Due to its light weight the 92 is easy to handle by anyone
Browning
Model 92
Browning has been around for many years and
they make Winchester rifles including the 92. The model 92 was originally
offered in the 25-20 and 32-20. The receiver is compact allowing for
portability. It replaced the model 73 and among the good features it is more
compact and stronger then the older model. The model 92 was one of the many rifles that
John Browning designed in his lifetime. It
is a scaled down model 86. They currently offer this in 357 mag, 44 mag, and 45 Colt which is the
one I have. My sample is in the 45 Colt chambering and with modern loads can be
used for deer, pigs, and black bear. Mountain lions have met their match with
this rifle. Where legal a handgun with the same ammo can be carried a feature
useful in isolated areas. If you have a strong revolver such as a Ruger then
good hunting ammo can be carried in either.
The 45 Colt has been around since
1873 and was the most popular revolver round in the old west. There are many different
loads available and ammo is available. Reloading components are plentiful so
having a 45 Colt rifle is something worth owning. Personally, I would like to
see the 25-20 and 32-20 offered but I guess the demand isn’t there. Too bad.
Also due to the perfect size of the action, the 38-40 and the 44-40 would be
nice additions as there are handguns available for those offerings. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough demand to
offer these chamberings. They have another model chambered for the 454 Casull
for those who want more power.
Browning has been around for a long time and
offers an extensive line of guns and other shooting related products. For info,
you can go to http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/catalog.asp?catalog_=B
and get a list of their products.
Button Bullets are fun to shoot
Shooting this rifle is a pleasure. It is well
balanced and the trigger is fine for this gun. Other people who shot it also
were favorably impressed. The ejection is very frisky kicking the empties some
yards some info for reloaders. When I first received it, the action was pretty
smooth indicating some hand finishing. After some shooting, it got even better.
Since it has a higher price tag then some others you would expect that. The bluing and wood are well done another
feature expected on such a gun. One way
to test a gun is to let a verity of people shoots it including women and youngsters.
Due to its size and weight almost anyone can handle it. That way several opinions are given and it
doesn’t matter what level experience they possess. The important thing is how
do they like it and would they buy it if they were looking for such a gun.
Comments were favorable in regards to balance and trigger pull. Like the other
political correct lever actions it has a safety located in back of the hammer.
It is easy to use though not needed. The
only negative comment I heard was the price. It is higher than a couple of it
competitors. Some of that extra cost can be attributed to the extra finishing
and polishing which may not be visible. If
you don’t mind the tariff then you will be happy with this gun as it does have
good quality. Due to its good handling
characteristics it should find favor with the cowboy action shooting
matches.
View of Browning
As always, various loads will be tried and
since it is primarily a hunting rifle and may be used in cowboy competition,
those loads will be used. In addition it is able to take modern loads which
will make it useful for game such as deer and black bear. I have some 80 grain button bullets which I
put 3 into a 45 Colt case. At close range they didn’t come apart much but at 35
yards they were hitting about 4 feet from each other. That would be a decent
home defense load. The rifle will handle a 300 grain bullet at 1500 FPS which
would make it a decent close range hammer. Accuracy with the open sights is good
depending on how good your eyesight is. At 50 yards I can shoot a 3-4” group
but my eyes are not as young as they were. A younger shooter with good eyes can
expect to shoot a 2” group at that range and perhaps a little better. The
sights are easy to pick up and shooting at 50 to 100 yards if you can shoot. It would be possible to mount a scope though
it would take some work however, it would ruin the balance. In my view a scope
would not be a desirable addition.
Barnes makes good hunting bullets
Some loads were chronographed giving us an
idea as to its potential. As can be seen some are powerful enough for deer
sized game at woods ranges. I use some
Ranier bullets but I have to put a cannelure in them to keep them in place. I
tried crimping the case into the bullet but that does not always work. Since
they are soft, be careful not to put the cannelure in too deep as that will
weaken the bullet. A too deep cannelure can also destroy accuracy. Properly cannelured bullets usually give good accuracy. Cast
bullets work well and some of the heavier ones are good hunting bullets such as
the LBT types. They have gas checks and are cast hard for heavy duty use. Cast
bullets can be used in virtually all of your shooting. A quality cast bullet
with the proper lube will be as accurate as any jacketed projectile. In addition,
they cost less and you can mold them if you are so inclined. Those folks who
turn up their nose at cast slugs are missing out on a lot of enjoyable
shooting. The Barnes all copper bullets
are light but penetrate well plus reduce recoil some. Since Barnes bullets are
all copper they will be more friendly to the environment and in California they
are required for hunting. The only downside is they cost more than conventional
cup and core bullets. The Colt round responds well to light loads
but I would use a flake powder to take up space as it is a large case. For real
light loads Trail Boss is a good choice.
The shorter 45 Schofield case can be used but it might not feed through
the magazine tube due to its shorter length. Hornady makes 200 and 225-grain FTX
bullets, which will give you some more range. The tip may also aid in expanding
on a deer sized animal. Due to the
plastic type tips, they should be safe in the model 92 magazine. With this gun
you have a lot of viable options as to what you can do with it. If you don’t
mind the mess black powder also does well as that was the original powder used
in the 45 Colt round. With the vast
selection of components, the reloader has never had it so good. For hunting there is a selection of factory ammo suitable for big
game.
Top view of Browning
LOAD BULLET VELOCITY COMMENT
Double
Tap 160 grain Barnes TAC
XP 1280 consistent
Double
Tap 185 grain Bonded
Defense 1279 ok
Barnes 200
grain XPB
1210 nice
24 grains of
2400 225
grain XPB
1683 hunting
load
Double
Tap 230
grain Controlled EXP 1123 accurate
Double
Tap 255 grain hard cast 1057 deer
12 grains
Herco 275 grain cast 1126 accurate
22 grains of
296 300 grain Ranier 1315 ok
Nice cowboy loads
Factory ammo is available thought not
inexpensive. For this test I used some Double Tap ammo and as usual it
performed well. They have an extensive line of ammo and for info you can go to http://www.doubletapammo.net/index.php?route=product/category&path=125
I used some
Barnes ammo and bullets and while expensive it is an excellent choice for
hunting. For info you can go to http://www.barnesbullets.com/
Double Tap Ammo performs well
In spite of the popularity of the black guns, a
few manufacturers offer guns in various calibers and models that duplicate the
old designs but are affordable for the average shooter. Lever guns was an
exclusive American design and are very popular among hunters. Cowboy action shooting is a popular pastime
and is getting more popular. Another upside of these guns is they are not as
regulated in some states that have draconian gun laws. Most have good quality and are well worth
owning. The Browning is a high quality gun and if the price doesn’t bother you
it is a thumbs up as far as I am concerned. Taken care of it will last many
years giving generations something to enjoy.
Three for the price of one. Button bullets
