The longest-range rifle of the wild west. Cowboy firearms Modern replica spencer rifle

According to the most common version, Colt's idea of ​​​​creating a revolver was prompted by observations of a rotating mechanism on the ship "Corvo", on which great inventor traveled from Boston to Calcutta. One way or another, but it was on board the "Corvo" that Colt first made a model of wood, later called a revolver. Upon returning to the United States, Colt, distinguished by business acumen and enterprise, applied to the patent office and issued a patent No. 1304 dated August 29 (according to other sources, February 25), 1836, which described the basic principles of the operation of a weapon with a rotating drum.

Colt Paterson

In late 1836, the Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company factory in Paterson, New Jersey, began production of Colt's cap revolvers - then still five-shot, .28 caliber, sold under the name Colt Paterson. In total, until 1842, 1,450 revolver guns and carbines, 462 revolver shotguns and 2,350 revolvers proper were produced. Naturally, all weapons were capsules. The first samples were distinguished by low reliability, regular breakdowns and a very imperfect design, not to mention the extremely unsafe and inconvenient reloading process. Not surprisingly, the US government showed little interest in the new weapon. The army acquired only a few revolver carbines for testing. Colt's largest customer was the Republic of Texas, which bought 180 revolver shotguns and ranger guns, and about the same number of revolvers for the Texas Navy. A number of revolvers (a more powerful caliber - .36) were ordered with their own money by the Texas Rangers themselves, in private. Low demand in 1842 led to the bankruptcy of the factory.

Colt Paterson 1836-1838 issue (still without a ramrod for loading)

Thus, the most massive of the Colt Paterson revolver models produced in Paterson was the No. 5 Holster, aka Texas Paterson - a .36 caliber revolver. They were released about 1,000 units. Of these, half - in the period from 1842 to 1847, already after bankruptcy. Their production was established by the lender and former partner of Colt, John Ehlers.

Colt Paterson of 1836-1838 with the trigger stowed in the body

One of the most significant conflicts with the use of Colt Paterson revolvers was the Battle of Bander Pass between the Mexican army and the Texas Rangers, among whom was US Army Captain Samuel Walker. Later, during the Mexican-American War, Walker met Colt and with him modified the Colt Paterson revolver, called the Colt Walker. It was in good demand, as the Colt Walker was much more reliable and comfortable than its predecessor. Thanks to this, Colt returned to the development of weapons in 1847.

Texas Ranger. 1957 The Colt Company owes much of its success to the Rangers.

From a technical point of view, the Colt Paterson is a capsular five-shot open-frame revolver. Single action trigger mechanism (Single Action, SA) with a trigger that folds into the body. You have to cock the trigger each time you fire. The revolver is loaded from the muzzle of the chambers - with gunpowder and a bullet (round or conical) or a finished cartridge in a paper sleeve containing a bullet and gunpowder.

.44 paper cartridges and loading tool

Caps (produced in our days - for fans of such weapons)

Then a capsule is placed on the brand tube in the breech of the drum - a miniature cup made of soft metal (usually brass) with a small charge of explosive mercury that is sensitive to impact. Upon impact, the charge explodes and creates a jet of flame that ignites through the brand tube. powder charge in the chamber. You can read more about this here:. All that has been said about the principles of operation of such weapons applies to all other capsule revolvers.

Sights consist of a front sight and a rear sight on the trigger. The loading of the early models of Colt Paterson revolvers, produced before 1839, was carried out only with its partial disassembly and removal of the drum, using a special tool - essentially a small press for pressing bullets into the drum chambers.

This process was long and inconvenient, especially in field conditions. Not only was it unsafe to reload the Colt Paterson, but also to carry it, as there were no manual safety catches. To speed up reloading, gunfighters usually carried several preloaded drums with them and simply changed them as needed. In later models, from 1839, a built-in ramrod pressing lever and a special hole in the front of the frame for it appeared in the design. This mechanism made it possible to significantly speed up and simplify reloading - now it was possible to equip the drum without removing it from the revolver. This improvement made it possible to get rid of an additional tool, and since that time the ramrod lever has become an integral element in the design of almost all Colt capsule revolvers.

