Make: Winchester
Model: 1895 Rifle
Serial Number: 34963
Year of Manufacture: 1902 / C&R
Caliber: .30-40 Krag (.30 Army)
Action Type: Lever Action with Internal Box Magazine
Barrel Length: 28"
Sights/Optics: The front sight is a brass blade pinned to a slotted base at the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a v-notch elevator sight dovetailed to the barrel; the notch is fine adjustable for elevation.
Stock Configuration and Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut with straight grip, straight comb, crescent steel buttplate, and schnabel tipped forend with triangular ebony inlay. There are a few compression marks. There is a small chip at the toe along with a small crack. The LOP measures 12 7/8" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has largely muted with faint case color figuring and light intermittent oxidation. Overall, the stocks are in Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued, Case Hardened.
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There is light even erosion down the length of the bore. In this writer's opinion the bore rates 6/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 80% of its metal finish. The side of the internal box magazine is engraved “Dr. W.S.T. Smith”. The balance of the finish is strong. There is heavier wear on the right side of the receiver which has introduced a few heavy pits and fine pitting. The case color on the hammer is strong on the sides. The fire blue on the extractor and lever catch are deep and vibrant. The case colors on the link and trigger assembly are exceptionally vibrant. There are scattered nicks and scratches. There is thinning on the leading edges. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired this rifle. As with all used firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork, and Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 1895 was John M. Browning's final lever-action design for Winchester and broke decisively from the company's traditional tubular-magazine rifles by using a non-detachable box magazine capable of handling the new generation of smokeless military cartridges. The .30-40 Krag, marketed by Winchester as ".30 Army" or ".30 U.S.," was one of the Model 1895's principal early chamberings, and the 28" barrel was standard on .30 U.S. sporting rifles. This rifle carries particular historical interest because its engraved owner's name corresponds with Dr. William Sidney Tangier Smith (1869-1962), a noted American geologist associated with the U.S. Geological Survey. Smith authored the 1903 Hartville, Wyoming folio and subsequently co-authored major USGS surveys covering South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming, placing him in the American West during the years immediately following this rifle's 1902 manufacture.
This rifle retains approximately 80% of its original metal finish with strong blue, surviving case and fire colors, edge thinning, scattered handling marks, and localized pitting on the receiver and lever. The smooth walnut stocks remain in Good condition with a small chip and crack at the toe, while the mostly bright 6/10 bore retains sharp rifling with light even erosion. The action functions correctly. Most compelling is the engraved Dr. W.S.T. Smith name: while the inscription alone does not conclusively establish ownership, its correspondence with a prominent USGS geologist whose documented Western fieldwork was contemporary with the rifle gives this Model 1895 a strong and worthy provenance lead. As a classic 28" .30 Army sporting rifle with substantial original condition and an intriguing association with an important early American geologist, it deserves close attention from both Winchester and Western-history collectors.
