My grandfather has a Winchester 94 in 38-55, serial number 154XXX. As a favor to him I borrowed it to give it a gentle cleaning and lubrication, as it has been sitting in a gun cabinet largely untouched for 40 or so years and has started to develop some small rust spots. While I have it, I decided to do some research on it which has brought up some questions about it, but first, a little on the what I know of its history:
The serial number suggests that this gun was made in 1899. The only thing I know about its early life is the possible initials of its first owner, A.G.T., which is lightly stamped in several locations on the stock and forend. The rifle eventually wound up in the possession of my grandfather's uncle, purchased used in the late 30s or early 40s, following a poor deer hunting experience involving a rifle chambered for .32-20. Apparently, my grandfather's uncle, unable to take a deer in a single shot with the .32-20, chased the wounded animal for several miles, before loosing it to a fellow hunter with a higher power rifle. The 94 served my family well for several years before being lent to friends and replaced with a 1937 vintage Savage 99 in 300 Savage (we still have this one too). The rifle eventually came back into the family, and into my grandfather's hands who continued to hunt with it until the 1970s when he stopped hunting, and really shooting all together. It took my extreme interest in the shooting sports to get him back into shooting, and I take him to the range a few times a year.
As you can probably imagine, decades of use have had an effect on its condition, and she has very little of her bluing left. That aside, with the exception of some minor rust and pitting, everything appears to be in great working shape. The patina and its condition, I feel helps tell her story, but I have the ambition to maintain this rifle, to try to preserve her the best I can, so she can continue to tell her story for the generations to come. Thoughts and tips on maintaining an antique such as this are greatly appreciated, as I am not well versed in lever guns.
I end my post with a question: All examples of 1899 vintage Winchester 94s that I have seen online in photos have octagon barrels. This particular 94 has a round barrel. I am curious if anyone happens to know when Winchester switched from octagon to round barrels. I am worried that the barrel may not be original, replaced sometime between its manufacture date and when it came into my family's possession. Adding to my worry is the fact that both the barrel and tube magazine show a lot less wear and loss of bluing compared to the receiver, and pretty much any other piece of metal on the gun, which has almost no bluing left at all. Thoughts and information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
The serial number suggests that this gun was made in 1899. The only thing I know about its early life is the possible initials of its first owner, A.G.T., which is lightly stamped in several locations on the stock and forend. The rifle eventually wound up in the possession of my grandfather's uncle, purchased used in the late 30s or early 40s, following a poor deer hunting experience involving a rifle chambered for .32-20. Apparently, my grandfather's uncle, unable to take a deer in a single shot with the .32-20, chased the wounded animal for several miles, before loosing it to a fellow hunter with a higher power rifle. The 94 served my family well for several years before being lent to friends and replaced with a 1937 vintage Savage 99 in 300 Savage (we still have this one too). The rifle eventually came back into the family, and into my grandfather's hands who continued to hunt with it until the 1970s when he stopped hunting, and really shooting all together. It took my extreme interest in the shooting sports to get him back into shooting, and I take him to the range a few times a year.
As you can probably imagine, decades of use have had an effect on its condition, and she has very little of her bluing left. That aside, with the exception of some minor rust and pitting, everything appears to be in great working shape. The patina and its condition, I feel helps tell her story, but I have the ambition to maintain this rifle, to try to preserve her the best I can, so she can continue to tell her story for the generations to come. Thoughts and tips on maintaining an antique such as this are greatly appreciated, as I am not well versed in lever guns.
I end my post with a question: All examples of 1899 vintage Winchester 94s that I have seen online in photos have octagon barrels. This particular 94 has a round barrel. I am curious if anyone happens to know when Winchester switched from octagon to round barrels. I am worried that the barrel may not be original, replaced sometime between its manufacture date and when it came into my family's possession. Adding to my worry is the fact that both the barrel and tube magazine show a lot less wear and loss of bluing compared to the receiver, and pretty much any other piece of metal on the gun, which has almost no bluing left at all. Thoughts and information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
