Value of older Win 1894

elimsprint

elimsprint

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Kelowna, BC
I need to clear some guns out and this early (1909) Winchester 1894 in 30WCF is one of them but I have no idea what to ask for it. Serial # 478###. Octagon barrel, heavily used but intact, bore looks good. What bluing there is has gone brown. Stock and forearm heavily marked but whole with no cracks or missing pieces. Any ideas what it's worth?
Kim
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The worth depends on condition. The octagon barrel is more sought after but with heavily marked woods and no blueing left, I would say between $450 and $550. This may be lower if pics were available. Bore condition is essential to pricing. According to the Winchester polishing room books, Carbine # 4441xx was made in 1909...rifle # 4745xx was made in 1910...I have both these guns.
 
The bore looks good to me but I am no expert. I will post some better pics tonight. My little serial # book from 1981 says that #474242- 505831 were made in 1909 with 31589 guns being made so that would make mine a 1909 and your 1910 an earlier '09 than mine. My book says 1910 started at #505832 but it is an older book.
Kim
 
There are many books and lists available for the Winchester serial numbers. I wrote winchester and they sent me letters to confirm my gun manufacture dates. These records are the polishing room books and even give the date it was finished and date shipped to the customer and what the conformation was at the time of shipping. many guns have been rebarreled and/or altered since the factory shipped them and many parts guns built..

george madis serial list has been proven as much as 4 years different than actual records show. I also have 2 Winnies built in 1906 one an octagon Barrel and the other round barrel. Both lettered...
rifle 3135xx built Sept 14 1906..shipped Sept 14 1906..
rifle 3273xx built Dec.12 1906 ..shipped Apr. 4, 1907
rifle 3670xx made 1907.....
.rifle 3905xx made 1909
rifle 4441xx made 1909
rifle 4745xx made 1910


These date are right from Winchester...not from any other lists.
 
The bluing looks so good on those pictures that I wonder if it is the original blue, or barrel. Seems to me there is enough marks and wear on the rest of the rifle to suggest something doesn/t look right.
Not that I can see that deteriorating from the value of the rifle, as it is not a collector anyway, so if anything improves the shooting, o appearance, so be it.
 
I noticed the barrel also. I thought that with the plum color on the rest of the gun, bangs and marks on the mag tube , that the barrel looked new, no wear on the corners of it either. Sure does not look like my 1906 octagon rifle. By taking off the forearm wood, there will be a number ( among other stamps like inspector ans manufacturer)stamped on the bottom of the barrel right at the action end., signifying the date it was assembled onto the gun. It should read 09 or 10.
 
OK, I bite, how does the forend come off? I took out the two screws in the end cap and I can get the forend to slide forward about 1/16" but then it hits the screw blocks for the forend cap. I also undid the screw in the end of the magazine tube but I can't get the cap to screw off or the whole tube to screw out. What do I do? Also this was my grandfathers gun and I know he never had it rebarreled or reblued. The only time it has even been shot since the family moved to Vancouver from Laird, Sask in '55 was by me when I got it from my dad about 20 yrs ago.
Kim
Oh, yeah. That's unreal about the GM books, I never knew, I just took them as gospel, sorry:redface:
 
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I put an ad for one in the exchange a couple of weeks ago that was made in '12

It had the 26" cylindrical barrel and the wood was in slightly better condition than yours.

The bore was good and the gun was unmodified.

I asked for $600 shipped and had several 'I'll take it's' in less than 20 minutes.

FYI
 
I'd say between $450 and $550. I'd suspect that barrel is newer, but whatever. I got mine for $450 plus shipping and is in similar condition minus the damage on the right side of the wrist.


Also - just for your info in case you didn't know - if the mag tube ring falls off or moves etc, it isn't dove tailed in the normal way - don't try to hammer it in or out. It's a circular dovetail; place the ring base agains the bottom of the barrel 90* to where it should be and rotate it into place. I got $150 nocked off a gun when the owner stripped it before selling and hammered the ring and damaged the dovetail.
 
I think that is the original barrel judging from its markings and condition. As to value, I'm not sure. I've not run into enough to know. However, the same rifle in that condition in 38-55 caliber would be worth roughly $600, due to the severe ding in the right side of the buttstock. 30-30's are usually worth a bit less than 38-55's.
 
My tube just slipped right out after a little wiggling and it went back together just as easy. I just listed it for $600 shipped, we'll see if it sells. I need some reloading equipment and the toy account is empty:confused:
Kim
 
elimsprint said:
My tube just slipped right out after a little wiggling and it went back together just as easy. I just listed it for $600 shipped, we'll see if it sells. I need some reloading equipment and the toy account is empty:confused:
Kim
Click to expand...

I would suggest that you also run the same ad in the Antique Firearms section and mention the date of manufacture in the title.
 
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