MEMORY-LANE WINCHESTERS

Winchester has introduced a series of lever-action rifles that bring back the best of a bygone era.

For those of us who grew up in the Northwest eons ago, the lever rifle was probably even more common in most households than bolt-ac- non rifles are today, it was not unusual co see one standing in the corner by the kitchen door, or hanging on a nail in the harn, Most were Winchester Model 94s chambered for *30-30 or .25-35; some were Model 92s chambered for .25^20 or .32-20. They were used on varmints that invaded the hen house or on one of the domestic critters destined to become table fare for the winter.
My first legitimate hunting rifle was a Model 95 chambered for ,30-40 Krag. It was a Christinas present given to me at age twelve by my dad* He had won it in a poker game and thought it would suit me better than his Mil carbine, which he had let me use during the last deer season. I bad made the mistake of pushing the wrong button on the carbine as a fat doe was looking at me from fifty yards away, and instead of the riile gO' irig bang, the clip fell out on the ground.
He said a hammer was a lot easier to figure out than a couple of buttons. That helped me understand the reason for the popularity of the lever rifle.
With time comes change, and manufacturers are always looking for better, bigger, and more accurate rifles to offer their customers. To say they have accomplished this would be an understatement. The hunting rifles offered today are much more advanced than they were thirty years ago. They are reliable, weatherproof, and shoot more accurately than 95 percent of the hunters using them.
However, there is something appealing about a gun w ith blued steel, walnut stock, and a lever hanging underneath that is hard to explain. Not to mention, a good lever rifle is still one of the best deep woods deer rifles available.
Winchester has produced limited quantities of lever rifles over the past few years) but this year they have opened the floodgates with five new models to go with the four they already had on the market.
The first of the newr models is the Model 94 Takedown, which has a 20- inch barrel and is chambered not only for the popular .30-30 but also for the potent .450 Marlin. The .450 Marlin version also has a Pachmayr Decelera- tor recoil pad and a ported barrel to reduce recoil and muzzle jump for fast fol low-up shots-
The Takedown model is in conjunction with the half-round hali-oc- tagon 24-inch-barreled Sporter Model 94 and the 20-inch-barreled Model 94 short rifle. Both are chambered for .30-30 and .38-55,
To complement the existing 20- inch-barreled Model 92 carbine, Win-chester has added the same rifle with a larger loop lever for those with big hands or bulky gloves.
Both models are chambered for .357 Magnum* .44 Remington Magnum, *44-40, and .45 Colt.
The next addition is a Model 1886 Extra Light Weight with a 22-inch barrel, straight grip stock, and shorter magazine, which tips the scale at 7Va pounds, The Model 1886 short rifle has a 24-inch barrel and full-length magazine and weighs about 8*5 pounds* Both are chambered for the *45-70.
Rounding our the introductions of these new/old lever rifles is the very popular Model 71, which comes in two grades.
First is the Model 71 Deluxe, which has Grade TV walnut full pis to I-grip stock and nicely done cut checkering and a high gloss on all metal parts. The sights arc open buck horn style with a hooded front sight—just like the Deluxe Model of the past.
The standard Model 71 comes with select walnut full pistol grip, not checkered, and a satin finish on all metal parts. Sights, as on the Deluxe Model, are the buck horn type with hooded front sight. Both models are chambered, as was the original Model 71, for the .348 Winchester.
Not having time to shoot each model, I had to pick one to rake to the range. My choice was rhc Model 86 Extra Light Weight chambered for .45-70. My reasons were twofold. One, the .45- 70 is a favorite, very underrated hunting cartridge that’s been around since before Custer made his stand at the Little Rig Horn. In modern strong rifles such as the Ruger No. 1, Model 86, and Winchester Hi-Wall, it is a real thumper.
Second reason is because I have an original Model 71 that I re-barreled to ♦45-70 years ago and 1 wanted to compare the new to the old, as the Model 86 is basically the same action as the Model 71. (Besides, it was a good reason to get the old Model 71 off the rack and let it see daylight again,) The only real difference between the two rifles, besides straight grip vs. pistol grip, is that my old, 45-70 has a Williams peep sight and the Extra Light has a buckhorn sight.
Old eyes and open sights are not a very good combination so the targets for my range testing were set at 75 yards. Ammunition used was from
Barnes, Remington, Federal, Winchester, Double lap, and Nosier. Bullet weights ranged from 300 grain to 405 grain. Also, a couple ol select handloads were shot,
During testing, the difference in bullet weights made a significant difference in point of impact. This is not a big deal, as a hunter will sight in his rifle with the ammunition he intends to use on his hunt, but it should be noted.
Accuracy of the Extra Light Weight Model 86 was very good. Most groups were in the two-inch range, with one group that measured less than IVi inches* That particular group could have even been better but the third shot was called out. The first twro shots w?ere 3/4- inch using Barnes Ammunition with the 300-grain TSX-FN bullet.
Winchester has done a great job with these historic big guns. Other than the fact that my old rifle has a battle- scarred stock and worn bluing, it s hard to tell the new from the old. The only major difference, actually, is all the new Winchester lever rifles have the addition of a tang safety.
I wish I’d had the time to shoot all five new models; shooting the Model 86 wras fun and sure brought back a lot of memories. When word of these “new, old additions to the Winchester lever- action line gets out, I wouldn't be surprised to see a few of them in the woods next hunting season.