View source for Winchester rifle

{{short description|Series of lever action repeating rifles}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{refimprove|date = October 2025}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = Winchester rifle series
| image              = File:Winchester 1873 Rifle.jpg
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = Winchester [[Winchester rifle#Model 1873|Model 1873]] rifle
| origin             = United States
| type               = [[Lever action]] rifle
<!-- Type selection -->| is_ranged          = yes
<!-- Service history -->| service            = 1866–present
| used_by            = United States<br/>Canada<br/>France<br/>[[Empire of Japan|Japan]]<br/>Chile<br/>[[Peru]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://issuu.com/camilapesse/docs/jornada_antofagasta | title=Jornada de Historia Militar en Antofagasta. Guerra del Pacifico| work=Issuu| date=August 30, 2019}}</ref><br/>[[Bolivia]]<br/>Mexico<br/>[[Ottoman Empire]]<br/>Brazil<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.armasbrasil.com/SecXIX/declinio/ArmasFogo/clav_Winchester.htm | title=ArmasBrasil - Clavina Winchester}}</ref><br/>[[Haiti]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Military+rifle+cartridges+of+Haiti.-a0242017608 | title=Military rifle cartridges of Haiti.}}</ref><br/>[[Dominican Republic]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+military+rifle+cartridges+of+the+Dominican+Republic:+from+.50-70...-a0267204205 | title=The military rifle cartridges of the Dominican Republic: from .50-70 to 5.56mm.}}</ref><br/>[[Honduras]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+military+rifle+cartridges+of+Honduras+from+Cortez+to+zelaya.-a0270283844 | title=The military rifle cartridges of Honduras from Cortez to zelaya.}}</ref><br/>[[Guatemala]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+military+rifle+cartridges+of+Guatemala.-a0261731332| title=The military rifle cartridges of Guatemala.}}</ref><br/>[[El Salvador]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+military+Rifle+Cartridges+of+El+Salvador%3A+from+conquistadors+to...-a0229304085| title=The military Rifle Cartridges of El Salvador: from conquistadors to Civil War.}}</ref><br/>[[Costa Rica]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+military+rifle+cartridges+of+Costa+Rica%3A+arms+of+Latin+America%27s...-a0264483042| title=The military rifle cartridges of Costa Rica: arms of Latin America's most "peaceful" country.}}</ref><br>[[Siam]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Siamese Thai: Military Rifle cartridges. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Siamese+Thai:+Military+Rifle+cartridges.-a0342772783 |access-date=December 26, 2022 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref><br/>[[Ethiopian Empire]]<br/>[[Kingdom of Dahomey]]<ref>Kea, R. A. “Firearms and Warfare on the Gold and Slave Coasts from the Sixteenth to the Nineteenth Centuries.” The Journal of African History, vol. 12, no. 2, 1971, pp. 185–213. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/180879. Accessed September 5, 2022</ref> <br/>South Africa<br/>Great Britain<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/winchester-lever-actions-go-to-war/| title=Winchester Lever-Actions Go To War}}</ref><br/>[[Morocco]]<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Cahen|first1=Cl.|title=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition|last2=Cour|first2=A.|last3=Kedourie|first3=E.|publisher=Brill|year=2012|isbn=|editor-last=Bearman|editor-first=P.|location=|pages=|chapter=D̲j̲ays̲h̲|editor-last2=Bianquis|editor-first2=Th.|editor-last3=Bosworth|editor-first3=C.E.|editor-last4=van Donzel|editor-first4=E.|editor-last5=Heinrichs|editor-first5=W.P.}}</ref>
| wars               = [[American Indian Wars]]<br/>[[Franco-Prussian War]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+rifles+of+the+Franco-Prussian+War+1870-1871%3A+the+French+were...-a0236643363| title=The rifles of the Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871}}</ref><br/>[[Japanese invasion of Taiwan (1874)|Japanese invasion of Taiwan]]<ref>{{cite book
 |last=H. House
 |first=Edward
 |date=May 2018
 |title=The Japanese Expedition to Formosa
 |publisher=Forgotten Books
 |page=66
 |isbn=9780282270940
}}</ref><br/>[[Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)]]<br/>[[War of the Pacific]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Esposito |first1=Gabriele |title=Armies of the War of the Pacific 1879–83 |date=2016 |location=Oxford |url=https://ospreypublishing.com/armies-of-the-war-of-the-pacific-1879-83?___store=osprey_usa |access-date=November 14, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><br/>[[North-West Rebellion]]<br/>[[Second French intervention in Mexico]]<br>[[Tomochic Rebellion]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://publisher.abc-clio.com/9780313385131/22 | title=Competing Voices from the Mexican Revolution}}</ref><br>[[Second Franco-Dahomean War]]<br>[[Federalist Revolution]]<br>[[First Italo-Ethiopian War]]<ref>McLachlan, Sean (September 20, 2011). Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896: The Italian Disaster in Ethiopia. Men-at-Arms 471. Osprey Publishing.p 37. ISBN 9781849084574.</ref><br>[[Spanish–American War]]<br>[[War of Canudos]]<ref>Villela Jr, M E C. Canudos: memórias de um combatente. 2 ed. Rio de Janeiro: Eduerj, 1997. p. 107.</ref><br>[[Acre War]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.soldepando.com/museo-historico-de-cobija/ | title=Museo Histórico de Cobija conserva los fusiles Winchester usados en la Guerra del Acre| date=October 11, 2013}}</ref><br/>[[Boxer Rebellion]]<br>[[Second Boer War]]<br>[[Mexican Revolution]]<br>[[Balkan Wars]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jowett |first=Philip |title=Armies of the Balkan Wars 1912-13 : the priming charge for the Great War. |date=2012 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1-299-58155-5 |oclc=842879929}}</ref><br>[[Royalist attack on Chaves]]<br>[[World War I]]<br>[[:pt:Revolução de 1923|1923 Revolution]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=O Exército Republicano |url=https://www.acadhistoria.com.br/livros/ExRepublicano.pdf}}</ref><br>[[Constitutionalist Revolution]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Douglas de Souza Aguiar Junior|url=https://armasonline.org/armas-on-line/o-museu-da-pm-de-sao-paulo/|title=O Museu de Polícia Militar de São Paulo|website=Armas On-Line|date=June 25, 2017|language=pt-BR}}</ref><br>[[Spanish Civil War]]<ref>{{cite book
 |last=Orwell
 |first=George
 |date=1952
 |title=Homage to Catalonia
 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
 |page=34
 |isbn=9780156421171
 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MXwx-pTmPNkC&q=winchester
}}</ref><br/>[[World War II]]<br>[[Indonesian National Revolution]]<br>[[East German uprising of 1953]]<br>[[Araguaia Guerrilla War]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://repositorio.uft.edu.br/bitstream/11612/398/1/Jos%C3%A9%20Humberto%20Gomes%20Barbosa%20-%20Disserta%C3%A7%C3%A3o.pdf | title=A Guerrilha do Araguaia: Memória, esquecimento e Ensino de História na região do conflito. }}</ref>
<!-- Production history -->| designer           = 
| design_date        = 1866
| manufacturer       = [[Winchester Repeating Arms Company]]
| unit_cost          = 
| production_date    = 1866–present
| number             = c. 720,000
| variants           = Full-stocked "Musket", Carbine, Sporting model
<!-- General specifications -->| weight             = {{convert|9.5|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
| length             = {{convert|49.3|in|cm|abbr=on}}
| part_length        = {{convert|30|in|cm|abbr=on}}
| width              = 
| height             = 
| diameter           = 
| crew               = <!-- Ranged weapon specifications -->
| cartridge          = 
| caliber            = [[.44 Henry]]<br>[[.44-40 Winchester]]<br>[[.38-40 Winchester]]<br>[[.32-20 Winchester]]<br>[[.22 Long Rifle]]
| action             = [[Lever action]]
| rate               = 
| velocity           = 
| range              = 
| max_range          = 
| feed               = [[Magazine (firearms)#Tubular|tube magazine]], 7 to 14 rounds
| sights             = Graduated rear sights<br>fixed-post front sights
}}