Colt Paterson issue 1842-1847 with a short barrel and a ramrod for loading

Some performance characteristics of Colt Paterson caliber .36 with a barrel length of 7.5 inches (note that even for the same model of primer weapons they may differ slightly):
- starting speed bullets, m / s - 270;
- sighting range, m - 60;
- weight, kg - 1.2;
- length, mm - 350.

So, the first Colt Paterson revolvers were actively used by the Rangers and navy Republic of Texas, and very limited use by the US Army. Colt Paterson was used in the clashes between the Republic of Texas and Mexico, in the Mexican-American War, in the US war with the Seminole and Comanche tribes.

Such revolvers are highly valued today. Colt Paterson in original box with all accessories sold at auction in 2011 for $977,500

Colt Walker

The Colt Walker was developed in 1846 by Samuel Colt and Texas Ranger Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker. According to the widespread version, Walker suggested that Colt develop a powerful .44 caliber army revolver instead of the relatively weak and not very reliable .36 caliber Colt Paterson revolvers that were then in service. In 1847, the newly formed Colt's Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut (where it still resides), produced the first batch of 1,100 Colt Walker revolvers, which was also the last. In the same year, Samuel Walker was killed in Texas during the Mexican-American War.

The Colt Walker is a six-shot capsular open-frame revolver with added trigger guard. Colt Walker - Colt's largest black powder revolver: its weight is 2.5 kilograms. From that moment on, all "non-pocket" models of Colt's capsule revolvers become six-shot.

Some performance characteristics of Colt Walker caliber .44:
- muzzle velocity, m/s - 300-370;
- sighting range, m - 90-100;
- weight, kg - 2.5;
- length, mm - 394.

The Colt Walker was used by both sides in the North-South War.

Confederate Army soldier with Colt Walker

Colt Dragoon Model 1848

The Colt Model 1848 Precision Army revolver was developed by Samuel Colt in 1848 by order of the US government to equip mounted mountain shooters (U.S. Army's Mounted Rifles), better known in the US as dragoons. Hence its name, under which the revolver entered the Colt Dragoon Model 1848. In this model, a number of shortcomings of the previous one were eliminated. Colt models Walker - Colt Dragoon was lighter in weight and a ramrod retainer was added.

Colt Dragoon Model 1848

Holster and belt for Colt Dragoon Model 1848

In total there were three releases of the Colt Dragoon model, differing from each other by minor improvements in the firing mechanism:
- first issue: from 1848 to 1850, about 7,000 were produced;
- second issue: from 1850 to 1851, about 2,550 were issued;
- third issue: from 1851 to 1860, about 10,000 Colt Dragoon revolvers were produced, of which the US government purchased more than 8,000 units.

Thus, Colt Dragoon was produced for 12 years. The Colt company produced about 20,000 of these revolvers. Colt Dragoon turned out to be a very successful revolver.

Separately, it is worth noting the release since 1848 of his pocket version of the Colt Pocket Model 1848 caliber .31, better known as the Baby Dragoon, especially popular with civilians.

Colt Pocket Model 1848 Baby Dragoon

Some performance characteristics of the Colt Dragoon Model 1848 in .44 caliber, with a barrel length of 8 inches:
- muzzle velocity, m/s - 330;

- weight, kg - 1.9;
- length, mm - 375.
Colt Dragoon Model 1848 was used by the US Army and the Confederate Army in the War of the North and South. A significant part was sold to civilians.

