Make: Winchester Repeating Arms
Model: Model 1894 Takedown Rifle
Serial Number: 366347
Year of Manufacture: 1907, C&R
Caliber: .32 Winchester Special
Action Type: Lever Action Takedown Rifle fed by full length mag-tube.
Barrel Length: 18" Octagonal
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed to the barrel. The rear sight is a v-notch semi-buckhorn elevator sight dovetailed to the barrel; the notch is adjustable for elevation. The tang is drilled, tapped, and filled for a tang sight, none present.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two piece checkered walnut with a straight grip, straight comb, steel crescent buttplate, and a capped forend. There are light handling marks. The checkering is crisp with light peak wear. The checkering is not original. There are no chips or cracks. There are a few compressions. The LOP measures 13" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. Overall, the stocks are in about Fine condition as custom.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Refinished.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright. There is oxidized fouling down the length and light intermittent erosion. In this writer's opinion the bore rates 6/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 99% of its current metal finish.The balance of the finish is strong. There is little to no handling or operational wear post refinish. The edges of the barrel's octagon are somewhat rounded. There are few minor and scattered pits under the new finish. The screw heads are sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in about Very Good condition as custom refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer has a half-cock safety and the lever safety functions properly. The trigger is crisp. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with a wooden takedown case.
Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 1894 was John Browning's landmark lever-action design and became Winchester's first model developed specifically around the transition to smokeless-powder sporting cartridges. The .32 Winchester Special joined the Model 1894 lineup in 1901 and became a long-lived alternative to the .30 W.C.F., particularly among hunters who favored a slightly larger-diameter bullet. Winchester offered the Model 1894 in an unusually broad range of rifle, carbine, takedown, and special-order configurations, which remains a major part of the model's appeal to collectors today.
This 1907 Winchester has been extensively customized from its original configuration, now wearing an 18" octagonal barrel, checkered walnut stocks, capped forend, crescent buttplate, and a strong refinished blue exterior. It retains about 99% of its current finish, with only scattered underlying pitting and some rounding of the barrel flats betraying the restoration work. The mostly bright 6/10 bore shows oxidized fouling and intermittent erosion, while the action, half-cock notch, and lever safety function correctly. The included wooden takedown case complements its compact configuration. While originality is no longer the principal attraction, this remains an attractive, mechanically sound pre-World War I Winchester in the classic .32 Winchester Special chambering, offering vintage Winchester character in a handy custom takedown package.
