Winchester 1895 saddle ring carbine reissue

[Shear_stress]

Long story short: never, ever accept free ammo for a caliber you don't shoot. Those few boxes of 180 gr '06 soft points which can't be used in your Garand will inevitably conspire to turn themselves into another rifle.

On a completely unrelated note I've got a line on an 1895 Winchester saddle ring carbine--a Miroku-made reissue commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the .30-06. The gun has had about twenty rounds through it, so any collector value went down range. Fine with me, I don't think I could own this gun without shooting it. . . which brings me to some questions. How do these suckers shoot? I wouldn't expect anything in the neighborhood of match grade, but if it can keep up with an off-the-shelf bolt gun I'd be happy. Also, I'd rather not scope the gun so how are the iron sights?

 

[Art Eatman]

Neat rifles. I had an original that I stupidly let get away from me. Military markings, .30-'03, even. 90%.

Anyhow, it ought to at worst be plenty good for deer hunting, as far as group size and all that. A tad on the heavy side, but no big deal for a young and healthy fella. As with any iron-sight rifle, it just takes getting used to. No problem, though.

 

[1KPerDay]

Very cool... I've wanted an 1895 for as long as I can remember.

 

[VA27]

I picked one up last year. Very fun rifle to shoot and nice looking, too. If you've got young eyes it'll be good for a coupla inches at a hundred. The sights are the limiting factor not the gun or caliber.

 

[CraigC]

You'd be surprised. My .405 is one from the first new run of that chambering. They were originally .270's that didn't sell and were returned to Miroku for conversion to .405. Mine will shoot sub-MOA at 100yds with Hornady factory loads. Almost as well with my handloads. This with buckhorn sights. Hopefully yours has factory drilled & tapped holes for an 1886 pattern receiver sight.

 

[Zeke/PA]

I had an old friend years ago who used his 1895 and nothing else for his big game hunting needs.
One year at a Christmas holiday party he casually mentioned that with four shots fired that hunting year, he "killed a deer,a bear, an elk and shot once at a stump".
Gotta love those older guys.

 

[StrawHat]

I can not speak to how the newer Winchester 1895s will shoot but in 1897 or 1898 one was used to win the Wimbeldon 1000 yard match against all others.

I have one in 405 (built 1900) and it will consistantly hit soda cans and such out to 100 yards or a bit further. 5 gallon pails to several times that distance.

The original 1895 in 30-06 suffered from headspace problems, I would hope they corrected that in the new production.

 

[Shear_stress]

Thanks, folks. There aren't a huge number of these carbines out there, either original or reissue, so I appreciate hearing peoples' experiences with them.

The roiginal 1895 in 30-06 suffered from headspace problems, I owuld hope they corrected that in the new production.

My understanding is that the new guns aren't prone to frame stretch like the originals.
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Also, I believe the reissues were drilled and tapped for a modern peep sight, but with the Lyman#21 long out of production I'm not sure which one. If anyone can point me in the right direction that would be really helpful.

 

[CraigC]

Your carbine may be drilled & tapped but not ALL reissues are. Mine is not. If there are two holes at the upper rear of the receiver on the left hand side, horizontal and about an inch apart, that's your receiver sight holes. You need a wide body 1886 pattern receiver sight. I believe the one I bought but never installed is a Williams Foolproof. The Lyman 21 was designed for existing holes and I believe there is a new repro available.

 

[StrawHat]

The Model 21 sight is available from Buffalo Arms.

I installed a Lyman on mine, not a 21.

 

[RugerMcMarlin]

I would expect something on the order of 2 1/2 -3", off bags. If accuracy is end all be all. I would say trade it for a bolt gun. Still Hunting/Snap shooting deer the 95 will hand a bolt gun its a--. Excepting maybe a Mannlicher carbine.
2 entirely different critters.

Never heard about headspace problems but would just about expect it with rear locking leveraction/Rimless cartridge combination,modern metalurgy should cure that fine. can't remember if 405 is rimless. 30/40 Krag would not have that problem. Nope 405 has rim.

 

[Shear_stress]

Thanks again, everybody.