Confederate Army soldiers with Colt Dragoon Model 1848

Colt Navy 1851

The Colt Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Caliber (caliber 36), better known as the Colt Navy 1851, was developed by the Colt company specifically for arming US Navy officers. Colt Navy turned out to be such a successful model that its production continued until 1873 (since 1861 - Colt Navy Model 1861), when armies around the world massively switched to a unitary cartridge. Colt Navy of various models was produced for a record 18 years, and in total about 250,000 of them were produced in the USA. Another 22,000 units were made in the UK at the London Armory factory. Colt Navy is considered one of the most advanced and beautiful primer revolvers in history.

The trigger mechanism has been improved: a special pin is made in the breech of the drum between the chambers, thanks to which, in the event of a drum underturn, accidental operation of the trigger does not cause ignition of the capsules. Colt Navy has an octagonal barrel.

Colt Navy 1851 revolvers were in service not only with the US Army, where the Remington M1858 revolver became their main competitor, but also with officers of the army of the Russian Empire (which ordered a large batch from Colt), Austria-Hungary, Prussia and other countries.

Some performance characteristics of Colt Navy 1851 caliber .36:
- muzzle velocity, m/s - 230;
- sighting range, m - 70-75;
- weight, kg - 1.2-1.3;
- length, mm - 330.

Colt Navy was actively used by both sides in the war between the North and the South. It became the first capsule revolver to be massively converted - converted to a unitary cartridge.

Rimfire cartridges on black powder caliber .44 Rimfire from Winchester

Conversion Colt Navy Model 1861

The differences from the Colt Navy primer are clearly visible: a new drum with a door in the rear for loading, the ramrod lever is removed and a spring-loaded extractor is installed instead to remove spent cartridges, the depth of the notch is increased behind the drum for ease of loading cartridges.

Remington M1858

The Remington M1858 capsule revolver, also known as the Remington New Model, was developed by the American company Eliphalet Remington & Sons and was produced in .36 and .44 calibers. Due to the fact that the patent holder was Colt, Remington was forced to pay him royalties on each revolver released, so the price of Remington revolvers was significantly higher than similar Colt revolvers. The Remington M1858 revolver was produced until 1875.

Over 17 years, about 132,000 Remington M1858 revolvers were produced in .44 caliber (military model with a barrel length of 8 inches) and caliber .36 (marine model with a barrel length of 7.375 inches). There were three large releases in total, which were almost identical - small differences were in the appearance of the trigger, the arrangement of the underbarrel lever and the drum.

From a technical point of view, the Remington M1858 is a six-shot capsular revolver with a solid frame, which is loaded by placing finished cartridges in a paper sleeve or bullets with black powder into the drum chambers from the muzzle side, after which primers were placed in the drum breech.

The trigger mechanism is single action (eng. Single Action, SA), manual fuses are absent.

Some performance characteristics of the Remington M1858 caliber .44, with a barrel length of 8 inches:
- muzzle velocity, m/s - about 350;
- sighting range, m - 70-75;
- weight, kg - 1.270;
- length, mm - 337.

Remington M1858 revolvers were in service with the army in the United States, the British and Russian empires, Japan, Mexico, etc.

Northern army cavalry soldier with three Remington M1858

The Remington M1858 was actively reworked for a unitary cartridge. Since 1868, the company itself began producing a conversion version of the Remington M1858 revolver chambered for caliber .46 rimfire on black powder.

Remington M1858 conversion

Colt Army Model 1860

The Colt Army Model 1860 revolver was developed in 1860 and became one of the most common in the years civil war revolvers in the USA. Produced for 13 years. In total, up to 1873, about 200,000 Colt Army Model 1860 revolvers were produced, and about 130,000 of them were made by order of the US government.

It had a modification with longitudinal grooves on the drum and less weight - Texas Model, so named due to the fact that most of such revolvers were purchased by the Texas Rangers after the Civil War.

The Colt Army Model 1860 revolver, along with the Colt Navy 1851 and Remington M1858, became one of the most beloved revolvers of its era. It was actively bought not only by the military, but also by civilians. Moreover, revolvers were then relatively inexpensive. For example, the Colt Army Model 1860 cost $20 (for comparison: the price of an ounce of gold on the New York Stock Exchange in 1862 was $20.67).

