Interesting FInd: 351 Win SL

[Calehedron]

Yesterday I was depriming 900+ pcs of 357 Mag once fired brass I had bought and I found 62 nickel pieces that had the rims shaved down to .410" and they had a slight taper to them instead of a straight wall. Then I came across a lone brass case that was the same and stamped 351 Win SL.

I had never heard of this caliber before and had to do a google search to find some info. From what I have read, the rifle was produced between 1902 and 1957ish. The ammo is very rare but 357 Mag or Max cases can be sized to fit and the rim had to be shaved down to .410".

Anyone else heard of this particular gun and anyone want the 62 pcs of nickel converted brass? I am keeping the one lone case stamped 351 for my budding collection.

[Sprue]

I'll take them if not too pricey. I'm in the process of getting a lathe together to start trimming down 357 MAXium brass.

My rifle is in fantastic condition. I have never fired it yet. It was made in 1926 !

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Sprue, When you get the lathe together, use a .351 sizing die as a tapered socket to hold the cases. Just chuck the die in the lathe and go at it. I explain this in further detail in Brownells "Gunsmith Kinks 4" under my real name.
Morgan

[cajun shooter]

The 351 Winchester was a fine rifle and when I started in Law enforcement my dept had 3 of these rifles with plenty of ammo. Loads of fun to shoot. Later David

[hydraulic]

The 351 Self Loading cartridge was chambered for the Winchester 1907 self loading rifle. Many years ago the Nebraska State Patrol was issued 1907's with the officers badge number engraved on the receiver. I think this was about 1938. When Nebraska upgraded their rifles they put out a call for bids. Rifles would be exchanged for Ruger Mini 14's with the largest amount of ammo thrown in determining the wining bidder. A friend of mine won the auction and I wound up with sixteen of these 1907's. I peddled them around the local gun shows for years and finally sold them all. These were the police model with the 10 round magazine. I found nine boxes of cartridges in an old hardware store in Colorado and bought them for $6.00 a box. Old Remington green boxes. This all happened back in the 1970's. For several years after I'd occasionally get a phone call from a retired patrolman wanting to buy one of those old 1907's. I remember shooting one of them a few times and the recoil was vicious. It may have been 6 boxes for $9.00 a box.

[Rocky Raab]

At the range one day, a guy showed up with one of the rifles and a full box of ammo. He proceeded to blam away (I swear, it was the only rifle I ever heard that actually went BLAM!) the whole box, except for a half-dozen duds that he threw into the bushes.

He clearly had no clue how much money he had just thrown away by shooting that box of rare ammo. I managed to find a few of the dented-primer duds for my own collection, though.

[twotrees]

the local police had them in the mid 60's. I did see a few for sale, but semi-auto rifles were not legal for hunting in Pa. so I passed on them.

Wasn't the same rifle also produced in 401 SL ???


Rocky Rabb good to see you posting here, (It's Rick B. from GGVG) We can use your experience here too.

[Sprue]

Yes.. there was also one made in 22 LR.

[Geraldo]

IIRC there were three models of Winchester self-loading rifles, the 1905, 1907, and 1910. The '07 was .351WSL, the '10 was .401WSL, and the '05 was .32WSL or .35WSL (which I gather was not the same as .351WSL).

[fourarmed]

I have a 1907 with 5- and 10-shot magazines, along with several old boxes of ammo, that my dad swapped for back in the early 50s. They'd be a fun rifle to play with if they didn't sling that valuable ammo all over creation. The forarm was a weak spot, as it was quite thin, and often cracked. They were a straight blowback action, so they are quite heavy for their power.

[Charley]

The 351 Self Loading cartridge was chambered for the Winchester 1907 self loading rifle. Many years ago the Nebraska State Patrol was issued 1907's with the officers badge number engraved on the receiver. I think this was about 1938. When Nebraska upgraded their rifles they put out a call for bids. Rifles would be exchanged for Ruger Mini 14's with the largest amount of ammo thrown in determining the wining bidder. A friend of mine won the auction and I wound up with sixteen of these 1907's. I peddled them around the local gun shows for years and finally sold them all. These were the police model with the 10 round magazine. I found nine boxes of cartridges in an old hardware store in Colorado and bought them for $6.00 a box. Old Remington green boxes. This all happened back in the 1970's. For several years after I'd occasionally get a phone call from a retired patrolman wanting to buy one of those old 1907's. I remember shooting one of them a few times and the recoil was vicious. It may have been 6 boxes for $9.00 a box.

Recoil was vicious? Sure you're remebering the right rifle? Can't say I've ever used that word to describe shooting my rifle.
The .35 WSL can be made from .357 brass, the .351 takes .357 maximum brass.

[DLCTEX]

I saw a 1907 at the gunshow in Elk City, Ok. in January. It had been reblued and the stock refinished. It was really slick looking with a display case and accessories and a price tag of $1500. DALE

[hydraulic]

Charley: That was so long ago you may be right. About that time I had a Remington Model 81 in 300 Savage, and I may have gotten them mixed up in my memory, a peculiarity that has been happening with increasing frequency. $1500 for a reblued 1907? WOW! I think I got $200 for the ones I sold and they hadn't been vandalized.