This Winchester Model 1895 Fancy Sporting Rifle was manufactured in 1906 and chambered for the .405 WCF cartridge. This rifle is accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter that describes it as: "Type: Rifle, Caliber:405, Fancy checkered stock, Sights: No rear seat, King's triple bead front (replaced with sheard's), Lyman receiver, Screw eyes" and "Recoil pad furnished by customer". The letter states that this rifle was shipped from Winchester on March 21, 1906. The rifle has a full blue finish on the round barrel, contoured receiver and other components. The hammer is color casehardened. The stock and forearm are deluxe, fancy grade walnut with a high polish piano finish and "Style H" checkering. The forearm has an ebony insert at the tip, and the stock has a red rubber recoil pad with two black spacers. The barrel has a Sheard marked front sight with gold bead. As noted in the Cody letter, the barrel has no rear sight dovetail. A Lyman WR-WT rear sight with locking lever is mounted on the left side of the receiver. The top of the receiver in front of the bolt has a fine matted finish. Special order sling swivel eyelets are mounted on the underside of the barrel and stock, and the rifle is fitted with quick detachable sling swivels and a russet leather, one-inch wide, commercial sling. The left side of the barrel is roll-stamped: "NICKEL STEEL BARREL/ESPECIALLY FOR SMOKELESS POWDER" in two lines. The caliber designation "405 W.C.F." is stamped on the top of the barrel just ahead of the receiver. Winchester oval "W/P" proofmarks are stamped on the barrel center-line and on the upper left side of the receiver. The Winchester legend and patent dates are roll-stamped in two lines on the left side of the receiver under the rear sight. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped with the second style marking: "MODEL 1895/-WINCHESTER-/TRADE MARK" in three lines. The serial number "52957" is roll-stamped across the lower tang. The 405 WCF cartridge was introduced in 1904 and was one of the most powerful cartridges ever developed for a lever action rifle. Former President Teddy Roosevelt used a Winchester Model 1895 rifle chambered for the 405 WCF cartridge extensively during his famous African safari and pronounced it "The Medicine Gun for Lions".

Exceptionally fine. This rifle retains close to 90% of the original blue finish. The upper receiver has most of the finish intact with some edge wear on the upper right side and some handling wear on the upper tang. The rear edges of the magazine has the usual cycling scuff marks. Most of the handling wear is concentrated on the sides and bottom of the lever where the blue finish has thinned to a blue-brown patina. The hammer retains all of the muted casehardened finish. The highly figured, fancy grade walnut stock and forearm retain nearly 90% of the high polish piano finish. The checkering is sharp and shows only very limited handling wear. The stock and forearm have a few scattered and very minor storage and handling marks. The recoil pad and spacers are in fine condition but may be more recent replacements. This is a very desirable special order 405 WCF Winchester Deluxe Model 1895 Fancy Lever Action Rifle in exceptionally fine overall condition!