1873 was a significant year for Colt. She began production of the most famous revolver in history - the Colt M1873 Single Action Army, better known as the Peacemaker ("Peacemaker"). Along with the Smith & Wesson's .44 Magnum revolver, the Peacemaker has become a cult weapon, and today has a whole community of fans. Suffice it to say that the release of the first generation of Peacemakers for the market civilian weapons lasted until ... 1940!

Colt М1873 Single Action Army "Peacemaker"

The Peacemaker was originally produced in the powerful black powder .45 Long Colt caliber with a 7.5" barrel, soon followed by 5.5" and 4.75" models. Later, revolvers of calibers .44-40 WCF and .32-20 WCF (Winchester) appeared, and in the twentieth century, options were added to them chambered for .22 LR, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, etc. - more than than 30 calibers!

Peacemaker for the US Army was produced for 9 years - until 1892, when the "peacekeepers" were withdrawn from service (the artillery model continued to be used until 1902) and replaced by the Colt Double Action M1892. And in total, until 1940, 357,859 first-generation Peacemakers were produced, of which 37,000 revolvers were purchased for the American army.

The Peacemaker is a six-shot, solid-framed revolver that is loaded through a hinged door in the drum on the right side of the revolver. There is a spring-loaded extractor for removing spent cartridges, located below and to the right of the barrel. The design provides for setting the trigger on a safety half-cock.

Peacemaker, the Buntline Special variant, with a 16" (almost 41cm) barrel!

Some performance characteristics of the first generation Peacemaker, chambered for .45 Long Colt black powder rimfire, with a 7.5-inch barrel:
- muzzle velocity, m/s - more than 300;
- sighting range, m - n / a;
- weight, kg - 1.048;
- length, mm - 318;
- bullet energy, J - 710-750.

Colt Peacemaker took part in the Spanish-American and Philippine-American wars, in the Great Sioux War, in the US wars against the Cheyenne and other Indian tribes.

It should also be said that the Colt Peacemaker... is actually still in production today! In 1956, Colt resumed production of the second generation Peacemaker revolvers, which continued until 1974. During this time, 73,205 of these revolvers were produced.

In the early 1970s The US Congress passed a law prohibiting the sale of firearms without special fuses - none of the 19th century single-action revolvers met this requirement. Colt contributed to the design necessary changes and in 1976 resumed production of third-generation Peacemakers, which continued until 1982. In total, 20,000 pieces were produced during this period. In 1994, the production of Peacemakers was again resumed under the name Colt Single Action Army (Colt Cowboy), which continues to this day.

Colt Single Action Army. Modern chrome version with hunting knife included

The Confederate States of America had very modest opportunities during the American Civil War (1861-1865). They were inhabited by less than five million people, a third of whom were blacks. There was almost no industry, and due to the shortage of raw materials for the production of weapons, even household utensils had to be melted down. True, at the same time, the Confederation managed to build battleships, and even the world's first operational combat submarine. But still, in the war with the industrialized, 20 millionth North, she initially had no chance.

"Who-who-ey! Who-ye!"

As for more serious weapons, the Confederate guerrillas preferred the usual hunting double-barreled shotguns, which they took with them from home. Yes, and two barrels are better than one loaded from the muzzle - namely, such rifles prevailed in the army of the South, which experienced a large shortage in new breech-loading models. Subsequently, a double-barreled shotgun with shortened barrels became the most common weapon of countless "showdowns" and robberies in the Wild West. Severe representatives of the law also willingly used it, which is why this sawn-off shotgun was called the "sheriff's gun."

Northerners had a wider choice of more modern weapons, including for unitary cartridges, among which it is worth highlighting the Henry rifle that appeared in 1860 with an underbarrel tubular magazine for 15 rounds and a convenient quick reload mechanism, which became the ancestor of the famous "Winchester". The southerners called it the "Damn Yankee Rifle," grimly saying that it "loads on Sunday and then fires all week."

