Value of old Model 94

T

Tom68

New member
Manufactured in 1912 per the serial #, Model 1894 saddle ring carbine with 20" round barrel and full length magazine tube. Retains maybe 5-10% original finish on the receiver, and a few spots of slight pitting on the barrel and magazine tube. Barrel / forearm band is missing the mounting screw, and forearm has some slight damage from what was obviously a swift removal of the band without first removing the screw. Action locks up tight, and operation is smooth.

I'll add pictures later if I can (file size too big and I can't adjust on this iPad)... I know pics will help greatly in offering an estimate. Does anyone have a range of values this rifle in this condition might be?
 
sorry for my lack of skill in posting pictures... anyway, hope this helps provide a little bit of info to make an estimate.

looked on GB and found a few nearly comparable items, but what a seller wants for an item and its actual worth are often two different things!
 
You hit it right on the button. You can ask whatever you want for a rifle but you have to find someone that wants it for that price.

I can't give you an estimate of what it's worth. It depends on the condition and age. Enjoy your new gun.
 
Oh, it's not mine. Local fellow owns it and may want to sell, but he doesn't know what he has and asked what I thought it was worth. It was only then that I mentioned that I might be interested. I won't knowingly take advantage of his lack of understanding, and I won't cheat him in any way... But naturally I want a good buy! I'm just wanting to get some opinions from others with more experience in trading vintage guns.
 
You have a post-war Winchester 94 SRC (saddle ring carbine), most likely chambered for 30-30 Winchester (although other chamberings were available). In the condition shown, value will run from $350-$500, depending on local market and preferences. If you put it online, you may draw about $600.
 
Scorch, it's definitely not a post-war... serial number is 606,xxx and was manufactured in 1912 according to Winchesterguns.com. It is indeed chambered for .30-30 (30 WCF).

I've looked at several currently on GB that are not quite as old, and in somewhat better condition (I think one was mfg in 1936, another 1922 IIRC) and therefore have some idea about what at least a few people think 94s of this vintage are worth.

Perhaps a better question to the Model 94 collectors out there would be, all other things being equal, does a 1912 date bring significantly more than one manufactured in the 20s or 30s?

I realize that the value would be greater if it had an octagonal barrel, or a caliber other than 30 WCF, or some of the other variations that Winchester offered at the time. I'm just looking for a ballpark figure for a 1912-made Model 94 SRC without any extra frills, with a receiver about 5% finish and barrel/magazine somewhere around 75% with a little bit of pitting, plus a slightly damaged forend.

i'm just looking to give the owner a ballpark figure, and if it's in my range, I just might make an offer on it.
 
I could be wrong, but it looks like the loading gate has been replaced. It definitely looks like it was made before 1937 by the shape of the fore-end wood. What does the hammer look like? It should be checkered, not serrated like the later ones. On some of the very early ones I have seen, the hammer is checkered in a, "tombstone", pattern. From what little I can see in the pictures of the condition of the rifle, I don't think it's worth much. A fair price for both the buyer and the seller is likely right at $300.00. For about $400.00, you can get a little better condition one made between 1937-1963. Condition and vintage makes all the difference in value.
 
I couldn't get a good look at the rear sight but it looks like it might be the express sight which is not as common as sights using serrated piece of metal to adjust the sights. IIRC folded down was 25 yards, one blade up 100 yards and the tallest 200 yards. My M94 has that type sight. The serial number puts it very early in 1911. It belonged to my Great grandfather and has been handed down. Killed my very first deer with it in 1954 at age 11. I hesitate to give even a fair guess at the value.
Paul B.
 
The 32nd Edition of the Blue Book of Gun Values (Copyright 2011) indicates the value is under $450 (probably closer to $350) based on your photos and description of its condition.
 
Thank you, Lefteye... That is precisely they sort of response I needed. I'll wait to see if any dissenters chime in before I offer an opinion to my friend.
 
I'm glad to be able to provide useful information. By the way, I inherited a Winchester Model 1892 lever action rifle in .25-20 in excellent condition - probably worth between $2,000 and $3,000 - but I have no interest in selling it.
 
