Russian Winchester 1895 in 7.62x54R
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- Опубліковано 1 лют 2016
- The Winchester 1895 was the last of Winchester's lever-action rifles, and has an interesting place in a couple different parts of world history. On the one hand, the 1895 in .405 Winchester caliber is known as Theodore Roosevelt's "Big Medicine" for safari hunting. On another, it was the object of the largest military lever-action purchase ever, made by the Russian Czar during World War I.
The Russian military was woefully under-equipped at the outset of WWI, and needed rifles wherever it could find them. While waiting for a contract with Remington (and later New England Westinghouse) to provide Mosin-Nagant rifles, the Czar's military ordered 300,000 model 1895s from Winchester. These rifles were purportedly going to be available immediately form Winchester's existing production line, although in reality it took several months before deliveries began, The rifles were modified by Winchester to accept standard Mosin-Nagant stripper clips, and were chambered for the 7.62x54R cartridge.
They saw heavy combat use, and reportedly performed well, despite the lever action system having some fundamental inferiorities compared to bolt action rifles in a military context. What made them feasible was the action designed specifically for full-power smokeless rifle ammunition and the box magazine design which avoided the potential problems of spitzer cartridges in a tube magazine.
/ forgottenweapons
My great grandfather used one of these rifles in the Finnish army during the winter war on the front line interestingly enough since the M1895s were primarily used by rear echelon troops. He got to keep the rifle after the war and I'm now the proud owner of this rifle and it is in superb condition.
+MrNewAbortion1 Sweet, hang on to that baby. The only thing better than a great rifle is a great rifle with a story and a personal connection.
@MrNewAbortion1 - You are a very fortunate man!
I'm red with envy. My great great Grandpa fought for the British Empire in WW1. Nobody ever got his Enfield when he died... Apparently. 😒
Send us a picture! I'd love to see it
Is it reliable like the AK?
This thing is a glimpse into an alternate timeline where Lever Action Rifles really matured before bolt action rifles became commonplace. That's a timeline I want to live in.
Would be interesting, but I tjink they would remain longer in some armies at best
bolt actions are cheaper to make, for rising nation thats important, also, in their historical view, bolt is enough for a common soldier
the armies would prob switch levers for auto guns, maybe even semiauto, simply because you dont have space for magazine because of lever
but it would be interesting how far they would be able to modernize lever actions
@@danielwordsworth1843 You could have the US Army wanting an "American Rifle" for their troops out of blind patriotic reasons and to be more distinct from the Europeans. This American rifle being lever-action as these actions are very-well known among the American public, especially at the frontiers, and this is where the Winchester 1895 gets its debut. This time, the model 1895 is instead the Winchester Model 1892 (being chosen instead of all the bolt-actions) and charger guides are automatically designed for the Model 1892 to accept .30-40 Winchester (alt .30-40 Krag).
On the bright side, the US Army gets a rifle capable of using stripper clips instead of the Springfield's rotary magazine much earlier on.
"Sergei look! Is new rifle from Americans! Now we just like cowboys!"
"No Vasily, is not enough like Mosin. Czar will be displeased."
*hammering and sawing noises*
"There! Now has box magazine and use better round, just like Mosin. Is perfect!"
this
They were made that way without the Russians telling them for the fixed mag. I have one in 30-06.
xD
ok i heard that in my head in 2 russian voices so u wrote that well...much respect
haha the first guy's enthusiastic, then the second guy is all war-weary sounding
Yep. Winchester needs to start making these again! They're by far the coolest lever gun ever made
You misspelled yes as "no"
?
Joe Drummer they do but only in small numbers
Guy said no.
Well I would prefer a 1860 Henry or 1866, 1876, 1886 really any Winchester rifle
These rifles were used in finnish civil war in both sides, reds and whites. It was very popular along troops and had reputation as "elite" weapon because it's good quality. After the civil war it saw limited military use, many rifles were taken by their users and those were crafted by gunsmiths as hunting rifles (No bayonet holder, short front stock, sometimes caliber was changed) Some were sold by military to gunsmiths and to civilians. Last military usage was in winter war by artillery and home front.
Civilized versions can be seen here quite often, and also some genuine ones with bayonet and other gear.
Greetings from Finland
Orwell mentions them in "Homage to Catalonia" as Russian rifles.