Buffalo Products did sell a Lyman #21 reproduction made by Providence Tool Company, and it is still available from PTC. The sight will fill the full-length 1895, but will not clear the saddle ring on the carbine. The situation is the same for the FP-71 from Williams. Anyone know if there's a sight available that's compatible with the SRC or if the saddle ring itself is easily removed?

 

[RugerMcMarlin]

Tang sight?

 

[Shear_stress]

Tang sight?

That's another idea I've been toying with. The only trick will be to find one that can clear the Winchester repo tang safety and doesn't require drilling tapping.

 

[Hocka Louis]

I personally think this is one of the most beautiful guns I have ever seen and fired. They are "dense" guns. The surplus I have shoot well. Today I own a set of matched serial numbered high grade and basic just for looking.

If this is a good price, personally, I'd SO get it.

Gehr

 

[RugerMcMarlin]

I did not recall a tang safety on the Browning I looked at. And I'm sure a would have remembered a crime against nature like that.

 

[Balrog]

I had an 1895 in 30-06. Kicked like a Missouri mule. That crescent buttplate is a man eater.

 

[CraigC]

The question is, would a tang sight clear the bolt? Methinks there's a good reason why you don't see 95's with tang sights. I know that if you didn't plant your cheek properly, the big .405 would put a tang sight through your eyeball.

The Brownings didn't have tang safeties. Only the more recent Winchester offerings.

 

[Shear_stress]

The question is, would a tang sight clear the bolt? Methinks there's a good reason why you don't see 95's with tang sights. I know that if you didn't plant your cheek properly, the big .405 would put a tang sight through your eyeball.

Very true. Marble sells a tang sight that's supposedly compatible with the 1895. On the other hand, some poking around on the intertubes has shown several pictures of 1895 SRCs with Lyman #21 or Williams Fool Proof receiver sights. Looks like the trick is to rotate the mount for the saddle ring. That's an option I can live with.

I had an 1895 in 30-06. Kicked like a Missouri mule. That crescent buttplate is a man eater.

A steel crescent buttplate, no less. Still, I've fired full-power rifles that hurt to shoot and ones that didn't. Seems like the stock fit is going to be the determining factor. Won't know till I try.

 

[CraigC]

The reissue 1895's don't have a crescent buttplate, they have a curved steel buttplate but not the crescent. The SRC's have the standard carbine buttplate. I don't find the .405 to be objectionable at all shooting offhand. Off the bench it's a different story.

Most folks think the crescent is brutal because they don't plant it right. You don't plant it deep into your shoulder like a shotgun butt. You plant it further out so that it curves around the top of your arm, with the toe curving towards the armpit. Used correctly, they're entirely tolerable.

 

[Shear_stress]

Most folks think the crescent is brutal because they don't plant it right. You don't plant it deep into your shoulder like a shotgun butt. You plant it further out so that it curves around the top of your arm, with the toe curving towards the armpit. Used correctly, they're entirely tolerable.

That's reassuring. As with most full-power long guns, it seems like gun fit and a proper hold are the biggest arbiters of comfort.

The full length 1895 reissues came with a shotgun-style buttplate, but the carbines came with a more convex plate. I'm not sure if it truly qualifies as a "crescent" but it's definitely curvier, if that makes sense.

http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/catalog/historic-detail.asp?family=015C&mid=534134

 

[CraigC]

That's the regular carbine buttplate. The full length 1895's have a shotgun butt. This is a crescent buttplate on a 1901v. 1894.

 

[Shear_stress]

That's the regular carbine buttplate. The full length 1895's have a shotgun butt. This is a crescent buttplate on a 1901v. 1894.

OK, that makes sense. Handsome rifle, by the way.

 

[Maverick223]

The Brownings didn't have tang safeties. Only the more recent Winchester offerings.

Yep, they have the original safety...half-cock. That said, my Brownchester 1895 is not D&T'd for a tang sight (only one screw in the tang), and I don't believe any other [new model] was either. The previous owner installed a Williams on my copy, but mine is D&T'd for the Lyman M-21, so that will be added in the future (though it requires re-tapping a hole for the larger screw IIRC).

I believe you can install any of the receiver sights by removing the saddle ring (I believe it must be cut) and drilling & tapping (if not already performed). FWIW I'd entertain offers for my Williams if you're interested in that type of sight.

 

[Vaarok]

7.62x54r or go home.