Original U.S. Antique Winchester Model 1894 .38-55 W.C.F. Saddle Ring Carbine Made in 1897 - Serial 90276

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic find! A very desirable Winchester Model 1894 Saddle Ring Carbine, the first example we have ever had! It is marked with serial number 90276 , indicating production in 1897, and is chambered in Winchester .38-55 Caliber. This design is one of the most popular lever action repeaters ever marketed, and is popular to this day as a sporting and hunting gun. This example features a carbine 50 / 200 yard rear flip sight with a standard blade front sight. It features a full-length magazine tube, and a 20 inch carbine barrel, which is marked:

MANUFACTURED BY THE
----- WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A. -----

By the chamber, the barrel is also marked .38-55. The 1894 was originally chambered to fire 2 metallic black powder cartridges, the .32-40 Winchester and .38-55 Winchester / Ballard. The latter cartridge was first introduced in 1876 by Ballard. It was used by Marlin Firearms from 1875 on for various single-shot target rifles and their 1893 lever-action rifle. It was later offered by Winchester in its Model 1894.

In 1895 Winchester went to a different steel composition for rifle manufacturing that could handle higher pressure rounds and offered the rifle in .25-35 Winchester and .30-30 Winchester. The .30-30 Winchester, or .30WCF (Winchester Centerfire), is the cartridge that has become synonymous with the Model 1894. This is one of the few made with the older composition barrel, and it was not later rebarreled as some were.

The rear receiver tang is also marked with the model and patent information:

MODEL 1894
- WINCHESTER -
PAT. AUG. 21. 1894

The Stocks are in very good condition, with the lovely red-brown color of oiled aged walnut. They butt stock shows only light wear, while the fore stock shows some past cracking on the left side, which was repaired long ago, though not really to the highest standards.

The rifle is offered with a relatively tight action in fully functional condition, though it definitely looks to have seen a good amount of use. The metalwork overall shows a mottled gray patina, with areas of past peppering, particularly on the barrel and magazine tube. The bore is in good condition, showing clear lands and grooves, but also a good amount of past fouling and wear. There is still some past fouling in the grooves, which could probably be cleaned away with a more advanced cleaning.

A very nice "frontier worn" Winchester Model 1894 Carbine. Pre-1899 production (1897) and rated Federally as an ANTIQUE. Ready to Display in any Collection!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1897
Caliber: .38-55 Winchester / Ballard
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 20 Inches
Overall Length: 38 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: Round Magazine Tube

The Winchester Model 1894 rifle (also known as the Winchester 94 or Model 94) is a lever-action repeating rifle that became one of the most famous and popular hunting rifles of all time. It was designed by John Browning in 1894 and originally chambered to fire two metallic black powder cartridges, the .32-40 Winchester and .38-55 Winchester. It was the first rifle to chamber the smokeless powder round, the .30 WCF (Winchester Center Fire, in time becoming known as the .30-30) in 1895.

The 1894 was produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company through 1980 and then by U.S. Repeating Arms under the Winchester brand until they ceased manufacturing rifles in 2006. Reproductions are being made by the Miroku company of Japan and imported into the United States by the Browning Arms company of Morgan, Utah.

The Model 1894 has been referred to as the "ultimate lever-action design" by firearms historians such as R. L. Wilson and Hal Herring. The Model 1894 is the rifle credited with the name "Winchester" being used to refer to all rifles of this type and was the first commercial sporting rifle to sell over 7,000,000 units.

One Model 1894 is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Arms & Armor department.

NOTE: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are not able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.