Repro 92s in .25 WCF

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Bill in Oregon
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Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Bill in Oregon »

If the Italians and the Brazilians ever get their Model 92 production sorted out again, I surely do wish one or t'other would build a 92 in .25-20. I have been thinking it would be a hoot to employ said lever gun against close-range javelina. Anyone with me on this or am I just a bit looney? Be honest. Wont' hurt my feelings any. Mom was always afraid I'd turn out to be what she called a "character."

:lol:
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Grizz »

Bill I made venison with that round a couple of times. Couldn't trade it off fast enough.

It's kind of like shooting them with an arrow but without a blood trail to follow.

I know the eyeball shot will work, but right over on the other hand I wouldn't choose the round on purpost to handle a PO'd pig, even though it must be somewhere close to .22 LR in stunning ability.

I'm sure there are lots of folks around this fire who have killed lots of pigs with that round and will gladly tell you I don't have a clue about the fine points of the old 25.

Just sayin'
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by missionary5155 »

Greetings
Growing up in SW Michigan there were hundreds of ground hogs about. Several fellers used 25-20's and lost lots of them getting back into their holes. There just is very little "thwap" in tough big ground hogs.
Hogs ? Maybe if they weigh under 25 pounds I would consider it. We have a 25-20 in a single shot. Only ground hog shot I would take with it is a head shot from the side and under 40 yards. Great little round for wabbits, possums and so forth. We consider the 32-20 with at least a 115 FN minimal for ground hogs. A pig maybe a small one standing still with a side shot below the ear.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Bridger »

Ever time somebody mentions the 25-20 I think of the Jordan buck that was taken with a model 92 in 25-20 somewhere in Minnesota. What a monster of a deer. Though if I'm not mistaken it was shot more than once.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by earlmck »

I've shot a lot of sage rats and jack rabbits with the 25/20 and can tell you there is a big difference in the level of "thwap" between the old factory loads intended to be safe in an 1873 Win and the handloads a fellow might build for use in a m92. My critter-shooting load of an 87 grain fpgc at around 1800 fps has somewhat more authority than even a 22 mag on jack rabbits. That said, I'd personally prefer something that would leave a larger hole in a javalina, though I know the 25/20 would kill them fairly readily.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Nate Kiowa Jones »

Bill in Oregon wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2017 5:32 pm If the Italians and the Brazilians ever get their Model 92 production sorted out again, I surely do wish one or t'other would build a 92 in .25-20. I have been thinking it would be a hoot to employ said lever gun against close-range javelina. Anyone with me on this or am I just a bit looney? Be honest. Wont' hurt my feelings any. Mom was always afraid I'd turn out to be what she called a "character."

:lol:
I would certainly be in for a 32-20.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by GunnyMack »

I love the 25-20, don't know how many thousands of them I've sent down range! I too used it on ground hogs when I had places to ground hog hunt. But I also used it as my close pasture poodle medicine. Only difference is my 25-20 is a Savage 23B with scope. I used 60 gr Hornady bullets, Win 680 powder. Haven't shot it in years...
I too am reminder of the Jordan buck. Knew a butcher that used the 25-20 to dispatch beef critters.
Would it be my first choice for Javalina? Only real close!
Oh and just for fun one day on a dog town it tried a long poke, with witness and 3 shots I thumped a P.D. at 273 paces...
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by daisygordoninc »

I grew up on the homestead in Western Oregon shooting deer with my grandfather's 25-20. Long barreled octagon, held about 12 or more bullets.
We usually shot them in the apple orchard at fairly close range, less than 50 yards. Shot them behind the head in the neck, they always went down
quickly, no meat ruined at all. I lost track of that gun when the farm sold, but bought another one myself which I still have made in 1897. It looks
really good, not dings or anything, I have the Winchester letter on it as well. I've made ammo for it and shot it a little, mostly I am keeping it in a safe
for future sale. I don't know what it is worth but quite a bit. 25-20 plenty of strength for close up shots.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Daisygordon, I have a friend who grew up in eastern Oregon. He and his dad kept the family in venison with a .25-20. Get close. It is relatively quiet.
Earl, your handloads in a 92 would indeed have some punch. Wish Marlin had not given up so quickly on the 94CL in .25 and .32 WCF.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by gamekeeper »

Nate Kiowa Jones wrote: Fri Aug 25, 2017 1:57 am
Bill in Oregon wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2017 5:32 pm If the Italians and the Brazilians ever get their Model 92 production sorted out again, I surely do wish one or t'other would build a 92 in .25-20. I have been thinking it would be a hoot to employ said lever gun against close-range javelina. Anyone with me on this or am I just a bit looney? Be honest. Wont' hurt my feelings any. Mom was always afraid I'd turn out to be what she called a "character."