A '''Winchester rifle''' is any of a series of [[lever action]] [[repeating rifle]]s manufactured by the [[Winchester Repeating Arms Company]]. Developed from the 1860 [[Henry rifle]], Winchester rifles were among the earliest repeaters. The [[Winchester rifle#Model 1873|Model 1873]] was particularly successful, being marketed by the manufacturer as "The Gun That Won the West".

==Predecessors==
[[File:Volcanic.JPG|thumb|Volcanic pistol]]
[[File:Henry Winchester Musket.JPG|thumb|1860 Henry and {{cvt|27|in|cm|abbr=on}} Model 1866 Winchester Musket]]
[[File:Winchester Carbines Model 73, 73, 94, 92 and 92Trapper.JPG|thumb|Left to right Carbines two 1873/1894/92/Trapper 92]]
In 1848, [[Walter Hunt (inventor)|Walter Hunt]] of New York patented his "Volition Repeating Rifle" incorporating a tubular magazine, which was operated by two levers and complex linkages. The Hunt rifle fired what he called the "[[Rocket Ball]]", an early form of [[caseless ammunition]] in which the powder charge was contained in the bullet's hollow base. Hunt's design was fragile and unworkable, but in 1849, Lewis Jennings purchased the Hunt patents and developed a functioning, if still complex, rifle. This version was produced in small numbers by Robbins & Lawrence of Windsor, Vermont until 1852.<ref name="Taylor">{{cite web |url=http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/history.htm |last=Taylor |first=Jim |title=A Short History of the Levergun |website=Paco Kelly's Leverguns}}</ref>

