Bert, 

Since this particular 1895/405 has already been deflowered, we can all agree there’s no way to restore its desireability to the scupulous and demanding collector.  

But perhaps there’s a way to improve its appearance and restore its dignity, even render it appealing to those knowledgeable of American history and interested in the “medicine gun” Rooseveldt made famous. 

From the Williamson history of Winchester, we know TR requested the ,405 rifles he ordered for his post-Presidential African safari be equipped at the New Haven factory with recoil pads of a specific make — the red rubber Silver’s brand.

Published photographs taken during the safari include glimpses of one of TR’s 1895 .405 rifles with such an installed pad. (He took two .405s  to Africa,  the one he ordered originally and the spare he asked to have made up for safety’s sake. Kermit may have a third but I don’t remember)

The 1895 .405 Rooseveldt used in Africa is on display at the Cody Firearms Museum, still wearing its original Silver’s recoil pad. 

Until recently the Connecticut Shotgun Company carried an accurate reproduction of the Silver’s pad on the Rooseveldt rifle. The pad is likely still obtainable at reasonable cost from other suppliers. 

Because the stock of our forum guest has already been cut for a pad, the decrepit pad can be pulled off and a new, understated, esthetically appealing  and historically correct pad can be substituted,  at modest cost. 

And it will look so much better without the visually jarring white line atrocity.

Bert H. said

Aquafortis said

Thank you for your observations and comments, gentlemen.

I’ll have a look for the photo of TR’s rifle, and see what Silver’s has to offer. 

  

If you intend to replace the current pad with a reproduction, the Winchester patented solid red rubber pad would be the more correct choice for a 1928 production Model 1895.  Winchester used Silvers pads until they introduced their own patented pads in 1922.

Bert

  

Bert,  Absolutely and thanks for catching my error. I hadn’t realized the change had occurred that early.  It should be less difficult to find the reproduction Winchester pad, too.

As a semi-relevant side note, Brian Pearce, a contributing editor to Handloader and Rifle, several years ago published a faded color family photo, taken very late in life, of his paternal ancestor displaying the Winchester Model 1895 .30 Army caliber carbine he had been issued and carried in service as an Arizona Ranger. At the time the photo was taken, the carbine was wearing a red ventilated pad. I’ve often wondered at what point the old man —  still hawk-eyed, resolute looking and not somebody you’d want to mess with — thought it useful to have the pad put on. 

EDIT:  I must have been in an altered state when I wrote what I’ve just struck out. Pearce wrote an excellent article in the 2017 November/December issue of Rifle Magazine  about his grandfather, Arizona Ranger Joe Pearce and his 1895 carbine. I misconstrued this photo. Other photos in the article show the carbine clearly has its original factory steel carbine buttplate. I can’t trust my memory anymore.

My raccoon-like curiosity (that often gets me in trouble) would like to know what Winchester models were offered for sale with this “very late Winchester ventilated pad” offered for sale by CSC/Galazan?

The first two images are of a 1967 version of the Model 70 African. The third is the reproduction pad i was curious about. The fourth is another repro available at CSC/Galazan, the Hawkins. #3 reproduces what Winchester was furnishing in 1967 — note the white spacers and the garish grip cap.  #4, the Hawkins repro, differs from #3 not only in a different logo on its face but note the ventilation pattern of #4 consists of sets of opposing triangles rather than the waffle pattern of #3. 

I bring this up because I have seen factory deluxe grade Winchester Model 12 Trap guns with the #4 Hawkins pad — except the logo says “Winchester.”  There’s one made in 1952 advertised for sale at 3 grand in the Swap Meet section. See:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18hAC5eR4Ojzkem5hKb7tVrgcaXE1UWQX?usp=sharing