Winchester 1895 help needed

[rcmodel]

O.K., here's a new one on me.

A friend bought a 1895 Winchester 30-40 saddle ring carbine at a flea market last weekend.

Other then light surface rust, and a dark bore?

It appears somebody last shot it in 1930 with corrosive ammo, and set it in a closet behind the pin-striped suits and white starched & ironed shirts!!

Problem is, the firing pin lock in the bolt is wearing twin grooves in the outsides of the hammer face, and it binds up hard on the firing pin lock opening & closing.

I have torn it down as far as necessary and can find nothing stopping full hammer travel when cocked, except the back of the hammer hitting the receiver tang as designed.
No dirt or crud under the main or sear spring in the way of the hammer lower extension.

The firing pin & lock are free, and there is nothing else binding I can find, except the hammer is too tight when the bolt & firing pin lock try to compress it further then it can go in the receiver tang.

Anyone ever run into this on an 1895??

PS: Maybe that's why it was shot a little and stored without cleaning in 1930?

rc

 

[Jim K]

Could the top tang be bent or someone did stock work and got the relationship of the tangs messed up?

Jim

 

[rcmodel]

Not that I could tell from eye-balling at it.

The wood is all original, but the tang screw was bent enough it was hard to get out, as it got tight every half-turn.

I have seen a lot of those on other old Winchesters, so I just straightened it out, cleaned the crap out of the stock hole, and put it back together.

That is a very good idea though!!

And one I didn't think of checking while I had the gun in working on it.

I'll get him to bring it back and lay some straight-edges on the tangs.

Thanks for the idea & help Jim K!!

rc

 

[mavracer]

Could somebody have replaced hammer with incorrect one?

 

[rcmodel]

No, I don't think so.
By all appearances, the screws had never been turned until I turned them.

rc

 

[Float Pilot]

I will look at mine a little later on today and see if I have the same thing going on... My 30 US ARMY chambered 1895 was made around 1901...

I was told that is folks shot hot loads in the older guns that the metal would stretch and cause problems. One reason the rifles chambered in 30-03 and 30-06 had problems...

 

[Clark]

I bought one in January at a pawn shop.
I took it apart that week and got more than a quarter pound of dirt out.
The magazine was hard to get back in.
There is no good youtube on how to do it.
Nothing in my books.
Just a few words.
http://www.rarewinchesters.com/images/Exploded Views/1895 Disassembly-Reassembly.shtml

 

[rcmodel]

Thanks for the photos.

The hammer face in the first photo of yours shows the same wear grooves (though not as bad) from the firing pin lock as the one I worked on.

Does yours hang up hard when the FP lock contacts there when opening the action??

rc

 

[Clark]

The action now has oil, and is smooth as glass.

 

[Jim K]

My usual response to those who ask how to take one of those down is "don't".

Jim