Huh. Wow. Goes to show how much information varies depending on the source. I read a Red Guardsman's memoir and according to him, they considered this rifle a bit old-fashioned & obsolescent already in 1918! Also, they had noticed even before the war that the Russians tended to issue them to Cossacks and other 2nd line troops (while the Mosins went to the 'real' garrison troops that were expected to do any fighting) and took this as further proof of the rifle's 2nd class status. Anything but elite, they considered their guys who had to 'make do with a Winchester' unlucky (relatively speaking of course, being issued with any kind of rifle in those days was considered 'lucky')
Soon, I will go to one of these Rock Island auctions
And I will lose all of my money
+TheGoldenCaulk That's right Jay.
Good thing you can bid online!
+TheGoldenCaulk I do the online bidding. Once you have purchased from them once in the premier auctions they will send you the full color catalogs for free. I keep these for future reference material.
john alan That's cool, thanks for the info
What's ironic is a lot of the firearms sold in the Rock Island Auction company are illegal to own in Illinois despite the company being in Illinois.
"Bottom of the ocean."
Anyone wanna go scuba diving?
+A boy and his rifle. Are you volunteering to pitch in for a sub rental?
i can't imagine a gun thats been underwater for 100 years looks like much, maybe just a heavily corroded barrel
Brennan Sepulveda it would be cheaper to have some custom made than fund an expedition with the necessary equipment and technology to locate and recover whatever is left (if anything at all)
Brennan Sepulveda lets go!
Sam H that's not nearly as fun though...
An old guy was selling me a hunting rifle today. He said it's Winchester lever action 7.62... And I live in Finland.. What are the odds?
dude you should buy two
Too bad the guy rechamberred the otherone of the rifles to different cartridge to match old hunting laws ages ago.
7.62X53R and 7.62X54R are almost the same; main difference being that the Finnish round (x53) has slightly smaller bullet diameter - the difference in numbering suggests that the case length would be different but it is not (or very marginally so)
The hunting catridges made by Lapua or Sako might be less accurate because of the slightly smaller bullet diameter then cartridges made to x54 but depends much on the individual rifles barrel.
They are not as common as Mosins as hunting rifles, but one still bumps into them every now and then
(the "Sotilaskivääri", "Military Rifle", a term that basically covers all Mosin variations in Finnish use, itself is no more the most common hunting weapon type like it was up until the 90's.)
7.62×53 and 54r both cycle through anything chambered in either...even in SVT-40...They are interchangeable
The letters "Х и З" (Kh i Z) on the gun are the initials of two of the more prominent Russian military folks that did on-site inspections, relayed the Tsar's and army's wishes and what not. Namely colonel Khatuntsev (Хатунцев, Sergei Petrovich) and captain Zadde (Задде, Artemiy Yakovlevich). The middle "и"/"i" obviously being Russian for "&" (so "KhiZ" just like the famous "MiG" - Mikoyan & Gurevich).
For the history geeks out there, both Khatuntsev and Zadde actually settled down in the U.S. after the war and the Bolshevik takeover, not really feeling like going back to that mess I suppose, with their employer gone and everything. They passed away in the 1950's sometime. You can probably find more about them if you dig into U.S. archives, as the Russian ones I've been looking through really don't mention anything about their whereabouts once the war was over, though there are details on this Winchester affair and their military careers before that.
Thanks
Under rated comment
Nice. I knew enough to tell that those were all Cyrillic letters (not a 3, ha) and that it spelled out KIZ but I did not know the meaning of it, thanks
@@qoph1988 it'd actually more like a H when pronounced. People see Kh and assume it's a K sound but it's more like a H. Romanisation of cyrillic is always at least a little funky
И. З. Means = Имперский Заказ (Imperial Order)
Coolest lever gun ever made, with that box magazine. I've seen one in person and fell in love immediately.
+Sedan57Chevy Browning blr
It has the detachable magazine but it doesn't stick out of the stock like it does on the '95. I just love that aesthetic (like on a Mosin or a SMLE)
Think you get high capacity magazines the old ones
+Sedan57Chevy and stock in 1895 looks way better in BLR is too modern like in todays hunting rifles
put a bid in.
Latvian here. Your work is monumental! Definitely very appreciated! Lai Dievs tevi svētī!
Other than Spain and Finland, the rest of these (along with the remaining Arisakas) likely ended up with native hunters in Siberia, Russian Far East, and the Arctic coast. Prior to the revolution, the local hunters in Chukotka and Kamchatka were familiar with earlier Winchester designs brought over by the Russian and American traders. After the Civil War the Soviet government was desperate for any kind of export products they could sell for hard currency, so fur trade once again became important. I have read (Nikolay Shundik, The White Shaman) that in Chukotka circa 1927 the native hunters were incentivized with some "new type" Winchesters - likely leftover 1895s pulled out from storage.
