GunSerialsWinchester Model 1895 Lee Navy serial numbers by year
A bolt-action rifle using 6mm Lee Navy (.236 caliber) ammunition. Its straight-pull bolt moves directly backward and forward instead of turning.
- Produced:
- 1896–1898 (receivers); completed and converted through 1908
- Action:
- bolt-action
New to gun terms? Start here
- Model:
- The name of the gun design, such as Model 94. A model name that looks like a year does not tell you when your gun was made.
- Serial number:
- The number stamped on an individual gun. Include letters that are part of the number. A separate letter stamped above it, like the Model 97's C, D or E, is a different marking.
- Receiver:
- The main metal body just behind the barrel. The receiver ring is its front section, where the barrel joins it.
- Tang:
- A strip of metal extending from the receiver into the stock. The lower tang runs underneath, behind the trigger.
- Stock:
- The part you hold against your shoulder, usually made of wood on older Winchesters.
- Forearm or forend:
- The part under the barrel where your forward hand holds the gun.
- Action:
- The mechanism that loads and removes cartridges. Names such as lever action, pump action, and bolt action describe how it works.
- Caliber or gauge:
- The ammunition size or type a gun is designed to use. This marking is different from the model and serial number.
- Takedown:
- A version designed to separate into major sections for storage. A takedown joint is where those sections meet.
- Proof mark:
- A factory testing mark, such as Winchester's oval WP stamp. It is not a serial number or a date code.
- Peep or aperture sight:
- A rear sight with a small hole to look through. A hooded front sight has a cover around it.
What year was your Model 1895 Lee Navy made?
Look up a serial number and print a one-page record sheet: the date and its sources, the status by age, the model in brief, and the low and high of recent auction sales.
Winchester Model 1895 Lee Navy value: what it sells for at auction
We found 15 single-gun auction sales of the Winchester Model 1895 Lee Navy at Rock Island Auction Company, Morphy Auctions, Poulin Auctions, Redding Auction Services, and Amoskeag Auction Company between Sep 2023 and Sep 2026. They sold for $922 to $6,462.
That is too few sales for a typical price, so we list each one instead. A price table needs at least 40 sales. With only a few sales, one gun in unusual condition can set the high or the low.
We leave out listings described as deluxe, special-order, engraved, restored, or commemorative, and other exceptions in the value guide. Wear, repairs, original parts, and factory upgrades can make a particular gun worth more or less. These sales are a comparison, not an appraisal of your gun.
Every Model 1895 Lee Navy sale we counted
Newest first. Each row names the auction company's age group for the gun. Their features and condition may differ from your gun. A lot number identifies an item in an auction.
| Sold | Gun | Auction company | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | Antique · Model 1895 Lee Navy | Redding lot 591 | $1,375 |
| May 2026 | Antique · Model 1895 Lee Navy | Redding lot 328 | $1,700 |
| May 2026 | Antique · Model 1895 Lee Navy | Morphy lot 3037 | $960 |
| Mar 2026 | Curio & Relic · Model 1895 Lee Navy | Amoskeag lot 1550 | $1,089 |
| Mar 2026 | Curio & Relic · Model 1895 Lee Navy | Amoskeag lot 1331 | $1,452 |
| Jan 2026 | Antique · Model 1895 Lee Navy | Morphy lot 1347 | $922 |
| Oct 2025 | Antique · Model 1895 Lee Navy · 6 mm Lee | Rock Island lot 195 | $3,525 |
| Sep 2025 | Antique · Model 1895 Lee Navy | Morphy lot 2035 | $5,520 |
| May 2025 | Antique · Model 1895 Lee Navy | Poulin lot 4118 | $2,420 |
| Oct 2024 | Antique · Model 1895 Lee Navy · 6 mm Lee | Rock Island lot 215 | $2,644 |
| Sep 2024 | Antique · Model 1895 Lee Navy | Morphy lot 2617 | $2,952 |
| May 2024 | Antique · Model 1895 Lee Navy · 6 mm Lee | Rock Island lot 1090 | $6,462 |
| Mar 2024 | Curio & Relic · Model 1895 Lee Navy | Amoskeag lot 1008 | $1,694 |
| Oct 2023 | Curio & Relic · Model 1895 Lee Navy · 6 mm Lee | Rock Island lot 274 | $3,231 |
| Oct 2023 | Curio & Relic · Model 1895 Lee Navy · 6 mm Lee | Rock Island lot 2266 | $1,880 |
Prices are in US dollars and include the buyer’s premium, the auction company’s fee added to the winning bid, where the house charges one; Redding charges none. They are not the amount the seller receives. A dealer’s offer or private sale price may differ. The full picture, model by model →
Why the sources give different years
The dates for the Winchester Model 1895 Lee Navy come from factory serial-number records held at the Cody Firearms Museum, and George Madis's reference books. These sources can give different years for the same serial number. Original records usually provide stronger evidence than later estimates. Check the notes to see whether a source dates numbering, assembly, or another step.
Madis vs. factory dates shows examples from models whose tables disagree on this site.
