Make: Winchester
Model: Model 1894/94. In an attempt for their designs to sound less antiquated, Winchester changed the designation from Model 1894 to Model 94 sometime right around 1920/1921, shortly after a “Change in Manufacture Order” was issued by Winchester designer Frank F. Burton on February 2, 1919. Being that the top tang of this rifle is covered by the flip-up aperture sight, the model markings on that piece remain unknown, and thus it could be either “Model 1894” or “Model 94”.
Serial Number: 902085
Year of Manufacture: 1921 (Winchester Serial Lookup pg. 9)
Caliber: .38-55 Winchester Center Fire (WCF), also known as .38-55 Ballard
Action Type: Lever Action Rifle with Side Loading Gate fed by Full-Length Tubular Magazine
Barrel Length: 26”, Half-Octagonal, Half-Round
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade with a white bead dovetailed to the barrel above the muzzle. The rear sight has been removed with a blank dovetailed to the top rear of the barrel. The upper tang is drilled, tapped, and installed with a Lyman fully-adjustable flip-up aperture sight.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece checkered walnut with a nose cap, capped semi-pistol grip, straight comb, and curved metal buttplate. The wood shows mostly light and a few moderate nicks, scratches, and compressions, as well as some minor handling and storage marks. There is a notable ding on the top left of the wrist. 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 mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There is some 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 rifle retains about 95% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows scattered nicks, scratches, and handling marks. There are some sparsely scattered speckles of surface oxidation throughout. The screw heads are sharp. 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 did not fire this rifle. 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 1894/94 Deluxe Rifle was made in 1921 and is chambered in .38-55 WCF. The .38-55 Winchester Center Fire cartridge, also known as .38-55 WCF and .38-55 Ballard, was introduced in 1876 by Ballard. It was used by Marlin Firearms from 1876 onward for various single-shot target rifles and their 1893 lever-action rifle. It was later offered by Winchester in their Model 1894. Winchester continued to use the round in various rifles until about 1940, and has used it in a few commemorative editions of rifles since then. This rifle features a 26” half-octagonal, half-round barrel, 95% of its original, lustrous blued finish, gorgeous deluxe two-piece checkered walnut stocks, a capped semi-pistol grip, a Lyman fully-adjustable flip-up aperture sight installed on the upper tang, strong mechanics, and a mostly bright bore with sharp rifling. This is an elegant old Winchester Model 1894/94 Deluxe Rifle.
RIFLE