Make: Winchester Repeating Arms

Model: 1894 Rifle

Serial Number: 159584

Year of Manufacture: 1902

Caliber: .30-30 Winchester (.30 WCF)

Action Type: This rifle has a lever action with a half-length tubular magazine.

Barrel Length: 26", Half-Round, Half-Octagon

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a W.F. Sheard brass beaded blade dovetailed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a Lyman two-leaf folding sight dovetailed to the rear of the barrel, presenting either a "U"-notch with a tiny "V" at the bottom or a flat-top leaf with white triangle reference. The top tang is drilled and tapped for a tang sight (none present).

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are 2-piece checkered walnut with capped forend, capped pistol grip, straight comb and steel crescent buttplate. The stocks have scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. There is a break in the wrist repaired with a diamond-shaped dowel that has been neatly checkered to match the wrist checkering. The LOP measures 13" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has worn to white with some scattered light oxidation. Overall, the stocks are in Very Good condition as refinished/replaced Antique.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is gray. The rifling shows wear, but is fairly well defined. There is scattered erosion and stubborn fouling in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 5-6/10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 70% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most of the balance is scattered wear in the receiver. There is some scattered wear along the magazine. There are scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. There is some minor surface oxidation. The top tang has wear from a previously installed tang sight. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in about Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. 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 Cody Firearms Records Office search which indicates that this rifle's serial number was applied October 20, 1902, produced as a rifle, caliber .30, 1/2 octagon barrel, plain walnut checkered pistol grip stock, shotgun butt with rubber buttplate, received in warehouse November 26 and shipped November 29, 1902 on order T104647.

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 rifle made in 1902. It is a special-order rifle with a 26” half-octagon barrel, checkered pistol grip stock, chambered in .30-30. The records indicate that the original stock had a shotgun butt with a rubber plate, indicating that the installed stock is a replacement. The wrist has a break that was repaired with a diamond-shaped dowel, cleverly checkered to match the wrist checkering. The Winchester 1894 in this chambering is nearly synonymous with "deer rifle" in America, and this is a neat example, having replacement sights, refinished stocks, retaining strong mechanics and a fair bore. Whether you're looking to add a Winchester to a collection or looking to restore this rifle and get it back out in the field, you can't go wrong with an American classic. Please see our photos and good luck!