120 Year old Winchester Model 94

[ATCDoktor]

I picked this up today at a local gunshow and figured I would share.



As stated it's a Model 94 chambered in 30 WCF (30/30) serial number 1765XX with an octagonal barrel (that measures exactly 20 inches breech face to muzzle), a button magazine and it's got more miles on it than my grand daddy's Studebaker.









The barrel has been cut down and appears to have been done with someone with a modicum of skill. The muzzle face is square and the edges of the barrel flats at the muzzle (to my untrained eye) appear to have been dressed with a file or stone.



The stock and forearm are cracked and split but the stock carries with it some interesting initials/lettering (a few brass nails) and the name "Jose"carved into its surface.

To say the wood is rough would be a bit of an understatement.








The bore is rough as well but the rifling is visible throughout its length. The lands are not sharp and the grooves are dark and a few fibers from a linen patch will snag in the grooves when pulled through the bore.

There's no finish left on the metal and it appears that it most probably has been given a once over with some fine steel wool sometime in its recent past.

It's not the tightest model 94 I own but it does have the most character and it would take a motion picture as long as Gone With the Wind to tell its story.

The guy that had it was asking more than I wanted to pay but I was able to talk him down to a manageable figure and he threw in a box of ammo with the deal stating "you can take it out and shoot it and if you don't like it or it fails to feed and fire bring it back and I'll give you your money back".

Taking him up on his deal I remitted the negotiated price, he handed me that gun and ammo and I went straight to a nearby indoor range to check it out.

The guys at the indoor range let me borrow a cleaning rod, some Hoppes# 9, a 30 caliber brush and some patches and I worked the bore for 15 minutes or so chasing out the cooties/cobwebs/dust before firing.

The ammo he gave me with the deal was as old as Moses, still in the box, 150 grain Soft PointRemington UMC marked and was supposedly non-corrosive (marked Kleanbore).

The brass was tarnished and few rounds had a little verdigris starting to form on the shoulders and necks (I set those aside) but the rest looked ok so I went about taking a few shots to check function/firing.

The ammo was of an age to where it was about to "turn" and a few rounds had dead as primers and wouldn't fire.

The few rounds I fired indoors hit close enough to the point of aim vertically but about an inch left of center.

Group size was nothing to brag about especially for 25 yards but later this afternoon I took it out with some handloads using 170 grain Jwords and was astonished with how it shot.

Using a mild starting load for 170 grain jwords (velocity average 1850 fps) after a few rounds I was able to center the group on a 12" plate at 100 yards by drifting the rear sight to the right and moving the rear sight up one step on the elevation tab.

This is the last 15 rounds of my handloads fired offhand at 100 yards:



I imagine that it shoots as good today as it did 120 years ago (the sights are as as coarse as hogs hair) and with all its warts, dings and dents I dearly appreciate this firearm.

For some reason these old winchesters, especially the ones with "character" (this ones got in spades) call to me and this one sang loud and clear "take me home".

[ATCDoktor]

A few more pics:

[Thumbcocker]

Totally cool.

[Bazoo]

Thats pretty neat. I like them old guns myself. I magine she'd tell a heck of a story. Thanks for sharing.

[Texas by God]

Good on you and the most excellent post. Thanks for sharing.
Thomas

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[oscarflytyer]

I would HAVE to hunt that old beast! Very nice!

[ATCDoktor]

It was my intent (if I couldn't get it to shoot) to have the barrel re lined/rebored leaving the the metal finish and stock as is but it shoots as good as any of my late Model 94's so I'm leaving it alone.

If I can I'll get it out for a early/late spring hog hunt.

[pietro]

.

You appear to have a 2nd model/design (receiver) Model 1894 Rifle (model, as opposed to a Carbine Model), with a 2/3 magazine ( a button mag ends at the forend tip) made in 1899 (according to the horse's mouth - Winchester).

