My Only Lever Gun

[gandog56]

A Winchester 1895 factory chambered in 7.62X54R.

I must like my shoulder being licked in.

83944

[500MAG]

Real nice treasure there.

[Artful]

You want to trade for something softer kicking?

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Nice rifle !
Have a 1895 30 Gov and shoot 220 grainers regular when I am up north there. Try sitting upright when you shoot it. I shoot some nasty recoiling brutes sitting behind cross sticks. Weighed myself this morning.. 151 pounds. Sitting upright gets the recoil into the shoulder "pocket" shoving the upper torso back. Body pivots with the recoil not gettingsmashed on the collar bone.
Mike in Peru

[pietro]

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Treasure is right - many thousands were made, but most went to Russia, from where they never returned..................


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[451whitworth]

very cool. that caliber and .303 British are what i've wanted in the 1895 for a long time

[smokeywolf]

ONE levergun? I cry for you. Now you need a '73, '76, '86, '92 and a '94. After that, you start on one in each caliber offered. After that carbines.......

There's no end to it.

smokeywolf

[TCLouis]

Anyone can have on in 06!

[smokeywolf]

Don't stop there. You need a Volcanic, a Spencer, a Evans Repeating Rifle cal.44 in 28/32 round capacity, and a Savage 99.
I'm short the Volcanic. :(

Too bad I didn't know that 3 years ago. I sold a carbine that my father had converted from Rocket Ball to cycle and fire a .41 short.

83969

As you can see it needed a stock and butt plate, but the rest was in extremely good condition.

Despite knowing that it has a good home. It still pained me to have to sell her.

smokeywolf

[missionary5155]

Good morning Smokeywolf
That is a beauty also.. 41 Rimfire would be a wonder to get to take out and pop a groundhog with.
Mike in Peru

[ajjohns]

Those 95's were known to be seen among the ground even in Korea.

[smokeywolf]

missionary5155, The brass used for the cartridges are 41 Colt cut down to .410 +.000 -.010 (center fire).

Bill, I'm quite sure I can borrow it back for measurements. There is a fellow that built one of these in his home machine shop using stainless for the receiver.
It would be a fun project, but if I'm going to be absolutely honest with myself, I doubt I'll ever get to it.
I have a sear for a '86 Winchester that's been waiting to be machined for well over a year now.

The Rocket Ball wouldn't work today for the same reasons that it didn't work in the mid 1850s; not enough room for powder, not dependable, chamber sealing/leading, and primer difficulties.

smokeywolf

[fouronesix]

I think Pancho Villa really liked the 1895s, especially the carbines- probably some were 30-40s. But given the times and situation, he probably grabbed any working gun and ammo he could get.

Oh and BTW gandog, that 95 in 7.62x54R looks pretty good! Was it modified for the front globe or hood and was an extra hole drilled in the tang for mounting the tang sight? That caliber shouldn't be too bad about recoil with any reasonable load. Just use a pad or add a lace-on butt cover. The ones that will get your attention in the 95 are the full house heavy bullet 30-06, 35 Win and 405 Win. Plus, it's not good to run full house loads in them anyway- it's well known many in 30-06 have developed some excess headspace from shooting too much hi intensity ammo.

[missionary5155]

Good afternoon Smokey
41 Colt (even short) would make that 10x better. That magazine would hold what.. 20 rounds.
Mike in Peru

[smokeywolf]

Never did load the mag to capacity. But if that's not right on, it's real close.

smokeywolf

[StrawHat]

gandog56,

Nice lever gun! I have one built in 1900 and chambered for the 405 WCF. It can get your attention from the bench which is why I don't fire it from the bench.. Load work up is done from a sitting position with or without cross sticks. I have settled on a load that comes close to duplicating the 40-72 and reserve the factory stuff for the rare charging rhino! ACtually, offhand it is not too bad.

[StrawHat]

As for the thread drift portion, sign me up for one chambered in 45 ACP! Stainless or bronze would work!

[jonp]

Beware the man with one rifle.

[OverMax]

Your 1895 is indeed a treasure. Thanks for sharing the pix here.

[BCRider]

I fell in love with 1895's back when I thought that they were eligible for CAS long range use. Then I read the rules and found out that box mags were ineligible after all.

Since then I've been sort of sideways looking for one in .303 British since those are more likely to be found up my way here north of the 49'th. But one like YOURS would sure sit well alongside my threesome of Mosin Nagants. I've even got dies for reloading the 7.62x54R.

If you get the time please post about your range sessions so I and others like me can live vicariously through your own efforts.... :D

[451whitworth]

gandog56,

Nice lever gun! I have one built in 1900 and chambered for the 405 WCF. It can get your attention from the bench which is why I don't fire it from the bench.. Load work up is done from a sitting position with or without cross sticks. I have settled on a load that comes close to duplicating the 40-72 and reserve the factory stuff for the rare charging rhino! ACtually, offhand it is not too bad.
I thought the .405 WCF didn't appear until 1905?

