Winchester Model 1894 Antique 38-55 26″ Octagonal Barrel Lever Action Rifle
SOLD FOR: $1,100.00
LSB#: LSB260629EB034
Make: Winchester
Model: 1894
Serial Number: 17549
Year of Manufacture: 1895, Antique
Caliber: .38-55 WCF
Action Type: Lever Action Rifle with Full-Length Tubular Magazine
Barrel Length: 26″, Octagonal
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded brass blade dovetailed to the barrel. The rear sight is a v-notch semi-buckhorn leaf dovetailed to the barrel.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are a smooth two-piece walnut set 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. There is a crack at the left front of the forend. The wrist is cracked at the center-bottom adjacent to the lower tang. There are no chips. Due to the cracks, the stocks rate in Poor overall condition.
Magazine Quantity & Condition: The rifle has a full-length tubular magazine.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray and the rifling is defined. There is moderate erosion throughout the bore.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 55% of its original metal finish. The balance shows finish loss, patina, freckling, and areas of pitting throughout. Overall, this rifle is in Good condition as an Antique, with the stocks rating Poor due to the noted cracks.
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.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 1894 was one of John M. Browning’s most successful lever-action designs and became one of the defining American sporting rifles of the late 19th and 20th centuries. The .38-55 WCF was one of the Model 1894’s original chamberings and was already a highly regarded hunting and target cartridge when Winchester introduced the rifle. This example, serial number 17549, dates to 1895, placing it among the early production Model 1894 rifles and firmly within Antique status.
This rifle retains about 55% of its original finish, with the balance showing finish loss, patina, freckling, and scattered pitting. The gray bore retains defined rifling with moderate erosion throughout. Mechanically, the action functions correctly. The primary condition concern is the wood, with a crack at the left front of the forend and another at the bottom center of the wrist near the tang. Despite these condition issues, this is an appealing early-production Winchester Model 1894 chambered in the classic .38-55 WCF and fitted with the desirable 26″ octagonal barrel. Please see our photos for a better understanding of the condition and good luck with your bids!-C.M.