Winchester 1892 32-20 Range review and shoot

Lets take a look at an iconic firearm the Winchester model 1892 that was manufactured also in 1892 according to the serial number look up websites. This one is in the light caliber of 32wcf or 32-30.
Another great design by John Browning. With production running from 1892 to 1932, Winchester produced just over one million guns in this model.
Got this particular one from EBAY when they still had firearms in their listings, would be graded out as good. Has some marks on it and it is in it's patina look, but it doesn't take away from this great firearm at all.
This accurate and fast handing, was able to hit just about every target with ease. We also take a look at some of the other cartridges this firearm was available for, the 38-40, and 44-40, as well as the .45LC which was not available for the model 92.

[@tbcoachniblick1208]

Leaving those precious 32/20 cases in the dirt to lose or get stepped on... hard to find in 2023...!!

[@archer721]

Harder to find in 2024!

[@3ducs]

Nice revue! I got one a couple years ago, 1893 vintage, also in 32-30. The day I got it I continued on to another gun shop, they had just gotten in a Colt DA in 32-30, it came with a couple boxes of ammo and a nice old flap holster, for $400 I had to get that too, it was fate. My '92 has Marble's sights and also a Lyman peep tang sight, dual aperture. A good shooter and as you say mild recoiling, the Colt is very pleasant to shoot also.

[@GIJeaux1]

The original .45 Colt ammunition did not have a rim profile that would allow the extractors on early lever action rifles to extract them reliably. New "drawn" brass has a more conventional rim profile which is why replica lever actions are now chambered in .45 Colt. If you look at an original .45 Colt case you will see.

[@archer721]

I have your rifles little sister borne in 1907, she is absolutely my favorite woods walking companion.

[@whiterook85]

Very nice!

[@josephgioielli]

trivia-the 45lc had a small rim and didn't work well in lever actions. Also, being a military round, since the army wasn't interested in lever actions, no one really worried about it. Civvies more often used the 44-40, the Frontier Model, in revolver and carbine. It's bottle neck design performed well in lever actions. 32-20 was a common "pig rifle". It was also a common deer caliber. It was all about getting the weight of the animal to match the round, not the species.

[@TBullCajunbreadmaker]

My Model 1873 Winchester in 32/20 is also a great shooter. It is also an original Winchester like your 92 and I have taken several deer with the rifle. You would be surprised at just what you can hunt with that rifle. It is a very accurate caliber.

[@michaelbrooker1433]

Very nice old piece. Mine, also in 32-20, is the same configuration but made in 1893. I have another in 38WCF, SRC, half magazine, round barrel. They are sweet old rifles. Lots of deer were taken with the 32-20, but that was with the hotter load made for rifles, not the mild load sold today suitable for revolvers.

[@belleray2]

I would be proud of that rifle for sure. Sweet! Thank you.

[@matthutchins6955]

Great video thanks mate. Dont worry about the keyboard warriors and their negative comments. Keep up the good work. 🤠

[@whiterook85]

Thanks 👍

[@stansinclair5521]

45 Colt is a pistol cartridge. straight wall for through bored chamber the Winchester cases are tapered for smooth extraction and were not designed for a pistol, although pistols were chambered to shoot these rifle cartridges to match the rifle. Rifle power, (smokeless ) 32-20 could damage a pistol and are no longer manufactured because of safety concerns.

[@Yverian]

I would love to have an old rifle like that, that would still shoot as good as this one does. Very nice video!

[@barbarawilliams5621]

Love this video!🤠🤠

[@steelgila]

You have racked up quite a collection of 92s! Where in the world did you find all of them? Internet? GunBroker? Are you down in the southern Appalacians ? Looks like you're in my old Carolina Blueridge Mtns but I don't recall many 92s in the local gunstores( though I found my first Rossi .44-40 in one).

[@LtFrankDrebbin]

Thanks for the vid, I am a huge fan of the '92. Own one in 25/20. Please Please stop dry firing it! You don't want a broken firing pin. Don't ask how I know about that one. My '92 is striped at the moment awaiting for the firing pin to be welded together or new one machined up. Have not decided which path I will take yet.

[@johnblackie646]

wow that's a beautiful old rifle very nice video thanks for sharing your videos

[@whiterook85]

+john blackie Thanks John, glad you're enjoying them.

[@WayneMarkley]

Man oh days ringo

[@elreyrod]

Very good presentation!

[@TheFirearmEnthusiast]

Would be a great cartridge for Cowboy Action comps

[@Mark72672]

Hey brother nice old Winchester. I love watching the 92 eject cartridges. Is that a 26" barrel?

