Review: Heritage Model 92 Lever-Action Rifle

It’s the opening scene for a typical Western movie or TV show. We have been following a rider on the trail. We watch as the drifter/cowboy/marshal/outlaw rides into town and pulls up at a hitching post outside a saloon, bath house, or hotel. The rider dismounts, wraps his horse’s reins around the hitching post, and with his saddlebags across his shoulders, removes his rifle from the saddle scabbard and heads inside. We all recognize the rifle as a lever-action Winchester.

As the late 1800s are replaced by the early 1900s, the lever-action Winchesters were largely replaced with bolt-action or semi-auto rifles. The pendulum has now swung back the other way, and we have multiple producers of lever-action rifles. Taurus now owns two producers of lever-action rifles. Rossi has been manufacturing Winchester and Marlin clones in Brazil for import into the U.S. The latest producer of lever-action rifles is Heritage.

Heritage Manufacturing

Heritage joined the Taurus family in 2012. It has been known primarily for its rimfire single-action cowboy guns, but all that has changed with a new line of lever-action rifles being rolled out this year. The Heritage Model 92 series is designed to replicate the iconic lever-action rifles of yesteryear but with the precision and performance demanded by today’s firearms enthusiasts. These rifles are being produced in the Taurus manufacturing facility in Bainbridge, Georgia.

The Heritage 92 line features a diverse range of calibers including .357 Magnum, .45 Long Colt, and .44 Magnum. Each rifle in the Heritage 92 line is available in three distinctive finishes allowing shooters to choose between stainless with hardwood, PVD gold finish with hardwood, or polished black with hardwood. This gives shooters options to fit their particular style of ownership or perceived use for the gun. Ranch Hand variants of the 92 line provide a Mare’s Leg-style firearm with a big loop lever — perfect for fun days at the range.

Today’s cowboy/rancher/hunter is more likely mounted on an ATV than a horse. A rifle scabbard mounted on an ATV’s handlebars makes the rifle readily available for dispatching pests or acquiring game. Equipped with adjustable buckhorn sights, Heritage 92 rifles promise accurate performance across a variety of shooting scenarios.

Additionally, select models in the line feature different profile barrels. The selection includes an iconic octagonal design available in lengths ranging from 16.5 inches to 24 inches for the rifles, and a 12-inch barrel for the Mare’s Leg. This variety of lengths provides shooters with options to suit individual preferences and shooting needs whether hunting fast moving predators at close range, defending against a charging bear, or taking more measured shots at deer and big game. Capacities range from 6 to 12 rounds, depending on chambering and barrel/magazine tube length. All in all, the Heritage 92 line includes 14 different models with MSRPs between $840.99 and $1030.99.

I’ve owned a Rossi 92 in .44 Magnum for several years. The workmanship on that rifle is superb, but I found myself wishing I had chosen a .357/.38 instead of the .44 Magnum. With Heritage joining the ranks of Taurus rifle producers, I decided now was the time to add a .357/.38 Model 92 clone to the fold. The Heritage rifles are not exact replicas of the John Moses Browning design, but they closely follow the familiar and time-tested layout. The build quality appears solid.

I chose a .357 Magnum/.38 with a 24-inch octagonal barrel, 12-round capacity, and polished black finish. This rifle is 42.8 inches long and weighs 7.3 pounds. These rifles are side loading and top ejecting. They have a manual safety on top of the receiver that is rotated to the left (on) or right (off). Heritage asserts that each of its products is not merely a product but a storyteller, encapsulating the charm and individuality of the Old West — cherished by seasoned aficionados and newcomers alike.

For me, the story is one of remembrances when my mare, Bess, and I traversed the fields and woods of North Mississippi living the cowboy life of 100 years earlier — through my choice of guns: the Winchester in the rifle scabbard and the Colt in the holster. Only those were make believe. Today, thanks to the clones from Heritage, a Ranch Hand in the holster and a 92 in the saddle scabbard, my guns are all they should be to equip me for the cowboy life.

Of the two primary rifle model types made by Rossi and Heritage, one line follows the Marlin 1895/336 layout which is side loading and side ejecting making it perfect for mounting a scope or other optic. Heritage’s 92 and Rossi’s Model 92 are side loading and top ejecting making them more suitable for open sights.

Range Testing

I spent an afternoon with the Heritage 92 at a 25-yard outdoor range. There, I could take advantage of the rifle’s open sights. It had been a while since I’d done any open-sight rifle shooting, so I started my introduction to the 92 with some good old plinkin’ (shooting at cans and such). I followed up by placing a Dot Torture target at seven yards and using the 3-inch diameter dots as individual targets.

The results were spectacular with both .38 and .357 ammo. Spectacular, like 5-round ragged holes in each of the dots fired at. The buckhorn rear sight, along with a brass bead front sight, worked very well. Throughout the range experience, I found the Heritage 92’s action easy to cycle. The length of pull is 12.75 inches. The trigger pull averaged just over 6 pounds.

Cleaning the gun requires no disassembly. In fact, the manual insists that if disassembly is required it should only be done by a competent gunsmith. For cleaning after shooting, all powder residue should be removed from the barrel and action with a brush and solvent. The external metal should be wiped down with a lightly-oiled rag.

Final Thoughts

My overall impression of this Heritage 92, from first open of the box through several shooting sessions, and on to cleaning, reminded me of how much I enjoyed the real Winchester 92 that a close family member had when I was growing up. The pistol caliber Winchesters have such a smooth action due to the shorter length cartridges they share with our belt guns.

Heritage truly has captured the essence of the cowboy world that so many of us envied during the formative years in which our relationship with guns was developing. For me, that period was from age seven through 20 when I went into the Army. Shooting an M16 in the Army and various ARs in civilian life have never meant as much as pulling the trigger and cocking the lever of a lever-action gun.

John Moses Browning sure knew what he was doing when he worked up the design of the Winchester Model 92. Heritage has captured that spirit and passed it along to us.

What’s your best Heritage/Rossi story? Have you fired the Heritage 92? What was your impression? Share your answers in the Comment section.