Advice for getting into an original Winchester 1895 in .405 Win or .35 Win

[Malpasowildlifer]

It is time to get a '95 in .405!

Like anything old and cool, they're going to be pricey. It looks like anything with checkering on the stock and fore end is going to be over $5,000.

I'd like once with an original Lyman sight. Is that something that should be a deal breaker if it doesn't have one? ....I guess it comes down to how much I want the sight.

A good friend got into one for a decent price, from Boise Gun too which I've heard is rare: a .405 with not too much wear, shotgun buttstock and Lyman sight. He said the shotgun buttstock are a little less $. I told him it doesn't have that iconic old Winchester lever gun look, but he said it absorbs a little more recoil.

This is something I'd like to use a little. Some have said to get the .35 Winchester as it shoots a little more flat and has a little less recoil. It seems I see those more and are a bit less than a .405. I assume brass would be even more tough to find.

Any advice? Thanks in advance.

 

[THREEDFLYER]

The 95' is one of my favorite Winchesters.....mine is in 30-40.
There is brass/bullets out there for either of the calibers you mentioned.
Yes, the Lyman sight you mention is a plus in my book.
The shotgun butt is a good choice as well, not as common and more comfortable when shooting the big rounds.
Good luck!

 

[35Rem]

The 405 is being made now. The 35 Winchester is obsolete.
I love the 1895

However, I'm cheap and would rather have an easy to find and cheap to shoot caliber. 30-06

 

[Old 44 Guy]

I've owned & shot a Model 95 in 35 WCF since 1954. It came with loading dies & some brass. Found brass in different places & handloads are easy on the brass.Took my first Elk back in 1959 & the old 35 did it with one shot. I did find some HiVel #2 powder a while back that works just fine in the 35. With a 250 Gr. Hornaday it does the job.

 

[jpage]

Saw a .35 WCF in a local gun shop, I can see if it's still there if You are interested.

 

[bmcgilvray]

I've owned and shot a '95 Winchester .405 since 1984. The one here was produced in 1905, the first year that the 95 was offered in .405. I've shot it quite a bit off and on over the years. The .405 shoots quite flat for 200 yards or so. Recoil is all it's cracked up to be. The reputation of the .405 is not exaggerated in a rifle weighing only 8 1/2 lbs., having a stock that's too short, has too much drop, and has a thin curved steel butt plate. Still, it's glorious to shoot and 10 rounds or so off the bench rest is tolerable.

A Lyman sight would be a distinct shooting aid but the side mount makes the sight pretty hideous to look and and detracts from the rifle's appearance. It required the receiver to be tapped for extra holes and collectors don't appreciate that. My Model '95 has the hole so once wore the sight. It's still good for 2 to 3 inch groups at 100 yards.

One neato thing about the .405 is that one may get great accuracy using .41 Magnum revolver component bullets in it. In fact I have one lucky 5-shot group at 100 yards that went slightly under 2-inches, the best the rifle has ever done, using the Sierra 220 grain "Silhouette" bullet. The .41 Magnum bullets make for great reduced loads for fun shooting.

 

[Fat Frank]

I have had several Model 95s in 30US (.30-40). My favorite one was a rare special order from 1898. It lettered with 6 special features: Fancy checkered walnut, 24" bbl (Std. for .30-40 was 28"), Lyman fr sight, Lyman rear receiver sight, carbine style buttplate, and no milling in bbl for rear sight. It had enough old honest wear on it so I didn't have a problem carrying it, hunting with it or shooting it. It was pretty darn accurate, too. I would sure love to have it back. I had 2 or 3 different hand loads worked up for different bullet weights. The .30-40 is an old handloaders' favorite and is extremely versatile.

I also put a lot of miles on a 1905 vintage .405. It had been restocked and had a nice solid red buttpad and sling swivels, but an otherwise std rifle. It did just fine taking a nice black bear at 100 yds with the open sights. I would trust it for anything in North America out to 150yds. I never intend on shooting anything further than that anyway. That's where the "hunting" part comes in. Also,.405 ammo is available new, and brass can be had for reloading. I never had a .35 as I felt it kinda fell in between the .30 and .405 and ammo was harder to come by. Reloading is doable, but a bit trickier. If ammo was readily available, I think it would be a great all-arounder.

