Old Winchester Parts Interchangeability

[QCI Winchesters]

Just figured this might help folks out if they are looking for parts, some of my observations.

Mainsprings; 1873, 1886, 1892, 1894, and 1906 I believe take the same spring. You can also use the same spring in a '66 but not a '66 spring in the later rifles.

Butt Stocks; 1890, 1892, 1894, 1895, and 1906 can all use the same one, but due to differences in butt plates, length, wood, etc. they are not necessarily interchangeable, even if they do fit. Tang screws are also pretty much the same through the whole line.

Forearms; 1873, 1892, and 1894 can use the same forearm but minor fitting will be required to put a later one on a '73. Only thing, be sure to interchange only octagon to octagon, and round to round.

Mag tubes; All from 1866 to 1894, excepting the 1886, used the same size of tube, but there were differences in length, drilled holes, and notches. With minor work an 1894 rifle tube can be used to replace a missing tube on a '73 or '66.

I have restored many basket cases for my own use using parts from otherwise worthless rifles, and the results have been well worth the effort.

[Mike Hunter]

There is a difference between a correct fit and “can be made to fit”. Think you are talking about “can be made to fit”.

86 mainspring cannot be used in the 73, 92, 94, 1890/1906

Buttstocks are interchangeable between 92 and 94, I don’t know of other stocks having the same interchangeability. Tang screws for the 76 and 86 will not fit the other models or vise versa

On mag tubes: clearly the 1876 and the 1886 are different from each other as well as the other rifles listed. The 66 and early 73s had a screw in mag plug, and because of this the seam in the mag tube was silver soldered together so that the mag tube would not split when the front end was threaded.

73 and 92 mag tubes are too short for the 94

Forends on the 92 and 94 rifles are the same, the OD on the 73 rifle forend is the same but the barrel channel is cut wider; 73s had a larger barrel. Forends on the 92 and 94 carbines are the same, the 73 carbines have a different taper than the 92/94. The 66 and 73 carbines have a straight taper from breech to muzzle while the 92/94 carbines have 3 different tapers in the barrel.

Although, interestingly the forends and forend caps for the 1876 Carbines and 1886 long wood carbines are interchangeable.

There is some interchangeability on the old guns, but not much

[gak]

Also, aren't mag tubes for the smaller calibers of 92s--.25-20 and .32-20--different from .38-40 and .44-40 - and hence forearms? The smaller cal's wood, t lest on carbines, seems to have more radius to rise up to meet the tube...and IIRC, aftermarket stock makers ask "what caliber?" - for a reason?

[QCI Winchesters]

Also, aren't mag tubes for the smaller calibers of 92s--.25-20 and .32-20--different from .38-40 and .44-40 - and hence forearms? The smaller cal's wood, t lest on carbines, seems to have more radius to rise up to meet the tube...and IIRC, aftermarket stock makers ask "what caliber?" - for a reason?

the .25 and .32 have totally different tubes, and forearm caps. I did not mean to imply that you can simply swap parts at will, simply that more common parts can be made to work in place of less common parts. Such as a '73 that I had, which had a shattered forearm and missing mag tube. I was able to make parts from a salvaged 1894 work with it. The 1894 had been cut in half through the receiver! So a ruined rifle gave life to another less damaged one. It is much easier, too, matching the colour on wood components if you can use period pieces rather than repro ones. I had one 1894 rifle that had the barrel cut, and some giant pits in the action. The forearm went on my .38WCF 1892, which someone sanded too much, and the butt went on a friend's .38-55 which had a huge piece missing. The mag tube went on my own .38-55 which had been crushed at some point. All parts matched up perfectly. Screws went on several other rifles to replace buggered originals. Great deal!