Yesterday I traded my 1905 Colt Officer's model .38 Special for a 1900 made Winchester Model 1895 in 30-40 Krag. Or .30 U.S., or .30 Gov't. I had $300 in the Colt and kicked in an extra $125 towards the rifle. The Colt was a 1st Model with the old style frame. The Winchester once had a sight on the left side of the frame due to a couple extra screws. I always wanted a 95 and I believe this is the first one I ever actually touched. Bore and mechanics are fine. You can still see the great polishing and bluing they did on the Colt in those days.

Back in 1957, I was elk hunting with my Dad and some of his friends.
One of the guys had a Winchester 95 in 30-40 Krag.

We were sitting around the fire when a couple of guys from CA came into camp. One of them noticed the 95 leaning against a tree and asked about it. Conversation came to, "would you sell it?"
"No"
"Would you take $500 for it?"
"No."
"Would you take a blank check for it?"
"No!"

Well, the guy gave up and left.. We were all dumbounded by what had passed.
Don't reckon he's still alive, but if he is, he would probably buy it from you.

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Eccentric old coot

You definitely traded up. That old Colt was good for self defense to 50 yards top and small game hunting. You got a rifle capable of handling any sized game animal in the lower 48 and most of the stuff up north. Instead of 50 yard shooting you can now shoot 500 yards and still have more authority than the 38 at muzzle. Good trade. One thing in your post that is incorrect. You listed other names that the 30/40 is known by. Yes it is known as the 30 US or 30 USA or 30 Army. However it is not a 30 Gov't. That is one of the original names of the 30-06. Interestingly enough, the first cartridges ever to carry the 30-06 head stamp was in 1934, 18 years after its introduction. Winchester marked their rifles "30 Gov't 06" till 1950. Remington barrel stamped their rifles "30 Springfield 1906" well into the 1930's at least. In African and in Europe it was simply known as the 30 Springfield.

She sure is purdy Mr Burp

i like your old Colt but that 1895 in .30 Army (or .30 U.S.) is one of my bucket list guns! I don't think that there is any game in North America that you can't take with a 220 grain .30-40 Krag cartridge.

Enjoy it, I know that I would!!

I've got a 1895 Win marked 30GOVT06 made in the 1930s. It
is one of my favorite woods deer guns. Someone is always pestering me to buy it. I been offered a lot more than $500 for
mine. My hunting buddies think I'm nuts for not selling it but it
makes me happy. I have had a few 95s and have been looking
for a nice 405 for several years. I bought one of the remakes and
didn't like it, just didn't feel "real" The last one I looked at was
303 Brit, barrel was pitted and price to high. Any decent 1895
will be $1K+ at shows, even with bad bores and no blue.

Wyatt, from the looks of the extra holes I would assume it once wore a Lyman 21 ladder sight. I have owned several 1895's over the decades and liked everyone of them. The 1895 saddle ring carbine in 30/40 was a Texas Ranger accessory.

Whats the barrel length? You plan on takin' mules/whitetail with it?

Nice trade, love those old Winchesters. 30-40 is still a good round today.

By the way $500 in 1957 is equivalent to $4400 in today's money.

You may be interested to know that TR and his son Kermit used .30-40 and .405 M-95's on their African safari and that a British fellow in India used a .405 to hunt man-eating tigers and leopards. (Kenneth Anderson. His books are recommended.)

Have any of you bought one of the Miroku repros for Browning or Winchester? Some came in high grades, with excellent engraving and fine wood.

Texas:

I have one of the Miroku Winchester branded Model 92s, and it is elegant. I got it fairly cheap, as the guy who bought it brand new, took it home and his young son wanted to look at it, and dropped it and put a really big ding in the beautiful stock!! Never shot it, he just couldn't stand to look at it...sold it to me. Shoots and functions perfectly.

Anyway, the quality of manufacturing is excellent. Some folks poke fun ago them, call them pejorative names, but the only thing I could find to complain about is they slightly modified the works so it has a rebounding hammer and a safety. For the price that I got it for, I have learned to live with these failings.

Also have a Browning 22 Auto loader that was made by Miroku, and it is also beautiful, just as nicely machined as the Belgian made versions.

Sorry, Wyatt, you have a beautiful gun there!! Didn't mean to thread drift!! I think that you made a great trade!!

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

I think you made a great trade!

The Model 1895 Winchester has a proud history, with no less a fan than President Theodore Roosevelt, who used a .405 version in Africa.

By coincidence, the next issue of Dillon's Blue Press catalog/magazine will feature an article I wrote on the Model 1895. That will be the "August 2017" issue. Subscriptions are free by calling 1-800-223-4570 and asking.

John





Arizona Rangers - 1903 - almost exclusively armed with M1895 carbines in .30/40 Krag caliber:

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

A trade I would have made in a New York minute. I was advised when young to find myself a .30-40 because it would "shoot clean through a telephone pole". Came up with a sporterized Krag and proved it to myself. Also could go end to end in a whitetail.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

That's the sight we figured was on it. I like those, though I'm glad it's not this rifle now. I'd have still done the trade if it had the sight.

In CA. we have a handgun safety certificate you have to buy that lasts five years. It's $25. I didn't bring it to the gun shop to make the trade because I was getting a rifle. Well, I didn't know that there's a new stupid law where you need it to buy a rifle now, too. So I had to run home and get it. All that for a 117 year old rifle!!!

One of the many reasons I moved to Nevada.

Wyatt:

You have to look at the big picture!! It's estimated that in Los Angeles alone, there are 120,000 gang members!! Since each one of them is armed, that means each one has to buy a $25.00 safety certificate, and that means that just in Los Angeles there is $3,000,000.00 revenue!!

Now, don't you feel better about things?

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Where is Arizona Ranger #26 ? Perhaps taking the photo ?

The only Ranger I can identify is the tall guy on the far left in the picture, who is Capt. Tom Rynning, then the boss of the Arizona Rangers. He specified the M1895 Winchester carbines for the group. In the picture, one guy is armed with a Krag carbine - I'm not sure if he was an ancestor of Gomer Pyle...

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -