This early Winchester Model 1894 Sporting rifle is serial number 196. The rifle is accompanied by a factory letter that lists the rifle features as: "Caliber: 38/55, Barrel Type: Octagon" and "Trigger: Plain". The letter states this rifle was shipped from the Winchester warehouse on November 5, 1894. The rifle has a 26 inch full octagon barrel and full length magazine. The barrel has a gold washed Beach folding combination front sight and a buckhorn sporting style rear sight with adjustable center notch and serrated edges. The barrel, magazine, receiver, forearm cap, and loading gate are blued, and the hammer, lever and crescent buttplate have a color casehardened finish. The stock and forearm are straight grain American walnut with a high a high polish piano finish. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped: "-MANUFACTURED BY THE-/-WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A.-" in two lines ahead of the rear sight. The caliber "38-55" is stamped on the top of the barrel just ahead of the receiver. The serial number "196" is stamped across the underside of the front of the receiver. "MODEL 1894./-WINCHESTER-/PAT. AUG. 21. 1894." is roll-stamped in three lines on the upper receiver tang.

Excellent. The rifle retains 95% plus of the original blue and color casehardened finish. The barrel and magazine have nearly all of the blue finish. The receiver retains 95% of the blue finish with some very minor edge wear on high points and a few insignificant handling marks. The case colors on the hammer, lever and buttplate are vivid with 95% remaining. All of the barrel and tang markings are crisp. The stock and forearm are also in excellent condition and retain 95% plus of the high polish piano finish. This is a high condition example of one of the very first Model 1894 Winchester lever action rifles produced!