Very cool! I have an 1866 sporting that holds 17 rounds and a 62a gallery gun.

Did they have one of the models that Winchester produced for Russia that's chambered in 7.62 x 54R ?

Thanks for posting Bender!

Most collectors refer to the 1895 "straight pull" as the the Lee Model.....either musket or sporter versions. The unique action was invented by J.P. Lee who at one time worked for Winchester....and later went to Remington. Winchester was trying to obtain military contracts, so in 1895 Winchester was awarded a U.S.Navy contract to build 15,000 repeaters based on the Lee patents. The original versions for the Lee Model Navy's were all musket versions with 28" barrels. Later a "sporting" version was introduced..... which is like the one in Benders picture....it had a sporter style stock with thumb grooves and a 24" barrel.
It is thought that a few experimental versions were built in other calibers.... but the standard .236 U.S.N. cartridge was the only one offered for the Lee Model. It is said that it was the first metric caliber (6mm) used by the U.S. Military.
Just a bit over 20,000 Lee Models were built, and of those, about 1700 were "sporting" versions, and around that same number of civilian muskets. The majority built were of the original 15,000 musket versions for the U.S.N.

A very interesting fact on the 1895 Lee Models is that a large number of the Lee Model muskets were on board the U.S. Maine when it was sunk in Havana harbor. 54 of those muskets were recovered from the ship and later sold by the Brooklyn Naval Yard to a arms dealer in New York City by the name of F. Bannerman.
The entire list of those serial numbers of those muskets recovered is listed in George Madis's bible on Winchesters ..."The Winchester Book".

I collect older Winchesters and the 1866 is akin to original Henry's as the 'holy grail" of collectible lever guns. Which model 1866 Rifle (1st-4th) do you have? Octagon or round? Very Cool sir!

I have a Winchester 1892 that is a one of a kind. One day i will do a thread on it.

Cool museum and thanks for posting.

Gunny456 said:

---

I collect older Winchesters and the 1866 is akin to original Henry's as the 'holy grail" of collectible lever guns. Which model 1866 Rifle (1st-4th) do you have? Octagon or round? Very Cool sir!

---

Octagon. It's the sporting length. Has a cool story that I can't verify. Papaw found it in a cave in Hamilton County. The story is that it was a stash gun during the Harrell-Higgins feud. The forestock is worn down in one spot from all the miles carried on a saddle.

Very cool. I have a couple winchester lever guns including my grandfather's m94 Trapper that he used on the job as a county sheriff. A&M museum have anything like this?

Started another thread on your 1866 so wouldn't clutter up/derail Benders thread.

Gunny456 said:

---

Started another thread on your 1866 so wouldn't clutter up/derail Benders thread.

---

Hardly a derail to talk winchesters on a winchester thread.

I should have taken pictures of some of their ads/marketing stuff they also had, it was almost as interesting as the firearms

Was just being polite for your thread as it was about his specific rifle.. not the ones you were showing.

The 1894 and 1892 Carbines are nice. Do you know anything about the significance of the carving on the buttstock of the 1894?
That Model 64 is really choice.
Thanks for posting.

Outstanding sir. Very awesome as hell!

That is awesome. And of course the danged paints can't line up for the photo.

I've never seen a Spencer Carbine in person

Here's a chance to bid on a rare Winchester -Lee 1895 (straight pull) that was talked about on this thread.
https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/5042/1121/us-navy-winchesterlee-model-1895-sporting-rifle

Thanks for this thread! I enjoy reading about traditional firearms. Nothing tactical, just solid American craftsmanship you'd read about in a Field and Stream when it arrived at the end of the month.