Greeting from Latvia!
This model of Winchester made it into our literature classics, I don't know, how it is now, but when I went to secondary school one of the must read books were "Dvēseļu putenis" (Blizzard of Souls)written by Aleksandrs Grīns, who himself served in Latvian Riflemen units first under Russian Empire and later as part of army of independent Latvia. In the novel Winchester 1895 was used by the father of the main protagonist sort of as a marksman rifle, and it's stock got covered with more and more markings for each German killed.
It was a good rifle, however there is a common complain about lever action rifle - when you are in prone position in a field under machineguns fire, it's quite easy to get shot in the right shoulder due to the way how one moves while reloading, something like this doesn't happen with bolt action rifles. Even worse, if one kept the rifle vertically while loading from a stripper clip, lever is sticking down making rifle noticeably higher, so if that man wanted to check what he is doing and rose his head up... better to be shot in a shoulder than let Germans to score a headshot.
P.S. Since WWI there are such grim/cool placenames in Latvia as _Nāves sala_ (the island of Death) and _Ložmetējkalns_ (the Machinegun hill).
@TotalRookie_LV - Greetings from Colorado, USA! Thanks for sharing that story of the Winchester M1895 "Russian" model in Latvian history.
I'm currently in Lithuania. That's a cool story
That is definitely neat! Having a hard time believing the 3inches higher would be a hit or miss but surely could be. Might try this out if it gets nice out to see how much difference it makes.👍
The thumbnail photo for the video is Latvian Riflemen on Nāves sala. Same photo was used by metal band Skyforger as album cover. M1895s are clearly visable
Knowing about this rifle, it's now so easy to notice just how many of them are in photos :o
Looks like a VERY solid design
No shit it went through WW1 and I think you can buy reproduction versions but I haven't found any yet. I've seen pictures of rifles that look to good to not be repros
Latvian riflemen were not satisfied with these rifles, because they were pretty delicate and in dirty muddy conditions they used to jam and did not work properly in battlefield conditions. But they used what they had, they didnt had any other options. Thanks Ian for this video, very interesting!
These tifles were available in the US in the early 60;s. They were sold by Ye Old Hunter in Alexandria, Va. for about $29.95 to $39.95 depending on grade. All were pretty bruised but serviceable. These were the halcyon days for surplus military purchases. Life was much better when serious collectors had FFL's for the asking. For the record, I remember buying pin fire revolvers for $7 each. Swiss Vetterlis in lots for $1.75 EACH! Those were the days, my friend! I liked the 95 very much for its innovations.
I would do UNHOLY things to get one of these.
+TovarishchS Iam of the same mind, I REALLY want a modern version of this, make one hell of a great brush rifle and have the power to even take elk.
I've got on in 06' and it is a blast to shoot man! Kicks hard but is worth it.
I would rob a back to get one
Jarod Farrant me too
@@Jarod-vg9wq Nobody carries that much $ on their back.
My grandfather got killed 1916 on an attack from the Russians in Wolinia in the Ukraine perhaps because of this weapons. He was just a farmer and fought for the Austrian 🇦🇹 Empire. I am still sorry that we lost this war. Not in the field we lost this awful war. The supplies from behind was not given any more. Our troops stood far from the Austrian borders. My other grandfather survived all 12 battles on the Isonzo River and was lucky to come home without any wounds but the souls of most of this soldiers were heavily wounded. So many bad stories I heard from the old people. I hope we never get a war here.
Arriving late to this,but Ian's mention of the Spanish Civil War got me to thinking.
The Spanish Civil War goes almost unmentioned these days in what passes for the educational system.
InRange and Forgotten Weapons could do some clips on that conflict,and they would most likely be very well received.
I owned a win 1895. Browning reproduction. Had a scout scope mounted to it. Best rifle I ever owned. Very accurate. Beautiful lines. While not popular commercially it was a trophy gun. Prized by its owners they changed hands many times during the great war and the revolution. They were one of the popular guns that stormed San Juan Hill. It was Teddy Roosevelt's Big Medicine chambered in .405 Winchester. You could get them in almost any militarily .30 cal round imaginable. The South Africans used them to great effect and loved them. Poncho Villa's men preferred them. it was the last lever action John M. Browning Designed for Winchester. Just an awesome f-ing gun.
