The Winchester Model 1905 (also known as the Model 05), is a
blowback-operated
Blowback is a system of operation for self-loading firearms that obtains energy from the motion of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear by expanding gas created by the ignition of the propellant charge.
Several blowback systems exist ...
,
semi-automatic rifle
A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...
produced by the
Winchester Repeating Arms Company
The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American manufacturer of repeating firearms and ammunition. The firm was established in 1866 by Oliver Winchester and was located in New Haven, Connecticut. The firm went into receivership ...
beginning in 1905 and discontinued in 1920. This rifle loads cartridges from a 5 or 10-round capacity, detachable
box magazine
A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device for a repeating firearm, either integral within the gun (internal/fixed magazine) or externally attached (detachable magazine). The magazine functions by holding several cartridges withi ...
located immediately forward of the
trigger guard
A trigger guard is a protective loop surrounding the trigger of a firearm designed to prevent unwanted contact with the trigger, which may cause an accidental discharge. Other devices that use a trigger-like actuator mechanism, such as inhalers, c ...
. Winchester offered factory chamberings in
.32SL and
.35 Winchester Self-Loading
The .35 Winchester Self-Loading (also called .35SL, .35SLR, or .35WSL) is an American rifle cartridge.
Overview
Winchester introduced the .32SL and .35SL in the Winchester '05 self-loading rifle as a centerfire cartridge version of the Winch ...
(.35 WSL).
Notably, a Model 1905 in .35 WSL was used by
Harry Payne Whitney
Harry Payne Whitney (April 29, 1872 – October 26, 1930) was an American businessman, thoroughbred horse breeder, and member of the prominent Whitney family.
Early years
Whitney was born in New York City on April 29, 1872, as the eldest son ...
on an arctic expedition. The rifle proved reliable in extreme low-temperatures, but was insufficiently powerful for taking large game such as
musk ox
Musk (Persian: مشک, ''Mushk'') is a class of aromatic substances commonly used as base notes in perfumery. They include glandular secretions from animals such as the musk deer, numerous plants emitting similar fragrances, and artificial sub ...
.
The basic design for the Winchester Model 1905 is covered by issued August 27, 1901 and assigned to
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
by
Thomas Crossley Johnson, a key firearms designer for Winchester. This patent was initially used to protect the design of the
rimfire Winchester Model 1903
The Winchester Model 1903 was the first commercially available semi-automatic firearm made by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.
History
The Winchester Model 1903 was designed by T.C. Johnson, who had joined Winchester in 1885 and had become ...
, but came to be applied toward the
centerfire
Two rounds of .357 Magnum, a centerfire cartridge; notice the circular primer in the center
A centerfire cartridge is a firearm metallic cartridge whose primer is located at the center of the base of its casing (i.e. "case head"). Unlike rim ...
Winchester Self Loading rifle series, which includes the Model 1905,
Model 1907 and
Model 1910.
![Winchester SL 05 Take Down](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Winchester_SL_05_Take_Down.JPG)
In 1941 Winchester designed the
M1 Carbine
The M1 carbine (formally the United States Carbine, Caliber .30, M1) is a lightweight semi-automatic carbine that was a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The M1 carbine was produced ...
in response to a US Army competition for a light rifle. The designers were able to adapt the Model 1905 trigger group and magazine for the trials rifle which saved on research and development time.
Variants
In addition to the standard or "plain finish" model, a deluxe or "fancy finish" model was offered with
pistol grip
On a firearm or other tools, a pistol grip is a distinctly protruded handle underneath the main mechanism, to be held by the user's hand at a more vertical (and thus more ergonomic) angle, similar to the how one would hold a conventional pist ...
stock and checkering on the forearm and wrist of the
stock
In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a company ...
. The plain finish rifles were offered in 1905 at a list price of $28, the fancy finish rifles for $43.
[Winchester Repeating Arms Company 1905 Guns Catalog Reproduction by Cornell Military Publications. Brighton, MI 48114]
References
External links
The Vintage Semi-Automatic Sporting Rifles Forum - Winchester Model 1905 - http://vintagesemiautorifle.proboards105.com/index.cgi?board=win05
Semi-automatic rifles of the United States
Winchester Repeating Arms Company firearms
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