The Veteran: Winchester and Military Service

Winchester is usually remembered as a sporting brand, but for long stretches of the twentieth century its factories worked for the military. The story is worth telling for its own sake, and because many of the hunters who carry Winchesters today learned to shoot in uniform.

World War I

• Model 1897 “trench gun”. A short-barrelled version of the Model 1897 pump shotgun, fitted with a heat shield and a bayonet lug, was issued to American troops in France. It was brutally effective in the close confines of trench raids.
• Model 1895 for Russia. Winchester built large numbers of Model 1895 lever-action rifles in 7.62×54R for the Russian army, one of the biggest export contracts in the company’s history.
• Rifles for the American army. Winchester also manufactured the M1917 Enfield, the rifle most American soldiers actually carried in France.

World War II

• M1 Garand. Winchester was the second major producer of the M1 Garand after Springfield Armory.
• M1 Carbine. Winchester developed the light .30 Carbine rifle that became the M1 Carbine. Lighter and handier than a full-size rifle, it was issued to officers, paratroopers, vehicle crews and support troops, and was made by many contractors in very large numbers.
• Model 12 and Model 97 shotguns went back into service as trench and riot guns, and as training guns for aerial gunners, who practised leading fast targets with shotguns on skeet ranges.

After the war

Returning soldiers created a boom in hunting and sport shooting. Many bought a Model 94 or Model 70 with their first peacetime paychecks, and those rifles are now the heirlooms that families bring to gun shows and appraisers.

Veterans in the field today

Hunting and shooting remain important to many veterans. Organisations across the country run guided hunts, clay-shooting days and outdoor programmes for veterans, often with volunteers who served themselves. If you have a story about a veteran and a Winchester, we would like to hear it on our Share a memory page.

Collecting military Winchesters

Military Winchesters are a specialised field. Before you buy:

1. Learn the correct markings, inspection stamps and parts for the period.
2. Be wary of “arsenal rebuilt” rifles sold as all-original.
3. Ask for provenance where possible, and read our collecting and auction guide.