Beat up B92 advice

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cmat1120
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Beat up B92 advice

Post by cmat1120 »

I've been wanting a 44mag lever action for awhile. I was pretty set on just waiting for a nice JM 1894, but a local pawn shop recently got a Browning B92. Its a bit beat up: scratches and dings in the wood, cracked rear barrel band and some blueing rubbed off on the front barrel band. The best they can do for it is $640 after tax. The action feels really smooth and the trigger is pretty light so I'm guessing it's either been worked on or shot a lot. It appears to have the microgroove-like barrel(lots of shallow grooves) and it was built in 1980 according to the serial.

I'm wondering if I could get some advice from those more knowledgeable if this is worth buying? I'm looking for a shooter not a safe queen so the cosmetics don't bother me.(I would replace the barrel band. I've read I can use a marlin 336 barrel band.)

If I got the browning I'd just use it as is and hopefully it feeds well and shoots well.

If I got a marlin I'd probably take advantage of the receiver and get a nice fiber optic peep sight setup and slick up the action a bit myself.

Either gun would shoot cast reloads and be used as a range toy plus hunting when its too thick for my bolt gun.

Thank you!
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Grizz
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by Grizz »

it most likely has the same twist as marlin and winch 44s, 1:38. (!!!!) it is fine for standard loads, 240gr and lighter, I've read some reports of some of them stabilizing 300gr, but they will not stabilize heavy for caliber bullets, to my knowledge, if that's what you're looking for.

my dream of a lightweight 44mag carbine shooting 405gr bullets at 1100fps is still unrealized.....
cmat1120
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by cmat1120 »

No problem with that. I plan on just shooting 240-250gn wfn or swc if they'll feed
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by AJMD429 »

Yep - to get a heavy bullet stabilized WELL, you might have to go to a 45 Colt levergun; not because of the chambering, but because of the twist rates. The Ruger 96 is an exception - it has a twist of 1:20, and being a box-fed magazine, mine has fed some 300 grain handloads well. However finding a Ruger 96/44 at a price you'd want to pay for a 'shooter' would be difficult, plus most people balk at the 'nontraditional looks' of the Ruger. Anyway, heavy bullets don't sound like your goal.

As far as your 44 Mag choices stated though, I'd certainly be content with the Browning as a 'shooter' if the barrel were decent, assuming when you test it out it feeds reliably and so on. You can easily mount a Williams FP sight on it with two small holes drilled into the receiver, and the gun you describe wouldn't be harmed in terms of resale by doing that.

Link to easy sight installation - https://levergunscommunity.org/viewtopi ... =1&t=25689

I'd also consider the current Marlins though - there were some crappy ones the first couple years after the move, but of late, from what I've seen at the LGS's, they are back up to par, certainly enough for a 'shooter'.
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by Sixgun »

Guns are like cars...in a way......if it's beat up on the outside it's probably beat up on the inside....guys who don't wax their cars also don't change the oil.......unless you can grab it real cheap and the price you quote ain't cheap. Could have been a cowboy gun with 20,000 rounds out of it. Could also have been a truck gun with 50 rounds out of it....So unless you know what to look for, let her go....there's a million more in the same caliber out there that are clean. .....if there's a dent on a car or gouges in the wood stock, I want to be the guy who put them there.

Plus ...who wants a rifle with 1-38 twist? To me, if I wanted a levergun in 44 mag.....(I've HAD them) and was determined to have it in 44 Mag, I'd get a Marlin and have it rebarreled with the proper twist and the proper groove diameter.

Junk is junk and always will be junk.----6
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Ysabel Kid
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by Ysabel Kid »

If it is just a shooter, you can get a brand-spanking new Rossi for well under $650. Heck, you can get a stainless steel one new for about $675.
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Grizz
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by Grizz »

actually the early Marlin 44s, in spite of the slow twist barrel, were accurate and reliable venison makers. we lost count of how many animals son's gun took. the white box 240JSP are hammers on deer size and weight game.

besides the slow twist, I always thought the barrels were a bit, um, skinny. for example daughters rossi92 45 colt looks like I could bend the barrel over my knee. A 17 inch half oct half round non tapered barrel would be a pleasure to set up. but that's just me and thread drift :lol:
cmat1120
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by cmat1120 »

I tried out all three of the main 44's recently. Browning felt the smoothest but it was used. The Rossi felt like the internals were made out of sandpaper and glue(maybe just a bad one, but I don't like the SS anyways).

If that price is too high for that browning I'll just get a marlin and bling it out the way I want. I'll probably end up putting a silly amount of money into it but oh well.

I'll have to step up my reloading game. Loading up 50 44's is enough for taking the revolver out but I imagine that won't last as long in the lever action.

And I agree the twist rate is meh in all of them(although I don't aspire to shoot super heavy loads even for hunting elk I'll use a 240-250). I probably will rebarrel a marlin eventually if I get one unless my revolver also likes .432 bullets.
Pete44ru
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by Pete44ru »

Ysabel Kid wrote: Sat Mar 09, 2019 5:43 pm If it is just a shooter, you can get a brand-spanking new Rossi for well under $650. Heck, you can get a stainless steel one new for about $675.

Yep - $650 is about right for a .44 B-92 in pristine original condition, no box/papers.

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cmat1120
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by cmat1120 »

Pete44ru wrote: Sat Mar 09, 2019 6:21 pm


Yep - $650 is about right for a .44 B-92 in pristine original condition, no box/papers.

.
Ok so the gun I was looking at was pretty over priced considering its condition then, huh?
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by wm »

For mid Michigan that price seems high in such a neglected state. That would maybe be a $400 gun here.

