gotta love a free rifle...OT

well, sometimes a guy just gets lucky
i buy and sell trucks and bikes to help with bills, ect, i picked up a 92 Ford F150 PU at the last Police auction, they have a sign thats says, you get everything in and on the cars, dont leave your trash!!, iv found ammo, cash, tools, you name it over the years,
well, i found my first rifle, a Winchester M1902S.L in .351Win, so i call my Cop buddy and have him run it on the hot sheet, it clears, and its now mine. a little worse for wear, rusty, and a scope, but hey,,it was free.
i paid, 450.00 for the truck..got the gun as a bonus..dont ya love it.

Good find there Chuck. Any chance that you can clean that thing up and make it presentable? How was the bore?

You didn't mention the scope manufacturer and its condition.

as a matter a fact, weld up the holes, and refinish it, scope is a Weaver 4V

I thought the .351 Win SL was a new calibre for the M1907. Am I wrong? Or did you mis-state the nomenclature of the rifle? I have a M1907 for parts if you need any.

FWIW,

Emri

not sure of the history of the 1907, im sure ill do some research on it, i belive it was made in around 1922 to 24..i may need a stock, but thats a while down the road.
i have alot of customer work to finish up first.

Nice find. I am not familiar with the 351 Win. Is it a rimmed big bore or a pistol type cartridge?

Jim

Hey Chuck,

Don't think Winchester made a lot of these kinda' wonky rifles. Seems a few were used by prison guards and law enforcement. They don't go for a lot even in nice shape (yours might have some interesting unknown history). Saw a couple at a local show a coupla' years ago and the seller was asking three or four hundred bucks, but he wanted a hundred a piece for two fifty round boxes of ammo. Think he said that ammo was harder to find than rifles. Looked a lot like .357 ammo. One was used in the ambush that destroyed Bonnie and Clyde. Wouldn't put money into it unless you want a fun project and want to keep it. Maybe you could create a one of a kind Bonnie and Clyde memorial rifle. Nice free rifle. Don't quote any of this info, am just going on memory.

Lancebear

The model 1907 is the most common of the three, the 1905 is chambered for the .32 and .35 wsl, and the 1910 is chambered for the .401 wsl.

Ammo for the .35 and the .351 is available at collector prices, usually $1.00 per round or a little less.

Cases are avalilable, they use the .38 special for the .35, and .357 mag for the .351.

My model 1905 shoots very well, although bullets are not of a diameter that can be found readily, so have not reloaded for it.

The .351 was fairly popular in North East as a short range deer cartridge.

Mine is a 1905 manufactured in 1905 (note s/n 885). Your 1907 was made from 1907 to 1957.

My Model 1907 is in 35 Win SL (self loading) and I make cartridges by turning down the rim and cutting a extractor groove from 38 special brass. You can make brass for your 351 from 357 mag. You can buy hard lead or copper coated lead bullets too not a problem.

I enjoy shooting my 1905, it is like a 35 cal M1 carbine and really neat to shoot a semi auto made in 1905.

By mistake I have an M1 front handguard in the photos !

Photo shows following: 32 WSL, 35 WSL, 351 Win and 401 Win.

During WW1 France bought alot of Winchester Model 1907 rifles and some Model 1910 in 401 cal. The French even developed an assault rifle and cartridge by necking down the 351 to 8mm after WW1.

You can make 401 brass from 7.62x39mm Russian brass.

I think that the .30 carbine was loosely based on the 351 sl. I like my .401. "It strikes harder than the hammer of Thor."

thanks for all the great info, a fellow collector hear in Denver, emailed me some nice pics as well.

My first center-fire rifle also, Chuck. Dad made up a pretty nice collection of the various calibers, but the 401 is a enormous beast.

A gent named John Henwood wrote a pretty decent book on these models named "The Forgotten Winchesters". The disassembly instructions for the various models generally started with "start early or you will miss dinner" or words to that effect.