[[Horace Smith (inventor)|Horace Smith]] and [[Daniel B. Wesson|Daniel Wesson]] of Norwich, Connecticut, acquired the Jennings patent from Robbins & Lawrence, as well as shop foreman [[Benjamin Tyler Henry]]. Smith made several improvements to the Jennings design, and in 1855 Smith and Wesson together with several investors formed a corporation, the [[Volcanic Repeating Arms|Volcanic Repeating Arms Company]], to manufacture Smith's modification of the Hunt-Jennings, the Volcanic lever-action pistol and rifle. Its largest stockholder was [[Oliver Winchester]].<ref name="Taylor" />

For the Volcanic rifle, Smith added a primer charge to Hunt's "Rocket Ball" and thus created one of the first fixed metallic cartridges which incorporated bullet, primer and powder in one self-contained unit. While still with the company, Smith went a step further and added a cylindrical copper case to hold the bullet and powder with the primer in the case rim, thus creating one of the most significant inventions in firearms history: the metallic [[Rimfire ammunition|rimfire]] cartridge.<ref group=fn>Smith's cartridge was derived largely from the Flobert [[.22 BB|BB Cap]], but the Flobert design contained no powder. The cylindrical case was in all likelihood inspired by another French design, the [[Lefaucheux]] [[pinfire]] cartridge.</ref> Smith's cartridge, the [[.22 Short]], would be introduced commercially in 1857 with the landmark [[Smith & Wesson Model 1]] revolver and is still manufactured today.

The [[Volcanic rifle]] had only limited success, which was partially attributable to the design and poor performance of the Hunt-derived Volcanic cartridge, a hollow conical ball filled with black powder and sealed by a cork primer. Although the Volcanic's repeater design far outpaced the rival technology, the unsatisfactory power and reliability of the .25 and .32 caliber "Rocket Balls" were little match for the competitors' larger calibers. Wesson had left Volcanic soon after it was formed and Smith followed eight months later, to create the [[Smith & Wesson|Smith & Wesson Revolver Company]]. Volcanic moved to New Haven in 1856, but by the end of that year became insolvent. Oliver Winchester purchased the bankrupt firm's assets from the remaining stockholders and reorganized it as the New Haven Arms Company in April 1857.<ref name="Taylor" />

Benjamin Henry continued to work with Smith's cartridge concept and perfected the much larger, more powerful [[.44 Henry]] cartridge. Henry also supervised the redesign of the rifle to use the new ammunition, retaining only the general form of the breech mechanism and the tubular magazine. This became the [[Henry rifle]] of 1860, which was manufactured by the New Haven Arms Company, and used in considerable numbers by certain Union army units in the [[American Civil War]]. Confederates called the Henry "that damned Yankee rifle that they load on Sunday and shoot all week!"<ref>{{cite web |title=1860 Henry |url=https://www.nps.gov/fosm/learn/historyculture/1860-henry.htm |date=April 10, 2015 |website=[[Fort Smith National Historic Site]] |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=April 17, 2016}}</ref>

==Development==
After the war, [[Oliver Winchester]] renamed New Haven Arms the [[Winchester Repeating Arms Company]]. The company modified and improved the basic design of the Henry rifle, creating the first Winchester rifle: the [[#Winchester Model 1866|Model 1866]]. It retained the [[.44 Henry]] cartridge, was likewise built on a bronze-alloy frame, and had an improved magazine and a wooden forearm. In 1873 Winchester introduced the steel-framed Model 1873 chambering the more potent [[.44-40]] centerfire cartridge. In 1876, in a bid to compete with the powerful single-shot rifles of the time, Winchester brought out the Model 1876 (''Centennial Model''). While it chambered more powerful cartridges than the 1866 and 1873 models, the toggle link action was not strong enough for the then popular high-powered rounds used in Sharps or Remington single-shot rifles.

From 1883, [[John Moses Browning]] worked in partnership with Winchester, designing a series of rifles and shotguns, most notably the lever-action [[Winchester Model 1886]], [[Winchester Model 1892|Model 1892]], [[Winchester Model 1894|Model 1894]], and [[Winchester Model 1895|Model 1895]] rifles, along with the lever-action [[Winchester Model 1887|Model 1887/1901]] shotgun, the pump-action [[Winchester Model 1890|Model 1890]] rifle, and the pump-action [[Winchester Model 1893|Model 1893]]/[[Winchester Model 1897|Model 1897]] shotgun.

==Winchester lever-action repeating rifles==
{{Anchor|Model 1866}}
===Model 1866===
[[File:Καραμπίνα τύπου Γουίντσεστερ.jpg|thumb|Mod. 1866 ''Yellow boy'']]

The first Winchester rifle – the Winchester Model 1866 – was originally chambered for the [[Rimfire ammunition|rimfire]] [[.44 Henry]]. Nicknamed the "Yellow Boy" because of its receiver of a bronze/brass alloy called [[gunmetal]], it was famous for its rugged construction and [[lever-action]] "repeating rifle" mechanism that allowed the user to fire a number of shots before having to reload. Nelson King's improved patent remedied flaws in the Henry rifle by incorporating a loading gate on the side of the frame and integrating a round, sealed magazine that was partially covered by a forestock.

