Winchester 1894 stamped 38-55&30-30

[Broper1894]

I have a buffalo bill commemorative rifle stamped 38-55 over 30-30. It is a 38-55 but I've never seen a barrel factory roll marked with 2 calibers. Does this make it very rare?

[22hipower]

Yes, rare, but rare does not always translate to premium prices. In this case it likely says more about poor quality control at the factory than collectible rarity. If unfired NIB with all original materials some might give it a slight premium for the oddity. Others, me included, would see it as a downgrade if NIB, and if used, it would make no difference at all from a value perspective. Good luck.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

[Ivan the Butcher]

The modern commemorative rifles and pistols are so plenteous that they are cheaper that standard rifles and unless you collect the topic at hand, "Buffalo Bill", they are often 15% less.

The only Commemoratives that seem to hold any value are the ones that have specific serial numbers that line up with a persons ID #. The FBI model 27 had an agents credential number for the serial number. Similar for the Eagle Scout model 9422. We will see if the value holds as that generation's guns hit the market.

Ivan

[DWalt]

About 25 years ago I had some M94 .30-30 commemorative, and I don't remember just what it commemorated. I got it in a trade with a friend. What I do remember was I had a hard time getting rid of it as it had been fired and it didn't have the original box. It certainly carried no premium. I don't think there is a worse investment than a commemorative firearm.

[MarkL_01]

In a quick search, all the Model 94 Buffalo Bill commemorative rifles I see are listed as .30-30. Could this one have been rebored to .38-55 and overstamped to indicate that?

[30-30remchester]

To me anyhow it appears that this was originally 30-30 which I believe the only caliber the Buffalo Bill commemorative was ever chambered in. I would guess that someone had the barrel re-bored and re
-chambered. The 38-55 stamping does not look like anything Winchester would ever do.

[dusty3030]

Originally Posted by 30-30remchester

To me anyhow it appears that this was originally 30-30 which I believe the only caliber the Buffalo Bill commemorative was ever chambered in. I would guess that someone had the barrel re-bored and re
-chambered. The 38-55 stamping does not look like anything Winchester would ever do.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This

[rburg]

Well, its pretty certain they didn't rebore it to .30-30.....

But I have a different view of commemoratives than that stated above. To my way of thinking, it can be a very good purchase if the price is right. At first I was kind of convinced they were lesser quality than the standard guns, but if you work the action (and reduce the collector interest) they seem to be every bit as well built. YMMV. But what you often get is much nicer wood even if too shiny at a reduced price. You can knock the shine off. I don't have a good way to remove the gold if the gun has any. I even agree that Winchester put out way too many of them into a market that was oversaturated.

I really think that when they didn't have orders or had too many in stock, they moved production to some special production dream. But keep in mind here that all such models aren't dogs or unwanted. S&W models sometimes sell out and then bring a premium. Used ones eventually are sought after. Some even had special features, like the presentation grips. I have a Browning 1886 that is really nice, even if it does have gold. And my 1776-1976 B78 single shot has the very best wood I've ever seen on a production rifle. I know, I'm talking about Browning, not modern Winchester.

And I once bought a Colt (I know, poor judgement) SAA that was a "Shopkeepers" model. I paid less than I would have any other 3rd Gen because of all the ugly gold. So after a few years I sold it to a guy that had guns engraved. I got a little more out of it than I paid, and I was happy to have owned it.

[Sportsdad60]

Originally Posted by Ivan the Butcher

The modern commemorative rifles and pistols are so plenteous that they are cheaper that standard rifles and unless you collect the topic at hand, "Buffalo Bill", they are often 15% less.

The only Commemoratives that seem to hold any value are the ones that have specific serial numbers that line up with a persons ID #. The FBI model 27 had an agents credential number for the serial number. Similar for the Eagle Scout model 9422. We will see if the value holds as that generation's guns hit the market.

Ivan

True statement! I picked up my Chief Crazy Horse commemorative for $300 less than a standard Win 94 (in 38-55)
And it gets shot every week-end.

[Mule Packer]

Originally Posted by 30-30remchester

To me anyhow it appears that this was originally 30-30 which I believe the only caliber the Buffalo Bill commemorative was ever chambered in. I would guess that someone had the barrel re-bored and re
-chambered. The 38-55 stamping does not look like anything Winchester would ever do.

That's what it appears to me. The Buffalo Bill Commemorative was put out somewhere around 1968, if I remember correctly. Can't remember exactly, but it was definitely after 1964, as were most of the commemoratives. As a result, Winchester was going with some stamped, rather than milled, parts. Of course, there will always be some that will say that really makes no difference. Maybe so.

However....now this is strictly my opinion and I'm sure there will be others who disagree...but I kinda think that one of the main reasons Winchester started coming out with the commemoratives was a marketing ploy to kick up declining sales of the Model 94 after 1964. Everyone wanted the pre-64 models because they were made better. As a result, Winchester had to do something to kick up the sales. Thus, the commemoratives.

They started coming out with commemoratives for just about everything.

There was the Nebraska Commemorative, the Alaska Commemorative, the Golden Spike Commemorative, the Canadian '67 Centennial, the Illinois Sesquicentennial, the Apache, the Comanche, the Cherokee, the Sioux, the Cheyenne, ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

There were even commemoratives for things that most people wouldn't even dream of commemorating. For example, the Wal-Mart Wildlife Conservation Commemorative. There's even a 1992 Larry Bird Commemorative. Now, granted, Larry Bird was a great basketball player, but who would've thought to make a commemorative rifle in his name?

Who knows?...maybe a Michael Jordan and a Tom Brady Commemorative are just around the corner.

Now remember, this is just my view from the saddle. Maybe that's not the reason for the commemoratives at all. I mean, after all, I'm not a marketing annalist for Winchester so I wouldn't really know. It's one thing to commemorate one or two things, but to commemorate everything is to commemorate nothing.

[30-30remchester]

There is a Winchester for everyone. Pre wars are my thing. My brother likes the shiny new ones. He loves his John Wayne commemorative. He had it re-barreled to 30-30 and shoots it regularly. I am certain he sold women for carnal fun in a past life.

[DWalt]

I don't believe that a commemorative is inferior in any regard to a standard item.

Does anyone remember the Colt M1911 WWI commemoratives (I think there was a series of four of them named for famous WWI battles) of the late 1960s? At the time they sold like pork in Mecca, and some of the big distributors were selling them at dirt-cheap prices just to move them, and many were buying them as shooters. I wish I had bought several sets of them back then. I think their value has recovered nicely, so long as they have remained unfired and in original condition with their display cases. Otherwise, they are just M1911s.

[rburg]

Originally Posted by 30-30remchester

I am certain he sold women for carnal fun in a past life.

Can you tell us more about that?

[DWalt]

"I am certain he sold women for carnal fun in a past life. "
John Wayne or your brother?

[30-30remchester]

Originally Posted by DWalt

"I am certain he sold women for carnal fun in a past life. "
John Wayne or your brother?

How to answer that tactfully. All I will say is I never met John Wayne.