This extremely rare Model 1894 was manufactured circa 1909 by the Winchester factory to test the feasibility of a Model 1894 in musket configuration. Very little is known about these muskets, and it has been speculated that they were built in pursuit of a government contract. According to Winchester collector Rob Kassab, four Model 1894 muskets, including this example, were identified by serial number in the "Inventory of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company Firearms Reference Collection," a detailed listing of firearms held by the Winchester factory prior to the arms being transferred to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center's Cody Firearms Museum in the 1970s, and out of the four, this is the only one built to accept an angular bayonet, as the other three were designed for a saber bayonet. Author Robert Renneberg states "that there were five true musket examples: all were produced experimentally and all were originally in the Winchester Museum reference collection." Nevertheless, this is an incredibly scarce Winchester. The musket features a bayonet lug/pinned front sight, folding ladder rear sight graduated to 2,000 yards, oil finished full length musket type forend and stock, three barrel bands, solid crescent buttplate and sling swivels. The left side of the barrel has the two-line Winchester address/patent date marking, the two-line nickel steel marking and the caliber designation. The upper tang has the three-line model/trade mark information. The only Winchester factory oval proof is stamped on top of the receiver at the breech. Includes the original bright polished, unmarked socket bayonet. This musket was featured on the cover of the included 2007 Winter issue of "The Winchester Collector" magazine with the cover article by Kassab on page 23 and in the 2nd edition of Renneberg's "The Winchester Model 94: The First 100 Years" on page 53 and is identified as the only one of its type in private hands.

Excellent, retaining 95% plus bright original blue finish showing bayonet wear and some spots of dark spotting mostly on the right side of receiver. 97% original case colors remain on the hammer and lever, and 90% plus muted original case colors remain on the buttplate. The stock is also excellent with minimal handling evidence. The fine bayonet has mostly a bright appearance. Mechanically excellent.