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September 22, 2011
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From another post, the Spruce Gun was discussed, with an obviously replaced barrel in .30 WCF. Original calibre not known. MY OBSERVATIONS only, but do others agree, that Model 1894 Carbines for ‘Government’ or ‘Corporate’ use during this time frame tend NOT to be in .30 WCF, but, rather, in .38-55 and .32-40. Other Model 1894 carbines I have seen over the years that have such a history, in my observations, tend to be in these two calibres. As an example, I have a Winchester Model 1894 carbine that dates from September of 1915 and it is in .38-55. It originally was owned by the Metropolitan District Commission which built the Barkhamsted Reservoir. See link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barkhamsted_Reservoir
However, now that I think about it, my firearm pre-dates the MDC by several years. Perhaps they purchased these used??? I do know that it was one of several .38-55 carbines owned by the MDC.
April 15, 2005
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No, I do not agree. All (1800) of the Spruce Guns and the (2500) PCMR Carbines are 30 WCF. All of the "corporate" bought Model 1894s that I have encountered have been 30 WCF as well, as have been the several dozen attributed to the Texas Rangers.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
January 19, 2013
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Didn’t I read some where that the Spruce guns were all ready made up and sitting in a warehouse when the idea came to someone at Winchester to try to sell some of their back stock to the government? And this then led the government to see the model 94’s as suited to being used by the timber industry guards? Which would be why you would see rifles made much earlier then you would think since we only entered the war in the summer of 1917.
I could be wrong.
September 22, 2011
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Bert H. said
No, I do not agree. All (1800) of the Spruce Guns and the (2500) PCMR Carbines are 30 WCF. All of the "corporate" bought Model 1894s that I have encountered have been 30 WCF as well, as have been the several dozen attributed to the Texas Rangers.Bert
Thank you, Bert! Your information, once again, is invaluable! I have only seen an occasional firearm here or there that was owned by a corporate or government entity, but not in the quantities you have surveyed. In hindsight, when I thought of the Spruce Gun in the other thread being rebarreled, and in .30 WCF, I assumed the reason for the rebarreling was because it was in a calibre other than .30 WCF. And, as with my MDC .38-55, which, most definitely, was owned by the MDC, I only learned yesterday that it pre-dates the MDC by well over a decade. Obviously, the MDC discovered a source of second-hand .38-55’s that may have been cheap locally at the time they needed firearms when building the Barkhamsted Reservoir.
