×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Infantry Arms Warships & Submarines Military Pay Chart (2023) Military Ranks
Advertisements
HOME
INFANTRY
MODERN ARMIES
SPECIAL FORCES
COUNTRIES
MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE
BY CONFLICT
BY TYPE
BY DECADE
INTERWAR PERIOD
WORLD WAR 1
WORLD WAR 2
Infantry Small Arms / The Warfighter

Winchester Model 1915


Lever-Action Service Rifle [ 1915 ]



The Winchester Model 1895 served as the basis of the Model 1915 delivered in its modified form to Imperial Russian forces for service in World War 1.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/24/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]
Advertisements
When the Russian Empire mobilized for World War in 1914, it lacked the stocks of service rifles for the millions of men being called up to fight. As such, a government "purchasing commission" was sent to the United States in an effort to secure whatever types of rifles were available for the war ahead. Contracts were eventually signed with the likes of Remington (among others) and the storied Winchester concern was approached to produce a modified form of their sporting Model 1895 lever-action rifle - the final lever-action design by famous gunsmith John Browning. Winchester agreed and the new weapon was designated as the "Model 1915", becoming one of the few lever-action rifles to see service in World War 1 (1914-1918).

The Model 1895/Model 1915 received its general categorization of "lever-action" by the operator having to manage a hinged lever assembly under the receiver that doubled as the trigger guard. There was an oblong loop aft of the trigger loop to which the operated fit the fingers of the firing hand to apply the required downward pressure against the lever. The resulting action was used to clear the firing chamber of any spent shell casing and introduced a fresh cartridge from the integral, 5-round projecting case under the receiver (ahead of the lever). A ground-breaking concept in the 1800s, the lever-action saw far less use in the new century. Repeat fire could be achieved with such a weapon though the gun was still limited to single shots, each subsequent firing requiring manual management of the lever.

As can be expected, Russian specifications required certain modifications to the existing Model 1895 design - chief of these being a re-chambering for the 7.62x54mmR rimmed rifle cartridge. As the Russian Army relied on a standard charger ("stripper clip") for its existing line of service rifle, the receiver of the Model 1895 was appropriately fitted with guide ribs for proper loading of such ammunition clips supporting the Russian 7.62mm format (these additions clearly marked as protrusions at the top of the receiver). Additionally, a new section of wood was added over the exposed barrel at the base to provide for a more rigid end-product (and protect the operator from heat generated at the barrel through prolonged firing). Work on the rifles occurred in 1914 and the type was formally adopted by Imperial Russia as the Model 1915 - or M1915. The Army procured some 293,000 to 300,000 examples and the first 10,000 or so were fielded with the rare 8" "blade" bayonet, the remainder seen with the more popular 16" length "sword" variety. Deliveries concluded in 1917 at which point the Russian Empire fell into internal strife and ultimate civil war - bringing about the rise of the Soviet Union that would last throughout World War 2 and the Cold War decades to come.

It is said that enough Model 1915 rifles were in circulation into the 1930s that stocks were sent to Spain to help support of the Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).

The M1915 featured an overall length of 1,160mm (45,65 inches) with a barrel measuring 712mm (28.05 inches) long. The rifle could be fed by the aforementioned chargers or through single cartridge loading which provided some tactical flexibility on the part of the shooter. Muzzle velocity was rated at 2,690 feet per second. A sling was optional though helpful during marches and transport.

While the Russian Army primarily relied on their tried-and-true Mosin-Nagant 1891 bolt-action rifles during World War 1 (and even throughout World War 2), the M1915 remains a rather forgotten contribution to the Russian effort concerning The Great War.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
Advertisements

Specifications



Service Year
1915

Origin
United States national flag graphic
United States

Classification


Lever-Action Service Rifle


Winchester Repeating Arms Company - USA
(View other Arms-Related Manufacturers)
National flag of Russia Imperial Russia
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)


Overall Length
1,100 mm
43.31 in
Barrel Length
710 mm
27.95 in
Empty Wgt
9.04 lb
4.10 kg
Sights


Front Fixed Post; Rear Sliding Ramp


Action


Lever-Action; Repeat-Fire

Lever-Action
System popularized in the latter half of the 1800s; involves manual actuation of a lever handle to clear the chamber and introduce a fresh cartridge form the magazine - typically of tube form under the barrel.
(Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information)


Caliber(s)*


7.62x54mmR

Rounds / Feed


5-round internal magazine
Cartridge relative size chart
*May not represent an exhuastive list; calibers are model-specific dependent, always consult official manufacturer sources.
**Graphics not to actual size; not all cartridges may be represented visually; graphics intended for general reference only.
Rate-of-Fire
30
rds/min


Model 1915 - Base Series Designation; based on the Winchester Model 1895 series though in 7.62mm chambering with modifications requested by the Russian Army.


Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2


Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns / operations.

Images Gallery



1 / 1
Image of the Winchester Model 1915
Image from the Public Domain.


Advertisements




Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies


2023 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons.

View day-by-day actions of the American Civil War with CivilWarTimeline.net. View day-by-day actions of World War II with SecondWorldWarHistory.com.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)