[@whiterook85]

It's a 24" on this one.

[@Mark72672]

@@whiterook85 I like the silky smooth action of my 92 over my 94. Same 32-20 cal. Can't beat the old Winchesters, or Marlins. Rook thanks for the reply!

[@netosampaioo]

You can tell me if you can use a caliber bullet. 30 on that gun?

[@fdmackey3666]

And yet another "antique"/"obsolete" round that was basically reinvented.....This time in the form of the .32 Magnum (as loaded by most major ammo companies to avoid blowing up/damaging/injuring shooters of break top handguns). That's the party line and they are sticking to it and I don't blame them in this "sue 'em till they have to go out of business" climate we live in today.

[@steveayers6887]

Where does the new daisy 32/20 1892 Winchester fit into the family, it has all the right markings, patent, oct 14, 1884..???

[@whiterook85]

That 1884 Patent date is John Browning's original design concept which was in the Model 1886 Winchester and scaled down for the 1892. It's a small/medium size game cartridge. They say you could use it for deer, but I would rather go a little bigger.

[@utube7111961]

Would you say that the 32-20 sounds more like a 22 cal or 38 cal........when it's fired? thx

[@whiterook85]

+utube7111961 More like the .38 but since it's fired from the longer barrel rifle the sound is muffled a bit. It hits harder than you think also. Had some good dents in the steel critters when we stopped filming and checked them out.

[@utube7111961]

Great! At least that gives me an idea of the sound. I have a Yellowboy 1866 repo in 38 special. Would you say that the recoil might be the same as shooting the 32-20? Thx again for your help! Nice gun and vid!

[@whiterook85]

+utube7111961 Because of the weight of the rifle you will feel next to nothing, you can shoot as fast as you can aim, fire, and rack another round. Thanks!

[@steelgila]

Shep1957 has a revolver,dbl-action in the cal. and compares it to .38Spl.

[@dmillitello73]

I need the gentleman who own s the 1892 32-20 on video with serial number 1. To help me out I have a wcf 32-20 made in 1894 serial number 380xx in good condition. I want to sell mine. How do I go about talking to him.

[@musikSkool]

I know you can hunt deer with a bow and arrow, I wonder why we don't have a bow-equivalent caliber yet.

[@edbecka233]

musikSkool Look into air-bows. Yes that’s a thing.

[@jeffreyelliott622]

Hey whiterook did Winchester make model 1873 in 45colt caliber !!! I know the 44-40 was the predominate caliber but were any 45colt produced to match the colt 45's revolvers !!!! And if so I wonder how many were produced ?

[@whiterook85]

No, Winchester never made a old lever action in .45LC. I think because Colt created that cartridge they didn't want to use it.

[@danielparker669]

I am looking at purchasing an original Winchester 92 in the 32 wcf caliber. Most of them that I see are 100+ years old, I'm looking for a farm rifle and I like the caliber. Any suggestions for buying one

[@whiterook85]

+Daniel Parker Start on the outside and work your way in. check the look of the exterior; (patina/blueing vs. rust). the condition of the wood; (cracks and shrinkage), is the action smooth. Then bring along a bore light to look inside the barrel/bore and see what condition that is in. Pitted, full of lead, grooves warn, all of those will affect accuracy after about 20 yards. Should look clean, and still have good groves. The other factor is how much you like it, you can over look the cosmetic aspect if it still functions like it should. Good luck with the search, that's half the fun.

[@blueplasma5589]

The caliber Designation above isn't typed correctly. You say it's a 32-20?

[@whiterook85]

Your next sentence should have been how you think it should be.

[@harryhager4128]

he was talking about your typo "This one is in the light caliber of 32wcf or 32-30." in the description.

[@blackcat2075]

THAT IS ONE NICE PEACE.. JUST LIKE MY SONS

[@DolittleMccoy]

I just came home from my local pawnshop and ge had one of these that was about 75% perfect. He said that hed have to look up some info before pricing it.. What would u guess its worth ?

[@whiterook85]

Did they give you a manufacture date (year)? You can get that by running the serial number on a website. Does it look like it was restored in any way?

[@DolittleMccoy]

@@whiterook85 Ill have to go back and look.. It doesnt look restored other than some old varnish on the stock. The rear site missing and the metal is natural age/patina.. I was hoping somewhere around $375-400 range but after looking on gunbroker and google im thinking that it'll def' be higher

[@whiterook85]

Would say higher than that also, but you never know until you make them an offer. Check the barrel (bring a small flashlight). Check that serial number, just do a google search and you will find a few websites, plug in the number and it will give you the date. Good luck with ti.

