Books on old Winchesters? 1886. 1894, etc?

[Wardo1974]

I am looking for good books on old Winchester rifles, in particular the 1886 and 1894. Does anyone have a title they recommend?

[Tim357]

Sam Fadala penned a tome about 25-30 years ago. IIRC it was America's Rifle the 30-30 or some such. It was a good read.

[smokeywolf]

Anything by George Madis, Herb Houze or Harold F. Williamson is a winner. "THE WINCHESTER BOOK" by Mr. Madis is a must have for anyone who has a serious interest in Winchesters.

[Jens]

greetings Winchester model 94 by Robert C Renneberg is the best 1894 book out there. I havnt found a good 1886 book yet.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

It is true about Madis for a general book on Winchesters, and Williamson for collectors and corporate history. But Clyde Williamson's enormous "The Winchester Lever Legacy" is a specialised book on loading and shooting all the cartridges used in the Browning lever Winchesters. He is no relation of Harold, so far as I know.

His style in writing, illustrating and probably living is folksy, but at a second glance you find about as well tested a reloading programme as you will on any firearm. If a man gives you all that, how can you grudge him having a little fun writing about it? Mine is signed by the author, and maybe they all were.

181894

The snag is that on my life support system, www.bookfinder.com (http://www.bookfinder.com) , copies start at about £80 up - and a long way up. But if you want to spend that kind of money on a book, that ought to be the one.

[Bent Ramrod]

Arthur Pirkle has three booklets "For Collectors Only," that cover the Winchester leverguns. I think Vol 2 covers the 1886 and 1892 and Vol 3 covers the 1894 and 1895. They are published by North Cape Publications.

They really aren't strictly "for collectors only," as they cover (in tremendous detail) the minutiae of slight changes in sights and internal parts as the calibers were added and production progressed. Such info is also of value to the gunsmith, since a lot of the parts changes can alert him to what is needed to fix such guns up. There are profuse line drawings for such things as cartridge guides, barrel bands, butt plates and so forth, and how they were reconfigured for various model variations and calibers. Interesting reading, even if you don't have the guns.

[alamogunr]

It is true about Madis for a general book on Winchesters, and Williamson for collectors and corporate history. But Clyde Williamson's enormous "The Winchester Lever Legacy" is a specialised book on loading and shooting all the cartridges used in the Browning lever Winchesters. He is no relation of Harold, so far as I know.

His style in writing, illustrating and probably living is folksy, but at a second glance you find about as well tested a reloading programme as you will on any firearm. If a man gives you all that, how can you grudge him having a little fun writing about it? Mine is signed by the author, and maybe they all were.

181894

The snag is that on my life support system, www.bookfinder.com (http://www.bookfinder.com) , copies start at about £80 up - and a long way up. But if you want to spend that kind of money on a book, that ought to be the one.

Geez! I didn't pay near that for "The Winchester Lever Legacy". I keep a copy of the invoice for each book inside the book itself for future reference. Sounds like I need to check today's prices on many of them. Most of my books that I found on Ebay or the used book sites(bookfinder is only one) were purchased 20 years or so ago. Admittedly, recent purchases are somewhat more expensive, especially if you want one in Very Good or better condition.

The problem for me with "The Winchester Lever Legacy", is that I wish I had been able to acquire many of the old lever action rifles in some of those old cartridges. Practically speaking, I would not have had the resources($$) even back when they might have been available. But, Ballistics is right, if you have a Winchester in one of those old cartridges, the information is there.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Geez! I didn't pay near that for "The Winchester Lever Legacy". I keep a copy of the invoice for each book inside the book itself for future reference. Sounds like I need to check today's prices on many of them. Most of my books that I found on Ebay or the used book sites(bookfinder is only one) were purchased 20 years or so ago. Admittedly, recent purchases are somewhat more expensive, especially if you want one in Very Good or better condition.

Nor did I, but it was a while ago. I was in Kuwait, and got called in to the customs office in the postal headquarters, where they do open books. But it turned out that a rather bored head of department wanted to talk about old guns and ply me with Arab coffee.

In the mid-1970s I bought a Martini-Henry carbine in Riyadh, and somebody told me I might need an export licence. So I went to the regional customs headquarters to ask, and had a long wait till people came in from an extended lunch. Then I was shown in to the regional director of customs, who told me "No, no export licence. It is forbidden. You cannot take out of country." I explained that it wasn't even Saudi, but Belgian. "Not important," he said. "We are signing cultural convention.... Will it take in pieces?" I admitted it would, very much afraid that I would be a target criminal on my way out. "Ah, no problem," he said. "We not have scanners yet. You put in your bag, nobody will know. You smuggle it." They can be the most obliging people in the world if you treat them the right way, but demanding your rights isn't it.

Running a second-hand bookshop, as a business, used to be as close to mummification as you can get in life. But the internet, and sites like www.bookfinder.com (http://www.bookfinder.com) , have revolutionised it. Top prices have shot up, but it isn't consistent yet, if you know what you want and keep looking. Last night I bought a Rider Haggard first edition for £3, while others sell it from fifteen or twenty to over a hundred. Sometimes they do their research on the same websites, and when one or two ask ridiculous prices for a fairly modern book, they will all flock in like sharks with blood in the water. Fortunately most of my interests are unfashionable ones.

[alamogunr]

I still search for books that I'm interested in and sometimes pay an inflated price, if it's not too ridiculous. One thing I have experienced over the years is that the description of condition is usually right on or even somewhat conservative. The bookselling industry has retained its' integrity. I don't recall ever being greatly disappointed in a purchase in Ebay either. I just don't go there anymore.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

I still search for books that I'm interested in and sometimes pay an inflated price, if it's not too ridiculous. One thing I have experienced over the years is that the description of condition is usually right on or even somewhat conservative. The bookselling industry has retained its' integrity. I don't recall ever being greatly disappointed in a purchase in Ebay either. I just don't go there anymore.

By and large it has, although on eBay it is worth checking other items to see if a seller is actually in the bookselling industry. On eBay books often fall into the hands of non-specialist sellers in estate sales, and some will display undue optimism.

I always reflect on CS Forester's Napoleonic naval officer, Lieutenant Hornblower, who has to earn a living at the card-tables during a temporary outbreak of peace. If he wins one game, he can afford to lose the next two. If he wins two, he can lose three. If you get a few bargains in books, you can afford to pay over the score now and again.