Interesting rifle and chambering

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

the 405 has disappointed many on water buffalo in oz.
they read about Roosevelt using one and think it is a nitro express, much to their chagrin.
the krag cartridge is neck and neck with the 303 with similar wt bullets.
bruce.

@bruce moulds
My gunsmith has a reamer for a Krag improved. Would work well fixing up a sloppy SMLE chamber.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bruce,
Maybe they should learn to shoot accurately and shoot the game in the right place. And possibly load bullets suited to the game hunted.

A down under friend of mine, Peter, has taken banteng, waterbuff, hogs, deer, etc in country.
(Even Craig Boddingon and daughter took water buff there with the .405.)
Peter has also taken cape buff and such in Africa, and water buff, elk, and others in Texas (lots of exotic ranches where we hunted together).
His 1895 .405 sports a scope mounted by the first owner who used it to take cape buff and other game in Africa.

Even I have used mine on water buff, cape buff(400 grain Woodies), Nilgai,, and many critters of lesser stature.

Certainly, the rifle and cartridge are not best for every hunter, but have long been proven on medium, large, and dangerous game.

Perttime,
loading the magazine with rimmed cartridges, especially on the run, must be done properly or a jam will occur. Clearing the jam, especially with a pocket knife and on the run, can be very frustrating, but can be done. IMHO, this would be a valid objection for a battle rifle.

@crs
The Peter you know in OZ wouldn't be Peter Richards per chance. He doesn't a lot of hunting with his 405 and has even taken bison in the US.
Bob

 

[Hunter4752001]

From what I have read, Finland acquired/captured a large amount of Winchester 1895 in 7.62x54R from the Russians. The 9.3x53R was a common Finish moose round based on the 7.62x54R cartridge. Many Mosin Nagants and Winchester 1895s were re barreled to the 9.3x53R cartridge for sporting use. I'm not sure, but I think Sako may still be making ammo for it. Not very common outside Scandinavia.
Note: There are differences between the Finish 9.3x53R and a similar cartridge produced in Russia.

 

[Fastrig]

@Kawshik Rahman
My dear friend Kawshik you are certainly correct that the model 95 Winchester was chambered for the Russian cartridge the 7.62x54R. It also had a full length fore end and was called the Muskatoon. A friend of mine has around 20 different model 95 Winchester in an array of calibers including the 30/40 Krag, 303 British, 405 Winchester and quite a few more calibers.
Bob
I pray you are keeping safe and well my friend.

Never owned a model 1895, but hunt white tail with a model 1873 in 45 Colt using 225g Hornady Lever Evolution ammo. That’s a lot of fun and that old, slow moving 45 Colt drops a white tail nicely, inside 100 yards. I’ve been itching for a new lever action and looking at a couple of Marlins, one being a 1895SBL in 45-70 that would make a great guide/saddle gun.

 

[Scrumbag]

Scrumbag,
This is most interesting. I apologise to any American gentleman for labelling them or attempting to fit them into a particular stereotype , as it is not my intention . However , l have always thought of an under - lever rifle as being purely an American tool and l have difficulty picturing English gentlemen holding them . In my mind whenever l think of an under-lever rifle , l think of my favorite American actor , John Wayne in " Stage Coach " ( an excellent film ) holding a model 1892 from Winchester in .44-40 bore calibre .

Dear Mr Rahman,

There are a few Brits starting to use lever actions more and I believe there are a couple of reasons:

1) Going on driven boar hunts is becoming more popular so things like Browning BLRs and Henry Long Rangers are becoming popular for "pointy" bullets (with the occasional 1895)

2) Things like 45-70 and 444 Marlin for tube fed rifles and boar

3) 357 Mag and 44 mag can be shot on the old pistol ranges in the UK and 357 can be loaded up legal levels to shoot the smaller deer species we have (Chinese Water Deer and Muntjac @ 1,000 ftlbs) and .44 mag can be loaded up to legal levels for roe / fallow / red and sika (1,700 ftlbs).

Scrummy

 

[Fastrig]

Dear Mr Rahman,

There are a few Brits starting to use lever actions more and I believe there are a couple of reasons:

1) Going on driven boar hunts is becoming more popular so things like Browning BLRs and Henry Long Rangers are becoming popular for "pointy" bullets (with the occasional 1895)

2) Things like 45-70 and 444 Marlin for tube fed rifles and boar

3) 357 Mag and 44 mag can be shot on the old pistol ranges in the UK and 357 can be loaded up legal levels to shoot the smaller deer species we have (Chinese Water Deer and Muntjac @ 1,000 ftlbs) and .44 mag can be loaded up to legal levels for roe / fallow / red and sika (1,700 ftlbs).

Scrummy

I’ve got a 1873 model chambered in 357 mag. Tons of fun at the range and will definitely take a white tail. Cheap to shoot and can use 38 rounds which you can get for 18 cents a shot if you just want to plink at targets without breaking the bank. Lever actions may be Americana but folks shouldn’t turn their noses on them, us Yanks do come up with a good product once in a while

 

[crs]

"The Peter you know in OZ wouldn't be Peter Richards per chance. He doesn't a lot of hunting with his 405 and has even taken bison in the US.
Bob "

Indeed it is and he is a fine fellow. I hunted with him three times and had one vacation dinner with him and his wife when they toured the USA. He even used some of my North Fork .405 hand loads on an elk and maybe on his Bison in Texas. On his first trip to hunt Texas, we even "range tested" his scoped 1895 .405 for him with my ammo on the ranch shooting range before he arrived; very accurate and very deadly.

How do you know Peter?

