Neat Win 1894 find...

Matt74

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For those of you who aren't obsessed enough with lever guns to browse the Lever #### Forum, thought I would share this here as well. Kind of a neat find to share with those who like old Winchesters or old lever guns in general.
This is a rifle I recently picked up. Antique in the US, so drove down and brought it back across to its new home in the North. It is a Winchester Model 1894 in the old standby 30WCF. This gun is antique in the US as it had its serial number applied on September 17, 1897. This special order rifle was shipped out to the proud owner on October 1, 1897. This rifle was special ordered with a 2/3 magazine, plain pistol grip stock with steel shotgun buttplate, a Lyman No. 4 Hunting front sight, Lyman tang sight, and a Marbles fold down No. 95. Pretty scarce gun on its own with those features. Now, for the best part. What makes this gun super special, is that it is 1 of only 6 documented 23 inch short rifles noted in the Cody Museum records for the Model 1894. Yes, a 23 inch barrel! Standard length for this model was 26 inches. Once in a while you see a 24", a 22 or 20". Not too often you will see this, odd barrels lengths (i.e 25, 23, 21, etc) are scarce. And, it gets better. This is noted - by serial number - in the published 1995 Armax study of the 1894 records at Cody, as the very first 23 inch 1894 manufactured by Winchester. Pretty cool. From my understanding, the gun was originally carried and hunted with in Upper New York State, that was where she earned her dues. Too bad she couldn't talk. Now just gotta find out how she shoots with that odd length 23" barrel!
Here are a couple photos of the rifle:


Matt
 
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Send'er to Douglas.........think of the WOW factor to make'r into a 23-30.......
Not sure what to call it, Da Fonz? ......... Le Matt?

What a treasure to find and a proper home for her too.

:cheers:
 
Thanks folks. Yes, even apart from what it is, it is an attractive configuration I find, with the barrel length, 2/3 mag and plain pistol grip. Rifling looks good a deep in her yet too, but it does need a good cleaning before she gets tried out. The Lyman Hunting Front sight with the ivory bead and a tang sight are one of my favorite combinations, it should do well. Feels real good when you put it up to your shoulder too. Everything lines up real nice.
Kamlooky: Doug is not getting hold of this one, lol....he got a couple others of mine I wish I still had! God only knows what crazy new caliber it would end up as!
Matt
 
Hmm...well, I have been called worse over the years :) Le Matt doesn't really sound all that exciting though if you ask me....if it is something Doug comes up with, it will need something with a bit more snap to it!

Matt

I don't know if Kamlooky tought about it but I tought that maybe he was reffering to...

The LeMat revolver was a .42 or .36 caliber cap & ball black powder revolver invented by Dr. Jean Alexandre LeMat of New Orleans

OK:)
 
I don't know if Kamlooky tought about it but I tought that maybe he was reffering to...

The LeMat revolver was a .42 or .36 caliber cap & ball black powder revolver invented by Dr. Jean Alexandre LeMat of New Orleans

OK:)

I was kinda thinking the Le Matt was due to the fact that I live in Le Quebec!
 
Carbine: No problem! I know there are others out here who enjoy the old Winchesters and seeing something different once in a while too.

Contaucreek: When buying an old gun, if I don't get too excited I always try to remember to ask about the history of the gun, lol. It is always nice to know where the gun came from, who may have carried it, where it earned its keep. Sometimes they have some very interesting stories to tell. I always buy the gun, not the story, but that does not mean I am not interested in that story.
 
Thanks Cyclone. I took out the solvent and oil last night and gave the bore a good cleaning. She was a bit dirty - guess I would be too if I was born in 1897 - but good deep rifling. Should be a good shooter. I had it up to my shoulder again last night, it comes up quick and all the sights line up so fast with that short barrel, a real delight to carry I would say.
 
What a unique and nice rifle! Like the 3/4 mag tube compared to the button style.(They just don't look right
to me.) Great history to boot. Please post some pics of target results. Beauty find....Lucky bugger.;)
 
Thanks Shell Shucker. Yes, I do consider myself lucky, but sometimes this luck is not cheap, lol.
Yup, I'll post some results if I ever get a chance to get out shooting. Got an invite out to a friend's acreage to shoot the old lever guns, if I can find the time away from home for a few minutes. The new born is keeping up both very busy! First up though, need some 30WCF! Got 38-55, 32 W.S, and lots of 25-35, but believe it or not, not one shell of the ol' standby tirty-tirty sitting around! What's up with that?
Matt
 
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