Winchester 1895 Saddle Ring Carbine SRC .30-06 Lever Action Rifle, 1925 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1525
LSB#: 210519RS20
Make: Winchester
Model: 1895 Saddle Ring Carbine
Serial Number: 413644
Year of Manufacture: 1925
Caliber: .30-06 (.30 Gov’t ’06)
Action Type: Lever Action with Internal Box Magazine
Markings: The left side of the receiver is marked “MANUFACTURED BY THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN, CONN. U.S.A. / PATENTED NOV.5.95. NOV.12.95. AUG.17.97. JAN.25.98. AUG.23.98. AUG.6.1907.”. The upper tang is marked “MODEL 95 / -WINCHESTER- / TRADE MARK REG. IN U.S. PAT. OFF. & FGN.”. The lower tang is marked “413644” and “B”. The left of the barrel is marked “MADE IN U.S.A.”, “-NICKEL STEEL BARREL- / ESPECIALLY FOR SMOKELESS POWDER” and “-.30 GOV’T ’06”. The top of the barrel and the chamber ring are each marked “WP” in oval, the chamber ring is also marked “.30 / GOV. / ’06”.
Barrel Length: Nominal 22″, 21 7/8″ measured.
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade pinned to a slotted base at the front of the barrel. There is some erosion on the blade and base. The rear sight is a “V”-notch semi-buckhorn elevator sight dovetailed to the rear of the barrel. The base is marked “PAT. FEB. 22.27”.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece piece smooth walnut with banded, finger-grooved forend, straight grip, straight comb, and carbine-style buttplate with sliding trapdoor. The stocks have scattered nicks, dings, scuffs and scratches. There is thinning finish in the handling area of the forend and discoloration in the wrist. The wrist has a few very small losses at the edges of the tangs and there is a short crack at the left-front edge of the wrist. The LOP measures 12 5/8″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has mostly worn to white with scattered light wear, oxidation, and some erosion at the heel. Overall, the stocks are in about Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Most remaining finish is Original, the portion of the barrel forward of the forend shows treatment with cold blue.
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is some scattered light erosion in the bore. Our gauge shows an ME of about 1.0.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 50% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. The portion of the barrel forward of the barrel band has a plum hue, and there is some erosion at the muzzle. Strongest finish is on the rear portion of the barrel and the sides of the magazine. The receiver has scattered remaining finish mottled with wear and oxidation. There are several scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear and crisp. Overall, this rifle is in about Good-plus condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The action is fairly smooth and the lever locks up correctly. We have not fired this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: The 1895 Winchester was the first lever action model to incorporate a non-detachable box magazine. This is the model Teddy Roosevelt called his “Big Medicine” that he used in hunting here and in Africa. With its quick handling characteristics, box magazine and spitzer bullet capability, the Model 1895 changed the world of sporting rifles forever. This rifle was used by major powers worldwide, with Russia alone purchasing nearly 300,000 1895’s just before World War I. In 1898, the United States ordered 10,000 of the rifles in musket form with handguard for use in the Spanish-American War, but the war ended before they could be delivered. One hundred were issued for field testing in the Philippines and the remaining 9,900 were sold to M. Harley Company. Many of these were shipped to the new Cuban government in 1906 and some found their way to Pancho Villa’s troops in Mexico. The U.S. Government also ordered carbines, but we can’t find records as to how many. This saddle ring carbine was made in 1925 during the inter-war years. It is chambered in .30-06 and is in about Good-plus condition showing wear consistent with use in the field over the last 95 years. It looks like it was fairly well maintained with a nice bore and strong mechanics. This should make a great addition to a collection of Winchester lever-action rifles and could even still serve as a hunting rifle today. Please see our photos and good luck!