Which lever action rifles have been used as standard military service rifles? What countries? In what quantity?

I believe fairly large numbers of 95 winchesters were made for the Russian army. They were in 7.62 russian I think (or 7.65, I cant keep my metrics straight)

Lots of 95s in 303 british were sent to Canada too, I think mainly to the Mounties, I could be wrong.

The Russian army got approx. 300.000 Win Mod. 95 in 7,62x54R Russian ( it´s the Nagant round).
The most of the rifles are lost in the time at WWI and the Russian revolution.
I saw one in the War museum in vienna and a customer of us found one in Russia, but I mean the rifle was very long in the earth, the stock was new and the metal was very rusty.

Martin

believe the Montreal Home Guard used the Savage 99 musket.

Lloyd;

You ask a question that is almost impossible to answer. Prior to World War II, almost every lever model made or variation there of, was used by some military in the world. Most of the records of how many were ordered and how many were actually delivered, have been lost or destroyed over time.

I am a collector of the Winchester Model 1894. It has been issued to the military of the United States, Canada, England, and African countries amoung others.

"Standard military"? If you mean the only rifle in use at the time or the primary rifle in use then that could narrow it down to only a few. Some Central and South American countries used the Winchester Model 92. The Belgian Congo used the Winchester 94. Russia used the Winchester 95, although I don't know to what extent.

Sorry, I cannot give you a definitive answer.

Jim

I'm sure that there are some Winchester 95s in Russia, left over from the beginging of the previous century.
I'd love to find a contact over there and do some checking.
Jim

Quite many of those Win 95's seem to have ended up here to Finland, since they can often be seen around. Most of them have been converted to some other calibers like 9,3x53R or 8,2x53R, due to our moose-hunting caliber requirements soon after the WW2. In that process most of them have also had their stocks "sporterized" and some other minor modifications made. However, original Win 95's in 7,62x54R in mint condition are rare and worth maybe near 1000 € today.

I've got one of those converted guns myself, actually. It has a 19" .45-70 barrel and open sights at the moment. I use it for moose and have shot a couple with it. Yesterday I was very close to shoot a calf and a cow moose with it. They came no further than 10 metres from me, until the cow noticed I was standing on their way and turned around. Couldn't really get a shot at the calf, which I was supposed to shoot first, so they fled.

But anyway, those 95's are good rifles and I really like mine. In .45-70 I find it far superior to the Marlin 1895's, which are the most common guns in this caliber.

JBledsoe, further details on those 94's used in the Congo would be of interest. I'd never heard of that. Were they .30-30's? Were they issued to a 2nd tier of their military, perhaps comprised of native soldiers? I'm amazed any Latin American country would select the 92; it seems rather anemic given that smokeless small bores were issued 6 years before the 92 came out.

I saw one M95 russian type in a gunstore here for a couple of years ago. It didnt have the Russian markeings on, so it\s probably have been bought commercially by a norwegian emigrant and brought back to norway afterwards.

Top of the list for Quantity:

Martini Henry 577/450 and Martini Enfields in 303 British

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the Turkish purchase of 1866 Winchesters, used to such great effect at Plevna in 1877: the Turks opened proceedings at long range with their Peabody-Martinis, inflicting significant casualties on the advancing Russian infantry, before swapping to the Winchesters when the Russians were within 200 yards, and cutting them to ribbons.

Another rather more obscure issue of lever action rifles was to the ambulance corps accompanying the New South Wales Sudan Contingent which went to reinforce the British in Khartoum after the death of General Gordon in 1885. They were issued Winchester 1873 Carbines.

The Winchester '92 was the official rifle of the B.S.A.Co Police (Rhodesian Pioner Police), and several of the local malitia from 1894 to 1897. It was replaced by the Lee Enfield as so many of the Native police joined the matebele and Mashona rebelions (1896) that there were hundreds of missing rifles and local Authorities banned all .44-40 calibre rifles until well into the 20th century. Those remaining at the end of the rebellion were sent up to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), and Civilians could swop their winchester or colt Lightnings for a Lee carbine.

The British South Africa Co Purchased around 3000 winchester 92's between 1894 and 1897, and the local malitia's many more. If you want a low serial No M92 Zimbabwe and Zambia are the place to look!

Thanks, everyone, for the replies.

I should have specified that I meant lever action repeaters, i.e. I meant to exclude single shot rifles.

I do not know if any country or military organization ever purchased the military model Savage 1899 musket, but it was certainly an impressive looking critter. I saw two of them(complete with bayonets)several years ago in a Houston gun shop.

LLS

So what is the definition of a musket.
I thought it was a long arm without any rifleing
in the barrel.

Now it seems more like a military model rifle probably with top wood and maybe a bayonet lug?

JAL >

In the later part of the 19th Century, the term "musket", as in miltary, applied to a rifle with a long stock and upper handguard, plus a bayonet lug.
You will find lever actioned "muskets" by Savage and Winchester. I don't believe the Savage ever sold well, but the M1895 Winchester certainly did sell, to the Russians.

LLS