someguy2800
Member
I just picked up a new 1895 guide gun that was sent direct from the factory.
My first impressions were that I didn't think much of the metal finish. The receiver is half matte bead blasted blued finish and the sides have been finished with some type of belt sander looking finish. I don't care for it and I wish it was all gloss blued but that sort of finish is rare these days. There are no burrs or sharp edges on the outside of the gun and the finish on the barrel, barrel band, and mag tube is very nice. The wood is of good quality walnut but was very flat and dry when I took it out of the package. The forend shape does not really fit the end cap and receiver which leaves end grain exposed on both ends, but it is even and fits well and is tight. The buttstock is very nice except the slot for the upper tang is cut about an 1/8" too long leaving a small gap between the end of the tang and the stock. The checkering is very chincy on both the forend and buttstock. The wood does not match between the forend and buttstock. The forend is lighter color. The sights and all fittings were straight and tight and well assembled. It had one of the heaviest triggers I've ever encountered on a gun, probably 8 or 9 pounds. I took it apart and did a trigger job on it down to a nice 4 or 5 pounds. The action was reasonably smooth and did not require any internal smoothing. I cycled the action 100 times or so on the couch and it smoothed out well on its own. Finally I gave the stock a very liberal coat of RemOil and let it sit over night to soak into the wood. It now has a very attractive semi gloss sheen and the grain really came out.
This will be a working gun for me so the aesthetic nit picks are not a big deal to me since all the mechanical's are in order. It has and overall solid and quality feel and I am happy with my purchase and would buy it again. I paid $430 shipped for it plus $25 for transfer, and I sent in for the $100 mail in rebate. For $355 total cash outlay for a new lever action 45-70 I think I did very well.
My first impressions were that I didn't think much of the metal finish. The receiver is half matte bead blasted blued finish and the sides have been finished with some type of belt sander looking finish. I don't care for it and I wish it was all gloss blued but that sort of finish is rare these days. There are no burrs or sharp edges on the outside of the gun and the finish on the barrel, barrel band, and mag tube is very nice. The wood is of good quality walnut but was very flat and dry when I took it out of the package. The forend shape does not really fit the end cap and receiver which leaves end grain exposed on both ends, but it is even and fits well and is tight. The buttstock is very nice except the slot for the upper tang is cut about an 1/8" too long leaving a small gap between the end of the tang and the stock. The checkering is very chincy on both the forend and buttstock. The wood does not match between the forend and buttstock. The forend is lighter color. The sights and all fittings were straight and tight and well assembled. It had one of the heaviest triggers I've ever encountered on a gun, probably 8 or 9 pounds. I took it apart and did a trigger job on it down to a nice 4 or 5 pounds. The action was reasonably smooth and did not require any internal smoothing. I cycled the action 100 times or so on the couch and it smoothed out well on its own. Finally I gave the stock a very liberal coat of RemOil and let it sit over night to soak into the wood. It now has a very attractive semi gloss sheen and the grain really came out.
This will be a working gun for me so the aesthetic nit picks are not a big deal to me since all the mechanical's are in order. It has and overall solid and quality feel and I am happy with my purchase and would buy it again. I paid $430 shipped for it plus $25 for transfer, and I sent in for the $100 mail in rebate. For $355 total cash outlay for a new lever action 45-70 I think I did very well.