A fellow at my rifle club bought a 44 Mag mares leg as a pistol and then turned in the necessary paper work to put a carbine stock on it to give himself the slickest little 12" (or so) barreled trapper. I believe he said he had about $750 wrapped up in the whole project.

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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by Old Savage »

Had a B92 in 44 Mag. It would cloverleaf at 50 yds with the Win white box 240s.
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by Sixgun »

Doesn't anybody know that how to type in "certain gun for sale" and hit the search button? :D ---6
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cmat1120
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by cmat1120 »

Sixgun wrote: Sun Mar 10, 2019 6:39 pm Doesn't anybody know that how to type in "certain gun for sale" and hit the search button? :D ---6
If I interpreted your strange wording correctly, there are no relevant threads on this topic whether its due to age, condition or variant of the b92.
Pete44ru
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by Pete44ru »

cmat1120 wrote: Sun Mar 10, 2019 10:31 pm
Sixgun wrote: Sun Mar 10, 2019 6:39 pm Doesn't anybody know that how to type in "certain gun for sale" and hit the search button? :D ---6
If I interpreted your strange wording correctly, there are no relevant threads on this topic whether its due to age, condition or variant of the b92.


I'm reasonably sure that Six is referring to google.

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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by J Miller »

cmat1120,

Sorry for being late to this thread.

"If" the price was much better, I agree with those that say it's too high, I would inspect it and probably buy it. I am not a collector, I am a shooter and I don't mind repairing a gun to make it work. I've done it with several and got much use from them.

But the price on the one you asked about is way to high.

Joe
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by Sixgun »

Pete44ru wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2019 10:19 am I'm reasonably sure that Six is referring to google..
Thank Pete.....can you imigine when you and I were youngsters and we needed to learn something ....and having GOOGLE???!!!

pelosi, we couldn't even afford books....we had a set of encyclopedias from 1958 and my dad used to say, "you don't need the yearly updates..too expensive!.....one thing for sure, the schools today don't teach anybody how to think for themselves....how I put together the Winchesters and Colts the way I did amazes even me...with no Internet......this has nothing to do with you cmat........I'm just rambling on........and on.......and on........and on.... :D .-----6
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by Blaine »

That's too much for a beat up truck gun (or abused like Six said) Ugly truck guns are perfectly ok, but not for that kind of price. :idea: I'm probablyy out of touch with prices, but I might go 350 on it.
I have an early 70s-ish Marlin with the "wrong" twist that I'll keep as long as I need a .44 Lever....If those 240s or 265s can't do the trick I'll break out the .444.
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Grizz
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by Grizz »

funny business. my son has a 444 I gave him for a deer rifle. that thing with the standard 240gr load hammers me harder than my 45/70 with a 525gr bullet! I'm glad I don't need one... LOL
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by Booger Bill »

I own both a browning 92 in .44 mag that I bought new in 1986 and a rossi 92 in 357 bought new in 2010. Ashamed to say I only shot them a day or two apiece, both still like new. I did shoot them enough to say I like to shoot the .357 caliber better. Both look and weigh identical. The .44 mag is a kicker. The .357 isn't. The .357 is the sweetheart to shoot of the two. Unless your going moose or bear hunting I believe the .357 is as good in the real world as the .44 mag! I am a big heavy man with a lot of high powered rifles like 300 H&H, 30-06 etc. I still would rather shoot the sweetheart in those little light levers.
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cmat1120
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by cmat1120 »

Sixgun wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2019 12:37 pm
Pete44ru wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2019 10:19 am I'm reasonably sure that Six is referring to google..
Thank Pete.....can you imigine when you and I were youngsters and we needed to learn something ....and having GOOGLE???!!!

pelosi, we couldn't even afford books....we had a set of encyclopedias from 1958 and my dad used to say, "you don't need the yearly updates..too expensive!.....one thing for sure, the schools today don't teach anybody how to think for themselves....how I put together the Winchesters and Colts the way I did amazes even me...with no Internet......this has nothing to do with you cmat........I'm just rambling on........and on.......and on........and on.... :D .-----6
haha fair enough. Sorry if my response was a little harsh. Just was a little ticked cause I had spent the better part of two days researching it and I'm actually pretty good at researching stuff on the internet(major part of my job) so I was just frustrated. Even with all of google at my fingertips there was no good information on the value of a b92 in such rough shape.

Anyways I went and got a marlin 1894 Cowboy in 44 mag for $600 basically new and I'm happy. Safety is actually a plus imo since this is going to be a hunting gun as well as probably teaching new shooters(with light loads). Currently in the process of slicking it up and making it feed everything as reliably as possible(knew I was going to have to do this going into it).
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Re: Beat up B92 advice

Post by Pete44ru »

cmat1120 wrote: Sun Mar 17, 2019 6:04 pm

I had spent the better part of two days researching it and I'm actually pretty good at researching stuff on the internet(major part of my job) so I was just frustrated.

Even with all of google at my fingertips there was no good information on the value of a b92 in such rough shape.


For future reference, when searching for a current value is to go to several of the guns-only online auction websites, and surf for only the "sold" gun that you're aiming for ( ;) ).

When a gun sells recently, it tells you what somebody has been actually willing to pay for one in like condition, today - and not "whenever".

"Condition", as compared to factory new, is everything, when it comes to value.

Remember, "opening bids", "buy-it-now" (BIN), "reserve" dollar amounts are not values - they are simply the $$ that the seller would like to get for their whatever.

It also helps to remember that abuse/wear will drive down the value a bunch - a "shooter" grade gun being worth only what someone that wants that particular type will pay.


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