Make: Winchester

Model: 1894

Serial Number: 827177

Year of Manufacture: 1918

Caliber: .30-30 Winchester (WCF)

Action Type: Lever Action, Tube Magazine Fed Rifle

Barrel Length: 20", Octagonal

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed and screw-set to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a flat-top "U"-notch elevator sight dovetailed to the rear of the barrel. 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 capped forend, straight grip, straight comb, and smooth steel shotgun-style buttplate. The forend has a custom diamond-pattern hand-carved on each side. The stocks have some scattered nicks, dings, scuffs and scratches. There is a short, thin crack at the left-front edge of the forend. The LOP measures 13 1/8? from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has worn to white with some scattered minor oxidation, nicks and small scratches. Overall, the stocks are in about Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is minor erosion scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 7+ out of 10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 65% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most of the balance is in the receiver and nosecap which have mostly worn to white or gone to a light patina. The receiver has some scattered light nicks and scratches. The barrel and magazine tube have generally strong finish with some light nicks and small scratches, mostly in the magazine. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in about Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.

Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 1894 rifle followed the other John Browning designed lever action rifles to become one of the most famous and popular hunting rifles of all time. It was the first commercial sporting rifle to sell over 7,000,000 units, making the name “Winchester” synonymous with all lever action rifles. It 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 the next year Winchester had developed a different steel composition that could handle higher pressures, and the .30-30 Win. family of cartridges was born.

This is a Winchester Model 1894 made in 1918, chambered in .30-30 Winchester. The .30-30 Winchester paired with the Model 1894 is nearly synonymous with "deer rifle" in America and a classic rifle to add to any collection. This example is in a less common configuration with a 20" octagonal barrel and a shotgun-style buttplate. Records for this serial range are not available, so we cannot be sure this is the factory configuration, but it makes for a handsome "short-rifle" that will display well in a Winchester collection. With its good bore and strong mechanics, it should also still make for a good shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!