A {{cvt|27|in|cm|abbr=on}} "musket" version was also produced,<ref>[https://www.oldwestevents.com/highlights/2020/10/21/winchester-model-1866-musket-used-at-the-battle-of-liberty-place#:~:text=S/N%2033351%2C%20.,style%20barrel%20sight%2C%20sling%20swivels. Winchester Model 1866 Musket used at the Battle of Liberty Place], Old West Events</ref> primarily for military users. (Musket was a term that, at the time, denoted a full-length military-style stock, not to be confused with a true smoothbore [[musket]]).

France purchased 6,000 Model 1866 rifles along with 4.5 million .44 Henry cartridges during the [[Franco-Prussian War]]. The [[Ottoman Empire]] purchased 45,000 Model 1866 rifles and 5,000 carbines in 1870 and 1871. These rifles were used in the [[Russo-Turkish War (1877–78)|1877 Russo-Turkish War]], causing much surprise when outnumbered Turks at the [[Siege of Plevna]] inflicted many times more casualties than their opponents armed with single-shot [[M1867 Russian Krnka|Krnka]] and [[Berdan rifle|Berdan]] rifles.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Trenk |first=Richard |title=The Plevna Delay: Winchesters and Peabody-Martinis in the Russo-Turkish War |url=http://www.militaryrifles.com/Turkey/Plevna/ThePlevnaDelay.html |magazine=Man At Arms |volume=19 |number=4 |date=August 1997 |publisher=Mowbray Publishing |access-date=April 17, 2016 |via=Militaryrifles.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151113155643/http://www.militaryrifles.com/Turkey/Plevna/ThePlevnaDelay.html |archive-date=November 13, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The effect of the 1866 at the siege at Plevna sparked a renewed interest in the adoption of repeating rifles for several European countries.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.militaryrifles.com/turkishconnection | title=The Turkish Connection - the Saga of the }}</ref>

The [[Swiss Army]] initially selected the Model 1866 to replace their existing single-shot Milbank-Amsler rifles. However, ensuing political pressure to adopt a domestic design resulted in the [[Vetterli rifle#Repetiergewehr Vetterli, Modell 1867|Vetterli Model 1867]], a bolt-action design utilizing a copy of the Winchester's tubular magazine, being adopted instead.

Due to public demand, the Model 1866 continued to be manufactured and sold until 1899, mainly because they were less expensive than the later steel-framed centerfire models.

{{Anchor|Model 1873}}
===Model 1873===
{{Redirect|Winchester Model 1873|the film|Winchester '73}}
[[File:Winchester 73 open.JPG|thumb|Winchester 73 toggle-link action]]

The Model 1873 was one of the most successful Winchester rifles of its day, with Winchester marketing it as "The Gun That Won the West". Still an icon in the modern day, it was manufactured between 1873 and 1923. It was originally chambered for the [[.44-40]] cartridge, which was the first centrefire cartridge manufactured by Winchester and which became immensely popular. The 1873 was later produced chambered for [[.38-40]] and [[.32-20]], both of which would become popular handgun cartridges of the day, allowing users to carry just one type of ammunition. The Model 1873 was produced in three variations: a {{convert|24|in|cm|adj=on}} barrel rifle, a {{convert|20|in|cm|adj=on}} barrel carbine, and a {{convert|30|in|cm|adj=on}} "musket"{{snd}}which was aimed at military contracts and only made up less than 5% of production.  The standard rifle-length version was most popular in the 19th century, although Winchester would make rifles to order in any configuration the customer wished, including longer barrels or baby carbines with barrels as short as {{convert|12|in|cm}}, octagonal-shaped barrels, color case-hardened receivers and fancy engraving.

The original Model 1873 was never offered in the military revolver [[.45 Colt]] cartridge, but a number of modern reproductions are chambered for the round.
====One of One Thousand====
To both celebrate and enhance the Model 1873's prestige, Winchester established a coveted "One of One Thousand" grade in 1875. Barrels producing unusually small groupings during test-firing were fitted to rifles with set triggers and a special finish. Marked "One of One Thousand", they sold for a then pricey $100 (Worth about $3,000 as of 2024). A popular 1950 Western starring [[James Stewart]], ''[[Winchester '73]]'', was based on the coveted gun. Promotions included a search for "One of One Thousand" rifles by [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]], with advertisements in sporting magazines and posters in sporting goods stores.<ref name=one/>

A second grade of Model 1873 barrels producing above average accuracy were fitted to rifles marked "One of One Hundred", and sold for $20 over list. Approximately 136 "One of One Thousand" Model 1873s were sold, and only eight "One of One Hundred" rifles.<ref name=one>{{cite magazine |last=Lewis |first=Edmund |title=One of One Hundred |date=October 2005 |magazine=[[American Rifleman]] |publisher=National Rifle Association of America |pages=96, 129 & 134}}</ref>