Sources for this model: Navy contract and commercial blocks (WACA / Cody records guide) · Madis chronology
Winchester Model 1895 Lee Navy serial numbers by year
The full Model 1895 Lee Navy serial number chart, one table for each source available here. Each row gives the numbers that source assigns to a year. Both the first and last numbers are included.
A row marked “sources differ” is a serial range that another table on this page dates to a different year. A row marked “approximate” is a figure we trust less than the rest of its table: a boundary the sources put a few serials apart, or a figure a later record corrects. A row marked “record only” is printed for the record and is not used to date a number; its note says why.
Factory records (Cody Firearms Museum)
Drawn from Winchester's original factory records. Numbering records date when serial numbers were stamped. The gun could be finished or shipped later; see this model's notes.
Cited as: Navy contract and commercial blocks (WACA / Cody records guide)
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1896–1897 | 1 – 9,999 |
| 1897–1898sources differ | 10,000 – 13,679 |
| 1899–1908approximate | 13,680 – 14,999 |
| 1898sources differ | 15,000 – 20,000 |
- 1896–1897: First Navy contract. Made in 1896 and 1897.
- 1897–1898: Civilian and mixed receiver production. The factory's list of numbers made before 1899 covers this range through 13,679. The Winchester collectors' association puts the 1898 line near 13,390, so the sources differ. Some rifles were finished or altered later.
- 1899–1908: These numbers fall after the factory's list of numbers made before 1899, which stops at 13,679 for this block. The Winchester collectors' association puts the 1898 line near 13,390. George Madis's table spreads this range from 1899 to 1908. A serial number alone cannot give a firm date.
- 1898: The factory's list of numbers made before 1899 includes 15,000 to 20,000. The second Navy contract covers 15,001 to 20,000, delivered from August to December 1898.
George Madis's published tables
George Madis compiled Winchester reference books years after production. His tables estimate the last serial number reached each year.
Cited as: Madis chronology
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1896 | 1 – 1,400 |
| 1897 | 1,401 – 10,608 |
| 1898 | 10,609 – 13,389 |
| 1899–1901sources differ | 13,390 – 13,734 |
| 1902 | 13,735 – 14,200 |
| 1903 | 14,201 – 14,383 |
| 1904 | 14,384 – 14,400 |
| 1905 | 14,401 – 14,604 |
| 1906 | 14,605 – 14,708 |
| 1907 | 14,709 – 14,800 |
| 1908sources differ | 14,801 – 19,287 |
| 1909sources differ | 19,288 – 19,353 |
| 1910sources differ | 19,354 – 19,448 |
| 1911sources differ | 19,449 – 19,533 |
| 1912sources differ | 19,534 – 19,584 |
| 1913sources differ | 19,585 – 19,615 |
| 1914sources differ | 19,616 – 20,000 |
| 1915record only | 20,152 – 20,172 |
| 1916record only | from 20,173 |
- 1899–1901: No published starting serial number is given for 1900 or 1901.
- 1908: George Madis's tables say that 14,953 to 19,288 were "not used". You cannot take that literally for the whole model, because the documented second Navy contract occupies 15,001 to 20,000.
- 1914: The documented last serial number of production is 20,000, so this row is cut there.
- 1915–1916: This entry is above 20,000. It conflicts with the documented last serial number of production and is not a reliable extension of the Winchester serial number range.
What to know about Model 1895 Lee Navy serial numbers
- Rifles numbered 10,000 to 15,000 cannot be dated reliably from the serial number alone. Some receivers were numbered in 1897 or 1898 but were assembled, altered, inspected or shipped years later.
- Many commercial receivers numbered 10,000 to 15,000 were made earlier but were not finished or shipped until 1902 to 1916.
- The later purchase of 186 rifles by the U.S.N.M. carries a Navy inventory number from 1 to 186 as well as a lightly stamped Winchester serial number. The Navy number is not the Winchester serial number.
- The Winchester collectors' association gives two different pre-1899 antique cutoffs for the first block. Its verified table says 1 to 13,679. Its model overview says below about 13,390. The boundary for the first block is disputed.
- The whole Navy block of 15,001 to 20,000 was made and delivered before the end of 1898. Commercial timelines like the one in George Madis's tables can appear to date numbers from this area later.
- George Madis's tables say that 14,953 to 19,288 were "not used". You cannot take that literally for the whole model, because the documented second Navy contract occupies 15,001 to 20,000.
- Entries above 20,000 in George Madis's tables conflict with the documented last serial number of production. They are not a reliable extension of the Winchester serial number range.
Winchester rifles usually made without serial numbers
These models usually have no serial number. Their pages explain the exceptions and how their features may help estimate age.
Need more detail? Check for factory records
The Cody Firearms Records Office can check for surviving records for your serial number. For a fee, it can issue a letter reporting what they say. Some records contain only dates; others also describe the gun’s original features.
The office’s May 2024 coverage sheet lists these Model 1895 Lee Navy serial numbers: 1–20,000. Check current availability with the office before ordering; a listed range does not guarantee a record for every number.
Order a factory letter from the Cody Firearms Museum →What a factory letter shows, and when one is worth ordering →