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Lot 3024:Winchester 1894 Lever Action 38-55 WCF Rifle First Year

September 10th, 2017|Rock Island, IL

Lot 3024:Winchester 1894 Lever Action 38-55 WCF Rifle First Year

September 10th, 2017|Rock Island, IL

Estimated Price$25,000 - $40,000

Outstanding First Year Production Four Digit Serial Number 1326 Winchester Model 1894 Lever Action 38-55 WCF Rifle with Factory Letter

The letter describes Winchester Model 1894, serial number 1326 as: "Rifle, 38-55 caliber, Barrel Shape: Octagon" with "Plain trigger" and states that it was shipped from Winchester on January 24, 1895. This rifle has the Winchester charcoal blue finish on the barrel, magazine, forearm cap, receiver and bolt. The extractor and loading gate cover are fire blue. The hammer, trigger, lever and crescent buttplate are color casehardened. The stock and forearm are straight grain American walnut with a varnish finish. The barrel has a Lyman folding combination front sight with white bead and a standard sporting style buckhorn rear sight with serrated edges and screw-adjustable center piece. The upper receiver tang is factory drilled and tapped for a rear sight. The hammer spur has the early fancy border. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped "-MANUFACTURED BY THE-/-WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A.-" in two lines ahead of the rear sight. "38-55" is roll-stamped on the top barrel flat between the rear sight and the receiver. The upper receiver tang is roll-stamped with the first style marking: "MODEL 1894./-WINCHESTER-/PAT. AUG. 21. 1894." in three lines. The serial number, "1326", is roll-stamped across the bottom of the receiver just behind the forearm. Winchester introduced the Model 1894 in November 1894. The early production rifles were chambered only for the .32-40 and .38-55 cartridges.

ConditionExcellent. The barrel and magazine have 95% plus of the original blue finish with some scattered and very insignificant traces of age discoloration and some very minor edge wear. The factory legend and caliber markings are perfect. The forearm cap, receiver and bolt retain 97% plus of the original blue finish with only very minor handling wear and traces of age discoloration. 90% of the fire nitre blue finish is present on the loading gate cover and extractor. The hammer, trigger and lever have 95% of the fiery case colors. The case colors on the crescent buttplate have faded but remain about 90%. The stock and forearm are in excellent condition and retain at least 90% of the original varnish finish. The finish has dulled slightly on the upper right side of the stock near the comb, but the balance of the stock and forearm show little finish wear. The stock and forearm have minimal storage and handling marks. This is an excellent example of a first year production Model 1894 Lever Action Rifle. The very early Winchester Model 1894 rifles are almost never found in excellent condition - this outstanding rifle is almost certainly one of the best examples of an early four digit number first year production standard Model 1894 rifle extant.

Details

ManufacturerWinchester

Model1894-Rifle

TypeRifle

Serial number

ClassAntique

Caliber / Gauge38-55 WCF

Barrel26 inch octagon

Finishblue

Stockvarnished walnut

Item LocationRock Island, IL