[StrawHat]

I thought the .405 WCF didn't appear until 1905? Correct, my rifle started it's life as a 30-40. The bore was beyond salvaging so I had the whole thing reworked to handle the 405 WCF.

[pressonregardless]

ONE levergun? I cry for you. Now you need a '73, '76, '86, '92 and a '94. After that, you start on one in each caliber offered. After that carbines.......
smokeywolf

After that you can get started on the Marlin's.

[Suo Gan]

If you have the cream of the crop...no sense in having anything else. I would like one in 30-40 someday, but if I saw one like yours up on the block I would buy it...I hope she shoots good!!! Green

The 95 was the best lever John ever designed.

[d garfield]

Most of the Mod.95 that were shipped to Russia where sunk in the N. Atlantic., by a German u-boat.

[mckenziedrums]

I'm insanely jealous... Beautiful gun! Recently fell in love with lever guns but I've always been a fan of the 54r cartridge. As fun as the PSL and PU sniper are a lever gun would be an absolute joy to shoot! Heck I've even got a stash of about 600 new Lapua cases around here should I luck into one :)

[smokeywolf]

Dad always favored the '95. He had 3 or 4 of them. One I believe in 30-40, another was a Russian contract 7.62 and at least 1 more in 30-06 which was a takedown. The one in the pic, I think is the 30-40. There are about 20 to 25 more rifles, muskets and pistols on that wall out of camera view.

84823

The above picture was taken in about 1956 or '57. You can just make out the Garand hanging over the powders. That eventually became this:

84828

His interests migrated to other hobbies in the 80s and 90s and he traded and sold much of his collection

smokeywolf

[StrawHat]

Most of the Mod.95 that were shipped to Russia where sunk in the N. Atlantic., by a German u-boat.

Interesting, never heard that before.

[flint_knapper]

win.1895 54R with correct bayonet

[wcavasos]

I would trade you my soul for that rifle! Love it.

[gandog56]

Beware the man with one rifle.

Oh, I have plenty of rifles......just only one lever gun. Had a Marlin 336 in the ubiquitous 30-30 years ago, sold it when I got a Savage 110 in .270.

[gandog56]

win.1895 54R with correct bayonet

Yeah, apparently mine never made it to Russia. No Russian proof marks, no attachment to use stripper clips.

[micky_blue]

My Finns would love to have that as a neighbor.

[gandog56]

By my last count I have 7 Finn Mosin Nagants. Still looking for that elusive P-26.

[TXGunNut]

Oh, I have plenty of rifles......just only one lever gun. Had a Marlin 336 in the ubiquitous 30-30 years ago, sold it when I got a Savage 110 in .270.

Good thing you haven't picked up a second one, they have a tendency to get out of hand after that. ;-)

[Patrick56]

We took our own share of them during the wars.

[starmac]

Can someone please explain how it is possible to have ONLY one lever gun???

[TXGunNut]

Can someone please explain how it is possible to have ONLY one lever gun???

I did it for ten years or so, no idea how I pulled it off. Pretty soon after the second one showed up I pretty much lost track.

[starmac]

Yea I had a lone M99 for over 20 years before I bought it a mate and dtarted raising levers. lol

[TXGunNut]

Yea I had a lone M99 for over 20 years before I bought it a mate and dtarted raising levers. lol


We kid about that but it's true. Have heard it from other levergun raisers so it's not just us. Keeping them in separate safes doesn't seem to help either.

[smokeywolf]

Very difficult for me to comprehend having only one lever gun or having fewer than 4 or 5 Winchesters. I think I was 8 or 9 years old before I knew that there were companies other than Winchester, Springfield, Remington or Browning making long guns and Colt or Smith & Wesson making pistols.

[MT Chambers]

My '95 is a .303 British and wears the LYman side mounted peep sight, I believe they were a factory option.

[TXGunNut]

My '95 is a .303 British and wears the LYman side mounted peep sight, I believe they were a factory option.

I know some 94's were shipped from the factory with them, makes sense they'd put them on 95's as well. May be worth an inquiry to the Cody Museum. At any rate, sounds like a fine rifle.

[smokeywolf]

My '95 is a .303 British and wears the LYman side mounted peep sight, I believe they were a factory option.

Is that the Lyman 21 or Lyman 41 receiver mount peep sight? Most of the Model '95s had the Lyman model 21 sight mounted on the left side of the receiver, but a few came with the Lyman 41 apertured peep sight.

smokeywolf

[gandog56]

I have no idea what sight it is. It came with the rifle.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Mine is a 405 with a Lyman 21 sight and folding leaf(leaves) on the barrel as well and thankfully a shotgun type stock. With full house ammo you don't ever have to worry about what you might run into in the woods. Muzzle energy ran well over a ton and a half. LLS