How did the owner come to possess the rifle? If it was a family heirloom and if he was a friend, I would encourage him to keep it. There is such a thing as sentimental value. If it has family history, it becomes priceless to that family. Otherwise, it looks like it needs some work/repairs/parts. Does it have the original buttplate? Is everything all original? Without looking at it in my hands it's impossible to be sure. If you paid $300.00, you wouldn't be paying too little, as it looks like a project gun. I would check the headspace with a resized case and a fired primer, barely started, close the bolt on it, remove and measure the case rim plus the height of the primer to make sure it's within specs. You can get some parts, like the fore-end screw from Numrich. It can be a fun project, if you don't over-pay for it. If you go for a restoration, like rebluing, you can actually reduce its worth. But in this case, there's not a lot of value to lose. Good luck. If you buy it, I hope you have fun with it and make a decent shooter out of it.
 
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If its mechanically good and the bore isnt thrashed, it should make a nice shooter. The prices mentioned, $350-$450 dont seem outrageous for the condition. It looks like it has an odd finish on the wood, not like I've seen on others. Could just be the pictures though.

I dont believe theres necessarily any premium on a 1912 gun over a basically similar one from the 20's.

The ginch in the wood may be sort of repairable if you refinish the wood properly and carefully, meaning dont just sand it down. It could be a fun project if the mechanical aspects are sound.

I dont think this gun is all that collectible in its present condition. It wouldnt hurt my feelings to see it refinished if well done and not ruin all the edges of the wood, and not power buff the metal. A good refinish could make it into a very nice shooter grade gun with a lot of character, certainly much more than a post WWII gun.

It does indeed look like it has an express rear sight. Are all the leaves in sound condition? They sometimes get broken.
 
The owner tells me it's been in his family a long time, but did not offer any details (I referred to him as "my friend" in an earlier post--I was being a little silly, should have said "new friend" as I only met him last saturday.) Since I don't know him well, I didn't want to appear to be too nosy.

The rifle does appear to have all original parts, although I certainly can't vouch for the loading gate, as I wouldn't have recognized a mismatch. The sights are the flip-type express sights... I had never seen them before and until starting this thread, had never heard of such on a Winchester (I can't recall, it has two or three leaves I think). The crescent buttplate appears to be original. Didn't have a bore light, but if I were serious about buying it, I'd be sure to check out the bore. The wood is darkened by excess gun oil... I forgot to mention that it was literally dripping in Rem-Oil and it had leeched into the buttstock and would need to be baked out in the sun not much unlike removing cosmoline from a mil-surp.

he actually mentioned that it could be re-blued: I immediately asked him to not do that, as it would kill whatever collector value the gun had. What I'm hearing now is that it really doesn't have a whole lot of collector value left in it, due to the condition of the receiver and the damage to the forearm.

I believe that if I were to buy it, I wouldn't pay over $400 and I wouldn't plan on shooting full-power loads through it... probably just my bunny-fart Trail Boss cast loads. But it would be fun to own and shoot a 103 year old gun, though.
 
Unless its sloppy loose, I wouldnt worry about shooting it with standard ammo. I rescued a terribly abused 1920s gun. It had been used so much the magazine spring had worn through in two places. They overlapped the ends and wrapped sewing thread around them and soldiered on. The entire action felt like it was full of mud, I dont think it had been cleaned in 40 or more years when I got it. It still worked fine. So long as you dont dry fire them, they are hard to hurt.

If you shoot it and the primers back out a little, dont have a cow, unless its extreme. The ammo is generally on the skinny side of headspace, and the action may (or may not) be on the slightly loose side, but even guns completely in spec often back primers out a little. Its generally considered a low pressure sign. The round isnt developing enough pressure to push the head back against the bolt face. The ejector is spring loaded and pushes the shell forward when the bolt is closed. Not enough pressure to overcome the ejector spring, and do the normal thing and push the shell head back like most high power rounds do. Few guns have zero clearance headspace. The ammo would have to be perfect,...which it isnt.
 
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