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This gun has a little story and family history that goes with it. I bought it from a guy in Arizona. He last saw his father and great uncle shoot this gun when he was a boy in the 60’s. it hasn’t been shot since. He thinks it was bought new by his great grandfather. His great grand father and his grandfather were both physicians and rode to Mexico by horse back for a couple weeks every year. The rifle was always taken along in a saddle scabbard.
Circa 1911 .35 winchester with a 20″ barrel and a take down feature. Steel checkered buttplate. Climbin’ Lyman peep , folding rear and a sporting front sight. The lyman peep and front sight have been both been moved all the way to the right…I don’t know why. Maybe a left handed shooter trying to reduce recoil? Anyway, the buttstock has been refinished, but otherwise unmolested. I suppose the action has about 40% blue and the barrel about 75%. Tight snappy action, doesn’t seem to have been shot much. All the wear is consistent with a saddle scabbard, probably why the buttstock was refinished as well. Unfortunately the first 4″ of the bore in front of the chamber is pitted, but the rest of the bore is nice. Corrosive primers strike again. He sent along a dozen old cartridges that are interesting. They are FMJ, but have a steel pin in the nose. Seems I have seen something about these, but I don’t recall at the moment. I’m going to shoot this rifle if I can round up some jacketed 250gr projectiles, and see if it will shoot with the pitted area in front of the chamber. I never thought I’d have a shot at a ’95 short rifle!
Please excuse my crappy camera.
Great find. Appears original, & luckily it has a shotgun butt. 35WCF is up there with the big medicine.
RickC
RickC said
Great find. Appears original, & luckily it has a shotgun butt. 35WCF is up there with the big medicine.RickC
Shotgun butt will not help that gun. 95’s don’t manage recoil well. A few shots are OK after that you will need a pad. Believe me. Only a 45-70 or a 405 will kick as much.
Chuck said
Shotgun butt will not help that gun. 95’s don’t manage recoil well. A few shots are OK after that you will need a pad. Believe me. Only a 45-70 or a 405 will kick as much.
OH BOY! (not)
I’ll shoot it enough to see how it shoots, then not much after that. Not any large animals to shoot in Iowa besides cows….
I am really curious about the 20 inch barrel – if correct, it would be ultra rare – does anyone know of another? Even the 95 SRC’s were 22 inch and I can’t find anything about a barrel of 20 inches on a rifle. The Pirkle Book states “according to factory records, ten carbines were made with special barrel lengths of 20 inches and one carbine was made with a 25 inch barrel”. When you look at the photo of the gun standing up, the short barrel is really noticeable. The Madis Handbook does state, “as always, Winchester would furnish shorter than standard barrels although the demand was slight and Winchester discouraged shorter barrels”. If made in 1911, it would be too late for any factory authentication. Here is a photo of one of mine in .35 with the 24 inch barrel which was standard for the .35. I also have a .405 with a rifle butt but have never fired it – I have heard the recoil is wicked.
A very unusual looking ’95.
As far as shooting, I have several squishy slip-on recoil pads that I take to the range with me. They make a difference. Also, I have one of those PAST vests with a shoulder pad built in. Between the two, I can have a much more pleasurable range experience than I would otherwise.
steve004 said
A very unusual looking ’95.As far as shooting, I have several squishy slip-on recoil pads that I take to the range with me. They make a difference. Also, I have one of those PAST vests with a should pad built in. Between the two, I can have a much more pleasurable range experience than I would otherwise.
Steve – I too am a believer in the effectiveness of the Past pad – comfortable and makes a big difference in felt recoil. I no longer hunt so do not get to the range much but when I did I always wore the Past pad when sighting in before a hunt. Without the pad, my .450 Taylor would hurt my shoulder so bad that after a couple of shots I found myself anticipating recoil and flinching (cartridge shown in photo next to 30-30 for comparison).
Burt Humphrey said
I am really curious about the 20 inch barrel – if correct, it would be ultra rare – does anyone know of another? Even the 95 SRC’s were 22 inch and I can’t find anything about a barrel of 20 inches on a rifle. The Pirkle Book states “according to factory records, ten carbines were made with special barrel lengths of 20 inches and one carbine was made with a 25 inch barrel”. When you look at the photo of the gun standing up, the short barrel is really noticeable. The Madis Handbook does state, “as always, Winchester would furnish shorter than standard barrels although the demand was slight and Winchester discouraged shorter barrels”. If made in 1911, it would be too late for any factory authentication. Here is a photo of one of mine in .35 with the 24 inch barrel which was standard for the .35. I also have a .405 with a rifle butt but have never fired it – I have heard the recoil is wicked.
