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LOT 1018
Exceptional and Highly Desirable Antique
Special Order Winchester Deluxe Model 1895
Lever Action Short Rifle with Factory Letter -
Serial no. 8561, 30-40 Krag cal., 22 inch round bbl.,
blue finish, walnut stock. Manufactured in 1898,
this is an incredible example of a special ordered
Winchester deluxe Model 1895 in a desirable short
rifle configuration. Winchester author and historian
George Madis approximates that only one out of
every 2,600 Model 1895s had a shorter than standard
barrel, one of every 1,100 had carving or checkering,
and one of every 1,600 had a special buttplate,
making this short rifle incredibly scarce. The last of the Winchester lever
actions designed by John Browning, the Model 1895 was designed with the
strength to handle the newest and most powerful smokeless cartridges of the
time, as well as having a totally redesigned magazine system capable of feeding
the popular cartridges of the period that were fitted with spitzer bullets. These rifles
were favored by many famous hunters and adventurers of the time including Theodore
Roosevelt, Garrit Forbes, Charles Cottar, and Stewart Edward White. The included factory letter
with this rifle confirms the caliber as .30, the 22 inch round barrel, plain trigger, Lyman hunting front and
sporting rear sights, and checkered wood with a hard rubber shotgun buttplate when received at the warehouse on
13 June 1898 and shipped two days later in order number 11054. Though unconfirmed, the original owner of the rifle may
have had the name “Stirling”, as it is lightly written in pencil inside the forearm. The left side of the receiver is marked with the
standard two-line address and patent markings, including the additional third line with the “AUG.23.98.” patent line, which
was just becoming standard. The barrel has the nickel steel marking on the upper left and the caliber marking on top at the
breech. The upper tang has the trademark and model marking, and the lower tang is marked with the serial number. The
left side of the lower tang is marked “713 S R”, and “713” is repeated in the stock inlet. It is fitted with a Lyman “hunting” front
sight with ivory bead (bead slightly chipped) and an elevation adjustable No. 22 notch rear sight. It is mounted with a very
attractive, straight grain, H-pattern checkered Schnabel tip forearm with an ebony insert at the tip and a checkered straight
grip stock with a checkered, hard rubber shotgun buttplate with the Winchester logo at the center.
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