How Many here currently own/shoot a .50-95 WCF?

[Hobie]

I was wondering (after my post on the .45-75 got so little response), how many here might now own (or had owned) a reproduction or original rifle chambered for the .50-95 Winchester Center Fire and do (did) any of you rely on factory/custom loaded ammunition? I know there were several who were talking about getting one. As always you need not post to be counted...

[RIHMFIRE]

looked at one last january....uberti....but could not pull the trigger to buy it...
I wanted the 45-60...and still do!

[Don McDowell]

I would like a 75, not particularly interested in the 50... Trying to find it in this stupid machine but I did take a picture of both TR's 50 and the one he gave his friend that are in the museum at the park in Modera..

[Ray Newman]

Don't have 'no' 50-95 WCF, but does the .50-70 Gov't. count??

[Hobie]

Don't have 'no' 50-95 WCF, but does the .50-70 Gov't. count??

Just talking about the .50-95 WCF. We can start another topic on the .50-70.

[Mike D.]

One of these days I'll pick up a .50-95, but it'll have to be after a .50-110 EL is located and fetched.

[Rafe Covington]

Bought a 40-60 WCF and a 50-95 WCF about 3 months ago, really enjoy shooting the 50-95. I have been using 5744 with a 350 gr bullet, getting 2 to 3 inch grps at 75 yds so far. I hope to do better as I want to use it on a hog hunt.

SINGLESHOT

[Chuck 100 yd]

I shoot mine with 350 gr cast Lyman bullets and 13 gr. Trail boss. Almost no recoil and nice little 1" to 1 1/2" groups at 50 yd.
A fun gun!! IIRC , I get around 1135 fps with 14 gr.
14 grains shoots just the same so I decided to stay with 13.

[Shasta]

If and when I see reloading components become readily available and reasonably priced, I will invest in a .50-95.

For the time being, I am really enjoying my .45-60. It's very easy to make brass from .45-70, and I'm casting my own bullets, so this one is fairly cheap to shoot.

SHASTA

[Don McDowell]

If and when I see reloading components become readily available and reasonably priced, I will invest in a .50-95.

For the time being, I am really enjoying my .45-60. It's very easy to make brass from .45-70, and I'm casting my own bullets, so this one is fairly cheap to shoot.

SHASTA

http://www.jamisoninternational.com/pro ... 095wcf.htm

[Cimarron]

I was wondering (after my post on the .45-75 got so little response), how many here might now own (or had owned) a reproduction or original rifle chambered for the .50-95 Winchester Center Fire and do (did) any of you rely on factory/custom loaded ammunition? I know there were several who were talking about getting one. As always you need not post to be counted...

I guess I missed your .45-75 post. Thats what I recently (last June) bought. It's a 28" barrel Cimarron and so far I have really enjoyed it. I've just been working up smokless loads with 292g and 350g bullets. I just wish there were more (actually any) reloading sources that gave the cup or psi for various loads. I also wish Uberti would publish what the maximum safe chamber pressure is for these rifles. Oh yeah, I don't really want a .50-95 as I already shoot .50-70 and .50-2 1/2" Sharps.

[Winnetou]

I own an Uberti (Cimarron) 1876 in .50-95. The options in the poll did not quite fit, for although I have so far shot only commercially loaded ammunition (Ten-X BPC [Triple-Seven, I understand] and Buffalo Arms black powder), I have everything needed to reload for the calibre, but have not had the opportunity to do so. Never the less, I selected the “factory ammunition” option.

I mounted on the rifle an exactly period correct tang sight, made by Riflesmith/Axtell Rifle Company. The rifle side of the business (1877 model Sharps) was recently sold off, but supposedly sight manufacturing was to continue. However, the web-site has ceased to exist, and Buffalo Arms no longer stock Riflesmith sights. This is a most unfortunate situation; I know of no other source for replicas of early Winchester tang sights.

[Hobie]

I mounted on the rifle an exactly period correct tang sight, made by Riflesmith/Axtell Rifle Company. The rifle side of the business (1877 model Sharps) was recently sold off, but supposedly sight manufacturing was to continue. However, the web-site has ceased to exist, and Buffalo Arms no longer stock Riflesmith sights. This is a most unfortunate situation; I know of no other source for replicas of early Winchester tang sights.

Dang! I didn't know that. That's too bad.

[Don McDowell]

While not the quality of Carm's sights you can get winchester styled sights from www.jeffsoutfitters.com

[Winnetou]

Jeff’s Outfitters is a good resource, but the Winchester tang sight they carry is one particular style, and even that may not conform exactly to any of the original sights. The Riflesmith line had thick and thin base versions to fit all early Winchester models, and sights with and without the elevation adjustment screw (the latter perhaps more common in the original period).

The following was posted by Idaho Sharpshooter on the ASSRA single-shot rifle forum in October:

Carmen Axtell; alive and well...

10/13/10 at 22:58:21

I have heard upwards of a dozen conflicting rumors about Carmen, including that she passed away. So, I called her about fifteen minutes ago.

Here is the deal: in June she sold the rifle making end of the business to Shiloh Sharps who will be putting the 1877 back into production as soon as they can.

She is still making the original line of rifle sights. All of them. They are also doing work, including restorations on all types of single shot rifles.

Bill never missed a day at the shop.

For those interested, she will be taking a couple rifles to the big Reno show Nov 5-7 to sell.

Given that those rifles were all hand made by one of two men in her shop and now are gone, the value is increasing. As might be expected.