Quite rare if my research is correct. According to the new Kassab/Dunbar book there were 39 ’95 short rifles made with 20″ barrels, and I’m told only one in .35 is known. I don’t know how much is known about these, in my experience since I have owned this, few have even raised an eye brow. Sure is a stumpy looking gun in person.
steve004 said
I see Austin currently has a ’95 22 inch short rifle up for auction:
Thanks for that link. Maybe I’ll get a ballpark figure of what mine is worth.
Brooksy said
Quite rare if my research is correct. According to the new Kassab/Dunbar book there were 39 ’95 short rifles made with 20″ barrels, and I’m told only one in .35 is known. I don’t know how much is known about these, in my experience since I have owned this, few have even raised an eye brow. Sure is a stumpy looking gun in person.
“Stumpy” is a good adjective to describe it, especially in the photo of it leaning against the birch tree. It would be nice to have access to one of the guns which letter to compare them. I do not have a copy of the new 95 book but will get one. I just saw the post on the 22 inch 95 for sale – nice gun and just screams original.
Brooksy said
OH BOY! (not)
Too bad you can’t use it on the deer. Is 45-70 still legal in Iowa? Was going to use it last December but the Chinese flu got in the way.
My 95 in 35 caused me to buy a Past pad. I notice that is has gotten hard in the last 20 years or so. I use it with my 45-70 highwall.
Chuck said
Brooksy said
OH BOY! (not)
Too bad you can’t use it on the deer. Is 45-70 still legal in Iowa? Was going to use it last December but the Chinese flu got in the way.
My 95 in 35 caused me to buy a Past pad. I notice that is has gotten hard in the last 20 years or so. I use it with my 45-70 highwall.
I don’t know if 45-70 is legal in iowa now or not. It should be, it has straight walls. I haven’t hunted deer in 6 or 8 years. Got the fishing bug really bad instead.
Brooksy said
I don’t know if 45-70 is legal in iowa now or not. It should be, it has straight walls. I haven’t hunted deer in 6 or 8 years. Got the fishing bug really bad instead.
Right out of the 20/21 regulations page 37.
ALLOWABLE STRAIGHT-WALLED
CARTRIDGE CRITERIA
■ Center-fired straight-walled rimless cartridges
with bullets from 0.357” to 0.500” diameter as
published by manufacturer and a case length from
0.850” to 1.800.”
■ Center-fired straight-walled rimmed cartridges
with bullets from 0.357” to 0.500” diameter as
published by manufacturer with a case length from
1.285” to 1.800.”
■ The following cartridges do not meet the above
criteria, but are allowed: .444 Marlin, .375 Winchester and .45-70 Govt.
I believe that the bullets, at least for the 45-70) have to be hollow points
November 7, 2015
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Pics look fine to me! Nice find and great to know the story behind it. I suspect it will shoot just fine as long as you want to shoot it. I don’t enjoy shooting thumpers as much as I used to but this one looks like fun. Enjoy!
Mike
steve004 said
I see Austin currently has a ’95 22 inch short rifle up for auction:
I didn’t know where this one would go, I figured 3-4K. I thought about bidding on it, but I have the itchies for a “86 or a “95 in 38-72 or 40-72… So many guns, so little money.
Ok, so what’s the deal here? Are these rare enough nobody knows much about them?
Brooksy said
Ok, so what’s the deal here? Are these rare enough nobody knows much about them?
Yes, 1895’s with a 20″ barrel are quite rare and yours being a takedown in 35 WCF makes it possibly one-of-a-kind. What other information are you hoping to learn about it? Mark
Oh
Mark Douglas said
Yes, 1895’s with a 20″ barrel are quite rare and yours being a takedown in 35 WCF makes it possibly one-of-a-kind. What other information are looking hoping to learn about it? Mark
Oh , I appreciate the replies and information. I guess I’m just not used to owning something that is rare enough that not much is known about it. I have about 12 cartridges that came with it that I need to get a picture of, they are quite unusual too.
Brooksy,
For perspective, I’ve been collecting 1895’s for a very long time and am missing only two barrel lengths from my collection. One is a 34″, of which there are only four in the factory record, and to my knowledge, none have surfaced. The other is a 20″. You’re quite fortunate to have had the opportunity to acquire that rifle. Congrats on owning a great rifle! Mark
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