Since one of mine had the Lyman receiver sight and the other had standard open sights, I was used to either/both. I suppose the rec. sight gave a bit of advantage, with longer sight distance, but I never felt disadvantaged without it on the .405. For me, it wouldn't be a deal breaker either way.

I haven't seen one of the "new" reintroduced models (Browning/Miroku), and some seem to enjoy them, but they're not for me. I would only have an original, but that's just me. I have no opinion on them otherwise. Just sayin'.
Whatever or not you decide on this one (the .35), good luck on getting a good one and I know you will enjoy it. Cheers!

 

[STCM(SW)]

So, it's new......

 

[Malpasowildlifer]

Saw a .35 WCF in a local gun shop, I can see if it's still there if You are interested.

Copy thanks, but I think I'll go with a .405 Win. Thanks for the reply.

I've owned and shot a '95 Winchester .405 since 1984. The one here was produced in 1905, the first year that the 95 was offered in .405. I've shot it quite a bit off and on over the years. The .405 shoots quite flat for 200 yards or so. Recoil is all it's cracked up to be. The reputation of the .405 is not exaggerated in a rifle weighing only 8 1/2 lbs., having a stock that's too short, has too much drop, and has a thin curved steel butt plate. Still, it's glorious to shoot and 10 rounds or so off the bench rest is tolerable.

A Lyman sight would be a distinct shooting aid but the side mount makes the sight pretty hideous to look and and detracts from the rifle's appearance. It required the receiver to be tapped for extra holes and collectors don't appreciate that. My Model '95 has the hole so once wore the sight. It's still good for 2 to 3 inch groups at 100 yards.

One neato thing about the .405 is that one may get great accuracy using .41 Magnum revolver component bullets in it. In fact I have one lucky 5-shot group at 100 yards that went slightly under 2-inches, the best the rifle has ever done, using the Sierra 220 grain "Silhouette" bullet. The .41 Magnum bullets make for great reduced loads for fun shooting.

Good to know about your experience with groups and distance; I thought it was a 100 yard max caliber. I'm kind of a .41 Magnum fanatic, so that'll help. I haven't had that much experience with accurate lever rifles, so I'd think a Lyman sight would be great for maximizing groups?

I have had several Model 95s in 30US (.30-40). My favorite one was a rare special order from 1898. It lettered with 6 special features: Fancy checkered walnut, 24" bbl (Std. for .30-40 was 28"), Lyman fr sight, Lyman rear receiver sight, carbine style buttplate, and no milling in bbl for rear sight. It had enough old honest wear on it so I didn't have a problem carrying it, hunting with it or shooting it. It was pretty darn accurate, too. I would sure love to have it back. I had 2 or 3 different hand loads worked up for different bullet weights. The .30-40 is an old handloaders' favorite and is extremely versatile.

I also put a lot of miles on a 1905 vintage .405. It had been restocked and had a nice solid red buttpad and sling swivels, but an otherwise std rifle. It did just fine taking a nice black bear at 100 yds with the open sights. I would trust it for anything in North America out to 150yds. I never intend on shooting anything further than that anyway. That's where the "hunting" part comes in. Also,.405 ammo is available new, and brass can be had for reloading. I never had a .35 as I felt it kinda fell in between the .30 and .405 and ammo was harder to come by. Reloading is doable, but a bit trickier. If ammo was readily available, I think it would be a great all-arounder.

Since one of mine had the Lyman receiver sight and the other had standard open sights, I was used to either/both. I suppose the rec. sight gave a bit of advantage, with longer sight distance, but I never felt disadvantaged without it on the .405. For me, it wouldn't be a deal breaker either way.

I haven't seen one of the "new" reintroduced models (Browning/Miroku), and some seem to enjoy them, but they're not for me. I would only have an original, but that's just me. I have no opinion on them otherwise. Just sayin'.
Whatever or not you decide on this one (the .35), good luck on getting a good one and I know you will enjoy it. Cheers!

Cheers from Bishop, CA! Great photo of your rifle and trophy ram (Barbados ram?) I'd go with a reproduction as a shooter but I've heard from two guys who have owned reproductions in .405 said the trigger is hideous due to the tang safety and trigger cannot be improved by a gunsmith.

I have a Browning '95 in Krag that is in great shape.

