Pre-64 Winchester 1894 94 Takedown 20″.32 WS Lever Rifle MFD 1929 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,001.00
LSB#: LSB251109JK007
Make: Winchester Repeating Arms
Model: 1894 Takedown Rifle
Serial Number: 1049823
Year of Manufacture: 1929/ C&R
Caliber: .32 Winchester Special.
Action Type: This rifle has a takedown lever action with a half-length tubular magazine.
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “Model 94 Winchester, Trade Mark, Stainless Steel, 32 WS” The right side of the barrel is marked “Made in USA Winchester Repeating Arms Co” The upper tang is marked “Winchester Trade Mark, Made in USA”
Barrel Length: 20″, Octagon
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed into the barrel The rear sight is a spring leaf sight with elevator that has been dovetailed into the barrel The top tang is drilled, tapped and filled for a tang sight (none included).
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are a two piece smooth walnut, capped forend, straight grip, straight comb, with rifle style crescent buttplate. The LOP measures 13 1/4″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stocks have handling marks, scratches, and compression dents throughout. There are a couple gouges in the right side of the stock. There is oil darkening on the stock where is contacts the receiver and forend tip. There are no cracks. Overall, the stocks are in about Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blue, Japanned Black
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is well defined. There is very light erosion evenly throughout the bore. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 8.5/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 75% of its metal finish. The Japanned barrel has lost much of its finish near the receiver where it was carried and on the leading edges. The barrel finish is better than most of that type. The receiver has gone to a gray patina with corrosion staining. There are scattered handling marks and scratches. The markings range from clear to completely removed. Overall, this rifle is in about Good condition for a C&R of this type.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer has a half-cock safety and the lever safety functions properly. 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 takedown rifle represents one of John M. Browning’s most successful sporting rifle designs, combining strength, balance, and versatility in a package that defined American deer rifles for generations. By 1929, the Model 94 was firmly established as the benchmark lever-action rifle, and the takedown configuration added practical portability for hunters and outdoorsmen who valued ease of transport. Chambered in .32 Winchester Special, this example reflects a cartridge developed to bridge the gap between black powder familiarity and smokeless powder performance, offering moderate recoil with effective woods-range ballistics during the late 1920s under the banner of Winchester Repeating Arms Company.
This rifle is configured with a 20 inch octagon barrel, half-length tubular magazine, and classic period sighting arrangement consisting of a dovetailed blade front and a spring leaf rear sight with elevator. The tang has been drilled, tapped, and filled for a tang sight, though none is present. The two-piece walnut stock set retains the correct capped forend, straight grip, straight comb, and rifle-style crescent buttplate. The wood shows scattered handling marks, scratches, compression dents, and a few gouges on the right side, along with oil darkening at the receiver junctions, yet remains free of cracks and structurally sound, presenting as honest use consistent with a working sporting rifle.
Condition overall reflects typical wear for a late-1920s takedown Model 94. The bore is bright with well-defined rifling and only very light, even erosion, rating 8.5/10. Approximately 75 percent of the original metal finish remains, with notable loss of the japanned black barrel finish near the receiver and along leading edges, while the receiver has largely transitioned to a gray patina with corrosion staining. Handling marks and scratches are present throughout, and some barrel markings have softened or been lost, though others remain clear. The action functions correctly, with a crisp trigger and properly operating half-cock and lever safeties. Overall, this rifle stands as an honest and serviceable example of a late-prewar Winchester 1894 takedown, embodying the practical elegance and enduring appeal of Winchester’s classic lever-action era. Please see our high resolution photos and good luck on your bid! MF