In all, over 720,000 Model 1873s were produced up until 1923. With a return to popularity due to present-day [[Cowboy action shooting]], '73 rifles and carbines of a high quality have been made in Italy by [[A. Uberti, Srl.|Uberti]], encouraging a return to production under license from the [[Olin Corporation|Olin]] company in 2013, joining the [[Model 1892]] and the [[Model 1894]] being manufactured in Japan by the [[Miroku Corporation]] for [[Browning Arms Company|FN/Browning]]. Nearly faithful in design to the original, including the trigger disconnect safety, sliding dustcover, and a crescent-shaped [[buttplate]], it incorporates two safety improvements: a firing pin block preventing it from moving forward unless the trigger is pulled, and a cartridge carrier modification to eject used casings away from the shooter.<ref name=":0" />

In 2014, a weathered Model 1873 was found leaning against a tree in Great Basin National Park. It became known as the [[Forgotten Winchester]] and sparked media interest because of the mystery about who left it there and why they never came back for it.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/mysterious-rifle-arrives-at-cody-firearms-museum-for-tlc/article_dc94fec3-fd1f-5589-b167-1c7f78be17aa.html|title=Mysterious rifle arrives at Cody Firearms Museum for TLC|last=French|first=Brett|date=July 7, 2015|work=The Billings Gazette|access-date=October 8, 2017|language=en}}</ref>

{{Anchor|Model 1876}}

===Model 1876===
[[File:Theodore Roosevelt with hunting suit and rifle 3a24199u original.jpg|thumb|[[Theodore Roosevelt]] with his engraved Model 1876]]

The Winchester Model 1876, or ''Centennial Model'', was a heavier-framed rifle than the Models 1866 and 1873, chambered for full-powered [[Centerfire ammunition|centerfire]] rifle cartridges suitable for [[big-game hunting]], rather than the handgun-sized rimfire and centerfire rounds of its predecessors.<ref name=nra>{{cite magazine |last=Hacker |first=Rick |title=Winchester Model 1876 |magazine=[[American Rifleman]] |volume=162 |date=November 2014 |page=120 |publisher=National Rifle Association of America |url=https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nra/ar_201411/index.php#/p/120}}</ref> While similar in design to the 1873, the 1876 was actually based on a prototype 1868 lever-action rifle that was never commercially produced by Winchester.<ref>{{cite web |last=Durston |first=Kirk |title=The Winchester Model 1876 |url=http://www.leverguns.com/articles/1876.pdf |website=Paco Kelly's Leverguns |access-date=April 17, 2016}}</ref>

Introduced to celebrate the American [[Centennial Exposition]], the Model 1876 earned a reputation as a durable and powerful hunting rifle. Four versions were produced: a {{convert|22|in|cm|adj=on}} barrel ''Carbine'', a {{convert|26|in|cm|adj=on}} barrel ''Express Rifle'' with a half-length magazine, a {{convert|28|in|cm|adj=on}} barrel ''Sporting Rifle'', and a {{convert|32|in|cm|adj=on}} barrel ''Musket''. Standard rifles had a blued finish while deluxe models were [[Case hardening|casehardened]]. Collectors identify a first model with no dust cover, a second model with a dust cover rail fastened by a screw, and a third model with an integral dust cover. Total production was 63,871<ref name=nra/> including 54 ''One of One Thousand'' Model 1876s and only seven of the ''One of One Hundred'' grade.<ref name=one/>

Originally chambered for the new [[.45-75 Winchester]] ''Centennial'' cartridge (designed to replicate the [[.45-70]] ballistics in a shorter case), the Model 1876 also had versions in [[.40-60 Winchester]], [[.45-60 Winchester]] and .50-95 Express; the '76 in the latter chambering is the only repeater known to have been in widespread use by professional buffalo hunters.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bar-w.com/1876v04.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021013185041/http://bar-w.com/1876v04.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 13, 2002 |title=The Winchester Model 1876 Rifle |website=Bar-w.com |access-date=December 26, 2008}}</ref> The Canadian [[North-West Mounted Police]] used the '76 in .45-75 as a standard long arm for many years with 750 rifles purchased for the force in 1883;<ref>{{Cite book |last=Walter |first=John |title=Rifles of the World |edition=3rd |year=2006 |location=[[Iola, Wisconsin]] |publisher=Krause Publications |page=542 |isbn=978-0-89689-241-5}}</ref> the Mountie-model '76 carbine was also issued to the [[Texas Ranger Division|Texas Rangers]]. [[Theodore Roosevelt]] used an engraved, pistol-gripped half-magazine '76 during his early hunting expeditions in the West and praised it. A '76 was also found in the possession of [[Apache]] warrior [[Geronimo]] after his surrender in 1886.<ref name="Famous Firearms of the Old West">{{Cite book |last=Herring |first=Hal |title=Famous Firearms of the Old West: From Bill Hickok's Colt Revolvers to Geronimo's Winchester, Twelve Guns that Shaped Our History |publisher=Morris Book Publishing LLC |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-76274-508-1}}</ref>

