Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Winchester 1895

Picked up one here on this forum in 30-40 Krag.

I'm not real familiar with this model. Other leverguns, yes, but not the 1895.

Is there any special considerations?

Is this an stronger rifle than my Krag Jorgeenson?

I would certainly say that the 1895 Win is an improvement (strengthwise) over the KJ action.

Happy shooting.

As always it's a good idea to check head-space on an older original. 95's are pretty strong but the rear lock-up does mean that cases stretch when loaded up. Because of this you will get better brass life loading moderately. My own 95 is a Winchester reproduction made in Japan in 405 Winchester. There is a trick to loading the magazine which ensures you don't bend the magazine lips. Best seen in a search on youtube.

Here is Hickok 45 at the 3 minute mark loading his 30-06
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqgupgJzPlQ

Here is yours truly loading the 405.... at the 45 second mark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEJXKSdpIDY

Yes, strong. 180gr Remington ammo worked well in it.

As North61 suggests, it is best to practice loading an 1895 before taking it hunting-, especially one in .405 or other flanged cartridge.

Loading it wrong can cause an embarrassing jam that is difficult to clear when trotting after your hunting guide to get a shot at a departing Nilgai.

Also, be sure to load the 1895 BEFORE lending it to another hunter or PH !

🤣🤣🤣

Bet that was worth a watch!

I guess I missed the difficult part about charging the magazine.

"Bet that was worth a watch!"

#1. Definitely! The guide thought it funny as hell and was laughing. I needed my pocket knife to clear the jam and then shot high on the shoulder (not where guide told me to shoot) and we had to follow up on the Nilgai AND my son saw this circus from across a clearing!. Finally dropped it sneaking through the mesquite at about 50 yards. A solid .405 hit tends to stop the laughing.

#2. Another time- Same ranch, different cast - PH friend left his1886 .45-70 stopper rifle at home because no one wanted to hunt DG.
Then a hunter saw a beauty of a mature "Blue Bull" (silver grey actually) Asian water buffalo and changed his mind. So, PH borrowed the only big bore gun in camp, my 1895 .405 and some 400 grain DG loads and took the hunter with his single shot 30-06 out into the brush.
You guessed it. hunter shot high and the bull ignored him. PH handed .405 over and hunter shot once and set the bull back on its heels, but the gun jammed! PH loaded 30-06 and hunter again shot poorly while PH loaded another 400 grain into chamber. Three cycles of this and the bull finally died. PH said never again!
If I can locate a pic and post it I will as bull was truly a beauty and is now a shoulder mount on hunters wall.

Hunter with 30-06, not .405.
My .405 Simson double rifle is somewhat easier to manage than the 1895, but holds fewer cartridges.

I have a couple 95s and I wasn't aware of the loading issue either. So far, no problem. Nonetheless, I'll probably watch a video to make sure I don't have a problem in the future. My 1895 in 30-40 (DOM 1900) shoots nice groups.



T.S.

Already packed away in its case for the trip to Colorado next Wednesday. It’s my backup rifle.



.35 WCF. Mfg. 1904 or 05. Somewhere along in there. Hell I can keep up with em all. 🤣

Got an bunch of old Speer Hot Core 165 and 200gr bullets. It might be a good fit for the 30-40. 200 grains traveling along just might be perfect.

Oldpine!

Fyi, My old pet load of 44 grains of Reloader 19 and the Hornady 220 grain RN is the skookum load in my old Krags and 95’s. Not a max load. Matter of fact, I believe it’s a starting load. Perfoms great in all my Krag Jorgensons and my 2 1895’s!

I’ve used 44 grains of IMR 4350 too. With same bullet. But like the Reloader 19 load better.

Happy hunting!

crshelton,

I have an old ranching compadre, hell we’ve known each other since the 8th grade. His rifle of choice when he has to do in an old or sick bovine on the place is his 1895 Win, in .303 Brit!
Does pretty quick work!
🤣

Crested Butte, Colorado miner John Plute used a Winchester '95 in .30-40 to kill the famous Dark Canyon Bull in 1899. That elk stood as the B&C record for years.

Last night I found two boxes of Remington 30-40 180gr. So today I headed to range and functioned tested the Winchester 1895. Loading was super simple and smooth both load the magazine and working the bolt to feed the chamber. Very satisfying.

The trigger on these was slightly heavy but predictable and fine for the hunting rifle it is. It will be interesting to make some loads up and see how the old rifle handles some heavy slugs.

From rabbits to porcupines to deer, there is nothing like the 1895 in 40-72...

Cool!!!!!

Octagonal barrel. I like it. Right out of a CM Russell print. I've got two octagonal barrel '94s. They would be among the last rifles I'd sell.

How does that Shrapnel come across so many old vintage rifles?

He's diverse in all manners of single shots and old leverguns, and I'm thinking I'm in the chips with only a few.

He’s just a lucky lad! 😁

Sometime I’ll tell you about the time he joked me on a certain 1895 SRC I purchased from a mutual acquaintance! He got me good! It was a good burn! 🤣🤣🤣. I still chuckle about it.