeming to be afflicted quite the same. '
--Malamute

Back int latter part of the Last Century, a shooter that I knew had M1892 converted to .44 Magnum. Cannot recall if he had the conversion done or if the work was done before he purchased it. Anyway he was trying to sell. I expressed interest, but changed my mind when he said it had an easily seen headspace issue which was not uncommon for the.44 Magnum conversions. Now I do not know if the headspace was caused by factory ammunition or high pressure/high velocity reloads with heavy bullets.

Later I heard about a local old time gunsmith knew how to convert M1892 to .357 and .44 Magnum. When I asked about a conversion he said he did not do the work anymore. It was just laborious to do the work. He also said that the.44 Magnum conversion was known to develop headspace. But he did not state if the headspace was caused by factory ammunition or by "hot" reloads. The gunsmith who did work for the gunshop I patronized said the same about the .44 Magnum conversions.

Over the years I have never seen another M1892 converted to . 44 Magnum. From what I heard they are not that common.

[LeverGunner]

Thanks for all the information shared. I'd love to have a 44 Special conversion.

[Malamute]

I thought about this a bit more, I believe Steve said the post WWI guns held up better when converted to 44 mag, but I think theres more details missing.

44 spl would be OK, as would just a shooter grade 38-40 or 44-40. The reports of loading both with starline brass appears to make them easier to load for than in the past.