What's this thing worth? 1907 Winchester 1894, 38-55

mikeystew

mikeystew

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
51   0   0
Location
Beautiful BC
Based on this condition... What do you figure this this is worth? There is a stamping on the butt stock, looks like it was once the property of the city of Toronto. Maybe Aurora? Seems to be original to my untrained eye. But it looks as though there is a small brazing in the carrier, perhaps a repair at some point? I've no idea.
What say the experts? Have I found a diamond or a turd?









 
Standard 26 inch sporting rifle, I think but with a carbine butt stock. The butt may have come from a City of Toronto carbine at some point. A few buggered screws and the cartridge lifter has been brazed for repair. Without better pics I would guess around $600 if the bore is good.
 
That's it eh? Well I'm glad I haven't paid for it yet then... The owner lent it to me to try befor making the purchase. I haven't even made an offer yet. The bore looks, ok.. Albeit full of fluffballs and dust. But the rifling certainly is a little thin near the muzzle.
 
On my octagonal barrel 1899 model 94, 30-30, the last half inch of the bore, at the muzzle, has no rifling. Other Winchesters seem to have the same.
I believe this was a factory idea to protect the muzzle?

This rifle is not perfect, mikeystew, but I think you are hooked already on getting an old Winchester! With some care and attention, this could be a keeper.
 
The rifling in the old .38/55 and .32/40 was quite shallow even when brand new but they were rifled all the way through otherwise accuracy would be terrible. Usually wear from cleaning rods I am afraid. In my experience even with thin rifling at the muzzle they still shoot okay.
 
Robert Nicholson said:
On my octagonal barrel 1899 model 94, 30-30, the last half inch of the bore, at the muzzle, has no rifling. Other Winchesters seem to have the same.
I believe this was a factory idea to protect the muzzle?

This rifle is not perfect, mikeystew, but I think you are hooked already on getting an old Winchester! With some care and attention, this could be a keeper.
Click to expand...

I have an 1898 .30-30 with beautiful rifling, and it certainly goes right through. Never heard of anything else nor is such a thing in Maddis' book that I have read. Somebody may be confusing a backbored (done after market) muzzle, or a simply worn muzzle, with what you describe.

Some of the Hood Firearms revolvers in the 1870s were reported (I have a reference in Suicide Specials) as having rifling only at the muzzle (the reverse) but this was (as the legend goes) to make buyers think they were buying a fully rifled barrel - NOT the other way around. I cannot see leaving rifling off the muzzle end being a selling feature at that time. People would want to know their barrel was in good condition when they bought it, and there were no bore scopes or even flashlights. As Mike W says, this is "more than likely" the result of cleaning rods.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom