Australian Hunter

The Winchester Model 1892 rifle

Winchester Repeating Arms and John Moses Browning are two of the all-time legendary names in firearms lore. Browning is one of the most influential arms designers ever, pioneering numerous guns which have played a pivotal role in shaping events while Winchester is, of course, known for its iconic lever-action rifles which are synonymous with the Frontier West era of American history of the 1860s to early 1900s.

The Winchester Model 1873 rifle is known as “the gun that won the west”, while the Model 1894 is the most successful commercial centrefire hunting rifle ever produced, with more than 7.5 million manufactured.

However, between these two iconic models is a third Winchester rifle that is equally part of the company’s legend – the Model 1892.

The Model 1873 rifle, chambered in .44-40, was for many years the definitive Winchester rifle. Externally similar to its predecessor the Model 1866, the Model 1873 incorporated several design improvements and, most notably, could fire centrefire cartridges.

Despite the popularity of the Model 1873 design, it had a drawback - it could not handle especially powerful cartridges; certainly nothing suitable for hunting buffaloes, moose, bears or other dangerous game.

The solution

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