| Winchester Model 1895 Repeating Rifle | |
|---|---|
| Type | Lever-Action Rifle |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Users |
| Production history | |
| Designer | John Browning |
| Designed | 1895 |
| Manufacturer | Winchester Repeating Arms Company Browning Arms Company |
| Produced | 1895–1940 (Original; Special Order 1936-40) 1984 (Browning; Limited Edition) 1995-Present (Winchester; Limited Editions) |
| Number built | About 425,000 |
| Variants | Rifle, Carbine |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 9 lb (4.1 kg) |
| Length | 42 in (1,100 mm) |
| Barrel length | 28 in (710 mm) |
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| Cartridge | .30-40 Krag 7.62×54mmR .303 British .30-03 .30-06 Springfield .35 WCF .38-72 WCF .40-72 WCF .405 Winchester |
| Action | Lever-action |
| Feed system | 5, 4-Round Internal Magazine |
| Sights | Rear: Sliding Ramp Front: Fixed-Post |
The Winchester Model 1895 is a lever-action repeating firearm developed and manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in the late 19th century, chambered for a number of full-size military and hunting cartridges such as 7.62×54mmR, .303 British, .30-03, .30 Army, .30-06, .35 Winchester, .38-72 Winchester, .40-72 Winchester and .405 Winchester.
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The Model 1895 was the first Winchester rifle to feature a box magazine located underneath the action instead of the tubular magazine design, which had remained fundamentally unchanged from the Winchester 1866. This allowed the rifle to safely chamber military and hunting cartridges with spitzer (pointed) bullets. The M1895 was also the last of the lever action rifles to be designed by John Browning, and featured a rear locking bolt as in his previous designs dating back to the Winchester 1886. The M1895 is the strongest lever action rifle Winchester has produced, designed to handle the increased pressures generated by the more powerful smokeless powder cartridges entering common use at the time of its introduction. By today’s standards however, the design is considered relatively weak, and not suited to high pressure loads.[1]
Around serial number 5000, a new receiver profile was introduced which had fluted (scalloped) sides, as opposed to the original flat sided design. This new receiver reduced the weight of the rifle by a small amount, and increased the width by 1/16 of an inch. By serial number 6000, it is thought that the last of the flat sided M1895s left the factory. These early rifles are now exceedingly rare.[2]
Between 1915 and 1917 approximately 300,000 M1895's were manufactured for the army of Russian Empire, accounting for about 70% of total production of the rifles prior to 1936 when the M1895 was discontinued. Chambered in 7.62×54mmR, these musket versions were unusual for a lever-action rifle in that they also had a charger guide, allowing the M1895 rifle to be reloaded by the same charger clips used in the Mosin–Nagant bolt action rifle. Other nations adopted the rifle in more limited numbers, including the United States. The rifles were favored by Pancho Villa’s troops during the Mexican Revolution.[2] Theodore Roosevelt also personally purchased and equipped each of his fellow officers in the Rough Riders with a M1895 Winchester in .30 Army (.30-40 Krag) during the same timeframe.
As with previous Winchester rifles, a new serial number range was launched with the M1895, beginning with serial number 1.[3] Including military contract rifles, a total of 425,881 rifles were produced, with production ceasing at serial number 425,132. The standard barrel length varied from 24 to 28 inches, depending on chambering and configuration, and the Standard finish on all rifles was blue.[2]
The rifle is most commonly associated today with former President Theodore Roosevelt; however, it was also used by many other famed hunters and adventurers, to include Martin and Osa Johnson, Charles Cottar, and author Stewart Edward White.[1] It was Garrit Forbes—hunting companion of W. D. M. Bell, first cousin of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and long time personal friend of gun writer and firearms enthusiast Elmer Keith—who first recommended the M1895 in .405 Winchester to Theodore Roosevelt.[4]
Theodore Roosevelt took two M1895 rifles with him on his 1909 safari to East Africa, both in .405 Winchester. Additionally, Kermit Roosevelt accompanied his father on the trip and brought two more M1895 rifles; one was chambered in .405 Winchester, and the other in .30-03 Springfield. While the serial number of Kermit’s .30-03 has been lost, the serial numbers of the three .405 rifles are known to have been 63727, 63736, and 68180.[5] Theodore Roosevelt praised the .405 M1895 in his book African Game Trails, famously referring to this rifle as his “’medicine gun’ for lions.” This quote comes from Roosevelt’s account of a lion hunt in the seventh chapter of the book:
Although it is often said that Roosevelt called the .405 M1895 his “big medicine,” this phrase is never used in African Game Trails, and is possibly the erroneous combination of his “medicine gun” quote with his “big stick” speech of 1901.
In 1985, the Browning Arms Company reintroduced the M1895 rifle in .30-06 Springfield.[7] Later in 2001, Winchester reintroduced the rifle during the 100 year anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt’s presidential administration, offering it again in .405 Winchester, as well as .30-06 Springfield and .30-40 Krag since its reintroduction.[1] In 2008 Winchester produced a pair of Theodore Roosevelt commemorative rifles.[8] In 2009 an additional pair of rifles was offered commemorating Roosevelt's African Safari in 1909 after leaving office.[9]
Both the Browning and new Winchester rifles are made in Japan by Miroku. The Winchesters, however, differ from the original design in that they featured rebounding hammers and a tang safety.
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