South Africans?
I need one of these to go along with my Mosin Nagant and SVT-40....
norcofreerider604 Good luck. Most of them are at the bottom of the ocean..
Svt-40 niiiiice
Got a m1 garand over the svt 40 I'll be buying one of them next year tho haha
They pop up from time to time.
Last one I've seen in person was at a pawn shop in Newnan, Ga, around '05 or '06.
Though there was one on gunbroker last year I believe. Dont remember if it was russian stamped or not, but it was this model.
@@michaelrogers1036 I'll definitely be getting one I held one at a gun show last month and fell in love that gun is at the top of my list right now
Wow it's like a Winchester 92 and a Mosin 91/30 had a baby and this was it.
+TheFoodnipple Not really, it has zero influence of the Mosin 1891 series, merely that it's chambered in 7.62x54r, but that is only one of about 50 calibers you could already get Winchesters in.
+Random Pickle So? The SVD Dragunov also fires the same cartridge, that doesn't mean the SVD has any Mosin infuence. The design of this Winchester predates both the Mosin and it's cartridge, it was simply rechambered to use 7.62x54r so the Russians didn't also have to buy a bunch of ammo as well as rifles.
Yes, I agree.
It's like the bastard love child of a M.91 and the Winchester 94.
It's so ugly its beautiful.
The 91/30 was an updated version of Mosin Nagant that saw use in WW2. The 1891 is the one you are referring to.
I saw this and had to click on the video. This is my favorite lever action ever made. It was the first lever action I ever shot and even before that I thought they were gorgeous. I inherited my great grandfather's along with my great great grandfather's Snyder rolling block. They sit proudly above my fireplace. Sadly a few years ago my 1895 stopped working. Out on the range one day after shooting only a handful of rounds it simply stopped functioning...I plain on getting it fixed when I can afford to, but that doesn't appear to be anytime soon.
The Romanian military also used these. We have a bunch of them at the national military museum. A much-loved rifle that helped us win the Second Balkan War, later phased out in favor of Mannlichers because of a stupid political decision. This thing can outshoot any Mannlicher or Mauser of its era, a criminally underrated rifle that should have seen widespread success and would have probably been a strong competitor to bolt action guns if it had continued to be developed and refined.
Ian, I think an entire series on weapons Russia bought, or made, to fight weapons shortages could be fun. As you mention here, the plethora of rifles Russia bought during WW1 is astonishing, and I would love to see a series on them.
I personally feel like information and media related to WW1 is drying up, or overshadowed by WW2 media anyway, so any and all series you produce related to the Great War, I can promise at least THIS viewer will watch.
Great work, Ian, and all the folks at Forgotten Weapons, and RIA. Thank you
There are still some 1895 models for sale in Finnish gunshops, some are although converted to use hunting legal("Moose-legal") ammunition like 8.2x53r or 9.3x53r at a time it was required by law. But many are in original condition 7.62x53r. Saw one for sale at 550€
Not original, they made them in several rounds including the 54r.
The Russian inspection letters appear as follows:
Х = kha (Cyrillic letter which sounds as the combined Roman letters K & H)
И = iže (Cyrillic equivalent of the Roman letter "I")
And I believe the last one isn't the Arabic numeral 3, but instead is a Cyrillic letter also:
З = ze (Cyrillic equivalent of the Roman letter "Z")
@@heinrichb ХиЗ means "Храни и Защищай" ("Save and Protect"), takes root in a Christian prayer
The title of Russian pre-revolutional X-letter is not "Kha", but "Kher" (Хѣръ); letters' titles was changed with the reform'1918. F.e. there was a proverb "расставлять столы покоем" (what means to arrange tables in a shape of the letter "П"), which now used as "расставлять столы буквой пэ".
Honestly, this is probably my favorite forgotten weapons video 👍
Did the Russians really reject them based on cosmetic details like woodgrain appearance? Hard to believe given their situation at the time.
No, they made up minor excuses in order to not have to pay for the rifles they ordered. They did this with the US-made Mosins, claiming they were "low quality" and refusing to pay for the rest of the lot; bear in mind, the US-made Mosins are of higher quality than the Russian-made ones.
They werent high quality than Russias. They rejected them because they coulnt withstand during winter times
+Jim Steele They still paid for the rifles they got...
Woodgrain issues cause structural integrity failures, especially in frigid winters.
