Win 94 Classic vs Antique

[J Miller]

I found an 81 vintage Winchester catalog. In it was a photo of the 94 Antique.

20" round carbine barrel, color cased receiver w/ scroll engraving, brass plated loading gate and saddle ring, everything else blued.

Years ago I had more Winchester catalogs that have long since disappeared. There were three basic post 64s at that time as I remember it.

>The standard carbine: Blued, 20 barrel, walnut stock.
>The Antique: which came in both rifle and carbine version, as described above.
>And the Classic: The Classic was basically the same as the Antique except it came with the octagon barrel in both 20 and 24 or 26" barrel.
And the appropriate steel carbine or crescent butt plates. The receiver may have been blued, but it did still have the scroll engraving.

That is what I remember. I'm going to try to track down some older catalogs and verify or disprove this.

It bugs me because I used to drool over the photos in the catalogs when I was younger. I wanted one of the Classic rifles BAD.

I'll be back to this when I find something.

Joe

[Rube Burrows]

Looking forward to what you find.

[damienph]

Joe:

My Classic is the 20" octagonal barrel, black scroll engraved (stamped, rolled?)receiver, black forend cap, all other metal is blued except for gold colored loading gate, highly figured wood, and checkered steel shotgun style buttplate.

Damien

[Bruce]

Joe,

I still have the catalogs that cover those models.

The Antique only came w/ the 20" round barrel.

The Classic came with the 20" and 26" octagon barrel. BTW, I have owned a few Classic's and they tend to be very accurate. They were offered from 67-70. They also had an upgraded wood package as compared to other models of the time period. They had the flat metal butt plate, which is an area of the stock that tended to absorb moisture and discolor. If you get one, make sure you treat the interior surfaces with a good wood oil.

[J Miller]

Joe,

I still have the catalogs that cover those models.

The Antique only came w/ the 20" round barrel.

The Classic came with the 20" and 26" octagon barrel. BTW, I have owned a few Classic's and they tend to be very accurate. They were offered from 67-70. They also had an upgraded wood package as compared to other models of the time period. They had the flat metal butt plate, which is an area of the stock that tended to absorb moisture and discolor. If you get one, make sure you treat the interior surfaces with a good wood oil.

Bruce,
You have what I need.
Would you be willing to scan in the pages of the 94s, especially the Classics and Antique and email them to me?

Joe

[jlchucker]

Joe,

I still have the catalogs that cover those models.

The Antique only came w/ the 20" round barrel.

The Classic came with the 20" and 26" octagon barrel. BTW, I have owned a few Classic's and they tend to be very accurate. They were offered from 67-70. They also had an upgraded wood package as compared to other models of the time period. They had the flat metal butt plate, which is an area of the stock that tended to absorb moisture and discolor. If you get one, make sure you treat the interior surfaces with a good wood oil.

Bruce, you're absolutely right. The Classic line both had octagon barrels in the length you describe. They called the wood "Semifancy walnut" back then but I don't know if that's the same grade you find among better stockmakers. It did have a slightly lighter color and much better grain than the run-of the mill 94 carbines of that time. If you wanted one of each Winchester offered what they were calling a "pair"--one carbine (really short rifle) and one rifle with consecutive serial numbers. Both had the standard for the time checkered flat steel buttplate, not the curved ones they were putting on various commemoratives. These Classics also came with a blued saddle ring in both versions--only it wasn't attached to the gun--it was packaged in a little plastic bag so that the owner could put it on at home if he/she wanted that feature. I never put the saddle ring on--lost it at my parents' house where my guns were being stored, decades ago. When my rifle was made up for me I wanted a plain-jane receiver, but ended up with the Classic one, ugly scroll included. I still have this rifle and it is deadly accurate. Trouble is, my eyesight isn't that accurate any more.

[Rube Burrows]

Joe,

I still have the catalogs that cover those models.

The Antique only came w/ the 20" round barrel.

The Classic came with the 20" and 26" octagon barrel. BTW, I have owned a few Classic's and they tend to be very accurate. They were offered from 67-70. They also had an upgraded wood package as compared to other models of the time period. They had the flat metal butt plate, which is an area of the stock that tended to absorb moisture and discolor. If you get one, make sure you treat the interior surfaces with a good wood oil.

Bruce, you're absolutely right. The Classic line both had octagon barrels in the length you describe. They called the wood "Semifancy walnut" back then but I don't know if that's the same grade you find among better stockmakers. It did have a slightly lighter color and much better grain than the run-of the mill 94 carbines of that time. If you wanted one of each Winchester offered what they were calling a "pair"--one carbine (really short rifle) and one rifle with consecutive serial numbers. Both had the standard for the time checkered flat steel buttplate, not the curved ones they were putting on various commemoratives. These Classics also came with a blued saddle ring in both versions--only it wasn't attached to the gun--it was packaged in a little plastic bag so that the owner could put it on at home if he/she wanted that feature. I never put the saddle ring on--lost it at my parents' house where my guns were being stored, decades ago. When my rifle was made up for me I wanted a plain-jane receiver, but ended up with the Classic one, ugly scroll included. I still have this rifle and it is deadly accurate. Trouble is, my eyesight isn't that accurate any more.

Sure would love to see pics of all these nice Winchesters you guys are talking about.



The Classic had the engraving around the edges of the receiver while the Antique had the one through the middle of of the receiver.......correct?

[damienph]

That is right Rube, my Classic has the scroll all around the edge with none in the center of the receiver sides.

