Winchester Model 1895 - Civilian

Civilian

As with previous Winchester rifles, a new serial number range was launched with the M1895, beginning with serial number 1. Including military contract rifles, a total of 425,881 rifles were produced, with production ceasing at serial number 425,132. The standard barrel length varied from 24 to 28 inches, depending on chambering and configuration, and the Standard finish on all rifles was blue.

The rifle is most commonly associated today with former President Theodore Roosevelt; however, it was also used by many other famed hunters and adventurers, to include Martin and Osa Johnson, Charles Cottar, and author Stewart Edward White. Garrit Forbes—hunting companion of W. D. M. Bell, first cousin of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and long time personal friend of gun writer and firearms enthusiast Elmer Keith— recommended the M1895 in .405 Winchester to Theodore Roosevelt.

Theodore Roosevelt took two M1895 rifles with him on his 1909 safari to East Africa, both in .405 Winchester. Additionally, Kermit Roosevelt accompanied his father on the trip and brought two more M1895 rifles; one was chambered in .405 Winchester, and the other in .30-03 Springfield. While the serial number of Kermit’s .30-03 has been lost, the serial numbers of the three .405 rifles are known to have been 63727, 63736, and 68180. Theodore Roosevelt praised the .405 M1895 in his book African Game Trails, famously referring to this rifle as his “’medicine gun’ for lions.”:

But as we stood, one of the porters behind called out “Simba”; and we caught a glimpse of a big lioness galloping down beside the trees, just beyond the donga…Tarlton took his big double-barrel and advised me to take mine, as the sun had just set and it was likely to be close work; but I shook my head, for the Winchester 405 is, at least for me personally, the “medicine gun” for lions.

Although it is often said that Roosevelt called the .405 M1895 his “big medicine,” this phrase is never used in African Game Trails, and is possibly the erroneous combination of his “medicine gun” quote with his “big stick” speech of 1901.

The Model 1895 in both its rifle and carbine configuration was popular with the Texas Rangers and Arizona Rangers in both the 30-40 Krag and 30-06 Springfield calibers.

In 1985, the Browning Arms Company reintroduced the M1895 rifle in .30-06 Springfield. Later in 2001, Winchester reintroduced the rifle during the 100 year anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt’s presidential administration, offering it again in .405 Winchester, as well as .30-06 Springfield and .30-40 Krag since its reintroduction. In 2008 Winchester produced a pair of Theodore Roosevelt commemorative rifles. In 2009 an additional pair of rifles was offered commemorating Roosevelt's African Safari in 1909 after leaving office.

Both the Browning and new Winchester rifles are made in Japan by Miroku. The Winchesters, however, differ from the original design in that they featured rebounding hammers and a tang safety.