Make: Winchester Repeating Arms
Model: 1894 Deluxe Short Rifle
Serial Number: 437056
Year of Manufacture: 1909 / C&R
Caliber: .25-35 W.C.F.
Action Type: Lever Action Rifle with Half-length "button" Tubular Magazine
Barrel Length: 22" Octagonal
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed to the barrel. The rear sight dovetail is filled with a blank. The receiver is installed with a Lyman adjustable receiver sight. The tang is drilled, tapped, and filled for a tang sight, none present.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two piece checkered walnut with capped semi-pistol grip, straight comb, crescent steel buttplate, and capped forend. The checkering is crisp with light peak wear. There is a small repair in the left top corner of the wrist at the receiver. There are no chips or cracks. There is light handling wear. The LOP measures 13 1/8" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has scattered erosion and pitting. Overall, the stocks are in Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued with Case Colored Lever
Finish Originality: Partially refinished. Areas have been treated with cold blue.
Bore Condition: The bore is dark. There is heavy erosion throughout. The rifling is nearly non-existent. There are no rings or bulges. In this writer's opinion the bore rates 2/10.
Overall Condition: The rifle retains about 10% of its current metal finish. Most of the finish has worn and taken to a mottled patina. There is thinning and finish loss on the leading edges. There is light intermittent oxidation and pitting. The screwheads range from tool marked to sharp. The markings are legible though the tang marking is partial and the barrel address is muddied. Overall, this rifle is in 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 Factory Letter which confirms a serial applied date of June 29,1909.
Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 1894 Deluxe Short Rifle represents one of the more desirable sporting variations of Winchester’s legendary lever-action design. Introduced during an era when hunters increasingly sought lighter, faster-handling rifles, the short rifle configuration combined a compact 22" barrel with deluxe features such as checkered walnut stocks and upgraded appointments. Chambered in .25-35 W.C.F., this rifle reflects Winchester’s early efforts to provide a flat-shooting, low-recoil option for small to medium game, and surviving examples in deluxe configurations are highly regarded by Winchester collectors.
This 1909-production Model 1894 Deluxe Short Rifle features the scarce and desirable combination of a 22" octagonal barrel, half-length button magazine, checkered walnut pistol-grip stocks, case-colored lever, and Lyman receiver sight. The rifle retains approximately 10% of its finish with the balance worn to an attractive mottled patina, along with scattered oxidation, pitting, and evidence of partial refinishing. The wood remains Very Good with crisp remaining checkering, light handling wear, and a small wrist repair. While the bore rates 2/10 with heavy erosion, the rifle’s rarity, deluxe configuration, early production date, and classic .25-35 Winchester chambering make it an appealing candidate for collectors of historic Winchester sporting rifles.
