Winchester Rifle Expertise Needed!

M

mywinch

Inactive
I recently was given a Winchester rifle that my grandfather had in his closet since the 1960's. From what I can tell its a model 1894 manufactured sometime around 1906. Its serial number is 36823 and has 38 WCF printed at the beginning of the barrel.

One thing I am trying to determine is if the magazine is original. It looks like it was shortened for some reason as there is a slight cut mark on the barrel at the end of the magazine tube and there is a mark at the end of the barrel where it looks like the magazine once attached. I know you could custom order these guns but I suspect one of its owners made this modification.

My questions are as follows:

Does it look like a genuine 1894?

Is it a half-magazine from the factory or was it likely modified? If so, why would someone do so?

I assume it fires the .38-55 round?

Approximate value?

Pictures can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B1A6B-vdfHfacXFTQ3NkQTAwYXc&usp=sharing


Thank you in advance for your assistance!!!
 
Looks like a model 92 to me. 38-40 more likely. Condition & value: 5-700.00

If its a 92 it was made between the years 1894-1895

Is it a half-magazine from the factory or was it likely modified? If so, why would someone do so?
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Could very well be a factory original. Why do people cut their mags. In those early days maybe its tube got bent somehow or one of its previous owners decided he wanted a lighter weight rifle. 15 rounds is allot of weight and seldom a need for In its field hunting situations.
 
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If it's marked .38 WCF it is not a .38-55 -- it's chambered for the .38-40 round, which Winchester brought out in the early 1870s for the Model 1873 rifle.

Half magazines were one of myriad options available on rifles in this time frame.

I can't see the picture (work restrictions, apparently), but value could be between $500-$1K, or it could be much, much higher if the gun has certain attributes and condition is good.

If you look on the auction sites, you're hard pressed to find an 1892, even a clapped out one, for under $1,500, and most are going for a lot more, even though there's nothing special about them.

That's the way gun prices have gone over the past few years.
 
it looks to me as if the magazine tube has been shortened, the magazing cap was rounded on short magazines i think and it looks like the dove tail for the barrel hanger has been filled. eastbank.
 
Also, what do you think the modification of the magazine might have on its value? From a history standpoint I think its more interesting and gives it more character but I'm sure that doesn't help with the value.
 
The rear sight alone...if original, is worth $200.00.
I have a model 1894 short magazine rifle too and the magazine
end cap looks just like yours and I know that mine is original.
 
I believe the manufacture date is 1893.
You'll find the exact model located under that nice rear sight, but be
careful not to booger up the screw heads.
 
I added a few more pictures of the magazine. after looking at it more closely I don't believe the mark at the end of the magazine is a saw mark from it being modified because it doesn't line up with the end of the tube where it would have been cut and there are similar looking marks other places on the barrel. If you rested the gun in a rack or something with a hard edge I suspect it would make a similar kind of mark.

However I still can't account for the discoloration at the end of the barrel that looks like there was something attached to support a longer magazine, unless this is common with a custom ordered Winchester. Looking online I have seen Winchester's with a very similar short magazine but not an 1892 model. Seems that the button magazine or full magazine are what I have found for the 1892 whereas many other Winchesters seem to feature half/short magazines.

All I can go from is pictures I find online. Your guys knowledge has been very helpful!
 
Is it possible that you can get a picture of the barrel under the front sight ?
And just where is that of which appears to be a patch located ?
 
That doesnt look like a barrel filler.

I think the magazine is a 2/3rd length and it has a proper mag cap.

But... I'm not an expert.
 
I can when I get home though I'm pretty sure there are no markings where you describe. I have added an example picture of an 1886 that would seem to have an identical magazine.
 
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Sure looks like a filled front magazine ring dovetail.
And that 86 you show has a "button" magazine cap, not the flat, slotted one on your 92. Nicely cut down, but cut down, in my opinion. Hurts the resale value, not that I would be in a hurry to sell Grandpa's Gun.
 
Jim,

I would agree with you except that it doesn't appear to be in the right place. All of the rifles i'm seeing have the dovetail at the end of the barrel just before the sight, and what appears to be filled on mine is 5 inches from the end of the barrel (I'll have more pictures of this shortly). That said, something clearly was filled on the barrel and I would agree with you that the dovetail would make the most sense, but it just doesn't seem to be in the right spot. A mystery!

And no I'm not looking to sell Grandpa's gun, this thing is awesome! I just want to understand exactly what it is and insure it (or not) based on its value. If it ended up being particularly valuable I would definitely intend on insuring it.
 
Correction to my last post, I think I have figured out the discrepancy. If you look at my photos I just added a picture of an 1892 with a different style "dovetail" that corresponds to the location of the filling mark on mine.
 
Another thing to look at...remove the butt plate and see if anyone has stored a little history note behind it. That's a little trick that I do yet today.
 
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