Make: Winchester Repeating Arms
Model: 1894 “Trapper” Carbine
Serial Number: 818806
Year of Manufacture: 1917
Caliber: .30-30 Winchester Center Fire (WCF)
Action Type: Lever Action with full length Tubular Magazine
Markings: The left of the barrel is marked "MANUFACTURED BY THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. / NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A. PATENTED AUGUST 21 1894" in front of the forend band, "-NICKEL STEEL BARREL- / ESPECIALLY FOR SMOKELESS POWDER" below the rear sight, and "30 W.C.F." at the rear. The underside of the receiver is marked “818806”. The top tang is marked "MODEL 1894 / -WINCHESTER- / TRADE MARK REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. & FGN.".
Barrel Length: 15" Round
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade pinned in a slotted base fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a folding ladder-style sight presenting a "U"-notch when folded down and with a "U"-notch slider on the ladder. The slider is just loose enough on the ladder to fall from elevation adjustments. The top tang is drilled, tapped, and filled for a tang sight (none present).
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut with a banded forend, straight grip, straight comb, and steel carbine-style buttplate. The stocks have scattered nicks, dings, scuffs, and scratches. There is cracking at the buttplate's tang and there are some surface grain-line cracks. The LOP measures 12 7/8" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate has worn to white with scattered nicks, scratches, and minor discoloration from oxidation. Overall, the stocks are in Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is scattered light erosion and minor pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates a 5 or 6 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This carbine retains about 40% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. The remaining finish is mostly in the barrel and magazine tube. The receiver has mostly worn to white with a little finish around the saddle ring and on the interior. The barrel and magazine have scattered finish wear. There are scattered light nicks, scuffs, and scratches with some light surface oxidation. The receiver has some minor surface erosion. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this carbine is in Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer has a half-cock safety and there is a lever safety. 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: This carbine comes with correspondence with the ATF Firearms Technology Branch (FTB) confirming its status as removed from the provisions of the NFA. Also listed by ATF:
"Winchester, Model 1894 or 94 carbine, cal. .30 WCF, S/N 818806, with 15-inch barrel."
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. The Model 1894 chambered in .30-30 WCF is nearly synonymous with "deer rifle". This isn't just any old Model 1894 Carbine, though, this is a very scarce factory made Winchester "Trapper" Carbine with a 15" barrel. Winchester offered a small number of saddle ring carbines with barrels shorter than 20” in their catalogs (and more via special order), known today as “trapper” carbines, and it’s believed only 1,000 total were made out of more than 7 million Model 1894s. In fact, only 272 Model 1894 “Trapper” Carbines with 15” barrels are known. This carbine includes correspondence from the ATF's Firearms Technology Branch stating that this rifle, by serial number, is removed from the provisions of the National Firearms Act and is not considered to be a Short Barreled Rifle. The correspondence is from none other than Dick Burdick, who is more well known as a highly respected collector and student of the Colt Single Action Army revolver.
This carbine is in Good condition, showing wear consistent with its age and intended use. While these “Trapper” carbines are very collectible today, when they were originally ordered from the factory they were still a workingman’s gun, and typically going to be carried in the field. This rare and historical “trapper” carbine will take a prized place in even an advanced Winchester collection.
RIFLE