Winchester Model 94

W

whippoorwill

New member
This should be an easy question for someone on this forum...

A friend of mine just showed me a Winchester 94 that had belonged to his father. The cartridge is .32 Winchester Special. It's what I call a carbine configuration, i.e. it has a carbine butt plate (not crescent), saddle ring, and appears to be 20" barrel, although I didn't measure it. The serial number was 932XXX.

The rear sight was not a standard buckhorn. This is probably a poor way to describe it, but it looked a bit "military" to me. Does anyone know what this might have been with no more description than I've given? Factory or add on? Thanks in advance.
 
Think I've figured it out. It's a factory rear sight. Looks as if it the rifle was built in 1923. If there's anything else neat about this rifle that you think I should know, feel free to post. Thanks!
 
Serial number put it at about 1923 manufacture. The United States and Canada both bought 94's for use by home forces. The U.S. used it to protect lumber needed for war effort while Canada used them for the Canadian Rangers(I believe that is what they were called) during WW2. But to everything I have read all of these rifles were new made and in 30-30 so I am guessing that what you were looking at has had been modified by owners or had custom options added when rifle was bought new. But with info given that is only a wild guess.
 
the .32 ammo costs more than 30-30, but it's a great round. the 32's typically sell for less than the 30-30, in the same condition, but the quality is the same.
 
I have a 1952 Winchester 94 in 32 special, it's a fine rifle. A bit hotter than the 30-30 and a flatter trajectory, good caliber for whitetails here in the hills
 
The sight sounds like a typical early carbine sight. These sights has a "slider" latter sight standard. When folded down the rear sight had the typical V notch. For extended range the "ladder" was raised and the "slider" could be raised or lowered to compensate for different ranges.
 
The gun is a Model 94 or 1894 saddle ring carbine (SRC). At one time, these were a common lightweight rifle. 32 Special has almost exactly the same ballistics as the 30-30.
 
This is the issue rear sight for an 1894 Carbine

06.JPG


This is the issue rear sight for an 1894 Rifle

06_fs.jpg


.
 
You guys nailed the sight. When I was looking at it after church yesterday, it didn't appear that the ladder could be raised. That's what threw me. But, thinking about it now, it had to be that, else it wouldn't make any sense. I'm still not sure why they would put that type of sight on a carbine. Did they really expect folks to take long range shots that required a ladder sight with their carbines? Maybe so. In any case, thanks so much for the answers and photos. My friend is thinking that his dad might have bought the carbine during a stay in Abilene, Kansas back in the early 1920s. He's please with the added information.
 
winchester 94 model

can someone tell me what year my winchester 94 .32 special was made and what it would be worth , serial number 2749xxx
 
your 94 was manufactured around 1964 just missing that pre 64 by a few thousand guns. the post 64s are not as sought after as pre 64s.
here's the link
type in your serial to get the approximate manufacture year.
 
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