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I am finishing up on the 1895 project in 30-40. This one is made in the 2nd year of production. I bought this a couple years as a project with a cut down butt stock, the barrel was shortened and a ramp side was soldered on. It had been reblued at one time , even though it was worn the metal was in good shape with no pitting, I am sucker for taking on rescuing leverguns and bringing them back from a life of disrepair. I paid $550 for the gun, I walked away from it once because it was too much for the work required, but was lured back to it a couple weeks later. When would I ever find a 1895 flat side again at that price.
It originally had a rifle stock that was not salvageable. I had a shotgun style inletted stock for my 1895 in 35 Win and the metal claw butt plate. So after about 10 hours of filing and fitting it was complete. The fore end was in good shape just required sanding and then about 15 coats of boiled linseed oil with about 2 days standing time between coats next to the wood stove. The barrel I had square cut at 24 inches and the correct style blade sight soldered on. The person who does my bluing talked to me into a matte blue because the high polish bluing was not common until after 1900. I didn't like it at first but it has grown on me.
When I compare these two 1895's. The flatside is lighter and balances a little farther forward than the later model because of the lighter receiver. It is 1.25 pounds heavier than my Winchester model 1894. The next step is file a front sight to be pinned into the front sight slot. Then start working on loads. I have 180 grain loads for the Krag and Remington Lee. But I do have a bunch of 165 gr interlocks that I would like to try. So this is not a collector gun but I have much less money into this than any other flat side that I have seen. Some people might think it was not money well spent. I do know it entertained me for many hours, so there is that. But what I do know for sure, is that it will go back to the woods and it will kill deer.
For now it will sit behind the wood stove for a while and finish curing the linseed oil finish. Then next deer hunting season I will take it hunting with a little pride in my step knowing that I am the cool kid in the woods hunting with a Winchester 1895 flat side.
Jeepnik AKA "Old Eyes"
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad
Ben....it's an original to which you'll always get your money out of and while walking in the woods, you will fell better knowing it made by citizens that are free to own guns.........you did well and made the right choice with the subdued look......don't get the stock too shiny....
You don't see many flat sides......probably only one out of a thousand hunters will recognize it's significance.
Take it out and use it as much as possible and get some wear on it......you can hurry that up with lead removal cloths......
I have a few '95's and two are in 30-40. I've shot thousands of Lyman 220's out of them at 1600.....with a "climbing Lyman 21", they are minute of pumpkin out to 500 meters.....----006
BenT wrote: ↑Tue Dec 27, 2022 8:19 pm
The flatside is lighter and balances a little farther forward than the later model because of the lighter receiver.
That's interesting. I had assumed the later 95's were scalloped in order to reduce the weight of the receiver in areas where the strength was less critical. You're saying the earlier "flatside" is the lighter receiver though. Perhaps they beefed the later receivers up and then made cuts to remove some weight? Just curioius. I have that book on the 1895 ... maybe I should go find the part on the flatside version.
... I love poetry, long walks on the beach, and poking dead things with a stick.
Looks like a good shooter rescue. As far a bluing Winchester used Rust bluing on barrels and mag tubes on all rifles and carbines and charcoal bluing on the receiver later furnace bluing until 1938.
All early guns until pre WW1 were highly polished resulting in a mirror sheen . later guns post WW1 were more matte but still heat blued by furnace/charcoal.
Du Lite dip blue came out 1938.
Last edited by Pat C on Fri Dec 30, 2022 8:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
BenT wrote: ↑Tue Dec 27, 2022 8:19 pm
The flatside is lighter and balances a little farther forward than the later model because of the lighter receiver.
That's interesting. I had assumed the later 95's were scalloped in order to reduce the weight of the receiver in areas where the strength was less critical. You're saying the earlier "flatside" is the lighter receiver though. Perhaps they beefed the later receivers up and then made cuts to remove some weight? Just curioius. I have that book on the 1895 ... maybe I should go find the part on the flatside version.
The flat side receiver is 1.265 wide while the later ones are 1.380. They beefed up the receiver for harder hitting calibers. On the flat side the bolt is not as robust and the single piece lever also adds to it being lighter. Roughly the first 5000 were flat sides out of the almost 300K run of 1895's.
