Make: Winchester

Model: 1895 Musket

Serial Number: 17506

Year of Manufacture: 1898

Caliber: .30-40 Krag (30 U.S. in 1898)

Action Type: Lever Action Rifle with Internal Box Magazine

Markings: The left of the barrel (under the handguard) is marked "NICKEL STEEL BARREL / ESPECIALLY FOR SMOKELESS POWDER", the top-rear is marked "KSM" and "30 U.S.". The lower tang is marked “17506”. The top tang is marked -"WINCHESTER / MODEL 1895."-. There are Winchester proofs on the chamber ring and the top-rear of the barrel. The left of the receiver is marked "MANUFACTURED BY THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. / NEW HAVEN CONN. U.S.A." with patent dates. The left of the trigger guard is marked "K.S.M.". The right of the receiver is marked "NATIONAL GUARD OF COLORADO.". The chamber ring is marked "2 E 19".

Barrel Length: 28", Round

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a white beaded blade pinned in a slotted base fixed to the barrel. The blade is not original to the gun. The barrel has a dovetail currently filled with a blank (the dovetail is not a factory feature) and a pair of drilled and tapped holes for installing a rear sight (none present). The top-rear of the bolt has been drilled and tapped with a fixed aperture sight installed (not original to the gun). 

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are three-piece smooth walnut with a handguard, full-length forend with combination bayonet lug/stacking swivel, barrel band with sling swivel, and finger grooves, straight grip, straight comb, sling plate in the belly with swivel, and checkered steel shotgun-style buttplate. The handguard shows notable cracking, as is common, and it appears that the cut for the rear sight has been altered for the use of the dovetail. The stocks have some scattered light nicks and scratches. There are areas of pooled finish. The LOP measures 13 1/2" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has minor wear with well defined checkering. Based on the buttplate, the buttstock has been altered or replaced. Overall, the stocks are in about Very Good condition as refinished, not parts-original Antique.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Most remaining finish is Original. Some areas show treatment with cold blue.

Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is light erosion scattered through the bore, mostly at the muzzle-end. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 6 or 7 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 3% of its metal finish. There is some finish remaining on the top of the bolt and in some areas protected when the action is closed. Most surface have worn or been cleaned to white. The bayonet lug and barrel band show treatment with cold blue. Some worn areas are starting to go to a light patina and there is some scattered minor oxidation. There are scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to disfigured with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Good-Very Good condition as Antique.

Mechanics: The action functions 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.

There were also Model 1895s sold to at least two States, including the Colorado National Guard. These rifles were in the Musket configuration with 28" barrels, bayonet lugs, stacking swivels, and chambered for the .30-40 Krag cartridge used by Federal troops at the time. This example shows its age and has seen some alteration over the years. The front sight blade has been replaced. the barrel has had a dovetail cut for a traditional rear sight rather than the military-style ladder sight, an aperture sight has been installed on the bolt, and the buttstock has been altered or replaced with a shotgun-style buttplate of more recent production. In any case, the CO National Guard rifles are not particularly common, even standard Musket 1895s are scarce. For those with an interest in the Centennial State or Winchester lever guns, this is a neat find and well worth adding to a collection, maybe even restoring. Please see our photos and good luck!