Pre-64 Winchester Model 1894 Saddle Ring Carbine .25-35 WCF 20″ Lever C&R
SOLD FOR: $4,030.00
LSB# LSB251016KS052
Make: Winchester Repeating Arms
Model: 1894 Saddle Ring Carbine
Serial Number: 284754
Year of Manufacture: 1905/ C&R
Caliber: .25-35 Winchester Center Fire
Action Type: This is a Lever Action Rifle with a Full Length Magazine Tube.
Markings: The top of the barrel is marked with “Manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Co, New Haven Conn. USA, Pat Aug 21, 1894/ 25-35 WCF” The left side of the barrel is marked “-Nickel Steel Especially for Smokeless Powder” The top of the barrel and receiver are both marked with a Winchester WP proof. The top tang is marked “MODEL 94 / -WINCHESTER- / TRADE MARK REG.U.S.PAT.OFF.&FGN.”. The bottom of the receiver is marked “284754”.
Barrel Length: 20″ Round
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade set and pinned in a square block integral to the barrel. The rear sight is a carbine ladder style. The top tang is drilled and tapped for a tang sight Lyman tang sight has been installed.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut with banded forend, semi pistol grip, straight comb and steel carbine style buttplate. The LOP measures about 13″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stocks have been sanded and refinished. The checkering has been muted from sanding. There are handling marks, scratches, and compression dents that have been finished over. The forend has a couple cracks. The upper corners of the stock have been chipped. Overall, the stocks are in about Good condition for a refinish of this age.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray and the rifling is distinct. There is light erosion and pitting in the bore. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 7/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 40% of its finish. The barrel has bluing loss at the leading edges. There are light scattered corrosion spots on the barrel. The receiver has worn to a brown patina. There are notable scratches on the receiver. The lever is corrosion stained. The screw heads are sharp with serviceable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in about Good condition for a C&R of this age.
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: Cody Firearms Museum Records Search.
Our Assessment: This Winchester Model 1894 Saddle Ring Carbine dates to 1905 and represents an early smokeless-era example of John M. Browning’s most influential sporting lever action. The saddle ring carbine configuration was purpose-built for portability and hard field use, making it especially popular with ranchers, horsemen, and outdoorsmen who valued a compact, fast-handling rifle. With its 20 inch round barrel, banded forend, and full-length magazine tube, this carbine reflects the classic working Winchester profile of the first decade of the twentieth century.
Chambered in .25-35 Winchester Center Fire, this rifle is tied to one of Winchester’s earliest smokeless sporting cartridges, introduced in 1895. The .25-35 offered higher velocity and flatter trajectory than earlier black powder rounds, while maintaining mild recoil and excellent practical accuracy on deer-sized game. The Nickel Steel barrel marking underscores Winchester’s early metallurgical advances intended for smokeless powder use. The bore on this example is gray with distinct rifling, showing light erosion and pitting consistent with age and use, and it rates 7 out of 10. The presence of a carbine ladder rear sight and a Lyman tang sight reflects period-correct sighting arrangements commonly favored by hunters seeking improved precision.
Overall condition is good for a C&R carbine of this age. Approximately 40 percent of the original blued finish remains, with edge wear along the barrel, scattered corrosion spots, and the receiver worn to a brown patina with visible scratches. The walnut stocks have been sanded and refinished, with muted checkering, finished-over handling marks, cracks in the forend, and chipped upper corners, placing them in good condition as altered. Markings remain clear and legible, and the action functions correctly with a crisp trigger and properly operating safeties. According to the Cody Firearms Museum Records Search, the rifle left the factory in this configuration with the exception of the tang sight, making this a well-used but historically grounded example of an early Winchester saddle ring carbine in .25-35 WCF. Please see our high resolution photos for a better understanding of condition and good luck on your bids!!! MF