[@danielparker669]

well here's my issue most of the ones I see online are either $1000 + or a pitted rusty bore

[@whiterook85]

+Daniel Parker Haven't looked for one in a long time. Check some local estate auctions around your area if you have some. You can sometimes get lucky. Don't give up.

[@danielparker669]

+whiterook85 I've been checking gunbroker mostly, and a few other auction sites

[@danielparker669]

+whiterook85 are there any other places you'd check

[@whiterook85]

+Daniel Parker That is about all I can come up with. I haven't searched in a while, but it looks like prices are up, up. I know you wanted an old model, but something to consider is a new replica of a 92. Get it in .357 and you can shoot .38's cheap, but when you need the .357mag it is there waiting for you.

[@whiterook85]

+Daniel Parker I agree with you, very versatile cartridge. Keep looking and don't give up. Check those local "live" auctions around your area. You never know what may turn up.

[@dmillitello73]

My name is James I'm the one who owns it . And what it be worth?

[@hobbyjackson53]

Small game my ass, my great grandfather used my deer rifle a 32-20 1892 Winchester. He never had to track a deer and neither have I. This guy must be a bad shot at anything over 25 yards.

[@whiterook85]

My opinion,,,, the cartridge hits hard but you tell me how many people are NOW using a 32-20 for deer?

[@steelgila]

You guys that are fans of the .32-20 might find that article I read in one of my "Handloader" issues where the editor tells of his days as a younger fella working on a ranch in Montana I think. In it he tells of a ranch hand he knew, name of Phil Gardener maybe?, that had a Win. 92 he kept handy. Said he killed over 100 deer with it( he would shoot at the base of the skull) and protected livestock from 'wolves,coyotes,bears,mountain-lions and marauding hawks'. Just goes to what's potentially possible and how skilled as hunters they were.

[@3ducs]

I think that back in the day there were two loading for the cartridge, one for rifles, one for revolvers. Now the only loading to be had is the one safe for handguns. I have an 1892 and a colt Police Positive in 32-20, recently added a Savage Model 23c in it.

[@steelgila]

You're correct as there was also the condition of the weaker Win. 73 which had to be kept at bp ballistics and the strong-action '92 which was all prepped and ready for the higher velocity smokeless powder age starting around the turn of the century(in America, the Europeans were ahead of us in it's use and development back in the nineteenth century).

[@dmillitello73]

R u interested in buying mine

[@JoeDebono]

For a western fan you sure do like to dry fire!

[@Leverguns50]

Joe Debono I noticed that too

[@mkys9899]

I was kinda let'n it go until he said "got some clay pigeons set up down there, see if I can hit them?" - camera pans and shows targets at 10 yards..... Just went a head and stopped it right there. Just don't even want to know the answer to that question no more.

[@jeffrogosz3718]

my neighbor took a deer with one of those in northern pa in 2011

[@whiterook85]

It hits pretty hard, more than I thought it would. Nice rifle.

[@dmillitello73]

Help me out please!!!!

[@MercyMinister]

".45 LONG Colt?" Nope. No such cartridge. I thought you would have known this.

[@whiterook85]

Thanks professor, should have said, the sometimes called "by me" the .45 long colt, or the 11.43×33mmR.

[@mkshffr4936]

@@whiterook85 And called that by a whole lot of other folks who are most concerned with being understood. I have even seen rounds head stamped as such.

[@MercyMinister]

What is a .45 LONG Colt? No such thing.

[@whiterook85]

You're joshing me right, two seconds on google.....

[@daviddejong187]

Whiterook-I enjoy your videos but I have to agree with James on this one. The 45 Colt came out in 1872 and was designated the 45 Colt not the Long Colt. I am a 45 Colt fan and purist. The Long Colt moniker came around to differentiate it from the Schofield and ACP rounds I believe. The Long Colt designation is one of my pet peeves. If there's a 45 Long Colt then there must be a 45 Short Colt right? I'm sticking with James on this one and no amount of persuasion will change my mind

[@whiterook85]

I stand corrected, but some people (me and the US Government Quarter Masters) call it that (wrongfully). A good discussion, thanks for the info.

[@michaelbrooker1433]

@@whiterook85 I think the government used that designation to differentiate it from the .45 Schofield. QMs would order .45 ammo, get the Colt round and be unable to load it into the Schofield revolvers, this led to the small numbers of Schofield revolvers being issued.

[@whiterook85]

Yes, that;s what I've read also. I think the 45LC name just gets under the skin of some people for some reason. (Not trying to start any crap here.) I like the 44-40 designation better then the .44wcf.