Re-barrel 1895 Winchester

[6mm win lee]

Been reading this forum for a couple of years on and off. I need you guys help. I have an 1895 Winchester rifle in full US military dress. The problem is the chamber has a bad case of erosion in it. It can be considered severe and it goes completely around a Krag cartridge. Extraction is hard. Very hard. I have not fired since that first time. I don't want an expensive wall hanger so I need help finding someone who can put a new barrel and front sight on it. I don't want the original barrel damaged in any fashion either.

Any recommendations?

6mm

[fouronesix]

Too bad as those are slick rifles/carbines and a nice caliber. But, probably won't be cheap. I imagine quite a few gunsmiths can do it- probably some on this forum, but it will be a little costly because of the labor to fit a new barrel to the rifle. You could also "shake the bushes" for a used original- not the most common thing to find though. One possible source would be Albert Buckingham in Tenn. ph 731-559-4169 or 731-559-4357.

[blackhawk44]

Talk to JES about relining that barrel. That would preserve all of the original markings. It could be worth enough to collectors in its full military condition, that it might prove better to sell then replace with a late model Browning or Winchester.

[jhrosier]

I would find someone to reline the barrel as this would keep the collectors value of the gun.

Jack

[fouronesix]

Its collector value is in the original bore/barrel- so it would be a toss up. Relining it will not take it back to anywhere near its collector value if the bore where good- unless you decide to re-sell it and convince the buyer "all original with good bore"

It will be difficult to find a replacement original- which would come closest to keeping some of its collector value. Interesting at one time Winchester did build a bunch of replacement barrels for the 95s and mostly in 30-40 and sold them to outlets and gunsmiths across the country.... for exactly the reason your needing.

So as a shooter- your choice. As a collector- it is what it is in its current condition.

[Bent Ramrod]

If the bore is OK and just the chamber is damaged, it is possible to bore out the chamber and install a bushing with a hole in line with the barrel. The bushing can then be rechambered. I did this with a Stevens rifle which had a damaged chamber, soldering in the bushing and holding it in place with a graphite rod through the bushing into the barrel to keep things concentric. It takes a lathe, careful measurements and a certain amount of nerve, but it's doable.

I had a Winchester barrel with a speckled bore and chamber. The bore was good enough to shoot but the pitting in the chamber made extraction difficult. I spun the barrel in the lathe and heated the chamber end, applying solder, brushing it into the pits in the chamber, and scraping the excess out with a piece of copper as the barrel spun and cooled. This wouldn't be a cure for deep pits or gouges that actually weaken the chamber, but it filled these shallow ones enough to make extraction easy and the barrel shootable again.

Naturally, I would only use such methods for old fashioned calibers that operate at low pressures, not .30-06 or higher intensity modern cartridges.

[6mm win lee]

Thank you Gentlemen. If I recall the muzzle is counterbored too. The bore and the rifling was still in very good shape. Rechambering may be an option but I was thinking that I might as well re-barrel knowing the muzzle issue is there. I would keep the original barrel intact for the next owner just in case he or she wanted to put it back as a non-shooter.

Money is not really an object in this project. I have been saving up for the rebuild fund. Just need some one who can correctly do it.

[blackhawk44]

If Russian military, collectors will want it. If former U.S. military, museums would want it, that is, without any alteration whatsoever.

[bob208]

you have a very collectable Winchester . sell it to a collector use the money to by a new gun and have some left over. once you start taking apart and changing things you cut the value and will never get it back.

[bigted]

my position is the re-lining of the original barrel if a shooter is wanted. I had an old marlin done and the job was first rate with no alteration of any original barrel markings nor finish.

this does detract from the original condition and thusly the collectors full price ... however like myself ... I wanted an original rifle in all respects to hunt and shoot and was unwilling to have a new built rifle that had NO character or style to say nothing of the images it conjures up when I clean and just set and hold the shooting original rifle.

if natural complete original condition is wanted/needed and from a collectors standpoint ... leavit alone !!!

[Dan Cash]

If you want to shoot it, nuts to the collector value, it is your gun. Enjoy it. Contact John Taylor on this forum for a reline. I had a hard ridden western 1895 in .30-40 with eroded barrel. John relined the barrel with a turn around of a couple or three weeks and a very reasonable cost. The gun now sports a reproduction Lyman 21 peep and does 1 1/2 inch 100 yard groups with paper patched 220 grain bullets.

My old 1895 pleases me and I don't think I would part with it. It had little collector value with the ruined bore and nearly zero finish. It still does not have any finish but the bore is perfect.

[Kansas Ed]

I have several 1895's, and if you aren't worried about the caliber of the replacement barrel, I would lean toward the 38-72 or 40-72 as options. Honestly the 40-72 and 405 are so similar to be almost interchangeable from a chamber standpoint. The only differences really being in the rim thickness and the bore diameter. I think though the 38-72 with the proper bore diameter would be a very pleasing round all in all. Most of the originals had oversized grooves....in the order of .378-.380. If one was set up in .375 it would be easy to load for. The old .35 Winchester is a real shine if you prefer the .358 diameter and will thump anything in North America you want to tackle. I have a real soft spot for the 38-72 though...it's on par with the 38-55 or 38-56 cartridges and kills deer quite well with cast.

Ed

[bigted]

there were more .380 inch barrels in the originals then any other ... with the exception of a bit larger in some cases ... hence the designator of "38" in the first number sequence. they were and should remain "38 cal to remain original and easy to load for with boolits. if jaxeted are to be entertained then by all means go with a .375 barrel and thusely have a bit more useful and modern bore to deal with. however if original type bore is wanted then stay with the .380 inch barrel.