From patriots to robbers

After the end of the Civil War, many Confederate officers and soldiers were forced to migrate from their war-ravaged homelands to the West in search of a better life. A white man and earlier slowly seeped into these lands, now trading, now fighting with the Indians; but mass expansion began precisely after the war. There, in the streams of immigrants, the northerners who left the army also went. Many of them tried to become farmers or artisans again, but there were also those who realized that of all the crafts, they were best at shooting. This is how gunfighters appeared - professional shooters who made a living by pulling the trigger. Depending on the circumstances and personal character, a gunfighter could become a bandit, a sheriff, or just a free shooter working on one-time orders. And some people managed to combine all these functions.

Experienced gunfighters had something like a "code of honor" - rather conditional, since cunning, and often meanness, helped them in their "work" no less than virtuoso possession of a "colt". More rigorously, they adhered to their professional rules by which they survived, such as never sitting with their backs to doors or windows. The gunfighter was accepted with open arms and to work in the guards of the law, and in any gang. Often they themselves collected detachments with which they committed robberies or terrorized towns. But the first major and most famous gangs were the remnants of flying units Confederations, which continued their daring raids even after the end of the war.

One of them is the gang of Jesse Woodson James (1847-1882). His mentors were William Anderson himself, nicknamed Bloody Bill, and the former village teacher William Quantrill, the commander of a "wild", unsubstantiated southern partisan detachment, known for his saying "a good Yankee is a dead Yankee." 16-year-old Jesse joined this detachment, having received huge specific experience there. This young man has learned nothing more. Therefore, in 1865, together with his brother Jesse, he organized his gang, which included several more former Confederate guerrillas, and began his own war- against the federal banks and the post office. On account of his gang, eleven robbed banks, seven trains, three post stagecoaches and booty of tens of thousands of dollars (more of those dollars!). The bandits very quickly changed from dusty farmer's robes to ironed suits. Such successes of the Jesse gang, of course, gave rise to legends that the boys enthusiastically told each other - and some of them subsequently threw their father's plow to become a dashing robber. And not only boys - often women became members of the gangs.

But more often, more prosaic reasons forced him to replace honest work with the luck of a bandit. For example, the unfolding war between the "meat barons" (large pastoralists) for territories, as well as conflicts between them and small farmers. And those who did not know how or did not want to raise their own cattle began to steal someone else's - on their own or organizing themselves into gangs. In such conditions, in addition to a whip and a lasso, cowboy shepherds had to carry a loaded Colt with them.

However, the servants of the law in the Wild West were sometimes worse than any bandits. For example, Isaac Parker from Oklahoma (Judje Isaac Parker, 1838-1896), who went down in history as a “judge hangman”, believed that building a prison was much more troublesome and expensive than building a scaffold. Therefore, he passed only one sentence, sending one and a half hundred people to the gallows in 20 years.

“Lubricate both Colts properly,
"Winchester" properly lubricate ... "

The 70s and 80s of the 19th century saw the heyday of the classic period of the Wild West. Bandits and hunting sheriffs and rangers, fighting cattlemen, defensive farmers, prospectors and townspeople, numerous uprisings of Indians - and the cavalry of the United States chasing them. And just then, two of his legends appeared in the Wild West: the Colt Peacemaker revolver and the Winchester rifle.

