Winchester 1892 .38 WCF caliber rifle. Made in 1892. .38 WCF, 24” octagon barrel with a dark oxidized bore having faint traces of rifling. The metal surfaces have been cleaned and retain 98% applied blue with remnants of modest oxidation and pitting the first few inches of the barrel and on the action along with a few light impact marks and scratches. The right side of the barrel flats have a stamp “BRONCO. BERT. CALAFORNIA, ARIZONA, MEXICO, GUATEMALA, SALVADOR, HONDRAS, NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA, COLOMBIA, MARCH. 28. 1893. NOVEMEBR. 28. 1894” and “CROSSED. ISTHMUS OF PANANMA. INCOLUMBIA. IN 1893 & 1894”. While the left flats are stamped “HUNTING IN SANTA CRUZ. AROUND LOMA PRIETA 7 MT HAMILTON MOUNTAINS & MONTEREY MOUNTAINS. CALAFORNIA MARCH. 28. 1893. NOVEMBER. 28. 1894” AND “CROSSED MOHAVE DESERT. CALAFORNIA. IN 1893”. The right side of the receiver is stamped “BRONCO. BERT” along the top edge while the left side is stamped “BRONCO. BERT” below the center screw, both fronts of the receiver are vertically stamped “E.H.E.”. Some of the letters are slanted, double stamped and misspelled.

The plain walnut buttstock and forend have been cleaned and refinished. A 1¼” crack in the wrist has been repaired with nails and an 8½” thin crack in the right side of the forend that shows an old glue repair. Both sides of the forearm have stamped locations as well that have partially faded with age and refinished. Rifle is equipped with standard sporting front and rear sights. Initial research could not locate “Bronco Bert” but if the legend exists, this gun was carried far and wide. A good second year production 1892 with interesting marking and with further extensive research could prove interesting.