The phone number is still 406-842-5814. The website is gone, too much hassle with inquiries about buying a rifle, etc. She is enjoying retirement of a sort, but still doing the sights end of it.

She has asked me to pass along this information to her friends and past and future customers.

Rich

It is possible for an enterprise to function without a web-site, though it is a poor business decision—especially if a site had existed previously, since customers may reasonably assume that the firm is out of business.

But the critical factor is the total lack of stock of Riflesmith sights at the leading retailer Buffalo Arms. Those who seek an early Winchester tang sight might try telephoning the number cited above.

The Buffalo Arms web-site is down at the moment; I hope that this is not another precursor of bad news........

Edit: Buffalo Arms web-site is back up.

[Hobie]

Thanks for that updated information...

[Don McDowell]

What sort of rumor mongering idiot would of thought Carm was dead Good lord the stuff that some folks come up with.
Don't understand the nitpickyness about whether or not a particular sight might be a true winchester when talking about sticking the thing on a UrOpeeon import but whatever makes the world go round I spoze.

[Hobie]

What sort of rumor mongering idiot would of thought Carm was dead Good lord the stuff that some folks come up with.
Don't understand the nitpickyness about whether or not a particular sight might be a true winchester when talking about sticking the thing on a UrOpeeon import but whatever makes the world go round I spoze.

Don,

The living history folks can be quite particular to the point that they might acknowledge needing to buy a reproduction firearm but spend some real money getting an expert to "defarb" the gun, i.e. remove all modern, incorrect markings. Used to be, and you probably remember this, that the reenactors (well certain ones anyway) were so dead set on being "realistic" that they thought only an original firearm would do. When they couldn't afford one, they'd age it to make it look as though it had survived since 1865. Thing is, if they truly were in that time period, the firearm would have been new issue or close to it...

It is that same reasoning pattern that goes from missing web site and product line at former retailer to business closed to owner dead.

To change the subject somewhat back to where we were...

Ms. Axtell's dumping of the web site wasn't such a good business move. Even a very basic site provides address, phone, business hours and a current product/service list. It can all be on one page. We wish her the best.

To move further back on topic... Has anyone had one of the .50-95 rifles reconfigured as a "cat" rifle. I.e. 22-24" half-round or round barrel, half-magazine, shotgun butt...?

[hfcable]

1876 50/95 express rifle:









i load for it but have only got to shoot it a little bit. had 4 back surgeries in last two years, last one a fusion june 30th. now i am doing well and will get caught up on my shooting chores. would like to take this one on a buffalo hunt, tho it isnt the ideal round for it, but i suspect it will work.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Now, THAT is a sweet rifle!

[Winnetou]

Well, I consider that if replica firearms are very faithful to the original design and construction, and made to the same level of quality, then they are, for all practical purposes, a continuation of production—regardless of where that production takes place. Even original manufacturers who still make old models—for example Colt’s and the SAA—are making them with different machines and personnel, often in different locations. A currently manufactured SAA is essentially in the same category as an Uberti 1876.

If a shooter selects a Model 1876 rifle—whether made by Winchester or Uberti—then it is quite reasonable to desire sights of the kind designed and manufactured for the Model 1876.

It is not clear which Winchester rifles the Jeff’s Outfitters tang sight was made for. Different models had different receiver to upper tang angles, and a tang sight is meant to stand upright with the base at a particular angle. The Model 1876 has less drop than the Model 1873, for example.

HF Cable’s lovely original 1876 above is essentially in the “cat gun” format. And it is interesting how many of the .50-95 rifles were ordered with shotgun butts.

[Hobie]

Doc,

That's what I'm talkin' about! What a neat rifle!!!

[hfcable]

Doc,

That's what I'm talkin' about! What a neat rifle!!!

Thanks Hobie and Winnetou; this is i think my finest gun by any measure. it is the type often seen with british proofs that went to India and Africa, though a fair number stayed on this continent- like the one Teddy Roosevelt is seen holding in a famous picture.
Maybe i should go on a jaguar hunt too?

[Don McDowell]

Ms. Axtell's dumping of the web site wasn't such a good business move. Even a very basic site provides address, phone, business hours and a current product/service list. It can all be on one page. We wish her the best.

Carm sold the entire thing to Shiloh.(Common knowledge among the bpcr community) She also made no bones about retiring and enjoying it when folks asked her at her boot at the Quigley... Shiloh had no committed to making any of the stuff, and to my knowledge still haven't. So the dumping of the website isn't any big surprise no point in having a website for stuff that is no more.....
Track of the Wolf also carried a good selection of her sights, so checking with those folks isn't all that bad of an idea.

[Winnetou]

Yes, it is well known that the 1877 Sharps operation was sold to Shiloh. But if the information I posted above, from the ASSRA forum, is accurate, then Carmen Axtell still making the Riflesmith line of sights—in which case, a web-site for that business would be almost de rigeur these days. To advertise a paper catalogue in firearms publications would cost far more, and reach fewer potential customers.

My current schedule makes telephoning during business hours inconvenient, so I can not confirm that the sights are still in production. The evidence is against it. Buffalo Arms no longer stock any of the sights, meaning that they have likely sold out all models. I had looked at the Track of the Wolf web-site; they have one or two types (not Winchester) left in stock, but state explicitly that the line is being discontinued.

Alas, there is no true replacement for that splendid line of sights. It might have been a good idea to purchase several to have on hand.