Make: Winchester Repeating Arms

Model: 1894 Rifle 

Serial Number: 435333

Year of Manufacture: 1908

Caliber: .32-40

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

Markings: The top of the barrel is marked “MANUFACTURED BY THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. / NEW HAVEN.CONN.U.S.A. PATENTED AUGUST 21.1894.”. The top of the barrel and receiver are marked with “WP” proofs. The left shoulder of the barrel is marked “32-40”. The bottom of the receiver is marked “435333”. The top tang is marked “MODEL 1894 / -WINCHESTER- / TRADE MARK”. The front sight is marked “KING / PAT.JAN.16.12”.

Barrel Length: 26”, Octagonal 

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a King beaded blade dovetailed to the barrel. The rear sight is a flat top u notch sight elevator sight dovetailed to the barrel. The tang is drilled, tapped, and filled for a tang sight (not included).

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are 2-piece smooth walnut with capped forend, straight grip, straight comb and steel crescent buttplate. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13 1/8” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate has some surface erosion on the heel and toe and most of the plate has worn to white. There are scattered nicks and compressions. Overall, the stocks are in Fine condition. 

Type of Finish: Blue, Case Color and Hammer

Finish Originality: Original 

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 10/10. 

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 80% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. The barrel and magazine tube have generally strong finish with some scattered minor wear and minor freckled corrosion. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with serviceable slots. The markings are clear. The edges of the receiver, where there is thinning, has taken a brownish patina. The case color on the hammer and lever has mostly muted except in the protected areas. Overall, this rifle is in about Fine condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer has a half-cock safety and there is a lever safety. 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: 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 rifle made in 1908 with a 26” octagonal barrel and chambered in .32-40. Whether you’re looking to add a Winchester to a collection or looking for a hunting rifle, you can’t go wrong with an American classic.