Make: Winchester
Model: 1894
Serial Number: 137434
Year of Manufacture: 1898 (Winchester Serial Lookup pg. 9)
Caliber: .32 Winchester Special (W.S.)
Action Type: Lever Action Rifle with Side Loading Gate fed by Half-Length Tubular Magazine
Barrel Length: Approximately 26”, Half-Octagonal, Half-Round
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade with a white rear-facing bead dovetailed to the barrel above the muzzle. The rear sight is the unique Winchester Smokeless .32 Win Special version specifically designed for the Model 1894, composed of a V-notch in an elevation-adjustable base/housing dovetailed to the top rear of the barrel.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut featuring a nosecap, a capped semi-pistol grip, a straight comb, and a curved metal buttplate. The wood shows light to moderate nicks, scratches, and compressions, as well as some minor handling and storage marks. There are patches of finish wear on both the forend and buttstock. There are some patches of darkening in the wood, likely from age. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stocks are in Very Good Plus overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray and the rifling is well-defined. There is stubborn fouling and mild erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates an 8 or 9 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 90% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows some thinning and wear, most notably on leading edges and areas of frequent contact. There is some surface oxidation and patina forming on the receiver and rear of the barrel. There are some scattered nicks, scratches, and handling marks. The screw heads are well-defined. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good Plus condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer has a half-cock safety and the lever safety functions properly. We have not fired this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with a letter from the Cody Firearms Museum confirming this rifle’s configuration and original shipment date from the warehouse in April 1902.
Our Assessment: The Model 1894 was another Winchester lever action rifle designed by gunmaking genius John Moses Browning, and it became one of the most famous and popular hunting rifles of all time. It was the first commercial sporting rifle to sell over 7 million units, and was also the first commercial American repeating rifle built to be used with smokeless powder. It was introduced in 1894 in two black powder cartridges, the .32-40 and .38-55 Win. rounds, but by August 1895 Winchester had developed a different steel composition that could handle higher pressures, and the .25-35 and .30-30 WCF chamberings were introduced. As R.L. Wilson relays in his excellent reference work “Winchester An American Legend”, Winchester’s announcement of the Model 1894 in their November 1894 catalog certainly proved prophetic: “We believe that no repeating rifle system ever made will appeal to the eye and understanding of the riflemen as this will and that use will continue to warrant first impressions.”
This Antique Winchester Model 1894 Lever Action Rifle was made in 1898, and features a pistol grip and half-length magazine tube, as well as a 26” half octagonal, half round barrel chambered in .32 Winchester Special. The .32 W.S. cartridge is based on the .30-30, perhaps the most popular deer cartridge in America, but necked-up to .32 caliber, giving it a little more power. The included letter confirms this rifle’s configuration, and indicates it was returned and repaired at the factory in March 1907. The rifle shows honest wear for its age and will sit nicely in your Winchester collection.
RIFLE