And the brits rejected as well because they wanted a bolt action rifle? Why? Isnt lever action much faster and therefore better?
Was not expecting the entire trigger setup to move with the lever.
So do I have to breed my Mosin with my Henry Lever-action to get one of these? I keep ramming my Henry’s magazine tube into my Mosin barrel and breech but I don’t think it’s working Ian!
Hmm, ass kissing personality that jokes about not having enough money to afford your interests and you own a retro reproduction rifle along with a commie shit stick?
*calculating
If 2+2=4 but to you equals five
Then you must be a disgusting neck beard rocking hipster/socialist!
Get a career and take a shower!
I have two win 95’s in my collection and they weren’t all that expensive.
Henry’s aren’t the same action btw, try reading unironically for once
Bugga Boy Jesus fucking Christ it’s a god damn joke
I love my M1895! It is so accurate and has great stopping power. Also get some strange looks at the range and people ask about it.
As usual this is an excellent and very documented video. I wonder if the average WWI Russian soldier would have prefered a 1895 or a Mosin Nagant for combat use...
Fascinating rifle and an excellent history lesson (as usual). Thanks Ian.
When I was reading "The silent Don" from Michail Sholochov he mentioned that a red army soldier was carrying a Winchester during the civil war. I was always wondering how a WInchester ( and I imagined a Wild West rifle back then) ended in Russia but this Video finally clears that . Great stuff !!
One of my ancestors carried this during the Battles of Madrid and Jarama. It's awesome to see a video on it.
+eric3844 Cool!
I want to see one of these in Verdun when they add the russians.
I'm excited for the AHE and Americans, and considering they're coming next update, I'm a little giddy.
American troops are going to get the Winchester M1897 trench gun along with the BAR. There have been no updates concerning Russian soldiers.
sik3xploit BAR was field tested at the very end of the war so I doubt it's gonna be in the game, they're gonna use the shitty version of the Chauchat in .30-06.
Red McCloud It's no opinion of mine on what they should use, those are just update reports on Steam by the developers themselves.
+Doug Peck Same here was thinking this!
I liked seeing the trench photo of a soldier loading this rifle.
Me too
I like how when Ian and Karl said bolt actions were obsolete fudds lost their minds but this rifle was a contemporary and no one would argue it isn't obsolete.
This is literally the number one gun on my must add to collection list. It just is.
As a Winchester fan/sorta collector, the rare 1895 has always interested me.
A lever-action rifle with a box mag firing a high-power rifle round seems so cool to me!
I totally get the reason why military's went to bolt actions over lever guns but I wonder why it didnt remain popular on the civilian market?
Anyway, I think a repro would be really popular now with the interest in classic guns and people getting tired of countless AR15 and Mauser action copies.
Thanks for the video Ian.
Hey, Ian! I am from Latvia and I am 100% sure i've seen some of those Winchesters in our museums. I remember myself wondering about the rifle's unusual design (i was something like 14 and all the guns I knew were Mosins and Mausers)! As always, an awesome and informative review!
Considering the renewed interest in the 7.62x54R round today with the increased interest in the Mosins, it would be great if Winchester could offer this rifle today. I'd love one to go with my Mosins and to have a part of history.
Honestly, the Russian version of the Winchester 1895 is my favorite version. I like the full length stock, bayonet lug, and stripper clip guides.
@9:20 St.Petersburg (Petrograd at the time), not Moscow...
Moscow was the capital of Russia until Peter the great founded St. Petersburg in 1703 and moved the capital there in 1732, and since the communist government moved the capital back to Moscow in 1918. So the majority of the action around the 1917 revolution was in SPb.
@AlexNaanou - right you are; I cringed a bit when I heard Ian's reference to Moscow.
I noted that as well, immediately when it was uttered.
Surprised to hear such a novice statement.
@@MarkH10 I believe he may have stated it that way so that the vast majority would be able to identify it geographically.
@@billwessels207 I think most people know St. Petersburg is a city in Russia.
WJS Wait- the Russian revolution didn’t take place in St. Petersburg Florida?!?!
This is artifact from warmer US/RU relations.
Yep, things started cooling down after the rebellion and slaughter there.
Warmed up a bit during WWII, got ice cold after that though.
Ryan Yarnevich lol no you shithead
The US and Russia had extremely good relations before the 1917 revolution.
I've been waiting for this video for years now! Thanks Ian!