The Model 1876 toggle-link action receiver was too short to handle popular big-game cartridges, including the .45-70, and production ceased in 1897, as big-game hunters preferred the Model 1886 action chambered for longer and more powerful cartridges.<ref name=nra/>

===Model 1886===
{{Main|Winchester Model 1886}}
[[File:WinchesterModel1886cutout.png|thumb|Winchester Model 1886]]

The Model 1886 continued the trend towards chambering heavier rounds and had an all-new and considerably stronger locking-block action than the toggle-link Model 1876. It was designed by [[John Moses Browning]], who had a long and profitable relationship with Winchester from the 1880s to the early 1900s. [[William Mason (Colt)|William Mason]] made some improvements to Browning's original design. In many respects, the Model 1886 was a true American [[express rifle]], as it could be chambered in the more powerful [[black powder]] cartridges of the day, such as the [[.45-70 Government]], long a Winchester goal. The 1886 proved capable of handling not only the .45 Gov't but also .45-90 and the huge [[.50-110 Winchester|.50-110 Express]] "buffalo" cartridges,<ref>{{cite book |last=Barnes |first=Frank C. |editor-first=John T. |editor-last=Amber |chapter=.577/500 Magnum Nitro Express |title=Cartridges of the World |page=116 |quote=As well as the related .50-100 and .50-105.}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.americanrifleman.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=1716&cid=0 |title=Winchester's Big 50 |magazine=[[American Rifleman]] |publisher=National Rifle Association of America |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005155013/http://www.americanrifleman.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=1716&cid=0 |archive-date=October 5, 2011}}</ref> and in 1903 was chambered for the smokeless high-velocity [[.33 Winchester]]. In 1935, Winchester introduced a slightly modified M1886 as the [[Winchester Model 71|Model 71]], chambered for the more powerful [[.348 Winchester]] cartridge.

===Model 1892===
{{Main|Winchester Model 1892}}
[[File:Winchester 92 short rifle transparent.png|thumb|Winchester Model 1892]]

In order to compete with newer Marlin offerings, Winchester returned to its roots with the Model 1892, which was chambered for the same low-pressure cartridges as the Model 1873. The Model 1892 incorporates a much-stronger Browning action that was a scaled-down version of the Model 1886. It was also a much lighter rifle than the 1873 model, with which it was sold concurrently for over twenty years, for the same price.

A total of 1,004,675 Model 1892 rifles were made by Winchester, and it was exported internationally, becoming very popular in South America and Australasia. Although Winchester stopped manufacture in 1941, today versions are still being made by the Brazilian arms maker Amadeo Rossi, and by [[Chiappa Firearms]], an Italian maker. In its modern form, using updated materials and production techniques, the Model 1892's action is strong enough to chamber high-pressure handgun rounds, such as [[.357 Magnum]], [[.44 Magnum]], and [[.454 Casull]]. The Winchester '92 was often used in Hollywood Western movies and TV shows out of its correct period, achieving some fame as a 'cowboy' lever action, although it was historically too late for that.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Paul |last=Rackley |title=The Coolest Movie Guns: John Wayne's Winchester 1892 from 'True Grit' |url=http://www.americanrifleman.org/GalleryItem.aspx?cid=22&gid=90&id=605 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426033108/http://www.americanrifleman.org/GalleryItem.aspx?cid=22&gid=90&id=605 |archive-date=April 26, 2013 |magazine=[[American Rifleman]] |publisher=National Rifle Association of America}}</ref>

===Model 1894===
{{Main|Winchester Model 1894}}
[[File:Winchester-94-32spl.jpg|thumb|Winchester Model 1894]]
The [[John Browning]]–designed Winchester Model 1894 is the most prevalent of the Winchester repeating rifles. The Model 1894 was first chambered for the .32-40 and .38-55 cartridges, and later, a variety of calibers such as .25-35 WCF, [[.30-30]], and .32 Winchester Special. Winchester was the first company to manufacture a civilian rifle chambered for the new smokeless propellants, and although delays prevented the .30-30 cartridge from appearing on the shelves until 1895, it remained the first commercially available smokeless powder round for the North American consumer market. Though it was initially too expensive for most shooters, the Model 1894 went on to become one of the best-selling hunting rifles of all time{{snd}}it had the distinction of being the first sporting rifle to sell over one million units, ultimately selling over seven million before U.S.-production was discontinued in 2006. The Winchester .30-30 configuration is practically synonymous with "deer rifle" in the United States. In the early 20th century, the rifle's designation was abbreviated to "Model 94", as was done with all older Winchester designs still in production (for example, Model 97, Model 12, etc.).

