Make: Winchester
Model: 94 Saddle Ring Carbine (SRC)
Serial Number: 1018236
Year of Manufacture: 1927 (Winchester Serial Lookup pg. 9)
Caliber: .32 Winchester Special (.32 WS)
Action Type: Lever Action with Side Loading Gate fed by Full-Length Magazine
Barrel Length: 20” Round
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade pinned to a split base fixed to the barrel above the muzzle. The rear sight is a U-notch with a flip-up ladder sight and U-notch slider dovetailed to the top rear of the barrel.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut with a banded forend, straight grip, straight comb, and carbine-style buttplate. The stocks show light nicks and compressions, as well as some minor handling marks. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 12 7/8" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate has some contact wear, primarily at the heel and toe. Overall, the stocks are in Very Good Plus condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There is a bit of stubborn fouling in the grooves but no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates a 9 or 10 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This carbine retains about 96% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows a few spots of contact wear on leading edges and surfaces. There are mottled patterns of light surface oxidation, most notably on the receiver. There are scattered nicks, scratches, and handling marks throughout. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this carbine is in Fine condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. There is a lever safety and the hammer has a half-cock safety position. We did not fire this carbine. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
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 Winchester Model 94 Carbine was made in 1927 and is chambered in .32 Winchester Special, a necked up .30-30 cartridge that had about 10% more muzzle energy than its parent, making it a nice choice for hunting in brush. This is a beautiful 1920s Winchester Model 94 Saddle Ring Carbine.
RIFLE