Pre-64 Winchester Model 1894 94 .25-35 WCF 20″ Carbine Lever Rifle C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,076.00

LSB#: LSB260602CL003

Make: Winchester Repeating Arms

Model: 1894 Rifle

Serial Number: 221719

Year of Manufacture: 1904 / C&R

Caliber: .25-35 WCF

Action Type: Lever action, centerfire rifle, fed from tubular magazine

Barrel Length: 20″ Round, this barrel is a factory replacement.

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed to a base integral to the barrel. The rear sight is a spring leaf V notch with elevator dovetailed to the barrel. The upper tang is drilled and tapped for a peep sight.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two piece smooth walnut with banded forend, straight grip, straight comb, and steel crescent buttplate. The LOP is 13 1/4″ from trigger to buttplate. There are scratches and compression dents throughout. There are no chips or cracks. Overall this stock is in Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright. The rifling is sharp. There is no erosion. There is light fouling in the bore. In this writer’s opinion this bore rates 9/10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 30% of its original finish. There are scratches and corrosion pitting and staining throughout. This rifle has been aggressively cleaned and scrubbed. The receiver has lost much of its finish.  Screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall this rifle is in Good condition.

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 pre-64 Winchester Model 1894 is one of America’s most enduring lever-action sporting rifles, and this 1904 example is chambered in the relatively scarce .25-35 W.C.F. cartridge. It features a 20″ round factory-replacement barrel, full-length tubular magazine, straight-grip walnut stocks, and traditional open sights. The later flat front barrel band and factory proofing support the conclusion that the barrel was replaced at Winchester, giving this rifle an interesting period-modified configuration rather than a fully original 1904 setup.

Introduced in 1894, the Winchester Model 1894 became one of the most successful sporting rifles ever produced and was among the first commercial rifles designed around smokeless-powder cartridges. The .25-35 W.C.F. was introduced in the 1890s as a mild-recoiling, flat-shooting cartridge suited to deer, varmints, and general sporting use. Factory rebarreling was not uncommon during the long service lives of these rifles, and later Winchester replacement components can provide insight into how owners kept earlier rifles in active use decades after their original manufacture.

This rifle retains about 30% of its original finish, with substantial finish loss, scratches, corrosion staining and pitting, and evidence of aggressive cleaning. The walnut stocks remain in Good condition with scattered dents and scratches but no chips or cracks, while the bright bore has sharp rifling and rates 9/10 with only light fouling. The action, half-cock safety, lever safety, and trigger all function correctly. Overall, this is a Good-condition pre-64 Model 1894 with a strong bore and an interesting Winchester factory-replacement barrel configuration. Please see our photos for a better understanding of the condition and good luck with your bids! MF