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I’ve got a 1873 model chambered in 357 mag. Tons of fun at the range and will definitely take a white tail. Cheap to shoot and can use 38 rounds which you can get for 18 cents a shot if you just want to plink at targets without breaking the bank. Lever actions may be Americana but folks shouldn’t turn their noses on them, us Yanks do come up with a good product once in a while

@Fastrig
One of their best was the Winchester lowall and hiwall. Simplisity at its finest and extremely accurate.
Bob

 

[Forrest Halley]

I've got an 1873 chambered in .45 Colt and short stroked...it is very fast and spits lead very quickly. It is also a weak action that I wouldn't want to out a lot of pressure into. I have an extra elevator block to shoot shorter shells and it is very fun.

 

[Forrest Halley]

@Fastrig look up a fellow named Don Jones aka Cody Connagher and Bill English. One short strokes '73's and the other manufactures a block that will let you shoot .38short Colt brass. Really fun and great for new shooters learning.

 

[Spooksar]

scrumbag
l have personally had a client bring a Winchester model 1895 under - lever rifle in .30-06 Springfield calibre . Another resident Indian hunter had an old Winchester model 1895 re-chambered and re-barrelled to use the the local Indian Ordinance Factories .315 bore cartridge ( which is a clone of the 8 millimeter mannlicher cartridge ) . The late American President , Colonel Theodore Roosevelt owned a Winchester model 1895 calibrated for the .405 Winchester cartridge . l have been told by more than one of my Russian friends , that some consignments of Winchester model 1895 rifles were even calibrated for the Russian service cartridge many years ago .
In your case , l would suspect that the rifle was re-barrelled to use that particular calibre.

I believe Winchester made more 1895 rifles in 7.62x54 then any other caliber. It was a run for the Russian military. I have a bunch of them in various calibers.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I've got an 1873 chambered in .45 Colt and short stroked...it is very fast and spits lead very quickly. It is also a weak action that I wouldn't want to out a lot of pressure into. I have an extra elevator block to shoot shorter shells and it is very fun.

@ Forrest Halley
If'n y'all want really fast get a 92 Winchester and put a screw in the lever like the old Rifleman tv shows. Now that's fast for a lever.
Bob

 

[Forrest Halley]

@ Forrest Halley
If'n y'all want really fast get a 92 Winchester and put a screw in the lever like the old Rifleman tv shows. Now that's fast for a lever.
Bob

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen
The 92 is difficult to run fast as the rounds start to pop out the top. The '73 is truly the CRF of lever guns. The secret to speed with the '73 is a light trigger, loose index finger and splitting the middle and ring fingers on either side of the lever loop. This turns the arc into an almost vertical motion and produces the machine gun like speed you see. As the lever closes, the momentum causes the index finger to slap the trigger much like a closed bolt full auto camming shut releases the sear.
As always a fine day to you folks down under!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen
The 92 is difficult to run fast as the rounds start to pop out the top. The '73 is truly the CRF of lever guns. The secret to speed with the '73 is a light trigger, loose index finger and splitting the middle and ring fingers on either side of the lever loop. This turns the arc into an almost vertical motion and produces the machine gun like speed you see. As the lever closes, the momentum causes the index finger to slap the trigger much like a closed bolt full auto camming shut releases the sear.
As always a fine day to you folks down under!

@Forrest Halley
Have a look at you tube about the start of the Rifleman tv shows.
Bob.

 

[RayAtkinson]

I d look at having it rechambered to a 9.3x62, the 95 take to that caliber like a fish in water..

 

[Scrumbag]

I’ve got a 1873 model chambered in 357 mag. Tons of fun at the range and will definitely take a white tail. Cheap to shoot and can use 38 rounds which you can get for 18 cents a shot if you just want to plink at targets without breaking the bank. Lever actions may be Americana but folks shouldn’t turn their noses on them, us Yanks do come up with a good product once in a while

Oh no, they are indeed fun and handy guns!

I think for a long time as hunting arms the police were a bit difficult to put them on licenses.

Scrummu

 

[Timbo]

My Dad was 7yrs old when he pinched his father's 405W and shot the leopard that was eating his pet guinea pigs. He got a hiding for shooting the leopard, but my grandfather had the hide mounted and displayed on the wall all the same!!

 

[MS 9x56]

Leslie, the 30-40 Krag was not for me either, but I do like the 1895 rifles in other calibers.

My Winchester 1895 .405 filled a gap in my arsenal that was unknown to me before I fired a .405 belonging to a friend; sweet!
Now I have two 1895 .405s and one Simson .405 sxs double rifle. I really like the way the 300 grain bullets swat down critters from wild boar to red deer and water buffalo. The action is even smoother than my 1886 .45-90 and almost as smooth as my 100+ year old 1892. Plus, the 400 grain ammo elevates the game nicely for bigger and badder game.

I have an affliction for 100 year old guns. Makes one feel all warm And fuzzy bringing them back and using them as they were intended to be used.

 

[sestoppelman]

@ Forrest Halley
If'n y'all want really fast get a 92 Winchester and put a screw in the lever like the old Rifleman tv shows. Now that's fast for a lever.
Bob

I loved that show and they still put reruns on from time to time, usually on Saturday mornings. Only thing bugs me though is that the design is meant to fire the rifle upon closing the lever. Period. But Ol Lucas was forever spinning the thing around for dramatic effect and closing the lever, but not firing the rifle! If the rifle is loaded, it will fire upon closing.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Lucas McCain could fire his rifle that fast, but Chuck Conners could not, so they modified the rifle for rapid fire scenes.
I’ve seen Lucas aim and fire the rifle with the trigger in the show. I bet there was two rifles.