:lol:
I would certainly be in for a 32-20.
Plus one. 8)
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by 3leggedturtle »

I've long wondered why they didn't make them in 25/20, 32/20 and 38/40. Would think there is a huge market for them. Todd/3leg
30/30 Winchester: Not accurate enough fer varmints, barely adequate for small deer; BUT In a 10" to 14" barrelled pistol; is good for moose/elk to 200 yards; ground squirrels to 300 metres

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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Here, here on the .38-40.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by GunnyMack »

I'd get in line for both a 25-20 and a 38/40!!! ( still kick myself for not buying that Colt Lighting years ago!
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Bill in Oregon
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Got to wondering whether if several of us committed to deposits we could interest an outfit like Lipsey's to order a run of Rossi/Pumas in .32-20. I'll give up on the .25-20 as not having enough poop.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by M. M. Wright »

Why not rescue an old Winchester? I found one in 32-20 that was dis-assembled and the barrel had to be re-lined. It didn't feed real well but Nate fixed that for me. Now it wears a Marbles tang sight and is a really slick and accurate companion. I wouldn't hesitate to use it on a Whitetail if the opportunity arose. It head shoots squirrels real good. It isn't real pretty so I don't have a pic.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by kaschi »

It's sad that of the 4 92 chamberings, only the 25-20 has been left out so far in the Miroku lineup.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Bill in Oregon »

M.M., that is one option. It would just be nice to have new-made 92s plentiful and priced around $500.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Nate Kiowa Jones »

Bill in Oregon wrote: Sat Aug 26, 2017 10:03 am M.M., that is one option. It would just be nice to have new-made 92s plentiful and priced around $500.
That would be a Rossi. Unfortunately it's not offered in 25 or 32. I'm a big fan of the 32-20's. I have several rifles but a decent shooter carbine is hard to come by. So, years ago I took a Rossi 357m and converted it to 32-20. the reline was pretty much straight forward.

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The work was tightening the action to handle the smaller rim of the 32. I suspect that is the main reason Rossi and even Chiappa (even though they did advertise a 32 H&R) haven't done them.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by piller »

Henry is now making a rifle in .327 Magnum. It uses the same 115 grain bullet as the .32-20 at 200 to 400 fps higher velocities, though with much higher pressures. PillHer has a Ruger SP101 in that caliber and it is very accurate at 25 yards for her. I load it to around 1200 fps.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Nate Kiowa Jones »

piller wrote: Sat Aug 26, 2017 12:52 pm Henry is now making a rifle in .327 Magnum. It uses the same 115 grain bullet as the .32-20 at 200 to 400 fps higher velocities, though with much higher pressures. PillHer has a Ruger SP101 in that caliber and it is very accurate at 25 yards for her. I load it to around 1200 fps.
Have they made it out with that gun. The reason I ask is I have three on back order.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by piller »

Not yet. They say they are shipping, but it seems to be limited to the Medallion level dealers at the moment. PillHer's is on backorder, too. In the 16 inch carbine, I would bet that it will make a great pairing to her pistol. Her pistol is where we are getting the 1200 fps velocity.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Buck Elliott »

Going back a few decades, I rebarrelled a handful of Rossi and Browning '92s to the very interesting (and much more potent) .256 Winchester magnum..
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by piller »

That sounds fun. Did you use that cartridge on deer?
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Buck Elliott »

piller wrote: Sat Aug 26, 2017 2:08 pm That sounds fun. Did you use that cartridge on deer?
Never used it on deer, but shot a lot of jacks, a number of snowshoes and coyotes with it..
Years earlier, I shot a couple deer for camp meat with a .25 WCF, but did just as well with a .22 WMR..
.22 LR will also put down deer, if you can place your shot just right..
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by piller »

I am not as good as I should be, not enough time with my guns anymore. Ever though a .22 lr can do it, it would be quite unethical for me to try it unless I were in immediate danger of starvation. No intent to put others down. It is absolutely a comment on my own lack of polish on my skills and abilities. For those who are capable of making those shots, I have no problem with them doing it.

That said, how accurate was the .256 Win Mag? As accurate as the .357? I have never seen a .357 in good condition that was anything but accurate.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Rusty »

I was thinkin the .327 Federal in a carbine would be dandy, I just can't warm up to the Henry line up.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Several Henry Big Boys in .327 on Gunbroker right now. Looks like street is mid-$600s to low $700s.
It's an interesting package.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by GunnyMack »

I remember when the SGB flat point from CCI hit the market a buddy of mine used it many times on deer. Worked quite well! Just gotta hit em right. Heard ( from a fish cop) about a guy in Canada shot a moose with a 22 short, tracked it 2 days before it died. That was unethical but he was feeding his family.

