Winchester Model 1894 30 WCF 26″ Octagon Barrel Lever Action Rifle Antique
SOLD FOR: $2,352.77
LSB#: LSB260629EB037
Make: Winchester Repeating Arms Co.
Model: 1894
Serial Number: 52808
Year of Manufacture: 1896 / Antique. Winchester’s published serial-number reference places serial number 52808 within the 1896 production range.
Caliber: .30 W.C.F. (.30-30 Winchester)
Action Type: Lever Action Rifle with Full-Length Tubular Magazine
Barrel Length: 26″, Octagonal
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade dovetailed to the barrel. The factory rear-sight dovetail has been filled, with the rear barrel sight removed. The upper tang is mounted with a folding aperture sight.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth wood with a straight wrist, straight comb, and steel crescent buttplate. The LOP measures 13″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stocks show handling and operational wear consistent with the rifle’s age.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray and the rifling is well defined. There is light erosion throughout the bore.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 50% of its original metal finish. The balance shows finish loss, patina, and freckling throughout. The rifle shows handling and operational wear consistent with its age. Overall, this rifle rates in about Good condition as an Antique.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 1894 is one of John M. Browning’s most enduring lever-action designs and became particularly important after Winchester introduced the .30 W.C.F. cartridge in 1895. This early-production example dates to approximately 1896 and combines the desirable .30 W.C.F. chambering with the classic 26″ octagonal barrel and full-length magazine configuration. Its folding tang-mounted aperture sight is a particularly appropriate period-style addition, while the original barrel rear sight has been removed and its dovetail neatly filled.
This rifle retains considerable antique character, with about half of its original finish remaining and the balance displaying an attractive mixture of patina and freckling. The gray bore retains well-defined rifling with light erosion, and the action functions correctly. Early Model 1894 rifles in .30 W.C.F. are desirable representatives of the transition into America’s smokeless-powder sporting-rifle era, and the long octagonal-barrel configuration gives this example especially strong period appeal. Please see our photos for a better understanding of the condition and good luck with your bids!-C.M.