At that time, even though the standards were 26" for an octagon bbl, the Rifle model could be Special Ordered with a barrel anywhere from 15" to 36" (usually in "even" or 2" increments), and both front/rear sights appear to be original issue.

However, it's certainly possible that the barrel was shortened professionally after it left the factory, since AFAIK factory-issue Short Rifle's were issued with a forend 7-3/8" long, and the FE in your pics appear to be longer.

The method used to secure the forward end of the 2/3 magazine tube is, however, correct for that length tube.

It may be worth obtaining a letter of certification from the Cody (Winchester) Museum, to find out what the original factory issue configuration was, to determine positively whether or not it has been modified after it left the factory.

In any event, I like it - if it could only talk................


.

[ATCDoktor]

You appear to have a 2nd model/design (receiver) Model 1894 Rifle (model, as opposed to a Carbine Model), with a 2/3 magazine ( a button mag ends at the forend tip) made in 1899 (according to the horse's mouth - Winchester).

At that time, even thought the standards were 26" for an octagon bbl, the Rifle model could be Special Ordered with a barrel anywhere from 15" to 36" (usually in "even" or 2" increments), and both front/rear sights appear to be original issue.

However, it's certainly possible that the barrel was shortened professionally after it left the factory, since AFAIK factory-issue Short Rifle's were issued with a forend 7-3/8" long, and the FE in your pics appear to be longer.

The method used to secure the forward end of the 2/3 magazine tube is, however, correct for that length tube.

It may be worth obtaining a letter of certification from the Cody (Winchester) Museum, to find out what the original factory issue configuration was, to determine positively whether or not it has been modified after it left the factory.

In any event, I like it - if it could only talk................

Thanks Pietro, I do dearly appreciate the info.

A letter from the Cody Museum may be in its future.

I measured the forearm length and the exposed wood measures 9 and 5/16ths inches.

I would imagine (seeing that it's 118 years old) that (at a minimum) the barrels been shortened but I guess we'll have to see what a letter says.

When I was looking it over, I figured that someone either shortened it to make it handier to carry (it balances perfectly at its midpoint) or bad section of barrel was removed.

That said, it will stack 170 grain jwords one on top of the other (right on top of the front sight) at 100 yards.

[fiberoptik]

Sweet!


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[Shawlerbrook]

Very nice. Made in 1899.

[nagantguy]

That's about the coolest thing I've seen in a spell. I spent a year rehabbing one in even worse shape; worth every dime and hour!

[smokeywolf]

The old girl's in tough shape, but obviously still shoots. I would call her a really good brush gun, truck gun, saddle gun. Never get tired of Winchester pictures. Thanks for sharing ATCDoktor.

By the way, the barrel crowning may have been done by a fairly capable hobbiest, but was not done by a professional.

[trapper9260]

That is still a nice gun for its age. Thank you for posting.

[762 shooter]

That warms my heart. Just like taking starving puppy out of the cold. She needed a good home where she is appreciated.

[Outpost75]

Some careful injection application of Acraglas Gel using a topical syringe to fix and seal those stock cracks will do wonders.

[Mark74a1]

That was a great find. It’s always great to see classics like this put back in service.

[bob208]

not all forearms for the short rifles were shorter then the rifle. if the rifle was shortened it was done good. the muzzle looks right ad the mag looks right for a 2/3 rifle. check the barrel length the barrels were never dead on they were always a little long like a 1/8 to 5/16.

[FergusonTO35]

Love it! I used to hunt with a guy that had a 94 of that vintage, allegedly it was used during the Hatfield/McCoy feud.

[Outpost75]

Love it! I used to hunt with a guy that had a 94 of that vintage, allegedly it was used during the Hatfield/McCoy feud.

Your part of the country it may well have been. I have a 1908 DOM Model 1894 Short Rifle with factory letter indicating it was a Baldwin-Felts gun, which could have been used in the Battle of Blair Mountain. Family heirloom beyond price.