"Winchester Lever-Action Rifles " Topic

Of possible interest?

"Winchester lever-action repeating rifles are an integral part of the folklore of the American West. Introduced shortly after the American Civil War, the very first Winchester, the M1866, would go on to see military service as far afield as Bulgaria, but it was in the hands of civilians that it would become known as 'The gun that won the west'. Offering a lethal combination of portability, ruggedness and ammunition interchangeability with pistol sidearms, the Winchesters and their innovative and elegant breech-loading system represented a revolutionary design. They were used by a staggering variety of military and civilian groups – gold-miners, trappers, hunters, farmers, lawmen, professional gunmen and Native Americans. It equipped a whole generation of settlers and as such left an imprint on American culture that continues to resonate today. This book explores the Winchesters' unique place in the history of firearms, revealing the technical secrets of their success with a full array of colour artwork, period illustrations and close-up photographs."

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Amicalement
Armand

There's a review here : PDF link

LW Osprey reviews long term aim is to assess the "wargames merit" of every Osprey. Big task – still going!

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Amicalement
Armand

I shoot lever action rifles, six-guns, and double barrel shotguns as part of Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS). I have several books on the subject of these types of firearms. I have an original 1873 Winchester and an original 1894 Winchester. There are much better books about the Winchester readily available. I have a couple comments. First: The 1866 Winchester was just an 1860 Henry with a couple of improvements. The 1866 initially chamber the Henry .44 rim-fire round. Later the 1866 was chambered for the .44 Winchester Center Fire, also known as the .44-40 round. It was also chambered in the .32-20 and .38-40. The Winchester was never originally chambered in the .45 round. Second: The Winchester was never compatible with the Single Action Army .45 six-shooter sidearm. However, the Army rifle round during the Indian Wars was primarily the .45-70, used in the Trapdoor single shot breech loader. While true, Winchesters were chambered in some pistol calibers, but never in the very popular .45 pistol caliber. I won't purchase this book – I already have really good books on the subject. For those who want a quick overview and have no intention of further research as are most Osprey books it should be a good intro-level. BTW – the carbine that John Wayne is holding is an 1892 model, not an 1894 model. I have a reproduction Winchester 1892 rifle. The difference is physically obvious to one who operates them. Just some thoughts. :)