The Colt M1873 Single Action Army revolver appeared in 1873 and first entered service with the US cavalry. For the civilian market, mainly revolvers with a barrel shortened from 191 to 120 mm were produced, although real giants were also made, in which the barrel length reached 300 mm! It should be noted that such long-barreled revolvers in the United States have long been used as hunting weapons. Six powerful 45 caliber (11.43 mm) centerfire cartridges were loaded into the drum, but sometimes one nest under the trigger was left empty as an improvised fuse (so that the revolver would not fire during the jump or when it fell to the ground). Although reloading was carried out by one cartridge (and before that it was necessary to remove one at a time spent cartridges), and the hammer still had to be cocked before each shot, its average rate of fire was still higher than that of older primer models. And it was already easy to buy cartridges in the shops that appeared everywhere. Therefore, where the Colt M1873 thundered, the fights ended quickly, and there were fewer survivors - which is why the revolver was given the witty nickname "peacemaker" ("Peacemaker").

Meanwhile, the 1866 and 1873 Winchester rapid-fire rifles were spreading throughout the western states. The disadvantage of their predecessor, the Henry rifle, whose magazine had to be unscrewed before loading, was eliminated by the designers with a convenient charging window. In skillful hands, the "Winchester" made a shot per second, remaining the fastest-firing rifle until the advent of self-loading systems.

With a "peacemaker" in a holster and a "Winchester" at the ready, the sheriffs and rangers gradually brought the rule of law, shooting down the most restless and forcing the rest to "tie up". So the West gradually ceased to be Wild ...

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Rifles "Henry" with a bracket (Lever Action in English) have gained incredible popularity, only in terms of total circulation they are slightly behind the well-known Kalashnikov. It is noteworthy that, despite their popularity, barrels of this type were never officially in service, although they survived many military stories. This happened, probably, because for that time the concept of a pistol cartridge in weapons with a long barrel turned out to be too innovative, as, indeed, the mechanism of a rifle.

The Mauser S-96 has a similar story, the legendary pistol that has been used since the Anglo-Boer War almost up to the present day, and was also not officially in service anywhere, although in Russia and Germany it was recommended to officers for self-acquisition.

Rifles that conquered the Wild West

The history of the conquest of the Wild West would not fit in a thin pamphlet. This is a multi-page book, but its ink was the real "iron" - different models of weapons that were in the hands of the soldiers. In this article, we will learn to distinguish the "main characters" of those events using the description of the Henry rifle as an example.

How it all began

Among those who put an end to the history of the Wild West was "Volcanic". A pistol of this type is very interesting in itself - this is the first rifle with a lever-bracket and an underbarrel tubular magazine. Reloading was carried out using a lever similar to the Henry bracket, but designed for one finger. Today in gun shops you can stumble upon replicas (copies) of the "Volcanic" under a unitary cartridge. They are deservedly popular among fans of weapons of the Wild West.

History and characteristics of the 1860 Henry rifle

The Winchester 70 is one of the first lever action rifles to receive baptism of fire June 25, 1876 during the battle of the Indians with American army. This collision took place in Montana near the Little Big Horn.

It was an attempt by the soldiers of the Seventh, under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel J. Custer, to carry out a sweep of the Sioux tribe. However, enterprising natives expected such a turn of events and managed to prepare well. They gathered all their forces, bought new Henry Winchester rifles at that time and a fair amount for them. If we recall the fact that the Indians were mainly sold only weapons that had lost their relevance - capsule or flint, then this time the greed of the sellers overcame every common sense, and the Sioux got brand new .38 and .44 repeating rifles. The unheard-of carelessness of the gun shop owners! After all, this weapon was distinguished by an unthinkable rate of fire at that time of 50-60 rounds per minute and a magazine for 10-12 rounds, depending on the length of the barrel and the caliber of the rifle.

The army, on the other hand, was armed with solid and reliable Springfields and .45 Spencers, accurate, powerful, but with one charge. The rate of fire in them was highly dependent on the location of the bandolier rather than on the hinged bolt. It was high when mounted on a rifle, but gradually decreased when the shooter switched to a belt bandolier, falling completely while removing cartridges from pockets and other secluded storages. The Henry rifle had only one drawback - a rather weak revolver cartridge. But this could be compensated for by a sharp reduction in the distance to the enemy, which was applied in practice.

