Winchester 1892 and BP/777 loads

[Dutchy Rodell]

I have a Rossi Winchester 1892 and would lilke to shoot black powder or 777 loads out of it.  How well does this gun take to black powder and black powder substitutes?  Any suggestions on cleaning this gun after shooting BP/Sub loads?    Dutchy

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy!

Mine does fine with BP - haven't tried it with any of the subs.

Mine cleaned fine with my favorite BP cleaner, Hoppes #9 Plus!  which is special made for BP.  It also cleaned with my 7-1 mix moosemilk. (7 parts water, 1 part Ballistol)

As a side note, the first loads I tried with BP years ago were using a 240 gr. lead semi-wadcutter, as I didn't have any RNFP bullets and my 1866 (Uberti) Winchester wouldn't feed the SWCs, but the '92 would.

[Cuts Crooked]

You can find most of yer answers here: http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,6290.0.html

Also, cleaning a 92 is trickier, but not a real problem, when shooting BP. Put a fired cartridge in the action, close it up, and clean the bore like a muzzleloader. Take off the butt stock, flush out the action with brake cleaner, then spray with your choice of lube/rust preventative, put back together, yer dun!

[Wills Point Pete]

 I just put my '92 clone in the cleaning cradle upside down and clean it from the muzzle. I do have a muzzle guard on my cleaning rod. I push a patch soaking wet with moose milk through, since the rifle is upside down the blacked moose milk falls out, instead of into the action. So does the patch. I put an old towel or the T-shirts my wife doesn't let me wear anymore under it to catch the patches and drips.

Usually three wet and three dry is enough for real BP. Then I take my spray bottle of moose milk and squirt the action and fish around with a rag over my finger. Seein' as how I have a stainless gun, that's enough. Well, that and the fact that my gunsmith just loves my wife's oatmeal raisin cookies. So once or twice a year I take my '92 to his shop and sit at the big gossip table and strip it down completely. The last few times I haven't needed any help but he'd be disappointed if I didn't show up with those cookies. Plus, now that I'm retired I don't get to town much, anyway.

I like to clean with the moose milk because the stuff dries and leaves a little lubrication and rust preventative behind. Plain water is enough to clean the black powder residue out but I had to be real careful about getting everything dry.

The moose milk is enough lube for the innards of the gun, I like to smear a little real grease on the locking bolts, though. I just put a little on a flat toothpick and smear in around in the channels they ride in and work the action a couple of times. Then wipe the excess off the top of the action.

The '92 is a fairly complicated action but it's not impossible. Brownell's carries the JD Martin illustrated guide for $7.95. Still, even with that it's a good thing to have an experienced '92 owner there the first time. Carrying a gun in a box to the gunsmith is embarrassing and, if he doesn't like oatmeal raisin cookies, expensive.

[hellgate]

Hey cuts,
That's a good idee of pulling the buttstock and hosing out the interior.
I shoot 777 in my Rossi 357/38. For cleaning I do a "pull through" of a moosemilk (1:10 Ballistol/water w/a touch of dish detergent) swab while holding the gun upside down so any surplus fluid drips out of the action as the weighted pull cord draws the folded swab into the chamber. Two wet swabs and a dry one then I take a toothbrush to the bolt face & extractor area, swab w/a patch and one more dry pull through. THEN I put it in the cradle and run a patch soaked in Kroil down the barrel  to loosen any leading. Generally there isn't any since I fire lapped my two Rossis (one SS & 1 blued). A dry patch on a rod and one more soaked in oil de jour for the bore & I'm done.

Here's my good idee: A great muzzle protector can be made by drilling out the primer pocket of a fired 25/20 or 32/20 case and slipping it over the rod. The rim of the brass case catches on the muzzle crown and the brass slips into the barrel just fine and the riflings get no cleaning rod wear.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Hellgate, that's a good idea 'bout a homemade muzzle protector.

I have a large assortment of Midway Stainless Steel rods and I found that one company, Shooter's Choice I think ... but there are others, make brass cone shaped (fits any caliber from .210 on up) muzzle protectors that can be added to any rods.  They are sized for their own diameter rods, of course, but a drill bit took care of my needs.  They even make ones big enough for my shotgun rods.