Original U.S. Winchester Model 1894 .30-30 W.C.F. Rifle with 26" Round Barrel made in 1896 - Serial 56503

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a great find! A very desirable Winchester model 1894, Serial number 56503 in the famous Winchester .30-30 Caliber. This rifle is one of the most popular lever action repeaters ever marketed, and is popular to this day as a sporting and hunting rifle. This example features a ladder-style rear adjustable sight, with a rod front sight. It features a full-length magazine tube, and a special order 26 inch round barrel, which is marked:

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

The barrel is also marked 30 W.C.F.. above the chamber next to the receiver, and the side of the barrel is marked NICKEL STEEL BARREL / ESPECIALLY FOR SMOKELESS POWDER. The Model 1894 was originally chambered to fire 2 metallic black powder cartridges, the .32-40 Winchester and .38-55 Winchester. 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. As this rifle was made in 1896, it was made during only the second year that this caliber was offered.

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 expected wear and dents from age and use. There does not appear to be any real structural issues, and they show some lovely grain, as well as the lovely red brown color of aged and oiled walnut. The butt stock is fitted with an iron crescent butt plate.

The rifle is offered with a crisp tight action in fully functional condition. Metal work is good, with a lovely speckled patina of age, and no signs of major cleaning or restoration. We can still see a good amount of bluing on the barrel around the rear sight, which made it harder to clean that area.  We checked the bore, and it is in very good condition, showing clear lands and grooves and a mostly bright finish. It definitely does show some wear and light overall oxidation from use. This is definitely a rifle that saw real use, possibly out on the frontier, but we would still rate it at about a 7 out of 10.

A very nice example with a desirable 26" reound barrel. Pre-1899 production (1896) and rated Federally as an ANTIQUE. Ready to Display in any Collection!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1896
Caliber: .30-30 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 26 Inches
Overall Length: 44 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: Round Magazine Tube

An interesting bit of film trivia: Winchester 30-30 rifles are widely available, and often used to provide gunshot sound effects for movies, as described by Ben Burtt, Sound Designer for many legendary LUCASFILM movies.

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.