Help with Winchester Model 1895 value

C

cowboybob

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Super GunNutz
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Moncton, New Brunswick
I've got a Winchester Model 1895 that I was given by an old timer for which I need to establish a value. It's a sporting rifle, takedown model that's in fair but shootable condition with a dark bore and missing a couple of easily obtainable screws and a couple fo other small parts that don't affect its function. The real zinger is that it is in a very rare chambering - .30 GOVT. 1903 - i.e. 30-03. It cycles 30-06s no problem. I'm not a Winchester guy but I do know that this one is rare and should be in some Winchester guy's collection. I'd like to sell it and give the old guy the money. Are there any of you Winchester officianados out there that can give me a good idea of what a fair, and conservative price should be?
 
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My hunting buddy scored one of them years ago with the rear sight slide elevator system on it.
He calls it the "terdie awt tree".
Cool find.
You know photos would be a blessing............ :wave:
 
Any cracks in the wood? Any holes drilled in it? Let's see some photos. Any rust or pitting? How much bluing is left?
 
I'll try and get some pictures early next week. It does have a rear hole drilled in it for one of those big Lyman receiver sights and you can see the rub marks from where it rested against the side if the receiver. It needs sights. somebody drilled three holes for ??? in the bottom of the fore-end. They're too small for a sling stud and apparently done by a blind person. There's a black insert in the fore-end tip. There's a sling stud hole in the butt stock. The barrel has about 50% bluing. The receiver and crescent butt plate have none and have a brown patina. No serious pitting but the butt plate in particular has a rough surface. The tip of the spur that holds the lever in place when closed has broken off. The part is available but ridiculously priced so it was my intent to simply add a bead of weld and file it back to shape. The dove-tailed slide that keeps the two halves of the rifle from turning is missing and again, I'd need to make another one. A fairly simple piece to file and machine.
 
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Without pics the rifle in the condition described is a 400 dollar gun, maybe less but certainly not more. Any mods or repairs you make will only further decrease the value..........
 
Kevan said:
I think it is actually the 30-03 which is the predecessor of the 30-06.
I had one in 30-40 Krag and the barrel stamp was 30 US .
Click to expand...

Yes, a fellow I used to hunt with quite often used a 1895, stamped 30 US, and of course the ammunition is marked 30-40 Krag, / 30 US.
 
Doesn't sound like much of a collector's piece to me in the condition you described. More like a shooter if the bore and rifling are good. Probably worth more parted out - but again depending on condition.
 
The neck on a .30-06 is actually 0.07 inches shorter than that of the .30-03. Otherwise the dimensions are identical. Apparently bullet jump can be excessive using light spitzers in .30-06s loaded in .30-03 chambers. The rifle now has a new owner and he and I will work up some some long-seated 220 grain round-nose loads to mimic the original .30-03s for which the rifle was chambered. Let it go for $400 to a friend who collects and loves old Winchesters and got the old guy who originally owned it some money. Happy, happy, happy all around.
 
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