I've wanted one of these for a while and am glad to see one of your videos go in depth about them
A cool Winchester in a caliber that is extremely cheap, common, and good. Although because of all that and the rarity I’d imagine this is going to be way out of my price range :(
I am going to say something silly, but I bet if WInchester made one in 7.62x54r today it would sell. Not in large numbers but somebody would buy it. I am always surprised by how many 1895 both old and latest Japanese production made it here to the UK.
+clangerbasher Agreed. Great cartridge for it to be in, in the States as well.
LeftThumbBreak I have seen Japanese ones here but they always in "hunting" calibres like .270. Not odd calibres as such but just not common. Here in the UK you can't just buy any ammo. If you don't hunt it has to be FMJ or cast lead. So if you wanted one to just shoot you would have to load FMJ. But it wouldn't be worth it for what would essentially be a toy.
+clangerbasher
Oh ya it absolutely would sell. Even though they arent the company they once were, theres still a huge Winchester following in the US. Not to mention this model is are rare here.
Also theres a significant interest for anything 'different'. There are only so many copies of AR and Mauser actions you can do before it gets boring.
A lever action high-power rifle? Oh ya thered be interest!
+clangerbasher When we changed legislation here in France, and that 7.62*54 came out of the forbidden list...We saw those guns pop up.
I go every year to the old guns "fair", nearly all of the 1895 russian rifles were sold ^^
Py7h0n Well it is good to know laws can sometime change for the better. :)
I really do love the history lessons here! And a nice long and detailed one as this? Yes! More of it!
And then there is the really nice gun that clearly has seen a lot of the history we just learned!
Actually, it was produced up until 1940. It was made in nine different calibers, including the .405 Winchester. That was the most powerful U.S. cartridge of the day, and was popular for big game hunting in Africa.
It's a shame those are so rare because they shoot cheap ammo and are the only lever guns that are fast to reload (with stripper clips). With 300k made I figured they would be in circulation, but alas no. Prices ~$2000 last I looked.
I've seen them locally for 5k plus in the last year...
One day... I will find one of these. And I will spend all my food money on it.
These rifles are soooo cool! They are featured in a number of old soviet movies such as STORM OVER ASIA
I used this weapon and the martini henry so much in bf1... god i miss that game...
my dream lever gun. i really want one. so badly.
Backward N is like 'i' or 'e', and it is also equivalent for 'and' in Russian, and '3' is probably not a number, but letter 'Z'. So it's something like 'H and Z'.
Googling this in Russian, I found some old discussions on forums, and no one knows for sure. Some people suggest it's name of the bank 'H&Z' (not sure if such bank existed) that borrowed money for buying these rifles, some people say it's in Russian "storage and reserve", some say it's just abbreviation of name of person who was inspecting rifles.
Save and protect 🙏, from a Christian prayer.
Again? Please explain Mr. Lentz
10 minutes in and no cutaway? Yes please! I love interesting history lessons!
A nice video once again. Enjoyed it. Thank you, Sir.
I learned a new word. Arshon. :)
Arshin.
Forgotten Weapons And learned how to spell it. Thanks for the videos. I thoroughly enjoy them.
@@borbo23 They all sound like swearwords or terms for genitals :P
Ian, is there any chance you could do a video on the AS 'Val' and/or variants? (VSS, Vikhr)
Thanks!
+HofmanGaming Good luck getting one. They're in active service with the russians, and they arent selling them.
+HofmanGaming yeah right
+hurstolds841 VSS/VAL are designed for subsonic ammunition, thus they are much more quiet than regular suppressed weapons.
Yeah, thats the main concern that they are still in active service. Ian did get his hands on a Fedorov and some pretty rare firearms, though. For me personally (and a lot of other people) they would love to see one.
+hurstolds841 Its based on the AK pattern, but uses subsonic 9x39 mm ammunition and it is internally surpressed. An awesome and very interesting rifle!
Great program. I can tell you are a lover of history and know quite a lot.
I love leveraction and I love learning about them!
Was the action modified for stripper clips in any way other than the guide?
A lever action mosin...awesome!
One of the few lever guns I actually like. And I really like it
Thanks Ian. That was really interesting.
.
Remington acceptance marks on a Winchester? Where did Remington come into it?
Jeffrey Plum Ian kept saying Remington instead of Winchester.
The X and "backwards N" and 3. Are actually "KhiZ", Russian gun forums also don't know what it means, the most popular theory that it is either the stamp of the Kharkiv or Khrapunovsky Instrumental Factory, which sent the experts to evaluate the guns.
