Browning 92 44 mag vs Win Trails End 44 mag

[trouthunterdj]

Hello all,

I am wondering what the views are between a Browning 92 or a Trails End 94. I would like some opinions of which they like and why? The Trails end I am referring to is not the case colored octagon barrel version its the round barrel version the a black buttplate.

Thanks for the help,


ddj

[Leverdude]

Its an apples & oranges comparison IMO. The 92 was designed around short cartriges, is stronger & a much smoother action. The 94 was designed around 38/55 length cartriges, was tweeked to feed little cases, has much more lever throw than needed and doesn't come close to a 92 in smoothness. Thats my $.02

[trouthunterdj]

I like how the 92 doesn't have the tang saftey and the action feels like there is less play in it.


ddj

[J Miller]

Winchester (USRAC) did a good job in modifying the 94 action to work with the shorter cartridges. This included shortening the lever throw as well.
But it is a long cartridge action modified to work with short cartridges so it will have a much different "feel" to it that many lever gunners don't like.

The 94s and 92s are plenty strong enough for the 44 Magnum cartridge so that's a wash, really nothing to be concerned about.

The Browning B92 is as has been said just a upgraded Winchester 1892 chambered for a straight wall cartridge rather than the original 44 W.C.F. cartridge.
The receiver is shorter than the 94s by a mere 1/2" , BIG DEAL.
It may be smoother, most of the old Browning's were, but it's mostly the design differences that makes them seem to be this way. In real life the Win 94s can be quite smooth, but due to their different design, the actions SOUND different. Many folks equate this different sound to being less smooth.

In actual function they work the same, the load the same, they shoot the same, they put the lead downrange the same and are both very accurate if the shooter does his part.

The ONLY thing that would make me choose the B92 over the 94 is the lack of safeties and the correct half cock action. Those are an abomination and a deal breaker to me.

Other than the safety and action type, it's just a matter of what you want and like.

Joe

[trouthunterdj]

Thanks Joe,

Can someone comment further about the half cock? I am new to levers and understand half cock but not sure what makes the 92 superior to the 94?


Thanks

ddj

[Terry Murbach]

I WOULD ALWAYS CHOOSE ANY '92 OVER ANY '94 IN ANY PISTOL CALIBER HANDS DOWN NO QUESTIONS ASKED. THERE IS NO REALLY TRUE COMPARISON OF THESE TWO TWO LEVERGUNS AT ALL !!! IT IS SORTA LIKE COMPARING A ROADSTER AND A PICK'EM UP TRUCK.
YOU WOULD ASK A HELL OF A LOT FEWER QUESTIONS IF YOU WOULD GO LOOK AT THEM INSTEAD OF DOING NOTHING BUT TALKING ABOUT THEM. READING BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT IS EVEN BETTER. YOU WILL ACTUALLY LEARN THINGS ABOUT THEM YOU COULD NEVER EVER IMAGINE. THERE IS A PLACE CALLED A " L-I-B-R-A-R-Y " THAT DOES AN AMAZING JOB OF FURNISHING BOOKS TO READ FOR FREE, FREE I TELL YOU, FOR FRICKIN' FREE !!! THE BEST PART OF IS WHEN YOU'RE DONE READING THE BOOKS YOU'LL HAVE ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS YOU EVER HAD BEFORE AND BEGIN ASKING THE CORRECT QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW.

[ndcowboy]

Jeez Terry. Take a deep breath and have another cup of coffee.

[trouthunterdj]

I WOULD ALWAYS CHOOSE ANY '92 OVER ANY '94 IN ANY PISTOL CALIBER HANDS DOWN NO QUESTIONS ASKED. THERE IS NO REALLY TRUE COMPARISON OF THESE TWO TWO LEVERGUNS AT ALL !!! IT IS SORTA LIKE COMPARING A ROADSTER AND A PICK'EM UP TRUCK.
YOU WOULD ASK A HELL OF A LOT FEWER QUESTIONS IF YOU WOULD GO LOOK AT THEM INSTEAD OF DOING NOTHING BUT TALKING ABOUT THEM. READING BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT IS EVEN BETTER. YOU WILL ACTUALLY LEARN THINGS ABOUT THEM YOU COULD NEVER EVER IMAGINE. THERE IS A PLACE CALLED A " L-I-B-R-A-R-Y " THAT DOES AN AMAZING JOB OF FURNISHING BOOKS TO READ FOR FREE, FREE I TELL YOU, FOR FRICKIN' FREE !!! THE BEST PART OF IS WHEN YOU'RE DONE READING THE BOOKS YOU'LL HAVE ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS YOU EVER HAD BEFORE AND BEGIN ASKING THE CORRECT QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW.

