Winchester's "Self Loader" series started with the 1903, a cute little rabbit gun chambered for the .22 WRA round: .22" Winchester Rimfire Automatic. It was a straight-blowback with the cocking rod under the barrel and the magazine in the butt. The strange, fat little cartridge was so nobody would try shooting .22 blackpowder ammo in the thing and thus gum up its works rather supremely. The ammo lasted in Canada until the IVI takeover of the old Dominion plant in 1968, so there might still be a bit running about.
The1903 was re-released as the 63, chambered for standard .22" LR and lasted quite a few years in production. It was de-listed in the 60s owing to the rather high expense of manufacture. Somebody told me that Noinco is producing them now, but I haven't seen one.
The 1905 came out in 2 calibres: .32 Winchester Self Loading and .35 Winchester Self Loading. Both were straight-blowback magazine-fed rifles with a Lee magazine below the action. Ammo for both rifles was a straight semi-rimmed round. The .32WSL became the inspiration for the .30 M-1 Carbine round and the .35 was reworked into the 351WSL, which still is made today on an occasional basis. The .35WSL round was so gutless that very few rifles sold and the chambering was discontinued in 1920, although the ammo continued for a few years longer. As with the whole series of Self Loader rifles, the 1905 was beautifully made.
The 1907 was the mega vesion of the .35WSL and chambered a much more powerful .351 WSL round which was longer and ran a heavier slug. Mechanically, it differed from the earlier rifles in having struts back to the bolt and a hollow fore-end with a heavy sliding weight inside it: an effort to keep the thing closed during the high-pressure phase of firing. This is the one with the "pregnant" fore-end. They got it balanced pretty well and the 1907 became the final one of the line to go out of production.... in the 1960s. Quite a number of 1907s were purchased by the French during the Great War, more in the 1920s for working out SA tactics. The US used some and I am told that Canada and Great Britain both purchased a few during the "grab anything real fast" phase of War Two.
The 1910 was the .401 WSL and it was the biggest of the series. It shared the new design features of the 1907, just moreso. TR liked the .401, but then, he liked anything big that went "bang!". His ranch is a national park today and is well worth a visit, along with the Chateau de Mores, the little castle-away-from-home of TR's friend the Marquis de Mores.The chateau is a museum today and WORTH seeing, no far from Kenmare, SD.
AMMO for the 1903 is impossible these days. Case is shorter and fatter than a standard round. Look for original stuff. Rifles have been converted to .22LR but the cost is prohibitive. Look for a 63 and hang the 1903 up to stare at.
AMMO for the 1905 .32WSL likely could be engineered from .32-20. Barnes in COTW gives suggested loads.
AMMO for the 1905 in .35WSL can be made from .38 Special +P or .357 Magnum brass. Bullet diameter is .351" and they are still being made. I am using 151-grain .355" plated 9mm slugs in my 1907 and I haven't blown myself up yet: plated slugs squish down easily and keep pressures sane. Case is semi-rimmed, so you will need a lathe.
AMMO for the 1907 in .351 WSL can be made up from .357 Maximum brass or you can get new brass from Winchester. The right slugs are available or you can do what I do.... and cheat.
AMMO for the .401 is impossible. Kynoch was the last source, up to about 1969. Bullet diameter is .406" and likely brass can be made up from .30-30 but you will need a lathe.
OWS has ammo for most of these but the prices can wreak havoc on your pacemaker batteries. Buy a lathe and make your own.
Production figures:
1903 Model: 1903 through 1936, total 123,094, highest s/n 126211
1905 Model: 1905 through 1923, total 31457 for BOTH calibres together
1907 Model: 1906 through 1943 plus 1958 parts assembly, total 58,733.
1910 Model: 1910 through1936: total production 20,787
There were about 175,000 63s made from 1933 to 1960. When I was a kid this was the gun everybody wanted and NObody could afford!
Self Loaders are fun to shoot.
Hope this helps.
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