Another theory is that it means "Хранение и Запас" (Storage and Surplus), which is not something you'd stamp on rifles needed on the field atm.
I have a wild hunch that it may be "Храни и Защити" - "Save and Protect". Like from a prayer.
Lonely Soul That sounds like something a soldier would carve into his gun...rather than a proof mark present on ALL of the guns.
I've seen a bunch of religious abbreviations from back then, and it sorta came to mind. The church may have contributed to the purchase or something.
Lonely Soul "Спаси и сохрани" ('Save and keep safe) is the version used by the church a lot more. And I'm sure a cross or something would have worked a lot better to denote that it was from Church funds. And such an action would much more likely get recorded in history.
So I still think this is some kind of proof mark from the factories or supply lines.
Don't forget that on russian side, protecting the fellow orthodox serbs was the official reason for joining the war.
Very cool video Ian. Thanks :)
Thank You Ian. Greetings from Riga, Latvia.
forgotten weapons how rare are 1895s chambered in 30-40?
Not particularly.
really that suprise's me thanks for actually responding though. i'm a huge gun nut but hadnt found much on them.
My father had the opportunity to pick on up, but being the good ole' boy that he is he purchased the 30-06 version.
Cole Huenke they were popular with Arizona and Texas Rangers also popular in the Southwest. We inherited one from my maternal great grandfather. Purchased I believe in Sanford Arizona Territory circa 1900.
@@colehuenke3916 got to be top 3 most common. Of the 95 anyway. Dont see them everyday but when I do the it's in 30-40,30-06 and 405. Always wanted on in 303
Edit: just saw this was 3years ago.🙈
Damn that is one sexy rifle!
I wonder how it shoots
+bandholm It only has to shoot to minute-of-German (or minute-of-Austrian) - no more is required.
+jsm666 What about those crazy Ottoman minutes?
They kick like a mule in 06' man, hardest hitting 06' I own. But they are a blast to shoot.
bandholm I own won in .35 Remington (Non Russian variant) and it kicks like a mule but its so much fun.
Colt Jones I am a little bit jealous right now ;)
I have a feeling that if one was unlucky enough to be a Russian soldier in the First World War, that one would rather have this rifle than a mosin nagant
THANKS.... now I need to find one. Great presentation, great collector for sure.
I was first introduced to this gun in the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons if World War I, and I thought it was interesting. Then I took some closer looks, and I fell in love.
Don't get me wrong, lever action is cool.
Bolt action is way better though.
Oh yeah and automatic is even better.
I'd would still spend the money for that rifle if I had it.
How is bolt action better if u could shoot the lever action gun nearly as fast as a semi auto gun?
Bit of Latvian history with these rifles-
Latviešu strēlnieki (Latvian Riflemen) were a volunteer unit who went to war in
WWI, as mentioned Latvia did break away from Russia. In WWI a lot of Latvian
men wanted to fight for their fatherland (Latvia) and created a volunteer unit
called Latviešu strēlnieki, the survivors from that time tell stories that it
was to protect Latvia, their land and not Russia. They were funded by Russian
military, given standard Russian army uniforms and supplies. Although they were
also given shipments from U.S. of Winchester rifles, according to the soldiers
at the time it was very exciting and boosting the morale (which was pretty high
at the time already, due to fact that they can do something somewhat more independent
for their land). Although these rifles were good and accurate, they faced
problems too, according to some survivors from that time they mentioned that
during attacks when crawling through muddy trenches and swampy woodlands rifles
would easily get filled with dirt and other muck which would jam the guns from firing,
which was useless in battle field, therefore some did switch out Winchesters
for other available rifles at the time.
Hope this helps :) (P.S. Latvia, Estonia and Finland is Northern Europe not Eastern :) )
+LOKIS333 Us stupid Americans tend to call anything east of Germany eastern Europe. Good story, thanks for sharing.
+wingracer 16 Don't you worry, even in West Europe they only know where they are and anything else is east from France :D
What a great bit of history...LOVE the old photo's or Russian troops using these rifles. Thank you SO much for offering something truly interesting and educational on the internet.
The COOLEST lever-action I've ever seen! A WW1 cowboy rifle? Why have I never heard of this? Liked!
So when's the mud test? ;)
+Hughes Enterprises Coming soon, actually. :)
zumbazumba1 Browning BLR I recommend .270 wsm
They did the mud test in 1914. Turns out if you put mud in a gun, then your gun gets muddy
I think they would have been much more successful if they had used a stripper clip from begin with.
