Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Winchester 1895 (new pic)

There were some variations in caliber markings. My .30-40 SRC is marked ".30 ARMY" and I've seen some marked ".30 U.S. ARMY". Someone posted a pic awhile ago of their '95 .30-03 that was marked ".30 U.S. MOD 1903".

I have owned several 1895's over the years, first one was a .30-40 and later ones were mainly .30-06's with a couple of .35 Winchesters. I even owned a .30-06 carbine that had been restocked and sporterized by R.F. Sedgley. I have never owned a .30-03 although I used to see them once in a while. Used to see the old slip top boxes quite frequently back in the day, not so much anymore.

I used a copper penny that I mashed and filed to match the original copper front sight on my 95. Some IDIOT had filed it down and the rifle shot way high.

Yeah Jorge, when I was gettin' paid for it I made a bunch of bead front sight blades by hand. I was just getting really lazy and not wanting to got that route yet.

Been in email conversation with Andy at Skinner sights. One way or the other we'll get something worked out. He's given us several excellent options. But!!! First thing I'm gonna do tomorrow is make a trip to the range and just see how mine shoots with some 220 Grain Remington Factory loads. . Then we'll go from there! May get lucky. Dunno?

Got several other rifles that need some range time too!

This was exactly what I thought when I opened up the box. Hope you get lucky and your rifle prints with the sight installed. I've been holding off on having the gunsmith install mine until I found a replacement option for the front sight if need be.

Well, definitely gonna need a higher front sight!

Finally found a piece of steel scrap thick enough. Out of cold blue. Can still remove .030" if I want! Suppose it will do.

WOW that sight blade is up there you must plan on taking a file with you to the range for "fine tuning" My brother recently bought a savage that had a tang sight with a target aperture on it that had about the bottom 1/3 of it having a half moon shaped piece out of it so the stem could be lowered way down. It looked factory to both of us.

Love them rear sights, but I just can't be accurate with em! I prefer a full buckhorn myself. Oh well, here is a vintage box of 30-40 to make this post interesting!

Yeah Loggah! Read the post I made just above here concerning that Providence tool co #21 Lyman copy! Geez! Im really hoping it doesnt have to be any taller!!! But after my range visit last week I fear all that blade may get used. I allo D &T'ed and installed a Marbles 1/2" OD peep aperture in the rear portion. Mebbe a .102" hole. Kinda big but looks really good when sighting. Aught to be skookum for hunting!

Great to see you Desertoakie!!!

Here's another cool box from out in my shop!!!

KW

I installed a Williams foolproof on mine and shot it today. With the sight all the way down, using 180 factory loads it was about 2 3/4" high @ 100. Which is alright for now as it is dead on at 200. That said however it needs a higher sight . If I can't find one I guess I will have to make one.

Factory loads went into 1 1/2" which to me seems really good.

I am going to shoot 200 or 220 grains so not sure where it is going to be with those.

I have some brass and copper that are pretty close in thickness. Just have to get off my butt and do it.

I will shoot a bison with it this fall. For sure!

LC

Lefty!

That sounds like a plan! I picked up a .600 Pachmayr "Old English" pad today and it's about 2/3's installed tonight before I just give out! Finish it tomorrow. All said and done, mebbe add about an 1/2" or a smidgen more to OALOP. Feels real good. Try to shoot again later this week up at our annual Spring break hog hunt and saturnalia of unhealthy foodfest!

Keep us posted on your results! Looking forward to that bison hunt report and pics!!!

Hey! A quick question, whose answer I used to know, but you know how age affects the mind! I have a forgotten 1895 in .30-03, never been shot (by me)...can I shoot regular .30-06 ammo in it? Thanks all!!! We gotta keep them 1895s alive!

It can be done, least I have been told so by others who have done it, successfully. But I personally wouldn't shoot factory loaded 30/06 in a 30/03. Just call me chicken or an old fudd, but if I was to do it, I think I'd shoot Krag pressure and velocity handloads. Not hard to make!

I do have a new range report on the 1895 Browning project. Got three different loads and went to annual hog hunt this past weekend. Son had a few 180 grain hornady RN he loaded for me. Probably best described as a Krag equivalent load. I also toted a box of Rem. Factory 150 PSP CL's and a box of Rem. Factory 180 RN CL's

Started at. 50 yards with the providence tool #21 copy and the new steel front sight blade. The "krag" loads were extremely pleasant and accurate! First group were about a foot low (mebbe a tad lower) and I could cover group with a quarter! Woohoo! Happy! Started filing front blade! Things just got better!! Then went to factory loads. Started zinging em right in the black!!!

After a bit more filing and they a sight adjustment on the #21 for some elevation and a timy bit of windage, moved to 100 yards. Wow! Bottom line got the 150's 2" high at 100 and 180's pinwheeling the red with same sight picture!!!! The other thing that really helped is I stuck on that Pachmayr "old English' .600 pad on it last week. My old gimp shoulder really appreciated that!!!

Next will be polyurethane finish removal!!!!

More to come!!!

Sounds like you got it dialed in !!!!!! glad it all worked out,now you can measure that front sight an know how many thousands high that it has to be, for the other guys using the repo. clyman lyman. :)Don

Yes Don!

I plan on a little review of the sight a little later down the pike. I figure I filed around another .020" to .025" (guessing) off the front sight when I quit. There are some weaknesses in the sight I'll talk about. But nothing real serious like (except for front sight replacement). Mebbe I was expecting too much? But others might like to know.

Bob

KW

I made one from a old brass key. There was just enough material that I could clamp it into my mill and get it a pretty good fit and pinned it firmly in place and shaped correctly.

Shot it yesterday with my 200gr "bison" loads and removed about .025 off to get it where it needed to be on my sight. I have plenty of up and down should I change loads. It is zeroed at 200yds and groups about 3 or 4" inches at 200. Should get better with me getting more used to the peep sight.
If some one wants pictures I can text them if you shoot me a PM.

Lefty C

Lefty!

That sounds great!!! Still looking forward to the bison hunt report and pics! That's going to be fun!!!

I got to do this again this week on another Browning 95 for my compadre. So here's a bit of review on my installation job and the sight itself for those interested!

Heres the rear aperture. It comes without a screw in aperture. I D&T'd mine 10x32 for Marbles inserts. Other than it being too high ( like their caveat card said, so one could use a 3/4" screw in aperture) it is anodized aluminum. It's just a tad sloppy in the sight body cutout. I noticed that if you are not careful tightening down the set screw you can get a little side movement in the aperture causing it to set a little sideways in the main sight cutout. So try to hold it as square as you can when tightening. There are some indexing lines on they sight body that will help you keep it square.



Here's my finished and cold blued frontsight. Actually I like this arrangement better than the bead. I can see it pretty good.



The overall quality of the Providence sight is great! It took me longer to fit the brass indexing piece on the elevation locking lever than it did D&T'ing the receiver holes. And that fitting was not difficjult at all.



My only concern in the whole sight arrangement is the anodized aluminum aperture body. We'll see how the one set screw performs in rough country. It seems like it could be a loss hazard.