Winchester Model 1895 7.62mm Russian Contract Rifle

[varifleman]

Here for your viewing pleasure in Winchester Model 1895 7.62mm Russian Contract Rifle serial number 283932 1916 production and falls within the serial number ranges 174,234-377,412 for the second contract of 200,000 rifles singed 27 August 1915 and completed deliveries by December 1916. Rifle has Russian “XN3” acceptance proof mark on the right side of the frame. It also probably served in the Bolshevik Revolution and Spanish Civil War.


http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/win1.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/win1.jpg.html)
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/win2.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/win2.jpg.html)
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/win3.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/win3.jpg.html)
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/win8.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/win8.jpg.html)
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/win9.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/win9.jpg.html)
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/win10.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/win10.jpg.html)

[varifleman]

A few more photos to show details:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/win17.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/win17.jpg.html)

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/win18.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/win18.jpg.html)

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/win19.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/win19.jpg.html)

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/win16.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/win16.jpg.html)

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/win15.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/win15.jpg.html)

[bruce]

Grand old rifle! Wonderful pictures. You are fortunate to own it! Sincerely. bruce.

[SPEEDGUNNER]

If that rifle could talk it would be multi-lingual!!

[varifleman]

Barrrel/bore in good shape after a hard service life:




http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/winbarrel.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/winbarrel.jpg.html)

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/winbarrel1.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/winbarrel1.jpg.html)

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/winbarrel2.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/winbarrel2.jpg.html)

[Shooter5]

That sure is neat! Wonder how and why it ended up here? The cartridge is very versatile and has had amazing longevity. I have had a few fired my way LoL.

[varifleman]

Here are two photos of Russian troops armed with these rifles; note soldier on left in first photo loading rifle with 5-round stripper clip:


http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/ftd-russ-winchester-630x339.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/ftd-russ-winchester-630x339.jpg.html)

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww253/varifleman/Russians_winchester.jpg (http://s725.photobucket.com/user/varifleman/media/Russians_winchester.jpg.html)

[dryheat]

Dang, that first picture is a little freaky looking. I remember camping with the Boy Scouts with a "pack" like that. Basically, my spare levi's stuffed full of stuff. But the "diesel punk" look to the picture is weird. Just goes to show you.

[Art]

The Russians and later Soviets were always in need of small arms due to the large size of their army. In WWII the rifles were re issued, this time to rear echelon troops. I saw one of these rifles at Collectors Firearms a few years ago in no where near as good condition as the one in the O.P. at a very high price.

The first picture is very interesting, the Russian soldiers are wearing gas masks and note the medic in the background. I wonder if it was taken by a combat photographer in an actual gas attack.

How they got here....I'd like to know that too. After WWII I figure there should have been few survivors.

Russian uniforms always had a distinct look. Unique "bus driver" hats have always had a place in their gear. The current ones are different but still have a look of their own.

[blackhawknj]

I have read these rifles should be checked for headspace, that 7.62 x 54R round was a little much for them.

[bruce]

The 1895 was a tremendous sporting rifle. For military use, it probably was less so, especially given the conditions in the trenches of WWI. Your rifle is a wonderful piece of that bygone era when the futures of nations turned on the bolts of the rifles used by those men. Sincerely. bruce.

[Liam]

The "XN3" you reference, and show, are pronounced as "Kh" for the X…."i" for the N (which is Russian for "and" which is why it is lower case)…and "Z" for the 3. I suspect they are first initials of inspectors "Kh and Z." Now, who's got access to the list of inspectors?!
38838
38839

[varifleman]

Thanks for all the replies; I emailed several Russian Armed Forces/Firearms museums asking for info about the rifle and the XN3 marking; it'll be interesting to see if I get any answers.

[Tuna]

As to head space with these rifles. Any of them need to be checked if they were chambered for anything near as strong as a 7.62x54 or 30-06. In fact the two I had over the years in 30-40 Krag both had head space issues.

[varifleman]

Per Cody Firearms Records WINCHESTER MODEL 1895 - SERIAL NUMBER 283932 applied on May 20, 1916.

[varifleman]

Finally found a nice bayonet for this rifle:

[PhillipM]

The 1895 was a tremendous sporting rifle. For military use, it probably was less so, especially given the conditions in the trenches of WWI. Your rifle is a wonderful piece of that bygone era when the futures of nations turned on the bolts of the rifles used by those men. Sincerely. bruce.

The Eastern front was not the stagnant trench warfare of the West.

[JimF]

Though I don't own one . . . nor ever handled one of the Russian contract rifles . . . . I always wondered . . . .
Do these rifles ever experience "rim-lock" when loading from the stripper clip?

[Johnny P]

That sure is neat! Wonder how and why it ended up here? The cartridge is very versatile and has had amazing longevity. I have had a few fired my way LoL.

In the 1950's outfits like Ye Old Hunter/Hunter's Lodge, and others imported them when they were gathering surplus military arms from around the world. Whether they came direct from Russia or a satellite country I do not know. Most were the worst for wear, with a good one occasionally found. Something close to 300,000 were shipped to Russia in the 1915/1916 time period.

The warning about headspace should be heeded. The receivers were prone to stretching with some of the newer smokeless powder loads.