Lever action 3040 Krag help please

[grandpas 3040]

Greetings everyone....New member & excited to be here.

I am asking for help on my inherited 3040 Krag. Shoots & functions great, but would like to have more info on cleaning, history etc. I can't find much info on my lever action rifle.

Pics link...https://photos.app.goo.gl/6CFgvDfmXPDNSvsh7

Any advice, comments and feedback are welcomed !

Thanks in advance!

[Knute1]

So what you have there is an 1895 Winchester that shoots 30-40 Krag ammo. This is the last lever action designed by John Browning for Winchester. The magazine allows for spitzer bullets since it has a stacked configuration instead of tubular. You apparently know that 30 US is another nomenclature for 30-40 Krag ammo. The gun itself is not a Krag Jorgensen, so this post may be moved to another topic labelled "Other Firearms".

This Winchester lever action never took off like the previous Winchesters. It came out when bolt actions were starting to take ahold. The Ordnance Department tried the design for the US Army, but was not accepted. However, the Russians were desperate for whatever they could get their hands on during The Great War and had Winchester build over 200,000 Model 1895 rifles in 7.62x54R cartridge, the same as their Mosin Nagant. Winchester made these rifles in other calibers including 30-06 and .405 Winchester (Theodore Roosevelt had an 1895 in this caliber).

It may have looked a little futuristic to firearms owners when it came out and the more traditional looking lever actions were more popular. I will have to tell you that I found out that my great grandfather had one that had left the family. When I found out about it I set my brother up to get it back and he now owns it, also in 30 US ammo. I would have gotten it, but I had just purchased a Krag Jorgensen. Below is a link to a post I had on this rifle under "Other Firearms" from this forum.

http://www.kragcollectorsassociation.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1528055101

[grandpas 3040]

Thank you SO much for the info. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the link posted by you in "other" firearms. What a beautiful rifle. So glad for you & your family that it's back "home."

I will take your info & continue to do research on it. Do you have any cleaning/maintenance advice ?

I will also be reloading for this. I can find ammo locally for 1.75 per round, but think I can do better reloading my own.

Thank you again sir...my excitement builds !

[psteinmayer]

Welcome to the forum, grandpas 3040! You're in some great company here!!!

FWIW, The 1895 Winchester has a much stronger action than the Krag. That said, you can load a little hotter for the 1895 than for a Krag, but be very cautious in this because a "HOT" round would be very dangerous in a Krag, and if you mixed 'em up by mistake, you'd be a trouble! In any rate, there really is no need to load hotter than standard for the 1895, as normal .30 Army/.30 USA/30-40 Krag ammo is plenty accurate in both Krags and 1895 Winchesters! Most reloading manuals have accurate load data for 30-40 (I use Hornady's manuals mostly).

It's possible to shoot a military variant 1895 (yes, they do exist) in sanctioned CMP matches, providing they conform to the "As Issued" rule. However, I think the rapid would be a problem as working the lever in the prone position could be challenging.

Hey Culpeper, don't you have a military variant 1895?

[Culpeper]

Me? Heck I don't own any firearms. Those are all photoshopped. Even the Krag your lying eyes saw at CP was photoshopped.

And you can thank yours truely for getting the US Military 1895 Winchesters, yes plural, added to the allowed military guns list.

http://www.kragcollectorsassociation.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1467470719/0

Rapids are a problem due to the slide in and lay down way of loading the cartridges. It can be done if you don't mind firing patterns and not groups. Ask me how I know. The problem is time.

.

[Culpeper]

Thank you SO much for the info. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the link posted by you in "other" firearms. What a beautiful rifle. So glad for you & your family that it's back "home."

I will take your info & continue to do research on it. Do you have any cleaning/maintenanceadvice ?

I will also be reloading for this. I can find ammo locally for 1.75 per round, but think I can do better reloading my own.

Thank you again sir...my excitement builds !

Ammoseek Ammoseek is your friend.

White Birch Amory White Birch Armory has Remington at $1.27 a box. Buy two cases and stock up for the next shortage. Shoot one box at a time until the brass wears out from reloading and then replace that box with another case.

And buy your bullets in lots of ten boxes if you can afford it. Sierra 220 grain RN are up about 8 cents per over the last year or so. Again ammoseek.

.

[Knute1]

Grandpas 3040, here is a link to a YouTube video on the 1895 Winchester. I don't have info on maintenance/cleaning, but if I run into it I'll reply here. You have a great unique rifle. Somebody "dimpled" the buttplate to make it grip better against the shoulder. I've not seen that done before. A killer bear in New Mexico named "Old Mose" was killed with an 1895 Winchester in this caliber in 1904.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZmoJBRoIHQ

[grandpas 3040]

Thank you for the warm welcome. This forum has already been a great help. I have found the Winchester forum & will seek answers there also.

I can't say thanks enough to you guys for your thoughts, time & responsive insights. I hope to be able to do the same for someone in the future. Really appreciate the links to ammo & Youtube video.

I will keep these for referral when I get closer to reloading.

I thought you fellas might enjoy seeing this gun getting good use. Check it out...
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipP5gZEY3gJjrBspTpJSPNkTyHNPY1D3FWa7xEf6

Have a great day gentleman !

[Culpeper]

I found this place (again). I bought a copy and found it useful.


homesteadparts.com