Terry I am sorry if I have asked a stupid question.

I didn't grow up with guns so what I learned I read or lately have found on the internet. I have found the internet to be more productive than books because you can get multiple real life opinions and usually more specific.

Thanks

ddj

[gak]

I think Terry's response may have been directed more at the previous poster's?
+1 Browning hands down--no comparison--for all the reasons mentioned plus the stellar quality of the Miroku production..94s are great, for .30-30s--I've got six such--and that family of cartridges. Just ok for the pistol-length calibers. The only reason to choose a later 94 in .44 (or .357) is if you must have a scope, and with all the great import 92s out there, no reason at all for an earlier post 64 .44--unless you were (or practically) given one. IMO

[Leverdude]

I like how the 92 doesn't have the tang saftey and the action feels like there is less play in it.


ddj

It feels like theres less play because there is. The 94 has alot of things going on to let it chamber a long cartridge in an action almost as small as a 92 and that adds up to more slop in the action, I know its just my opinion but smoothness & slop dont go right together. I prefer a tight smooth action. Alot of folks like their 94's in short calibres & thats fine.
I admit I'm prejudiced against the 94 in general & especially in these chamberings. If John Browning meant for it to chamber them he woulda done it that way. The reason the bottom drops out of a 94 is to accommodate a long cartridge & I cant see the reasoning behind useing all that stuff to push an inch & a half long cartridge into a chamber.

The half cock is the traditional safe position for a lever action. On top of chambering a long action for short cartridges Winchester decided to do away with half cock & use a rebounding hammer in addition to a hammer block saftey. To traditionalists it simply was a silly thing to do. But has little to do with why the 92 is better, its better because it was designed & intended for the size cartridges you asked about. If they made it longer & chambered a 92 for a 30/30 I'd tell you a 94 was better for a 30/30.

Only reason the 94 was chambered for the shorties was cost savings & pinching pennies never makes a better mousetrap. The Browning gun is a higher quality firearm anyway.

[Buck Elliott]

MOSTLY WHAT TERRY SAID...

WELCOME to the Board.

There is a HUGE WEALTH of published information in this world, regarding the questions you've asked. There must also be some local source of help --- friends or REAL gunshop guys, who can impart some valuable wisdom and information to you.

There are no STUPID questions, but there have been a lot of "uninformed" queries on this board, of late. Yours probably falls into that category.

NEVER be afraid to ask, just be sure you have done as much homework as possilbe before you do. You will be amazed at how many of your questions will be answered that way.

[.45colt]

We all gotta start somewhere.the cover page of Leverguns has a link to "Articles". one could spend alot of time reading there.
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/Default.htm

[colo native]

B92 vs win94 is like BMW vs 1954 Plymouth..

[trouthunterdj]

Thanks for the link!!!

I don't want to appologize for myself but I live in a state where we can't for the most part hunt big game with a rifle so there aren't alot of folks that have them except collectors. Most of guys who I hunt with know shotguns but little about rifles. The closest gunshop is 30-45 min and may have 1-2 lever guns.

I will continue to ask questions and I appologize to all of the members who are "sick or tired" of my posts.

I hope to move from the uninformed query to the informed as soon as possible.

Thanks to all those who helped!

ddj

[J Miller]

ddj,

Terry Murbach was there and doing it before most of us on this forum were born. When he speaks he says what he says from experience based on having done these things. He uses all caps cos he types with a vocal set up I think. Not sure what they call those things. He has my utmost respect, but I don't always agree with everything he says. Now I'm in trouble .

Me, I also speak from the experience of having done things and also from my research. I won't speak on anything I don't know about without qualifying my remarks.
After being here for a while you'll find I'm a fan of John Moses Browning's Model 1894 Winchester. Much more so than the Mdl 92 which he also designed. And so I won't let those who dislike the long action with pistol calibers get away with bad mouthing what is a good functional rifle.

Your avatar corner doesn't show where you're at, but if your near central IL PM me and perhaps one day we can hook up.
We can't use rifles for hunting here either. Shotguns...yuck, muzzle loaders or handguns are all we can use.

Joe

[J Miller]

B92 vs win94 is like BMW vs 1954 Plymouth..

I'll take the 54 Plymouth, thanks.

Joe

[trouthunterdj]

ddj,

Terry Murbach was there and doing it before most of us on this forum were born. When he speaks he says what he says from experience based on having done these things. He uses all caps cos he types with a vocal set up I think. Not sure what they call those things. He has my utmost respect, but I don't always agree with everything he says. Now I'm in trouble .

