Winchester Model 1895 24″ .35 WCF Box Magazine Lever Action Rifle, 1927 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,335.00

WOA#: WY240602NH056

Make: Winchester

Model: 1895

Serial Number: 419832

Year of Manufacture: 1927

Caliber: .35 Winchester

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.” with patent dates. The upper tang is marked “MODEL   95 / -WINCHESTER- / TRADE MARK REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. & FGN.”. The lower tang is marked “419832” and “B”. The left of the barrel is marked “-NICKEL STEEL BARREL- / ESPECIALLY FOR SMOKELESS POWDER”, “-35 W.C.F.”. The top-rear of the barrel has a Winchester proof, found again on the top-left of the chamber ring.

Barrel Length: 24″

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade marked “WESTERN” dovetailed to a base integral to the front of the barrel. The rear sight has been removed and its dovetail filled with a blank. The left of the receiver is drilled and tapped with a Providence Tool Co. receiver sight installed, adjustable for windage and elevation. The top of the chamber ring is matted for glare reduction.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut with a Schnabel forend with ebony tip, straight wrist, straight comb and steel crescent buttplate. The stocks have a few light nicks, scuffs and scratches with one more notable ding on the bottom-left of the forend toward the rear. There is a crack at the toe. The LOP measures 12 1/2″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has some light erosion, nicks and dents, mostly under the finish. Overall, the stocks are in Good-Very Good condition as refinished.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Refinished

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is light erosion scattered through the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 7 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 95% of its current metal finish. Most of the balance is in normal operational wear. there are some light nicks, scuffs and scratches. There is scattered minor erosion and marks under the finish. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good condition as refinished.

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. The 1895 was used by major powers worldwide, with Russia alone purchasing nearly 300,000 1895’s to supplement their own arms production during 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 1895 was made in 1927, just before the Great Depression. It is chambered in .35 Winchester, which is suitable for some of the larger North American big game at shorter distances. This example has been refinished, so it looks great for its age. The rifle is in great mechanical shape with a decent bore. This should make a nice addition to a collection of Winchester lever-action rifles or could be back out in the field for another century. Please see our photos and good luck!

Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud