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Winchester 1910 Cal.401

GeronimoGeronimo Member Posts: 69 ✭✭
edited June 2007 in Ask the Experts
Hello: Where can I find information an some historical facts about this rifle?
Thanks

Comments

  • duckhunterduckhunter Member Posts: 7,686 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
  • 1KYDSTR1KYDSTR Member Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Third in the series of Winchester Autoloaders that were the 1905, 1907 and 1910. Started with an aenemic 32 autoloder, and moved to the more usable and popular 351 WSL (Winchester Self Loader). That was comnsiderdd too light for deer so they ramped it up to the 401 WSL with the 1910 model. It is considered the only one of the three really acceptable for deer and small black bear. They are a little odd (I have one myself) in that the cocking lever is really a plunger type mechanism on the front iunder the forearm that looks a little like a ramrod. It also functions as a bolt hold open by means of turning the knurled nut at the end of the cocking pieced when cocking the gun. They were used by a lot of prison guards and law enforcement and to a limited extent by the French during WWI...although I think it was the 1907 they used. For these they developed extended 15 and 20 shot magazines.

    These are a little bit of an esoteric area of collecting in the Winchester line as they are a bit of a dead end (the 1905 and 1910 in particular). The 351 WSL has been loded on and off for many years and can still be gotten somewhat reasonably. The 32 and the 401 (which is actually a 406 diameter bullet...go figure) are in the rhealm of cartridge collections and are tres expensive. Even the custom made stuff runs $50 a box. I don't shoot mine, although I am lead to believe I can form it up with a little lathe work from a 30-30 case. Handy, if heavy little take-down guns that were a nice brush/pack gun but failed the bterminal ballistics test.
  • Bert H.Bert H. Member Posts: 11,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The Model 1910 .401 W.S.L. was introduced in the June 1910 catalog. The first rifles were delivered to warehouse stock on February 1st, 1910. It was factory loaded with either a 200-grain or 250-grain bullet. Winchester discontinued the manufacture and sales of the Model 1910 at the end of the year 1936, with a listed production total of 20,786.

    eddit: I forgot to add... John Henwood wrote the following reference book that contains good information; "THE FORGOTTEN WINCHESTERS A History of the Model 1905, 1907 and 1910 Self-Loading Rifles"
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