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April 9, 2025
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Fellow: I have an 1895 Winchester in 45/70. It. Looks brand new. only Winchester markings and address,But it says made in Japan. It don’t say by who?It has a tang safety on it. It is engraved with a cheynabyl stock. Generally if the are made by Miroku they say so. It is a beautiful rifle, both the stock and forearm are finely checkered. Does anyone else have one? The Bluing is sort of a Matt blue, instead of highly polished. The barrel says “Special Steel” your reply’s are appreciated.
December 21, 2006
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A couple of pictures and a ser# would be really helpful
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
April 15, 2005
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Commissioner said
Fellow: I have an 1895 Winchester in 45/70. It. Looks brand new. only Winchester markings and address,But it says made in Japan. It don’t say by who?It has a tang safety on it. It is engraved with a cheynabyl stock. Generally if the are made by Miroku they say so. It is a beautiful rifle, both the stock and forearm are finely checkered. Does anyone else have one? The Bluing is sort of a Matt blue, instead of highly polished. The barrel says “Special Steel” your reply’s are appreciated.
Contact the Browning Arms Company.
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
September 19, 2014
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Commissioner–That is MOST interesting! Being ‘Made in Japan’ makes it a different animal than the original 1895’s but still most interesting. Why? Because the listings of originals includes a couple supposedly made in that caliber. The distance between the sidewalls of the receiver are too narrow for a .45-70 rim to fit, let alone to fit into the box magazine. If Winchester made any back in the day, the receiver would necessitate a greater width to accomodate the caliber. To my knowledge, none of the originals annotated in unusual, non-standard calibers have shown up. I would surely like to see how Miroku (assuming they were the Japanese source of yours) accomplished the chambering. Please follow up on this as it may fill in a few more blanks. Tim
April 9, 2025
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It must be the “Special Steel”?
April 9, 2025
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The bullets fit just fine.
January 20, 2023
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Customer Service at WinchesterGuns.com should be able to help you.
FN Herstal has never catalogued a Model 1895 chambered for the 45-70 cartridge, whether branded as a Browning or Winchester product.
The photo showing a blued, engraved receiver is unusual, as well.
Could you measure and report the exact barrel.length with a cleaning rod from bolt face to muzzle?
Would you mind to post a closeup image of the barrel rollmark of the caliber.
The tang safety and “special steel” rollmark are consistent with Miroku built, Winchester branded rifles sold by FNH through its Browning Arms Company subsidiary, d/b/a Winchester Repeating Arms.
The odds strongly favor this being a one-off modified gun. If the caliber designation on the barrel has been altered, i would guess a .405 WCF barrel has been rebored to .458, assuming that is possible, and the barrel threads set back to allow rechambering to the shorter cartridge. A non-standard barrel length would be evidence of this.
Alternatively, MIroku has made round tapered 45-70 barrels for Model 1886 rifles, from time to time. Could this rifle have been rebarreled with one of those?
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
January 20, 2023
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From what I can see of the receiver, it appears to have been a high grade, engraved and probably French gray receiver that has been refinished to a matte blue. The engraving seems have been rendered less distinct by polishing.
French gray receivers with engraving and gold overlays were a common feature of Grade 2 or High Grade Miroku Brownings and Winchesters. Tang safeties were not installed on the Brownng branded rifles so the base receiver is almost certainly a Winchester branded one.
If you would, I would like to see a complete list of all the marks, by location.
Unless shown evidence to the contrary, I believe this is a non-factory hybrid modified gun.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
November 19, 2006
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I’m dumbstruck. When I first read the original post, I assumed it was a simple matter of the original poster making an error in listing the model number and it was in fact a Model 1886. Looking at the photo, that surely is not a Model 1886 and indeed appears a Model 1895.
April 9, 2025
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Zebulon said
From what I can see of the receiver, it appears to have been a high grade, engraved and probably French gray receiver that has been refinished to a matte blue. The engraving seems have been rendered less distinct by polishing.
French gray receivers with engraving and gold overlays were a common feature of Grade 2 or High Grade Miroku Brownings and Winchesters. Tang safeties were not installed on the Brownng branded rifles so the base receiver is almost certainly a Winchester branded one.
If you would, I would like to see a complete list of all the marks, by location.
Unless shown evidence to the contrary, I believe this is a non-factory hybrid modified gun.
I need to apologize: The weapon is a 30/06 not a 45/70. Here are all the markings on the weapon. On the right side under the real sight it says “ Winchester” under Winchester it says. License. Under license it says. US Repeating Arms Co USA. Under that it says Made in Japan. On top,in front of the receiver it says 30/06 cal. Under the rear sight on the left side it says It says Especially made for Smokeless Powder, under that is says Special Steel Barrel. On the right side of the receiver to the rear it says NF 1320. My 45/70 is a model 1886. Sorry. I am glad. I did not try to shoot it?
August 14, 2021
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Oy. You even have 45-70s stored in the stock, and you stated they fit??
April 9, 2025
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You know how they spell assume? I just assumed it was for some reason?. I have two others in 45/70,but they are 1886’s. I have three 1873’s 2 44/40’s and one 38/40. The 38/40 was made in 1903. I have the letter. It’s in great shape.
November 19, 2006
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Commissioner said
You know how they spell assume? I just assumed it was for some reason?. I have two others in 45/70,but they are 1886’s. I have three 1873’s 2 44/40’s and one 38/40. The 38/40 was made in 1903. I have the letter. It’s in great shape.
When I saw your original post, I assumed you had made a mistake. Turns out you had. Hence your apology.
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