PRICE CHECK - Early 94

[Marc]

Local hardware store has an 1894 Winchester rifle in 38-55 on consignment. It is a rough piece cosmetically but the bore is very good and the action is tight. Receiver has no finish and light pitting. Still a lot of blue left on the round barrel and still has all the blue on the loading gate. Magazine tube is pitted and ugly. Screw heads only lightly buggered.

The wood belongs in the stove. Forend is split lengthwise and has been poorly glued together. Butt is cracked behind tang. The wood was "refinished" but a lot of it disappeared when that was done-big gaps and wood well below the metal. Serial number is 303XX so it is an early 94. They are asking $450.

$450 is to high for me. If it was $350 I might be tempted since it has a very good bore and the action is tight. It cannot have been fired much. $300 and I would probably reach for my wallet. What is something like this worth?

[ollogger]

350 & i would buy it in that shape
but i may be a fool with my money at times

[Tycer]

$300

[Marc]

Looks like we think alike.

Another thing that is questionable is that the caliber is crudely restamped. There is a raggedly stamped 38-55 and then the original "WCF". I don't know how the 38-55's were originally stamped. The bore may look good because it was rebored and the barrel may have been reblued. They think they have it for sale cheap. They probably will sell it at that price too.

[Tycer]

Here's a pic of the barrel stamps on an early 1894

http://www.antiquearmsinc.com/images/wi ... ifle-9.jpg

http://www.antiquearmsinc.com/images/wi ... fle-11.jpg

[OD*]

There is a raggedly stamped 38-55 and then the original "WCF". I don't know how the 38-55's were originally stamped

If it's stamped like that, it's been re-bored and re-stamped.

[Sixgun]

Original 1894's only had "38-55" stamped on the barrel. The gun is junk---save yourself some aggravation and let someone else buy it.------------Sixgun

[ollogger]

what six gun said

[Pete44ru]

NO WAY, Jose !

I wouldn't buy it @ any price, although YMMV.

.

[Mike D.]

FUGETTABOUTIT!! NO Winchester was EVER stamped .38-55 WCF. It was originally a Ballard cartridge and the W.C.F. was ONLY used for Winchester's proprietary cartridges.
Likewise, NO 1886 was EVER stamped .45-70 W.C.F., but you still see the uneducated and unwashed attempting to foist such on the unknowing.

[kimwcook]

FUGETTABOUTIT!! NO Winchester was EVER stamped .38-55 WCF. It was originally a Ballard cartridge and the W.C.F. was ONLY used for Winchester's proprietary cartridges.
Likewise, NO 1886 was EVER stamped .45-70 W.C.F., but you still see the uneducated and unwashed attempting to foist such on the unknowing.

Mike, I didn't know that. Learn something here everyday. I have a Legendary Frontiersmen in 38-55 so you made me go look at it's barrel stamp. It's stamped 38-55 Win. It isn't 38-55 WCF, but it isn't just 38-55 either. I don't remember when the Legendary Frontiersmen was made, definitely post 64, but it's not an AE and doesn't have a crossbolt or tang safety. Ill have to research when it was made again.

Edited. 19,999 manufactured in 1979

[Marc]

No danger of me buying it! The barrel must have been a 30 WCF. If so wouldn't it have the "nickel steel" stamping?

[Lastmohecken]

No danger of me buying it! The barrel must have been a 30 WCF. If so wouldn't it have the "nickel steel" stamping?

They only put "nickel steel" on the fairly old ones. I have a 30/30 from 1926 that says "nickel steel" but my later pre-WWII and my post war Flat Band and later models do not have it on there.

Sorry, I just looked at your serial number range on your first post. Your gun should be much older then mine. Maybe if it was rebored or rechambered and it was originally some other black powder caliber instead of a 30/30, or could it have been rebarreled?

[Marc]

Heard through a friend that spoke to the hardware store owner that the rifle was rebored in Oregon. It belongs to one of our gun club members. I don't know who. It is over priced anyway. Somebody else can have it.

The barrel could have come from a different rifle. Whatever it was the caliber stamp ended in WCF. I suppose it is possible it was a 1892 barrel.

[JB]

It's priced over twice what I'd be willing to pay based upon the described condition and not being in the original caliber.

[Griff]

It's priced over twice what I'd be willing to pay based upon the described condition and not being in the original caliber.

+1

[Mike D.]

Marc, it would have to be either .30 W.C.F. or .25-35 W.C.F. Either one would most definitely wear a nickel steel barrel. NS was dropped in the early 1930s, when Winchester Proof Steel was engineered. I am not certain about the strength factor of WPS over NS, but it sure is much easier to work with.