I got this carbine in Tulsa from a dealer that got this carbine in Montana at an estate auction. Of course that’s what the dealer said. It has a cattle brand on the butt stock D C connected. The serial number is 185 and I hope to have a letter in about a month. Other options are just standard and the finish is gone and the overall quality is not pretty but it’s a well used carbine and radiate history. The good news is it shoots and functions well.
November 7, 2015
Steven Gabrielli said
I’m agree with Burt, you’re missing one or more digits of that serial number, might be impossible ever to tell what it is
For the first digit I think I see the top of a “3” but we may never know.
Mike
TXGunNut said
For the first digit I think I see the top of a “3” but we may never know.
Depends on HOW badly you want to know:
https://forensicresources.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/SerialNumberRestoration4-14.pdf
Only if the number were pre-1899 would it be worth the trouble; otherwise, what real diff does it make? Far more interesting to me would be tracking down that brand, learning where the gun acquired the “stories” it could tell; one of them, I think, involved Bob Wire.
clarence said
TXGunNut said
For the first digit I think I see the top of a “3” but we may never know.
Depends on HOW badly you want to know:
https://forensicresources.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/SerialNumberRestoration4-14.pdf
Only if the number were pre-1899 would it be worth the trouble; otherwise, what real diff does it make? Far more interesting to me would be tracking down that brand, learning where the gun acquired the “stories” it could tell; one of them, I think, involved Bob Wire.
Clarence, I have a 1903 vintage M1894 SRC with a sheep ranch brand on the stock. The brand also appears on the leather scabbard I got with the carbine.
I have a letter telling the history of the carbine and the sheep ranch all the way back to 1903, thru both world wars and up to a couple years ago when a friend purchased the carbine from the last remaining family member. Considering all the owners and the age of the carbine, it remains it very nice condition with only the front sight being changed out. The factory letter does not mention much. Big Larry
Big Larry said I have a letter telling the history of the carbine and the sheep ranch all the way back to 1903, thru both world wars and up to a couple years ago when a friend purchased the carbine from the last remaining family member. Considering all the owners and the age of the carbine, it remains it very nice condition with only the front sight being changed out. The factory letter does not mention much. Big Larry
You ought to make a copy of that letter & wrap it around the stock, or some other way to keep it permanently with the gun; without that documentation, it’s just another ’94 with some “unknown” marking on the stock.
That rifle (and scabbard) sure have some character. Neat that it still functions and shoots well. Amazing after way over a century and a lot of hard use, it can still do what it was meant to do the day it left the factory.
I’m thinking the serial number is five digits for sure.
As Bert mentioned the SN is not correct for the configuration. And as others have noted the SN is not centered on the bottom of the receiver. Can you please post photos of the upper tang? I might be able to help a bit further with that information. The hammer is not correct for a 4 digit gun.
Michael
Model 1892 / Model 61 Collector, Research, Valuation
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