Saw My First Winchester 1895 Today

[Gray Fox]

I've had my eye on one of the Miroku '95s in .405, but finding the brass is just crazy. Of course I have three Marlin .45-70 guide guns and even I would have a hard time convincing the Better Half (who shoot and knows guns) that I really should buy it. I have a Browning -Miroku '95from the mid-80s in .30-06 with the Buffalo Arms sight and it sure shoots nice. A friend was going through his odd reloading stuff and gave me a 100 piece box of Hornady 220 RN that shoot quite well with a charge of 4831. GF

[ANick57]

Avogunner
It's my favourite cartridge on the planet!
It's not really that difficult to find - but it can be pricey. There is brass on Midway, loaded ammo on selway armory and Graf and sons, and Buffalo Arms has loaded stuff also.
The absolute best (brass quality and ammo itself) is Kynoch - but wow it's expensive if it's not on sale. I've got enough, but I have messed around with using 30/40 krag (too short), 303 Brit (also short), and shortened 405 brass (I found it too thick and needed to be inside turned), and 9.3x74r (turn down the rim a bit). I have processes that work for me, pm me if you would like it. I have scoured the dark corners of gun shows for original stuff, but found that while I love the boxes, the ammo is often not salvageable - or at least not very long lived brass. Take home story - 35 WCF is a cartridge that got overlooked years ago but is still one of the best offerings ever in a lever rifle.
My standard loads are 250gr Woodleighs over IMR4895 @ 2250fps (mimics Winchester's original offering), and 200gr Barnes TSX @ 2525fps. Both are easily 200+yard cartridges, and performance is explosive.

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I almost added brass availability from Starline as I had gotten some few hundreds of brass from them for mine a bit ago. However, when I went over to their site for a link I could no longer find it offered. I did fire off a note to Starline Sales to inquire about the status of same, will update with reply if/when I get one. *** Edit: Funny part of this, I did get a response from Starline, 'You sure it wasn't Jamison? We've never made it.' Hmm.. so I went and checked and he was right, headstamp was JBA. I replied that they maybe should make some of that and/or .405.. and quit makin' a liar out of me.. )***


Graf & Sons showed they had 5 units (20 per unit) Bertrams yet available, empty & unprimed.

Add that to the list CWT had for loaded. One note, Buffalo mentions their loaded rounds are 're-sized' but not the source brass. Might check that out pre-purchase?

As far as the rifle and cost.. I ran across a .35 in pretty nice shape, built in '04, that has mostly handling wear on some edges and wood... character marks if you will. However, if not minty fresh, the blue is almost all there, most of the presumed original stock finish is there.. the Lyman 38 is all there, only the lock lever is a little shiny. The magazine follower has had little traffic over it and the bore is really, really, really, and I do mean REALLY sweet. The trigger *might* be sweeter than that bore.. it'd be a tough call.

I think I shelled out about $400 more than the one you (OP) spotted, but I'd been prowling gunshops and the online thing for a while and had a pretty firm list of what I was looking for. This one actually came out a bit higher on the cosmetics, but with the Lyman 38 on it (I'd have been happy with a receiver mount .. maybe happier), shotgun butt and condition of the working bits, it got to go home with me.

If I was going to criticize the '95, I'd liked to have a bit more length in the magazine, for a bit more case / neck perhaps, but definitely be able to handle a longer, heavier, pointy bullet. 1-12 twist would be fine with the weight and a bit of a BC bump wouldn't be a bad thing. However, that would sound a bit picky.

[cwtebay]

I almost added brass availability from Starline as I had gotten some few hundreds of brass from them for mine a bit ago. However, when I went over to their site for a link I could no longer find it offered. I did fire off a note to Starline Sales to inquire about the status of same, will update with reply if/when I get one.

Graf & Sons showed they had 5 units (20 per unit) Bertrams yet available, empty & unprimed.

Add that to the list CWT had for loaded. One note, Buffalo mentions their loaded rounds are 're-sized' but not the source brass. Might check that out pre-purchase?

As far as the rifle and cost.. I ran across a .35 in pretty nice shape, built in '04, that has mostly handling wear on some edges and wood... character marks if you will. However, if not minty fresh, the blue is almost all there, most of the presumed original stock finish is there.. the Lyman 38 is all there, only the lock lever is a little shiny. The magazine follower has had little traffic over it and the bore is really, really, really, and I do mean REALLY sweet. The trigger *might* be sweeter than that bore.. it'd be a tough call.

I think I shelled out about $400 more than the one you (OP) spotted, but I'd been prowling gunshops and the online thing for a while and had a pretty firm list of what I was looking for. This one actually came out a bit higher on the cosmetics, but with the Lyman 38 on it (I'd have been happy with a receiver mount .. maybe happier), shotgun butt and condition of the working bits, it got to go home with me.

If I was going to criticize the '95, I'd liked to have a bit more length in the magazine, for a bit more case / neck perhaps, but definitely be able to handle a longer, heavier, pointy bullet. 1-12 twist would be fine with the weight and a bit of a BC bump wouldn't be a bad thing. However, that would sound a bit picky.

ANick - I asked Brandon from Buffalo Arms a while back what they were now using as a parent - he said 45/70?! It is feasible, but I think that's a bit more effort than even the 9.3x74.
I haven't ever seen Starline brass in that! Bet if they're nudged they'll do it again, they're very good folks. On a side note - I loaned one of my 35's to a buddy for a pack trip hunt, he anchored his black bear at 175. He said it punched him with authority!

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[Reverend Al]

The price does seem a little steep for the condition described.

That was my first thought too. $1,700 US for a rifle that is not in "collector grade" by any means seems steep? Maybe 1895's just aren't as popular up here in the "Great White North" as they are down south since guns with a "cult" following will demand higher prices? I currently have three 1895 Winchesters, a .35 Winchester rifle (it cost me $350 Canadian), a .30-40 Krag SRC (it cost me $450 Canadian), and a 28" barrel rifle in .303 British with an original "climbin' Lyman" model 21 sight installed on it. I had to pay a premium to get that one since it is in such a popular and desirable calibre (up here in Canada) with a perfect bore plus it had the original Lyman receiver sight on it, so that one cost me $1,000 Canadian. There sure does seem to be a huge difference in pricing on '95's from north to south ...

[34 Doggunner]

I recall in 1969 at a small gun shop in Costa Mesa CA a barrel full of 95's. Price was $25 your pick.
If we only knew!

[ANick57]

I recall in 1969 at a small gun shop in Costa Mesa CA a barrel full of 95's. Price was $25 your pick.
If we only knew!

Doggunner, it's all relative. I recall seeing for sale ads in the back of aviation magazines from the late 60's and early 70's where for a mere $2000 to $2500 you could have your very own P51... and now for $2.5 mil you might get to buy one.

Of course things are different now. How the hell do you lose a planet??

[Gray Fox]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but since Hornady has discontinued the .405 brass, do any of you know of anywhere to get the brass? I can get a new in the box Winchester-Miroku .405, but what is the sense in that without access to brass. GF

[ANick57]

GF,
If you find it, buy enough! Some Bertram showing up on some shelves, https://www.buffaloarms.com/405-winc...f-20-ber405win. Might drop a note on Starline too. "Dear Sirs, I'm looking for brass for my XXXXX cal Red Rider, etc... "