This Special order, factory engraved Winchester Model 1894 Deluxe Takedown Rifle with rare John W. Sidle telescopic sight and Cody Firearm Museum letter. The Cody letter describes this Model 1894 as: "Rifle, 30 caliber, 1/2 octagon barrel, Plain trigger, Checkered stock, Pistol grip, Oil finish, Lyman Wind Gauge and Sporting rear sights, 1/2 magazine, Take down, Screw eyes, Vignette #6 on lefthand side, Engraved $5.00 on right side, Engraving $14" and "Carved Style D, $10.00". The letter further states this rifle was shipped from the Winchester warehouse on April 25, 1901. The rifle features factory engraving on the forearm cap, receiver, bolt, takedown collar, barrel and buttplate heel. Although listed as Factory #6 engraving in the Cody letter, the engraving is nearly identical to the Winchester #5 engraving illustrated and described in the October 1897 edition of Winchester "HIGHLY FINISHED ARMS" reproduced on page 225 of "WINCHESTER ENGRAVING" by R.L. Wilson. "HIGHLY FINISHED ARMS" describes #5 engraving as: "Finely engraved leaf work", "arabesque scrolls and leaf designs, the border being vine work". The description notes that the barrel is engraved at the breech and inlaid with a line of platinum and that the breech bolt and buttplate are engraved. The left side of the receiver features a detailed vignette of two Whitetail deer in a forest setting while the right side of the receiver is engraved with a vignette of a pair of Pronghorn antelope. The forearm and pistol grip stock are highly figured, fancy grain, XXX walnut with a semi-matte oil finish. The pistol grip and forearm have rarely encountered Winchester "Style D" checkering with relief carved oak leaf and acorn designs. The pistol grip has a black hard rubber cap embossed with "WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY". Eyelets for detachable sling swivels are fitted to the stock and forearm cap. The half-round/half-octagon barrel has a rare Lyman Patent Windgauge front sight with folding globe aperture, and swivel adjusting spring clamp and sporting style buckhorn rear sight with serrated edges and screw adjustable centerpiece. The barrel has a dovetail with blank inserted on the top barrel flat ahead of the rear sight. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the two-line legend: "MANUFACTURED BY THE/WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN, CONN. U.S.A." ahead of the rear sight. "NICKEL STEEL BARREL/ESPECIALLY FOR SMOKELESS POWDER" is roll-stamped on the left side of the barrel below the rear sight. The caliber: "30 W.C.F." is roll-stamped on the top of the barrel ahead of the takedown collar and surrounded by a dot and scallop border topped by a scrollwork flourish. A Lyman "Combination Tang Peep Sight" with coarsely knurled post is mounted on the receiver tang. The serial number is roll-stamped across the bottom of the receiver behind the takedown collar. The barrel, half-magazine, forearm cap, takedown collar, receiver and bolt are blue. The loading gate and extractor have a fire blue finish. The hammer, trigger, lever and crescent buttplate are color casehardened. The rifle is complete with a telescopic sight marked: "JOHN W. SIDLE/PHILA./1264 PA" in three lines near the eyepiece. The sight has a finely blued, 18 1/2 inch straight tube with knurled eyepiece and fine crosshair reticle. The scope has a side-mounted rear base that attaches to the receiver side screws and a front base that fits the dovetail in the rifle barrel. The rear base is micrometer-adjustable for elevation and the front base has a micrometer windage knob. The front base is roll-stamped: "CATARACT T. & O. CO./BUFFALO, NY." in two lines and the rear base is roll stamped: "PAT. APPLD. FOR"., and numbered "20" on the inside. The scope is complete with a shorter rear mount, mounting screws and alternate rear aperture. John W. Sidle was a Philadelphia microscope manufacturer who also made high quality telescopic sights c. 1900. Sidle marketed his sights as the "Snapshot Telescopic Sight" and his catalogue depicted a "Snapshot" sight with a side mount on a Winchester lever action rifle. The lack of any wear on the left side of the rifle receiver indicates that the Snapshot sight was probably never mounted on this rifle but the additional barrel dovetail and front and rear sight mounts indicate that the sight was intended to be used on this rifle.

Excellent plus. This magnificent rifle retains 98% of the bright original blue and color casehardened finish. The barrel and magazine have nearly all of the blue finish. Wear is limited to several tiny scratches on the underside of the barrel in front of the takedown lever and some traces of flaking on the magazine tip. The barrel markings, engraving and platinum inlay are all in perfect condition. The right side of the forearm cap has some minor finish loss. The fire blue finish on the extractor has faded and the bolt has scattered flaking and retains about 60% of the blue finish. The blue on the receiver and takedown collar shows some very insignificant high point wear. The floral and scroll engraving and high detailed game vignettes remain in perfect condition. The loading gate shows 90% of the original nitre blue finish. The hammer, trigger, lever and crescent buttplate retain about 98% of the casehardened finish with vivid case colors. The highly figured, fancy grain walnut stock and forearm are in the same excellent plus condition as the blued and casehardened components and have most of the original oil finish with only slight handling marks. The deep blue finish on the Sidle telescopic sight tube remains 95% intact with some plum blue patina near the eyepiece. The optics are clear and the crosshairs are intact. The Cataract mounts are in excellent condition and retain 90% plus of the nitre blue finish. This is a stunning example of a deluxe factory engraved Winchester Model 1894 Takedown Rifle with rare Sidle "Snapshot" telescopic sight.