[Bruce]

Joe,

Let me see what I can do. It will be tomorrow at the earliest. I will try to scan them and post them here.

[J Miller]

Joe,

Let me see what I can do. It will be tomorrow at the earliest. I will try to scan them and post them here.

Bruce thanks. Make 'em about 600x800 so we can get a good clear look see if you can.

Joe

[Bruce]

Dang Joe, be a little more specific if you can.

Let's try for 67.











Next is 68.







Now 69.









Now 70.









Hope this helps. Save it, because my luck with Photobucket has not been good.

[jlchucker]

Nice copies of the catalog pages, Bruce. Makes me wish I had saved those catalogs year by year. I see the text you copied regarding the classic models mentions that saddle ring. I said earlier that I lost mine years ago. After opening your post today I got curious and headed for the gun cabinet. I dragged out my Classic rifle and an angle-eject (pre-safety vintage) 44 trapper that I have, that came with a saddle ring attached. I took the ring off, and unscrewed the plug in the saddle ring hole on the Classic. It was a perfect fit. It would seem that the post-64 saddle rings on Winnies may be all the same except for some plating on some--like the ones found on those "Antique" models.

[TravisM]

Thanks for showing the photos.

I love seeing the rifles and the style of the ads is interesting in its own right.

[J Miller]

Bruce,

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I used to have all those catalogs and those are the pics I remembered. I was just a bit confused about which was which.

If you don't mind I'm going to download those pics to my hard drive for reference.

Joe

[Griff]

WoW, the only Classic I ever saw had a CCH recvr, have no idea if it was a rebarrelled Antique or refinished. Learn new stuff if ya pay attention!

[Malamute]

I saw one of the Classic rifles for sale at the Cody summer show for $500. I don't think it wasn't unfired/new, but was 95% or so.

[damienph]

I really like my 20" Classic but I LOVE that 26" Classic...be still my beating heart...WOW!!

[Griff]

I saw one of the Classic rifles for sale at the Cody summer show for $500. I don't think it wasn't unfired/new, but was 95% or so.

And you didn't buy it for me? I woulda maybe paid little something extra for your trouble!!! I wanted one, and looked hard and finally decided to build my own... or as close as I could come at the time.

[Rube Burrows]

So the Classic actually says "Classic" on the gun. Does the Antique actually say Antique?

[Bruce]

Joe, please do save it.

Rube, no the Antique does not have the word on it.

The catalogs I have also have some details about the various Commemoratives, but that was more work than I wanted at the moment. I had about as much trouble finding the catalogs as you would expect in finding the guns themselves. I needed them for a research project a few years ago.

[Griff]

Joe, please do save it.
Rube, no the Antique does not have the word on it.
The catalogs I have also have some details about the various Commemoratives, but that was more work than I wanted at the moment. I had about as much trouble finding the catalogs as you would expect in finding the guns themselves. I needed them for a research project a few years ago.

Bruce,
Would you be willing to loan them out to have the whole catalog for each year scanned in as .pdf files... Maybe Hobie or AmBraCol could find a spot to store as reference materials? I'll volunteer for the scanning as it'd be something to keep me from just sittin' around watchin' tv...

[J Miller]

Bruce,

I second Griffs suggestion/request. I'd love to have copies of those old catalogs.

Joe

[Bruce]

Griff,

I'll do better than that. They are yours forever. I only have the four covering 67-70 and there is just a little more information in each concerning the Commemoratives, the rest covers other firearms. Not big when compared to todays catalogs. All that I ask is that you make them available to others as you are suggesting to scan them. PM your adress and they are on the way.

[Griff]

Griff,
I'll do better than that. They are yours forever. I only have the four covering 67-70 and there is just a little more information in each concerning the Commemoratives, the rest covers other firearms. Not big when compared to todays catalogs. All that I ask is that you make them available to others as you are suggesting to scan them. PM your adress and they are on the way.

Thank you very much. PM on its way.

[kimwcook]

That's a cool suggestion, Griff. It would be nice to have a catalogue sticky for all the years and all models. Winchester, Marlin, etc...

[Griff]

Winchester (USRA) has theirs from 2000 to 2010 (nothing under 2011's tab yet) on their website.

[Pete44ru]

FWIW, the M94 Commemorative(s), the Standard Carbine, the Antique carbine, and both Classics - the 20" octagon Carbine and the 24" octagon Rifle - ALL have sintered metal receivers that were plated so they could then receive various finishes/colorings.

The Standard Carbines got what looks like bluing - until someone tries a touchup or reblue.

The Antique Carbines got case colors (NOT case hardening colors. or colors from case hardening).

The Classics were black chromed. (Be mindful of screwdriver edges aroung receiver screws, and anything on the receiver sharp edges - the black chrome WILL chip)

The Commemorative flavor(s) of the year had their receivers color plated, also - some Gold, some Silver, some "Pewter", some of course black - whatever. I'm surprised Winchester didn't come up with a candy-striped one.............
Nowadays, of course, it woulda been Pink !

.

[CarlsenHighway]

There is an Antique at my local gunshop. Its been there a while. Excellent condition not a mark on it and bore looks as new. Got the case hardeing and the scroll work. Doesnt say antique on it.
I keep looking at it, but they want much too much for it, and even worse, it has the loosest sloppiest rattliest action I have ever seen on a Win 94. The whole lot slops from side to side. I keep looking at it and sighing. If only.

[RIHMFIRE]

Winchester Classic rifle....back in the day for $129.99....wow