1894 winchester 30 wcf

[jprocai]

i would like to find out how old it is and approx. value serial# 135303 and stocks have few dings and are faded a little and blueing is also faded alittle everthing is in good working condition and gun can be fired the blueing is 60% good wood is 60 to 80 %good manufactured bythe winchester repeating arms conew haven conn usa also says on lower part of barrel nickel creek barrel especially for smokless powder and behind hammer it says model 1894 winchester pat aug 21 1894

[Xracer]

Hi jprocai.....welcome to TFF.

On the age of your '94.....it's an oldie. #135303 was made in 1897!

Is it a rifle (24" or 26" barrel), or a Saddle Ring Carbine (20" barrel)?

Blue Book value:

Model 1894 Rifle 1894-1898 Mfg.

70% - $2,250
60% - $1,800
50% - $1,600

Add 20% for takedown variation
Add 75%-150% for deluxe models, depending on original condition.

Model 1894 Saddle Ring Carbine Antique (pre-148,000 ser. no.)

70% - $1,800
60% - $1,550
50% - $1,400

[jprocai]

where exactly do you measure from for barrel length.

and take down variation whats that mean exactly

[Alpo]

Might be easier to show pix than to describe.

This is a rifle. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/co...rarchyId=11931 Notice the end of the forearm has a metal cap on it? Notice, in the picture showing the muzzle, the way the magazine is attached to the bottom of the barrel? Also, notice how deep the curve is on the buttstock where it fits your shoulder.

This is a saddle ring carbine. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/co...rarchyId=11931 Notice that the end of the forearm is bare wood, there are two barrel bands holding the magazine to the barrel (one around the wood forearm and the second near the front sight). Notice how much shallower the curve is on the buttstock than the one on the rifle. Also, there is a ring on the left side of the receiver. This is the "saddle ring".

Rifles have either round or octagonal barrels (there are some rare ones with what's called "half round - half octagonal). Carbines always have round barrels.

The correct way to measure the barrel is to get a 1/4 inch wood dowel, close the lever, and drop the dowel down the barrel (you use wood so as not to damage the rifling. also, it's cheaper than metal, usually). When it is all the way in, it is resting against the breach bolt. Take something and mark the dowel at the muzzle end of the gun. Now pull out the dowel and measure it from the end to the mark. The normal sizes were 20" for the carbine, 20" for a "short rifle" (which had all rifle features, except it had a 20" barrel) and 24" for a rifle. But Winchester would make your gun with any size barrel you wanted, so they have them about as short as 11" and as long as 36" (or more). Non-standard barrel lengths will normally increase the value of the gun.

Another rifle. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/co...rarchyId=11931 Notice, in the third picture, it has both a short magazine (non-standard feature) and a half-round/half-octagonal barrel (another non-standard feature). This one also has a pistol grip, instead of a straight stock, and checkering. Both of these features would add to the value of the gun.

http://www.rarewinchesters.com/gunro...model_94.shtml This page shows a short rifle (22" - shorter than normal), round barreled rifle with pistol grip and short magazine, then the third gun is a takedown. If you look closely at the front of the receiver, you will notice that there is more metal before the wood than the two guns above it. In this closeup http://www.rarewinchesters.com/gunro...0122466/03.JPG you can see the line where the gun comes apart. In this pic, http://www.rarewinchesters.com/gunro...0122466/09.JPG you can see the gun in two pieces. If you continue down the page, you will see several different types of 94s - rifles, carbines (with barrels down to 14"), and even one musket. Notice all the carbines have barrel bands, and shallow buttstocks, while all the rifles have forearm tips and barrel hangers, and deep buttstocks. That's the easiest way to tell rifles from carbines - shape of butt and barrel/magazine attachment.