Make: Winchester 

Model: 1894 Takedown

Serial Number: 453841

Year of Manufacture: 1908 (Winchester Serial Lookup pg. 9)

Caliber: .25-35 Winchester Center Fire (WCF)

Action Type: Lever Action Rifle with Side Loading Gate fed by Full-Length Tubular Magazine

Barrel Length: 26” Octagonal

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed to the barrel above the muzzle. The rear sight is a V-notch with flip-ups for different distances integral to a mount dovetailed to the top rear of the barrel. 

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut with a nose cap, straight grip, straight comb, and curved metal buttplate. The wood shows light to moderate nicks, scratches, and compressions, as well as some minor handling and storage marks. There are a couple of cracks at the front of the forend radiating rearward. There is a thin crack on the left side of the wrist at the receiver, and another thin crack at the left side of the buttstock. There are no chips. The LOP measures 12 7/8” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stocks are in Very Good overall condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is gray and the rifling is well-defined. There is stubborn fouling and mild erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates an 8 or 9 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 85% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows some thinning and wear with some corresponding surface oxidation and discoloration. There are scattered nicks, scratches, dings, and handling marks. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer has a half-cock safety and the lever safety functions properly. We have not fired this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.

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. As R.L. Wilson relays in his excellent reference work “Winchester An American Legend”, Winchester’s announcement of the Model 1894 in their November 1894 catalog certainly proved prophetic: “We believe that no repeating rifle system ever made will appeal to the eye and understanding of the riflemen as this will and that use will continue to warrant first impressions.”

This is a Winchester Model 1894 rifle made in 1908 with a 26” octagonal barrel chambered for .25-35 WCF. The gun shows honest wear consistent with its age, but retains strong mechanics. Whether you're looking to add to your Winchester collection or want a trusty Model 1894 in .25-35 WCF for coyote hunting, this is a nice rifle for any collector.