===Model 1895===
{{Main|Winchester Model 1895}}
The Winchester Model 1895 has the distinction of being the first Winchester lever-action rifle to load from an [[Magazine (firearms)|internal box magazine]] instead of from an internal tube magazine under the barrel. This allowed the Model 1895 to be chambered for military cartridges with [[Spitzer (bullet)|spitzer]] (pointed) projectiles, and the rifle was used by the armed forces of a number of nations including the United States, Great Britain, and [[Imperial Russia]]. The Russian production models could also be loaded using [[stripper clip|charger clips]], a feature not found on any other lever-action rifle. Calibers included [[.30-40 Krag]] (.30 US or .30 Army), [[.303 British]], [[.30-03]] Springfield, [[.30-06 Springfield]], [[7.62×54mmR]], and [[.405 Winchester]]. Theodore Roosevelt used a Model 1895 in .405 on African safaris and called it his "medicine gun" for lions.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Winchester Book |first=George |last=Madis |year=1971 |location=[[Lancaster, Texas]] |publisher=Art and Reference House |page=426 |isbn=978-0-91015-603-5}}</ref> In 1908, the 1895 Winchester became the first commercially produced sporting rifle chambered in .30-06 (then called ".30 Gov't 06").

===Model 88===
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = Winchester Model 88
| image              = 
| image_size         = 300
| alt                = 
| caption            = 
| type               = 
| origin             = United States
<!-- Type selection -->| is_ranged          = yes
<!-- Service history -->| service            = 
| used_by            = 
| wars               = <!-- Production history -->
| designer           = 
| design_date        = 
| manufacturer       = 
| unit_cost          = 
| production_date    = 1955–1973<ref name="Walter 2006 p537">{{cite book | last=Walter | first=John | title=Rifles of the world | publisher=Krause Publications | location=Iola, WI | year=2006 | isbn=0-89689-241-7 | oclc=67543348 | pages=537–538}}</ref>
| number             = Approximately 284,000<ref name="Walter 2006 p537"/>
| variants           = Model 88 Carbine
<!-- General specifications -->| spec_label         = 
| mass               = {{cvt|6.53|lb|kg}}<ref name="Walter 2006 p537"/>
| length             = {{cvt|42.1|in|mm}}<ref name="Walter 2006 p537"/>
| part_length        = {{cvt|22|in|mm}}<ref name="Walter 2006 p537"/>
| width              = 
| height             = 
| diameter           = <!-- Ranged weapon specifications -->
| cartridge          = [[.243 Winchester]]<br>[[.284 Winchester]]<br>[[.308 Winchester]]<br>[[.358 Winchester]]
| cartridge_weight   = 
| caliber            = 
| barrels            = 
| action             = Lever action, rotating bolt
| rate               = 
| velocity           = 
| range              = 
| max_range          = 
| feed               = Four or five-round detachable [[box magazine]]<ref name="Walter 2006 p537"/>
| sights             = 
}}

Introduced in 1955, 60 years after Winchester's last all-new lever-action design, the Model 88 was unlike any previous lever-action. A short-throw lever operated a three-lug [[rotating bolt]] and rounds were fed vertically from a detachable box magazine: in effect, it was lever-operated bolt action. These features in a lever-action permitted the use of high-powered modern short-case cartridges with spitzer bullets: [[.243 Winchester]], [[.284 Winchester]], [[.308 Winchester]] (essentially [[7.62x51mm NATO]]), and [[.358 Winchester]]. The Model 88 was discontinued in 1973 and is the third best-selling lever-action rifle in Winchester's history, following only the M1894 and M1892. The later [[SAKO#Post-WWII production|Sako Finnwolf]] and [[Browning BLR]] have similar actions. The Model 88 Carbine was offered with a {{convert|19|in|cm|adj=on}} barrel.<ref name="Walter 2006 p537"/>

===Model 9422===
[[File:Winchester-9422-XTR 22WMR.jpg|thumb|Winchester 9422 XTR .22 WMR with rifle scope]]
Winchester's Model 9422 was introduced in 1972. It was designed to capture the image of the traditional lever-actions with exposed hammer, straight grip, tube magazine and barrel bands. Unlike older Winchester lever actions it came grooved for [[scope mount]]ing. It was offered in .22 Long Rifle and [[.22 WMR]], and was priced at the high end of the .22 LR sporting rifle market.

The 9422 action design was original and extremely reliable. The feed system handled the cartridge from the magazine to the breech face by its rim, and the slide cammed the rear of the breechblock up into the locking recess. A concealed polymer buffer above the breech gave a firm-feeling lockup and a very positive unlocking motion.