Me, I also speak from the experience of having done things and also from my research. I won't speak on anything I don't know about without qualifying my remarks.
After being here for a while you'll find I'm a fan of John Moses Browning's Model 1894 Winchester. Much more so than the Mdl 92 which he also designed. And so I won't let those who dislike the long action with pistol calibers get away with bad mouthing what is a good functional rifle.

Your avatar corner doesn't show where you're at, but if your near central IL PM me and perhaps one day we can hook up.
We can't use rifles for hunting here either. Shotguns...yuck, muzzle loaders or handguns are all we can use.

Joe

Thank again Joe, that is helpful.

I am sure Terry is a great guy and all and we have a rough day. But I would caution him. Lets try to help out the younger guy or new guy! Yeah we might ask a simple question or be ignorant with basic fundemental lever gun knowledge but thats the learning process. I want to increase the number of new people in the shooting sports not sqwelch someone excitement!!

Thanks

[1886]

Hi, You may find the B 92 .44 mag. most frustrating. I have owned 3 and NOT one of those buggers would shoot accurately enough for my liking. 3 rifles is certainly a very small sample. Others have reported similar findings. If you like the 92 platform then by all means grab one. Hopefully she shoots well enough. If you get a bummer barrel you could always rebarrel it. 1886.

[buckeyeshooter]

another plymouth fan, I already have a BMW.

[Hobie]

Browning 92 hands down. QUALITY!!!!!

[Borregos]

Browning 92 hands down. QUALITY!!!!!

Hobie's got it right there

[bsaride]

< nuther MOPAR fan, cuz I was born in one!

[colo native]

thankx Hobbie...

[Lawyer Daggit]

I agree with Hobie- I have owned and used a post 64 model 94 and handled and shot many others. I have owned, extensively used and regretably sold, a B92 in .357 and handled and shot a B92 in 44 magnum.

The guns are apples and oranges. The B92 is far better made and I also believe the B92 smoother to operate and better to use with short cartridges.

To my mind there is simply no comparison between the two.

Even if you were to convert a pre 64 94 (of which I have one in .30-30) to handle a pistol cartridge (which would address the quality issue) you cannot compare it to a B92 (or other 92) for smoothness of operation.

[Lawyer Daggit]

I agree with Hobie- I have owned and used a post 64 model 94 and handled and shot many others. I have owned, extensively used and regretably sold, a B92 in .357 and handled and shot a B92 in 44 magnum.

The guns are apples and oranges. The B92 is far better made and I also believe the B92 smoother to operate and better to use with short cartridges.

To my mind there is simply no comparison between the two.

Even if you were to convert a pre 64 94 (of which I have one in .30-30) to handle a pistol cartridge (which would address the quality issue) you cannot compare it to a B92 (or other 92) for smoothness of operation.

[Buck Elliott]

Dang' lawyers... Everything in duplicate!

[COSteve]

Just glad it wasn't in triplicate!!!

[trouthunterdj]

I was already deposed once today. Enough with the lawyer talk!!!

Back to the 92's. Thanks for the comments. Right now I have one of each and need to lose a safe queen.

Thanks to all, any and all information on each is appreciated.

ddj

[Poohgyrr]

Is your safe queen a Lever?

[trouthunterdj]

Yeah, sorry! It is the Win 94 Trails End, I have been trying to decide which one to keep.


ddj

[J Miller]

I hate the concept of safe queens. How in the world are you going to know weather or not YOU like any given gun if YOU don't shoot it?

WE cannot tell you how YOU are going to like it. All WE can do is tell you our likes and dislikes. Most of us have been shooting a very long time and have shot just about everything out there.
All WE can tell you is we like this or don't like that.

Go shoot 'em both. Then you'll know which one you like like the best.

Joe

[trouthunterdj]

It was one of those right place at the right time. A friend of a friend was getting rid of a gun last week and I picked up a new in the box Win 94 44 mag. That was the reason for my question, I don't want to shoot it if I am going to flip it. If it wouldn't have been new in the box I would already have shot it.


ddj

[J Miller]

ddj,

Is this the 20" barrel, or does it have the longer barrel?

Just curious.

Joe

[trouthunterdj]

I think 20" but it was the cheaper grade that didn't have case color. It has a flat black buttplate and a round barrel.

I am going to see if my closest gun shop has any interest in it. I like to support the local guys.


ddj

[Lastmohecken]

In this comparision I definately have to go with the Browning 92, I know mine isn't going anywhere, unless it's hunting with me. However, I used to own a Winchester angle eject, pre-safety model 94, 44mag and it was a good reliable gun, and I kept it for quite a few years, but after finally purchasing a B92, I decided to let go of the Winchester, to finance another purchase.