Winchester M1895 Russian

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Winchester M1895 Russian
Rifle
7.62 x 53 mm (7,62 kiv/Winchester)
USA							Data Provided by Eero Juhola

Physical		Aim				Ballistic Data
Data		Time				Range in 2 yard Hexes
		AC	ALM			10	20	40	70	100	200	300	400
L	46.5	1	-23	m/08	PEN	20	19	17	15	13	7.6	4.6	2.8
W	9.5	2	-12		DC	8	8	8	8	8	7	7	6
		3	-9
RT	7	4	-7	m/30	PEN	24	22	20	17	15	9	5.4	3.3
ROF	2	5	-6		DC	8	8	8	8	8	7	7	6
		6	-5
Cap	5	7	-4	*JHP	PEN	18	18	16	14	12	7.2	4.4	2.7
AW	0.3	8	-3		DC	10	9	9	9	9	9	8	8
	cs	9	-2
		10	-1	*AP	PEN	29	27	24	21	18	11	6.6	4.0
KD	12	11	0		DC	8	8	8	8	7	7	7	6
SAB	7
					BA	64	56	48	41	36	27	21	17
					TOF	0	0	1	2	2	5	8	11

Winchester m/1895 Russian - Between 1915 and 1917 the Winchester Repeating Arms Company supplied Imperial Russia with some 300 000 Winchester rifles model 1895,

i.e. the Winchester M95 Russian. Designed by John Browning, the gun fired the standard model 1908 7.62x53mm cartridge and had a magazine of four, with the fifth going into the barrel. Unlike earlier Winchesters, the m/1895 dispensed with the tubular magazine and used a regular box magazine loaded, in the Russian model at least, with a charging strip. Data is given for both original m/1908 and m/1930 heavy ball ammunition.

The rifle's sights were graduated in arshins, an old Russian measurement corresponding to 71 cm (28 inches). The rifle could be fitted with a 52 cm (20 in) bayonet. Compared to a bolt action the rifle was probably more difficult to operate from a prone firing position but had an advantage if fired in any upright position in that the operator did not have to lift his head off the sights to cycle the action. The m/1895 has a sustained rate of fire of 56 rounds per minute.

The m/1895 is the strongest lever-action rifle ever made. For other markets, Winchester produced the rifle in 30-40 Krag, 30-03, 30-06, 303 British, 35 Winchester, 405 Winchester, 38-72, and 40-72 blackpowder calibers. The barrel lengths varied from the Rifle, with barrels from 22 to 28 inches long, to the Carbine, 22 inches, and the Musket (originally intended for Army sales) 24 to 30 inches. A total of 425 000 were made between 1895 and the early 1930s. The m/1895 was

the Wimbledon Cup 1896 winner for the 1000 yard championship. Today, Browning offers a replica of the 1895 in .30-06 for about 1100 dollars.

Imperial Russian troops in Finland used the Winchester rifle among other types and both sides employed it in the Civil War of 1918. Due to its fine workmanship the rifle was highly valued but its small numbers and unusual mechanism relegated the type to reserve use only. Fewer than 4000 Winchesters survived the Civil War.

When the Winter War begun the Finns actually de-mothballed even these venerable weapons, though they were primarily distributed to artillery units and troops on the home front. The remaining 500 rifles were sold to civililians in the Fifties.

Some notes kindly provided by John T. Kwon

Page last modified: July 25, 2003