Original Item: Only One Available. This is a great find! A very desirable Winchester model 1894, Serial number 106445 in the famous Winchester .30-30 Caliber. Made in 1897 per Winchester factory records, this rifle is one of the most popular lever action repeaters ever marketed, and is popular to this day as a sporting and hunting rifle. This example features a ladder-style rear adjustable sight, with a rod front sight. It features a full-length magazine tube, and a special order desirable 26 inch octagonal barrel, which is marked:

The barrel is also marked 30 W.C.F.. above the chamber next to the receiver, and the side of the barrel is marked NICKEL STEEL BARREL / ESPECIALLY FOR SMOKELESS POWDER. The Model 1894 was originally chambered to fire 2 metallic black powder cartridges, the .32-40 Winchester and .38-55 Winchester. In 1895 Winchester went to a different steel composition for rifle manufacturing that could handle higher pressure rounds and offered the rifle in .25-35 Winchester and .30-30 Winchester. The .30-30 Winchester, or .30WCF (Winchester Centerfire), is the cartridge that has become synonymous with the Model 1894. As this rifle was made in 1896, it was made during only the second year that this caliber was offered.

The rear receiver tang is also marked with the model and patent information:

The stocks are in very good frontier used condition, with the lovely red-brown color of oiled aged walnut, not showing any major alterations or refinishing in the past. They do show wear from use, including the expected scratches, dents, and dings, but no major damage such as cracks or repairs. There are some long gouges scratched into the butt stock, probably caused by being slid into some type of long case or holster.

The rifle is offered with a crisp tight action in fully functional condition. The metalwork is very good, with a nice aged blued finish overall, showing wear from long use and cleaning. We can see a few areas of past peppering, but nothing major, and some areas are worn almost bright from cleaning. The original bluing is only really well-retained on the magazine tube. The bore is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with strong lands and grooves. There is some light past oxidation and fouling, now cleaned away, but overall it has stood the test of time very well. We would rate it about an 8 out of 10.

A very nice example with a desirable 26" octagon barrel. Pre-1899 production (1897) and rated Federally as an ANTIQUE. Ready to Display in any Collection!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1897
Caliber: .30-30 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 26 Inches
Overall Length: 44 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: Round Magazine Tube

An interesting bit of film trivia: Winchester 30-30 rifles are widely available, and often used to provide gunshot sound effects for movies, as described by Ben Burtt, Sound Designer for many legendary LUCASFILM movies.

The Winchester Model 1894 rifle (also known as the Winchester 94 or Model 94) is a lever-action repeating rifle that became one of the most famous and popular hunting rifles of all time. It was designed by John Browning in 1894 and originally chambered to fire two metallic black powder cartridges, the .32-40 Winchester and .38-55 Winchester. It was the first rifle to chamber the smokeless powder round, the .30 WCF (Winchester Center Fire, in time becoming known as the .30-30) in 1895.

The 1894 was produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company through 1980 and then by U.S. Repeating Arms under the Winchester brand until they ceased manufacturing rifles in 2006. Reproductions are being made by the Miroku company of Japan and imported into the United States by the Browning Arms company of Morgan, Utah.

The Model 1894 has been referred to as the "ultimate lever-action design" by firearms historians such as R. L. Wilson and Hal Herring. The Model 1894 is the rifle credited with the name "Winchester" being used to refer to all rifles of this type and was the first commercial sporting rifle to sell over 7,000,000 units.

One Model 1894 is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Arms & Armor department.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to most addresses within the United States.