I think a Henry has hit the head on the nail with the 327, bit more oomph then 32-20, straight wall for those who can use it for deer. I might have to get one myself!
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Mike Armstrong »

I killed four little blacktail "meat bucks" bucks with a .25-20 '92 rifle that my grandfather gave me after he saw that I'd killed the first one with a .410 slug! That was in the early 1950s when deer were very scarce in our area of Northern California due to overgrazing.

Where we lived .25-20s, .32-20s, and .22 Hornets were called "poacher guns" by the .30-30 and WWII Arisaka and Mauser bringback crowd. Apparently because they have a very low report, especially in the long barrels that most of them had, and the cheapest lead bullet ctgs. that everyone used in them (BTW there never was a .25-20 Win '73 unless somebody rebarreled a .32-20....).

A .25-20 will kill a blacktail (what we had in CA) and I suppose a whitetail IF you make a perfect shot. That means CLOSE range and a head or neck/spine hit. Otherwise you are in for a long tracking job unless you just like to feed coyotes. The one I shot running (never tried that again, even with a .300 or .308) took me four hours to find--no snow for a blood trail in CA. He was dead OK but what led me to him in the deep chaparral was a family of ravens discussing dinner!

I'd stick to bigger guns for deer and pigs. That said, I have my original '92 and three .25-20 single shots and use them for woods wandering that sometimes takes jackrabbits, feral cats, porkypines, and really careless coyotes. When I lived back East I killed a fox and several big woodchucks with a Win 1885 in .25-20 using 60 gr. handloads.

Don't use the '92 much because my failing vision requires a scope and I can't bring myself to tap that old 1920s gun! My son, who has USMC Expert Rifleman eyes, will get it soon.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Mike, great post. My first two blacktails were small bucks I took on a family friend's ranch on the Bear River, south of Ferndale in Humboldt County. Good memories.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by earlmck »

Now this fellow http://www.realguns.com/articles/436.htm takes the 25/20 to a whole new power level using a Savage 23B, but says he is staying within SAAMI. On my elderly 25/20 (still has the black-powder era firing pin) the loads with enough uuumph to put the 87 grain bullet above 1800 fps result in a poor case life (like 3 or 4 shots before getting base separations that look like excess headspace even though the rifle guages OK for headspace.) But on your newly manufactured rifle I'll bet you can go ahead and load on up a ways.

I should note that the load showing 12.5 grains Lil' Gun giving the 82 grain cast bullet over 2400 fps? Well QuickLoad thinks that will generate nearly 50K psi. And my experience with QuickLoad and Lil'Gun has lead me to expect QL to under-predict Lil'Gun pressures. So I might top off around 11 grains and 2000 fps if it were my rifle. That would still knock the stuffin' out of a javalina.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Earl, gotta love those sweet, simple Savage bolt guns. Had one in .22 Hornet that my stepson loved to shoot.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by Mike Armstrong »

Bill, as a PS I later read the CA regs and found out that both .410 slugs and .25-20s were at that time illegal for deer hunting in CA! But nobody I knew knew that, or cared if they did know, and the game warden for our area just wasn't interested in arresting hungry ranchers and loggers and Natives. He WAS interested in arresting city folks who shot from their cars on the highway, or shined deer from their cars, or invited their doctor/lawyer/biz buddies up to shoot a buck and just take the horns and leave the rest for buzzard chow. THEY got their day in court.

I quickly got a Savage 99 in .300, which seemed like a cannon but did the job.

I'm also very fond of the Savage 23 series and have had all of them including a nice 23AA .22LR. They work, especially if you don't overload your handloads.
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Re: Repro 92s in .25 WCF

Post by KWK »

earlmck wrote: Tue Aug 29, 2017 12:03 pm... but says he is staying within SAAMI.
He's not. That 39000 he quotes is the European CIP standard, which was derived from a conversion formula from their older CUP style system. SAAMI tops at some 10000 below that, and I'm sure that was for the old High Velocity smokeless loadings. As you point out, he's beyond the CIP spec, too. Sharpe's old book had Hercules data to 1756 and they reported 27500.

I like his "magnum .25-20" articles, though. I've been pondering just such a thing for a single shot project. Throated long, QuickLoad reckons you could equal the early .25-36-117 loads, although I think the software is a bit fanciful in that.
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