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Make: Winchester Repeating Arms
Model: 1892 Takedown
Serial Number: The original serial number was wiped and replaced with "18522". "3WRACO" with a grid pattern has been applied below the mark.
Year of Manufacture: 1900-1903 / C&R
Caliber: .38-40 W.C.F.
Action Type: Lever Action Takedown Rifle with Full length Tubular Magazine
Barrel Length: 24" Octagonal
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed to the barrel. The rear sight is a v-notch elevator sight dovetailed to the barrel. The notch is fine adjustable for elevation. The upper tang is drilled, tapped, and filled for a tang sight, none present.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are a 2-piece smooth wood with capped forend, straight grip, straight comb, and crescent steel buttplate. There are scattered scratches, handling marks and compression dents. The stocks have been refinished. There is a loss on the front right edge of the forend. The buttstock fits very shy to the receiver and buttplate. There are no cracks. The LOP measures 12 3/4″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. Overall, the stocks are in about Fair - Good condition, as refinished.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp where not interrupted by erosion. There is some light scattered erosion in the bore. In this writer's opinion the bore rates 6.5/10.
Overall Condition: The rifle retains about 20% of its finish. There is thinning throughout, concentrated at the leading edges. There is finish loss on the top and bottom of the receiver, as well as in the high handling areas. There is some blue reserved on the sides of the receiver and on portions of the barrel and magtube. There is light erosion and oxidation throughout. The barrel assembly has some play to the receiver. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads are tool marked with serviceable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Fair condition.
Mechanics: The hammer has a half-cock safety which still trips with a squeeze of the trigger. Other than this, the action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: This Winchester Model 1892 takedown rifle, produced between 1900 and 1903, represents one of the most intriguing and seldom encountered chapters in Winchester collecting history. Chambered in .38-40 W.C.F. with a 24 inch octagonal barrel, the rifle retains the classic sporting configuration of Browning’s compact and robust Model 1892 action. What elevates this example well beyond a standard production rifle is its status as a documented "Price Pirate" gun, a designation rooted in early 20th century conflicts between Winchester and large mail-order retailers.
As detailed by James Madis in The Winchester Book, certain retailers, most notably firms such as Sears & Roebuck, removed serial numbers from firearms when violating Winchester’s strict pricing policies in an effort to obscure the point of sale and avoid detection. When these altered rifles were later returned to Winchester for service, the factory identified them as price policy violators and applied the distinctive "WRACO" stamp over a grid pattern, as seen on this example, rather than replacing the original serial number. The applied marking served as an internal control and identifier rather than a renumbering. While condition reflects honest use and later refinishing, the presence of the WRACO mark preserves the very feature that defines this rifle’s historical significance. This Model 1892 stands as a rare and tangible artifact of Winchester’s early dealer enforcement practices and is a highly advanced collector curiosity that tells a story far beyond typical production arms.