Winchester 92 25-20

JunkCollector

I took Al's advice.
Well most of it....as I didn't bring it home right then for the 800.
I opted for the 625 instead.

BTW thanks Sir.
Bore looks somewhat crunchy.
The rifling is strong but also definite pitting.
So I think it's a shoot-N-see.

Good thing I have ammo.

The serial dates it to 1895....

Elk creek

Oh wow! You know if the bore is roached a rebore to 32-20 could be good! 

JunkCollector

Elk creek said:

Oh wow! You know if the bore is roached a rebore to 32-20 could be good! 

I hope it's not for sure.
If that's doable I wouldn't mind either 
Thanks for the advice.
I'll try it tomorrow and have an idea of what it may do.

sakodude

That should be fun. Hope it shoots for you!!

JunkCollector

sakodude said:

That should be fun. Hope it shoots for you!!

50 and sunny tomorrow 😎 

CHIRO1989

nice score, hope it groups nice.

sakodude

JunkCollector said:

sakodude said:

That should be fun. Hope it shoots for you!!

50 and sunny tomorrow 😎 

Rub it in! Can't wait for some decent weather hear for a range day. The few warm days have ether been work days or featured hurricane winds.

Elk creek

sakodude said:

JunkCollector said:

sakodude said:

That should be fun. Hope it shoots for you!!

50 and sunny tomorrow 😎 

Rub it in! Can't wait for some decent weather hear for a range day. The few warm days have ether been work days or featured hurricane winds.

Fun trivia about the Front Range of Colorado all houses have to be built to hurricane code to protect from high winds. 

Big Al1

Bad bores don't mean it's a lost cause. If it doesn't shoot cast bullets well, sometimes jacketed bullets will shoot. The big problem is ammo and loading components. 
If the bore is totaled, it can be relined back to .25-20. 
Give it a good scrub and see what happens!!
Congrats!

Wambli Ska

I have GOT TO stop opening these threads!!! 🤬

JunkCollector

Wambli Ska said:

I have GOT TO stop opening these threads!!! 🤬

Oh you love seeing those old brown/blue guns with character.

And octagon barrels

Wambli Ska

:sigh: I do… and those inlays are cool!  I love old guns that someone personalized ❤️

JunkCollector

Well I did go out.
I Brought the Danzig 22 to warm up with and just in case the 25-20 didn't fire at all.



The Danzig did well
Stayed zeroed from when I adjusted it. I Should have painted the steel better but it was the three to the throat.


The 25-20....not so good.
The bullet holes were round.
I checked it looked to me as it was just paper tearing. ...?
It was jacketed rounds I tried. 
Maybe it would do better with a lead one a few thousandths bigger ?
Or the bore is toast?
I was only shooting at 30 yards or so.

Wambli Ska

Get one of your old .22 nylon brushes and wrap some coarse stainless steel pad wool around it to fit the bore tight.  

Scrub the crap out of it with a carbon cleaner like Hoppes, then alternate with a copper cleaner and keep alternating until the barrel stops puking crud.  

Fouling in the bore of old guns tends to accumulate in layers that harden to ridiculous levels.  It’ll take you a few days to get to bare metal.   Every night leave the bore soaked in Hoppes and punch out before starting the next round.

After I you get spotlessly clean, shoot like 20-30 rounds of “fouling shots”.  Depending on how pitted the bore is that’s about what it takes for jacket metal to fill in the pits and fissures.  

Then try for groups…

JunkCollector

One other thing I didn't really like was the end of the barrel.
I forgot about it but looks like a crown would help.
I'll post a picture soon.
I will work on scrubbing it more too.


It does need more scrubbing....lol 

Wambli Ska

🤣 looks like it 😱

JunkCollector

So what your saying "in theory"
Is eventually,  someday, I'll get through this ? 
Packet #2 haven't seen anything close to not black yet.

Freezer

I see you have Kroil there. Put a cork in the Chamber and fill the barrel with Kroil. Walk away for a couple of days, then clean it. I've used brass wool on a cleaning brush and had the rod on a drill. It worked wonders on the Marlin 980 barrel and a few guns I repaired for a friend.

BTW brass wool isn't always at the hardware store but you can get different grades on Amazon

Wambli Ska

JunkCollector said:

So what your saying "in theory"
Is eventually,  someday, I'll get through this ? 
Packet #2 haven't seen anything close to not black yet.

Keep going!!! 🤣

Wambli Ska

At least those are just black.  My 32-20 Marlin threw up green goo for 2 days from layer upon layer of metal jacket crud scrubbing with Sweets alternating with Hoppes #9 so the two extremes of harsh and mild cleaners.  Then it took me a few days of gentle loads to re-season the bore so I could get it shooting.

bullsi1911

man, that that is just an awesome gun.  I hope the cleaning makes it shoot!

JunkCollector

Thanks bullsi.....me too.
I keep plugging away at it.
Still not there yet.

Have a feeling it was very leaded up. Been through 300 patches easily now. Not sure how many bore brushes.  Half a dozen easy.

I think it would shoot much better now but will continue until it's a new start.
I'll probably do the 32-20 next.
It could use it too by the looks.

Freezer

Just a question. Which is better vs retaining history vs value, bore and sleeve to the original caliber or bore and chamber to a different caliber? 

Wambli Ska

Freezer said:

Just a question. Which is better vs retaining history vs value, bore and sleeve to the original caliber or bore and chamber to a different caliber? 

Both significantly lower the value but if you sleeve to the original and do a good enough job it’s better because the chambering will at least match the original marks.

There is a tipping point.  If the gun is already in very poor overall condition doing things like a new bore, a new or refi is he’d stock and cleaning up the metal and maybe even a cold blue in bare spots, all of it done without stripping it’s “character, actually will increase the value if sold as a “shooter”.

Big Al1

I've relined four or five already. Like Enzo said, it's returns it to the original chambering without changing any of the lettering on the barrel, and it's shoots a whole lot better. Only low pressure rounds can be relined, though! 
Over on the Marlin forum, a lot of the guys will get donor rifles, like a Glenfield .30-30, and have them rebored for .375 Winchester or .356, etc! Then have less money tied up in the rifle than finding an original .375 Marlin which are going stupid high!

Gene L

I had a Broomhandle relined.  I don't know about low pressure rounds. Maybe I shouldn't use factory 7.62 x 25 rounds?

Big Al1

If you mean .762x25 Tokarev then NO! It will chamber in 7.62 Mauser but higher pressure!