Winchester Model 1894 .32-40 26″ Octagonal Lever Action Rifle, 1895 Antique

SOLD FOR: $1101

LSB#: 210918MW41

Make: Winchester Repeating Arms

Model: 1894

Serial Number: 51110

Year of Manufacture: 1895 Antique

Caliber: .32-40 W.C.F.

Action Type: This is a Lever Action Rifle with a Full Length Magazine Tube.

Markings: The left shoulder of the barrel is marked “-MANUFACTURED BY THE- / -WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A.-” and “32-40” at the rear. The front underside of the receiver is marked “51110”. The top tang is marked “MODEL 1894 / -WINCHESTER- / PAT. AUG. 21. 1894”.

Barrel Length: 26″, Octagonal

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a German silver blade dovetailed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a semi-buckhorn U-notch elevator sight with a finely adjustable leaf. The upper tang is drilled, tapped, and filled for a tang sight (not Included).

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut with capped forend, straight grip, straight comb and steel crescent buttplate. A long portion of the right upper edge of the forearm has chipped off. There is some small material loss on the upper right edge of the wrist. The stocks have several scattered nicks, dings, gashes, scuffs and scratches, more in the buttstock than the forend. These defects have mostly darkened with age. The LOP measures 12 7/8″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate has scattered erosion and pitting. Overall, the stocks are in about Fair-Good condition as Antique.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is light gray. The rifling is sharp where not interrupted by erosion. There is scattered erosion and pitting in the bore.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 0% of its metal finish. There is scattered erosion and pitting throughout the metal with the heaviest pitting on the top of the bolt. There are several nicks, dings, and mars in the metal. Some of the most notable of these imperfections reside throughout the barrel. There are spots of the once-blue patina but most of the metal has worn white. The action shows considerable operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with serviceable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Good condition as Antique.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer has a half-cock safety. The lever safety is present and fully functional. 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 second year Winchester Model 1894 rifle made in 1895 with a 26” octagonal barrel chambered for .32-40 W.C.F.. The rifle shows honest wear for its age and retains strong mechanics. This is a nice example of the 1894, chambered for one of the model’s original calibers, and would be a nice addition to a Winchester collection. Please see our photos and good luck!