The debut of lever-action rifles

J. Custer reconnoitered and found that there were more Indians than expected, however, he presumptuously decided to attack. Without waiting for reinforcements, he divided the detachment in half and attacked the Sioux settlement from two sides. The first part was ambushed (if you remember that the Indians in close combat had three or even four times superiority in firing speed, everything falls into place), suffered losses and retreated, but the Indians, not allowing them to break the distance, overtook and completely defeated the squad. The second detachment, not expecting such a powerful resistance, immediately dispersed. Another detachment coming to their aid changed its trajectory altogether when it heard the cannonade standing over the camp.

It was the delightful debut of the Henry rifles in the form of the Winchester 70. Of course, he did little to help the Sioux settlement historically, but it certainly made people think about the use of repeating weapons.

Then you can see how nicely the Henry rifles fought in the First World War in the hands of soldiers Russian army. In the United States, an order was placed for several tens of thousands of such rifles chambered for 7.62x54. But, as it turned out, the contract was not fully executed, their number was insufficient, so later they turned into a genuine antique firearms that would adorn any collection.

kings of the hunt

However, no one cancels the fact that the main niche of the Henry rifles is hunting. Lever weapons on the American continent were an indispensable attribute of travelers and hunters. It was even called the "weapon of the cowboys" in the Wild West. Since there are no protruding parts on the rifle (bolt handles, magazine, etc.), it is easily and quickly removed into an oblong case that resembles a knife sheath and placed in a car, on a horse attached to a backpack. This weapon is lightweight and constant readiness to shooting. Loading it is very simple: if the cartridge is in the chamber, it is enough to cock the trigger, if not, one movement of the bracket is enough and you are done!

The first rifles earned their popularity due to the good choice of cartridge. For hunting any game in North America the revolving analogue was just right, with it you could safely go at least for a bison. Moreover, it turned out that it is incredibly convenient to have a rifle and a revolver chambered for a unitary cartridge. long and happy life lever rifle - the brainchild of American designer Benjamin Henry (Benjamin Henry), due to its simple and reliable mechanism, tolerance for poor conditions and unpretentiousness.

Having talked about the history of rifles, we can move on to a more detailed acquaintance with the weapon with the "Henry" bracket.

WINCHESTER-1886

This is the original Winchester, which was produced by the company between 1886 and 1892. It has a powerful faceted barrel, designed for the use of jacketless lead bullets and black powder. The model is quite old, so it is not surprising that the WINCHESTER inscription, once embossed on metal, can be worn out from long use. Despite the fact that this model is over 120 years old, all the mechanisms work properly, and the mock cartridge is thrown out and sent without any delay! lovers antique weapons headbutting the 44 WCF stigma.

It is clear that the first letter is the name of the manufacturer (Winchester), but the next two raise doubts about the interpretation. There is an assumption that CF is a center fire, that is, a central fire. During the creation of the rifle, an active transition from rimfire cartridges to cartridges with a primer in the center of the sleeve bottom had just begun. They were called center fire. A little later, these letters disappeared, and the cartridge that fits this rifle became known as 44-40. Indirectly, the letters WCF say that it is better to shoot cartridges with black powder only. The carabiner box is open at the top, for charging there is a window on the right, which is closed by a spring-loaded door. The box itself is strong and quite massive, made of whole piece metal.

Other characteristics

Interesting shop setup. It does not have any interceptors for cartridges, they are held by a feeder tray. It is very reliable and simple design, the only feature of which is the fact that the cartridge must clearly correspond to a certain length so that the feed mechanism does not jam. The shutter of the “weapons of cowboys” is classic - a reliable and durable locking with two wedges in the rear. The wedges are controlled by the reload lever, they move down and unlock the shutter during reloading. Then it moves back due to the movement of the bracket forward through Then the trigger is cocked, while the cartridge case is extracted and the feed tray with the cartridge is raised. When the reload lever moves back, the cartridge from the tray is sent to the barrel. Further, when lifting, the wedges lock the shutter, the tray is lowered, the magazine opens, in turn, the cartridge from it enters the tray.