The 9422 had worldwide appeal to customers raised on [[Westerns|Western fiction]] and to parents looking for a way to introduce their children to shooting. Over the course of production, a higher-finished model called the 9422 XTR, a .17 rimfire model, and several commemorative models were offered. Production ended in 2005.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Dave |last=Anderson |title=Gone but not forgotten: Winchester's 9422 lever action |magazine=[[Guns (magazine)|Guns]] |date=September 1, 2005 |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Gone+but+not+forgotten%3a+Winchester's+9422+lever+action.-a0134380650}}</ref>

==New production==
In 2013, Winchester brought back the Model 1873, manufactured under license from the [[Olin Corporation|Olin]] company by [[Browning Arms Company|FN/Browning]] in the [[Kōchi Prefecture]] of Japan by the [[Miroku Corporation]]. It joins the [[Model 1892]] and [[Model 1894]] as the third classic Winchester rifle model to be reintroduced. The new 1873 model is available with a {{cvt|20|or|24|in|cm}} barrel, either round or octagonal, and a chambering of [[.357 Magnum]]/[[.38 Special]], .44-40 Winchester, or .45 Colt. It is nearly identical in design to the originals including the trigger disconnect safety, sliding dustcover, and crescent-shaped [[buttplate]], but with two notable exceptions. An additional safety mechanism, a firing pin block that prevents it from moving forward unless the trigger is pulled, was integrated, and the cartridge carrier was changed to eject used casings away from the shooter. The fixed, tubular magazine has a maximum capacity of fourteen rounds (thirteen for .44 and .45 caliber rifles).<ref name=":0">{{cite magazine |last=Schreier |first=Philip |title='Guaranteed by Us': Winchester's 'New' Model 1873 |magazine=[[American Rifleman]]|date=November 2013 |volume=161 |issue=11 |page=64 |publisher=National Rifle Association of America |url=http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nra/ar_201311/index.php?startid=64 |access-date=October 23, 2013}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Antique guns]]
* [[Evans Repeating Rifle]]
* [[List of rifle cartridges]]
* [[List of Winchester models]]
* [[Pistola Herval]]
* [[Mare's Leg]]
* [[Winchester Repeating Arms Company]]

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|group=fn}}

==References==
=== Citations ===
{{reflist|30em}}

=== Bibliography ===
* {{cite news |last=Apuzzo |first=Matt |date=January 17, 2006 |url=http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/01/18/business/news/19_21_441_17_06.txt |title=End of an era as Winchester rifle plant prepares to close |agency=[[Associated Press]] |newspaper=[[North County Times]] |location=[[Escondido, California]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090717131708/http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/01/18/business/news/19_21_441_17_06.txt |archive-date=July 17, 2009}}
* {{cite news |title=End of an era as Winchester rifle plant prepares to close |url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_414568.html |newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]] |date=January 18, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090901013532/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_414568.html |agency=Associated Peess |archive-date=September 1, 2009}}
* {{cite book |last=Campbell |first=John |year=1998 |title=The Winchester Single Shot |location=Lincoln, Rhode Island |publisher=Andrew Mowbray Inc. |isbn=0-917218-68-X}}
*  {{cite news |last=Hunter |first=Stephen |date=January 21, 2006 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/19/AR2006011903278.html |title=Out With a Bang: The Loss of the Classic Winchester Is Loaded With Symbolism |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}
* {{cite book |last=Kelver |first=Gerald O. |title=Major Ned H. Roberts and the Schuetzen Rifle |orig-year=1951 |year=1998 |edition=Revised |location=[[Brighton, Colorado]] |publisher=Pioneer Press}}
* {{cite book |last=McLerran |first=Wayne |year=2014 |title=Browning Model 1885 Black Powder Cartridge Rifle: A Reference Manual for the Shooter, Collector & Gunsmith |edition=3rd |publisher=TexasMac Publishing |isbn=978-0-9893702-5-7}}
* {{Cite web|url=http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/rifles/model-1873/model-1873-current-products/model-73-sporter-octagon-color-case-hardened.html|title=Model 1873 Sporter Octagon Color Case Hardened|publisher=www.winchesterguns.com|access-date=May 14, 2019|archive-date=May 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514210449/http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/rifles/model-1873/model-1873-current-products/model-73-sporter-octagon-color-case-hardened.html|url-status=dead}}

==External links==
* [http://www.winchesterguns.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.winchestercollector.org/ The Winchester Arms Collectors Association, Inc. (WACA) is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation of all Winchester produced and related items]
* [http://afdeals.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_2_5 Largest Collection of Winchester Manuals  ]
* [http://science.howstuffworks.com/shotgun5.htm Pump-action shotgun: internal workings are quite similar to the Winchester-shotgun]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUvB3solmhqtgDeLpD-yTtfg&v=1T7zZ_D8nqI A video narration of lever guns from the Henry to the 1895 Winchester ]
* [https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/67/1025/ Winchester 1886 World Record Rifle]
* [https://www.rockislandauction.com/blog/how-to-identify-a-winchester-1866/ How to Identify a Winchester 1866]

{{Winchester Cartridges Firearms}}
{{Herstal Group}}

[[Category:American frontier]]
[[Category:Carbines]]
[[Category:Guns of the American West]]
[[Category:Hunting rifles]]
[[Category:North-West Mounted Police]]
[[Category:Rifles of the United States]]
[[Category:Weapons of the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:Winchester Repeating Arms Company firearms]]
[[Category:Guns of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)]]