I thought you'd be all about the '95 in .303 British? My buddy back home with the .405 said the ones in .303 British are rare in the 'states as many of them went to Canada, Rhodesia, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

 

[Fat Frank]

I thought you'd be all about the '95 in .303 British? My buddy back home with the .405 said the ones in .303 British are rare in the 'states as many of them went to Canada, Rhodesia, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

I'm in Australia now, but when I was totin' '95s around, I was living in Washington state and also carried the .30-40 around in the Tennessee woods looking for whitetail a few years before moving here. The Corsican Ram shown above was taken in Eastern Oregon on a 10,000 acre game ranch. They were as wild as anywhere else, just in a controlled area.

I made the tough decision to sell all my guns before moving here. When I was stationed here in the late 90's in the USAF, I saw first-hand how quickly (2 weeks) they could sign a new law and confiscate guns. I didn't want that to happen again and have to turn in my Winchesters for destruction. At least they still live on somewhere in North America.

I would sure like to replace them with similar ones one day. I miss them.

 

[Lee Barner]

toby, can you scan the picture of the black bear with the nice hole between the eyes? I still have a copy somewhere and have seen it in the last ten years. lee

 

[Fat Frank]

He was about 100 yds away on a fairly steep slope (facing uphill and towards my left) I aimed at his shoulder and just as I touched it off, he turned away from me. The bullet struck him in front of the shoulder, but since he was turning away, well you can see the exit wound. He was dead before the sound got to him.

wait, better yet ... he was charging towards me in teeth-snapping, roaring fury and just before he got to me I put him down with a shot right between the eyes! Yeah, that's the ticket...

I guess that's better than having to go after an angry wounded one, eh?

 

[BearBio]

Charles: Here's mine that I got here in Wenatchee a few years back. It's a 30-40. Found a sight in the "junk" box at a second shop.



Right after that, I found a 30-03 in a shop in Yakima but I didn't want to go to the trouble of having special dies made up (I figured I could fire-form brass but needed to get the dies).

Keep looking--they (like the truth) are out there!

 

[Lee Barner]

thanks Toby. all I could find this morning was the one of the mount in the gun shop in Kent. lee

 

[Hoosier45]

Get the .405

I have a 1904 made .405 and it is my favorite Winchester. They were first offered in 1903. If you are going to shoot it or hunt with Id recommend the shotgun butt. I'm a big guy and the crescent butt does not fit well. There is noticeable recoil but less than a 12 gauge in my opinion. In my opinion a shotgun butt is more desirable for that reason and I believe less were made with original shotgun butts. I also disagree with above posts about the climbin Lyman sights. They look great and unique to this model of Winchester, and actually increase the value of the rifle if period correct sights. I have a model 38 Lyman that is adjustable for windage whereas the model 21 Lyman is elevation adjustable only. As mentioned the .405 ammunition is more readily available.

 

[Malpasowildlifer]

I have a 1904 made .405 and it is my favorite Winchester. They were first offered in 1903. If you are going to shoot it or hunt with Id recommend the shotgun butt. I'm a big guy and the crescent butt does not fit well. There is noticeable recoil but less than a 12 gauge in my opinion. In my opinion a shotgun butt is more desirable for that reason and I believe less were made with original shotgun butts. I also disagree with above posts about the climbin Lyman sights. They look great and unique to this model of Winchester, and actually increase the value of the rifle if period correct sights. I have a model 38 Lyman that is adjustable for windage whereas the model 21 Lyman is elevation adjustable only. As mentioned the .405 ammunition is more readily available.

Good to know; I'm a big guy as well so the shotgun butt might be better. Didn't know that about the sights too. Nice to hear about the recoil; I thought it was supposed to be pretty bad.

Charles: Here's mine that I got here in Wenatchee a few years back. It's a 30-40. Found a sight in the "junk" box at a second shop.



Right after that, I found a 30-03 in a shop in Yakima but I didn't want to go to the trouble of having special dies made up (I figured I could fire-form brass but needed to get the dies).

Keep looking--they (like the truth) are out there!

Nice '95; was that the one One Shot had for a while at their old location?

 

[Fat Frank]

A little eye-candy, while you're waiting...

Winchester     Model 1895 Deluxe Rifle

Doesn't get any better than that.

 

[35Rem]

A half octagon barrel would be better. that's a beautiful rig

 

[jtcarm]

There's an outfit that performs re-bores to .405, so there is evidently brass out there, or some way of forming it.

Advice for getting into one? Take a second on the house maybe?

 

[bmcgilvray]

The Lyman sight on that beautiful Winchester De Luxe rifle would be so useful and practical but is so ugly.