shutter mirror

It is also original. All of it Bottom part forward and spring loaded. It has two functions. The first is a reflector. The constantly spring-loaded sleeve during the backward movement of the bolt is, as it were, wedged between the chamber and the lower part of the larva. When the cartridge case leaves the chamber, the reflector, upon release, ejects the cartridge case from the box. The advantages here are undeniable: despite the slow opening of the shutter, the extraction will always be reliable. The second function is to prevent a shot when the shutter is not closed. The striker simply will not be able to reach the primer while part of the shutter is moved forward. The thoughtfulness and simplicity of the design is simply amazing, it is worth noting that it is the result of a huge work on milling and fitting parts that are complex in configuration. Attention to them can be traced in the next stroke: the sighting line is blocked by a lowered trigger, signaling that you are about to shoot, while the gun is not ready to fire.

MARLIN MOD-1895

This is a very powerful and solid rifle. Its dimensions are not much larger than the previous model, but it is quite heavy. The cartridge is powerful, accelerates a 21-gram bullet to 500 m / s. We can safely recommend it for hunting in Russian forests.

Up to a distance of 150 m, it has a flat trajectory, and during sighting at 100 m, corrections from 0 to 150 m can be neglected. The Marlin box is closed, it has two windows on the right side. The bottom is for charging, there is a door. The upper one is used to extract the sleeve. The reflector is in it, and when reloading, it is better to vigorously retract the shutter to ensure reliable ejection of the sleeve. To lock the shutter there is one wedge entering from below. During closing, it supports the part that transmits the blow from the trigger to the striker, which makes it impossible to fire with an open bolt. The gun itself is solid, maneuverable and powerful, as experts say. It is considered great option for driven hunting for large and medium-sized animals.

ROSSI-92

It is a pretty good copy of the Winchester-92, which was released by the Brazilian company Puma. To comply with modern standards, a safety lever was added, mounted on the gate, it also locks the firing pin. There is a full-fledged blocking of the striker, although it remains possible to reload, cock the trigger and even trigger, while the shot will not occur. The second improvement is the key that locks the trigger. He just turns, and that's it - the rifle is completely blocked, it is impossible to either cock the trigger or open the bolt.

This feature is considered very convenient. And another useful innovation is a twisted mainspring instead of the original lamellar one. It is much more durable and easier.

HENRY GB

This rifle is from the company that gave the name to the entire line. Many fans of such weapons say with sadness that only 22-caliber weapons are supplied to Russia. Those who have purchased a good quality model note its appearance: a yellow box, expensive solid wood, an octagonal heavy trunk. The rifle has a classic look and box shape, reminiscent of the Winchester-70. Collectors note the smoothness of the mechanisms. The shutter movement is so smooth and soft that it feels like it is rolling on rollers.

The box of the rifle is closed, on the left there is one window for extracting the cartridge case. For charging there is a special hole on the store. It is necessary to turn the washer and pull the spring-loaded tube out of the magazine housing, then reinsert the tube with the spring until it stops. Everything, the weapon is loaded - you can shoot. This type of charging is very convenient for those who prefer recreational shooting.

findings

A common disadvantage of such rifles is disassembly. To carry out this operation, you must have a whole set of slotted screwdrivers available. The passport of the Rossi rifle generally says that if disassembly is necessary, it is worth contacting a gunsmith. This cannot but impress our people, who are ready to open anything without an additional tool. In general, such weapons are an excellent historical rarity; such rifles can also serve as companion rifles, for example, at a shooting range. Still, a pleasant thing to look at, and not a means of murder.

Lever Action is not very suitable for hunting, hunters will prefer it, rather, a semi-automatic or “bolt gun”. But on a trip, the Henry rifle would go with joy. That's just who dares to take such a rare item with them to a risky venture - another question.