MODEL 1895 38-72 OCTAGON BARREL serial number is 22651|Winchester Rifles|Forum|Winchester Collector

The 38-72 with octagon barrel is much harder to find than the round barrel version. The condition has a huge influence on value as well. Can you post a photo or two?

oakridge said
I think that the U.S. government purchased ’95 muskets that were inspected by Morse (and marked U.S. on top of the receiver) went back to Winchester and were subsequently resold. This could be one that was re-barreled into a sporting rifle. The serial number might confirm this.

The U.S. government did purchase muskets that are marked U.S. on top of the receiver and have KSM stampings on them. But they are not the only 95s to have KSM stampings on them. I have a 95 musket that was used by and marked on the receiver "National Guard of Colorado". Where the U.S. stamp should be there is a rack number. I have often wondered if Mr. Morse inspected and stamped these 95s before complete assembly. As my Colorado musket has the KSM stamp on the hammer but it is only visible once the buttstock has been removed. Which has also made me wonder if he merely did stampings on selected parts. This particular 95 of twomoons could of merely had some stamped KSM parts that were used for it in assembly. Or what is more likely possible it was sent back to the factory for rebarreling and restocking. A Cody letter would be helpful in determining such a thing. Hint, Hint.
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Here is some more Info I came across these KSM marked guns a while back.

I believe that the National Guard of Colorado muskets are from a different order than the U.S. marked muskets. But both orders where purchased by the government.

"The Gov’t ordered 10,000 ’95 muskets for use in the Spanish-American War, but…by the time they were shipped, the war had ended."
Quote of description on http://www.rarewinchesters.com

An order for 10,000 model 1895 muskets was ordered by the Army on May 3, 1898, at a cost of $207,000. Only 100 of these muskets saw service in the Philippines, shipped from San Francisco in September of 1899 and were issued to the 33 rd Volunteer Infantry for testing. Sometime in 1900, they were returned to the US and were sold to a Boston arms dealer who presumably disposed of them on the commercial market. The remaining 9,900 muskets were purchased by the M. Hartley Company and most of them were eventually shipped to Cuba in 1906.

Some of the original contract muskets were sent to The Philippines, but were rejected by the commanding officer, General Arthur MacArthur, father of Douglas" Ive be told they were rejected due to the fact they where difficult to be fired from the "prone" position, due to the long stroke of the lever of the model 95.

FYI–K.S.M. Inspector’s mark- Kelly S. Morse, Armory Sub-lnspector of Winchester Model 1895 rifles, Smith & Wesson Model 1899 cal. .38 revolvers and Colt Model 1911 cal. .45 semi-automatic pistols 1893-1915.

Sincerely,
Maverick