Great history lesson, as always.
Thanks Vladimir, I really liked your video on the 1895 Russian Winchester!
If I was I was a Russian soldier during WW1, I’d take this over a mosin and not think twice
The letters on the rifle are HI3.
Edit: The marking reads "HiZ"
Yes. In the Russian alphabet "h" is written "х" and "i" is written as "и"
***** No clue. Probably a abbreviation of something.
The last digit isn't a number at all.
It is the letter "z" written as "з" in Russian.
I didn't realize at first. The last word is probably "завод" which means factory, but that is a pure guess.
forum.guns.ru/forummessage/36/146671-4.html
Here is a Russian forum post talking about the markings, but Google translate makes it hard to understand. And my Russian is fairly limited so I didn't get what the exact meaning was behind the marking.
Maybe some Russian speaker can shed a light on that.
Not an "h", it' like the scottish or german "ch" or spanish "j" or "x". I also thought that was a z, but it's either capital Z or it' really three.
As much as I love the history of these rifles, I really wish Winchester would make these rifles again; I'd buy one in a heartbeat
Yea good lord I've been wanting to see a video on this for the longest time!
So hypothetically if you were taking a squad to the Russian front lines to defend a trench, and your unit armorer said he had Mosin-Nagant 1891s or a crate of these new Winchester 1895s...which would you choose?
+elektro3000 Winchesters.
+Forgotten Weapons Good choice.
+elektro3000
The lever action would be more effective in trench warfare then bolt action in my opinion because you can shoot it faster than the bolt mechanism.
+Shane Can't see how the 95 would be much fast :)
Can concur from the second-hand anecdotal evidence, but really only one hand removed from the actual events. My grandfather was an infantry soldier in the Russian Imperial Army during WWI. He started as a designated marksman in southern area of operations ( against the Austrian-Hungarian army ), and later, after receiving a severe leg wound, was discharged and became a gunsmith. These rifles apparently spread enough that quite a few of them went thru his hands. ( He praised it a lot so I learned the name Winchester very early in life : -) ). Main positive points from his memory:
- Very reliable and easy to keep the action clean - the boxy shape of the top and sides allowed quick and easy brushing off the mud, so when the action opens there would be no derbies to fall into action. The Mosin rifle with a typical bolt action top made it very difficult to brush the mud off quickly and cleanly
- Much faster rate of fire vs the Mosin rifle
As the results these rifles ended up with officers who had them converted (by my grandfather) into sawed-off carbines. Those, being light, quick and easy handling and fast shooting, became prize firearms in the army.
**Mosin Lever-Action**
I didn't know. Amazing. Thanks!
Nice to see this video after having watched the latest lever-action series. Great work, thanks again Mr McCollum
Bf1
Why, if they had figured out the "pointed bullet in a lever-gun" thing, would you move away from Lever-guns to Bolt-guns for infantry rifles??? Having grown up shooting both types of rifles from a young age, I get the impetus for using Bolt-Guns in some cases but I still, to this day, have a .357 Mag Lever-Gun that's used as a Home-Defense weapon but my Bolt-guns are strictly for long-range shooting, not "combat"/Defensive situations (unless somethings gone really bad and I'm taking shots at people out past the 300yds). Why do you think Bolt-guns took over when the Lever-gun appears to be a still-viable option for the military procurement offices???
Wandering Kermode Military thinking at the time prioritized long range shooting. Bolt actions are also easier to use while prone.
Wandering Kermode no one wanted to use lever guns because they wanted a gun that used pointed rounds, and at the time, the bolt action was the best way to achieve that
The bolt actions didn't "take over", they were the go to option from the start. The first European repeaters were bolt guns. Lever actions were an American thing. The main issue with lever guns is they lagged a few years behind in cartridge power. By the time lever guns finally caught up in cartridge power with the winchester 1895, European militaries had been using bolt guns for 30+ years and saw no reason to change. Why the American military disliked lever guns is a little more complex, but in essence the generals in charge of American procurement had their heads up their ass.
Well done, as always.
I love these guns. All time #1 need to own
Russia would send us AKs, mosins, but not these...
ABCantonese well they didn't have several million lying around.
Too bad there aren't many accounts of what the people who used them though of their rifles in World war 1.
such a nice looking bit of kit! I am a fan.
Very cool gun! Thanks for all the info!