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EXTREMELY RARE TRANSITIONAL WINCHESTER MODEL 1895 LEVER ACTION MUSKET.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:6,250.00 USD Estimated At:12,500.00 - 17,500.00 USD
EXTREMELY RARE TRANSITIONAL WINCHESTER MODEL 1895 LEVER ACTION MUSKET.
SN 2369. Cal. 30 US (30-40). Usual musket configuration with 28" tapered rnd bbl, pedestal mounted ivory bead front sight and 1,800 yard musket ladder rear sight. Receiver is transitional style with a lightning, weight reducing machined recess on each side that does not extend all the way to the rear of the receiver. It also has the "new" jointed lever. Mounted with very highly figured, uncheckered American walnut with full length forearm with grasping grooves & straight stock and carbine/musket buttplate with trap containing a brass cleaning jag & brush. Buttstock is mounted with an articulated musket swivel. Corresponding sling loop is missing from the middle band and the stacking swivel is missing from the front band. Front band is Krag rifle style with split straps and has had the bayonet lug removed. Bbl has standard markings with the caliber over the chamber area and matted front receiver ring. Accompanied by copies of the Winchester ledger sheets which show that this rifle was serialized Dec. 14, 1896 as a musket in caliber 30, with knife bayonet & scabbard and shipped Jan. 25, 1897 to Order #24607. It was repaired & returned Feb. 17, 1898 with the notation "Receiver matted on top, fancy stock, S&S Bayt taken off, repo (repolish) rec". A copy of the ledger sheet discloses that there were a total of five Model 1895 muskets shipped to the same order, #2363, #2369, #2371, #2382 & #2384, several of which were returned & repaired. It is unknown how many such transitional '95 muskets were produced but it seems likely that there were only a few with not many of those surviving today, especially with fancy wood. Also accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter which identifies this musket in caliber 30 with 28" bbl, fancy stock, receiver matted on top, sling & swivel, knife bayonet & scabbard, new pattern special jointed lever, swivel eye for swivel in magazine, new 95-30 musket rear sight, Lee buttplate reduced, drop implement & brush (brass string pull-through), Lee stock swivel base, Lee sling swivels, dbl front band with saber stud, bayonet stud taken off, received in warehouse Dec. 16, 1896, shipped Jan. 25, 1897 with five other arms to Order #24607. Returned & repaired Jan. 6, 1898, Feb. 7, 1898, Feb. 11, 1898 and Feb. 17, 1898, one shipping date of Feb. 7, 1898. It is apparent from the multiple returns & repairs that this musket was probably a prototype or bench model being tested in the factory. Additionally accompanied by a 5-page letter from renowned Winchester historian & author, George Madis, wherein he authenticates this musket and states that in his opinion "This was an experimental gun, sent to the Winchester warehouse for storage and returned across Winchester Avenue for alterations requested by the U.S. Ordnance inspectors & engineers". He further states that the matting on top of the receiver is "unique" and is possibly the first Model 1895 which had matting. He also states that this musket originally had the solid lever and "apparently the U.S. Ordnance Dept. wanted the improved lever latch which was a component of the jointed lever". In a following paragraph he states that one of the other muskets in the shipment with this musket was number '2366' which has the notation "reduced frame 8 pounds, and this musket, number '2369', has ditto marks for the frame". In the final paragraph he states "This is a unique Winchester; no other musket will be seen with so many unusual and special variations". PROVENANCE: Barnes Family Collection. CONDITION: Very good to fine. Bbl retains about 95% strong orig blue with scattered light surface rust; receiver retains 50-60% blue turning brown with possible touchup on the left side, also left side of the cartridge box & lever; hammer retains dark case colors. Wood is sound and retains most of a professionally restored finish. Mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore. 4-47625 JR208