GUN SPRING 2018
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/21/2018
WINCHESTER MODEL 1895 MUSKET U.S. MILITARY ISSUE. WINCHESTER 1895 19045 30-40 KRAG Cal. 30-40 KRAG. 28" rnd bbl, full blue finish, straight grain American walnut stocks with handguard. Stocks have sling swivels mounted. Front bbl band has bayonet lug. Carbine type buttplate with trapdoor. Bbl mounts a standard blade front sight with a ladder rear sight graduated to 1800 yards. Left side of bbl behind rear sight is marked "NICKEL STEEL BARREL / ESPECIALLY FOR SMOKELESS POWDER". Bbl breech is marked "30 U.S." with inspector initial "KSM" in front. Receiver has 2-line Winchester address and patent mark rolled on left side. Ring of receiver is struck "U.S." in large letters. Upper tang is marked "WINCHESTER / MODEL 1895". Inspector initials "KSM" appear on top of bolt, left side of lever ring, trigger block, hammer, tang of buttplate, left wrist of stock and bottom rear of forearm. Left wrist of stock shows acceptance cartouche "K.S.M. / 1898" in a rectangle. Buttstock has a quick detach Winchester sling swivel. Buttplate compartment has a "U.S. Government Cleaner" wrapped in craft paper. PROVENANCE: The spectacular collections of Ray Bentley featuring the finest and rarest deluxe antique Winchesters in the world. CONDITION: Very fine. Bbl retains 98% bright blue finish with a slight bayonet mark at muzzle. Markings are sharp. Sights are very good. Bore is bright with strong rifling. Receiver also shows 98% blue finish with some high-point wear on top. Markings are sharp. Magazine shows some action marks on left side. Magazine shows most of the dull blue finish drifting to a slightly plum patina. Lever shows 98% blue. Trigger and trigger block retain nearly all of the case color finish. Hammer shows most of the dark case color finish with sharp inspector mark. Bolt retains 95% bright blue finish with most of the thinning toward breech. Extractor shows most of the fire blue finish. Marking is sharp. Receiver retains considerable amount of packing grease on inside. Bolt face is clean, elevator is not scratched. There is no evidence that this musket has ever been fired. Stocks are very fine, full sized retaining all orig oil finish with crisp markings and only very slight handling marks. Buttplate retains most of the orig blue finish. Mechanics are crisp. Government Cleaner is unused with brass parts showing oxidation. Brush is clean. Craft paper wrap is intact with clear pencil mark "30" written on outside. Very few of these Government Cleaners survive. 10,000 of these muskets passed inspection in 1899 but received an unfavorable report. 100 of these muskets that were sent to the Philippines. These muskets were returned to the United States and sold to a Boston arms dealer. The remaining 9,900 muskets were sold to a New York dealer who shipped them to Cuba in 1906. This example was obviously never sold and remains in nearly new unfired condition. An opportunity to obtain a U.S. Model 1895 Winchester musket in a condition seldom seen by collectors. 53094-73 TEP (7,500-9,500)