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1894 Winchester .38/55 with Nickel Steel Barrel
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mike webb
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December 8, 2014 - 3:29 pm
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I recently picked up an old .38/55 1894 with shotgun butt, hard rubber butt plate, button magazine and half round barrel. Wood is unsanded and decent and barrel is about 95% blue though action is mostly grey. All in all a decent special order 94. I noticed the barrel is a nickel steel especially for smokeless powder and I have read that .38/55 and .32/40 chambered 94’s had to be ordered with nickel steel barrels. This is the first I’ve seen and wondered how common this combination is? Any input is appreciated, will try to post pics.

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Bert H.
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December 8, 2014 - 3:52 pm
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Mike,

Early in production, nickel steel barrels for the 32-40 and 38-55 were special order, and generally were noted in the records as being “WHV” (a.k.a. Winchester High Velocity), ordered specifically for smokeless powder loads. In later years (after WW I), nickel steel barrels were much more commonly found on the 32-40 and 38-55 caliber Model 1894 & 94 rifles & carbines.

 

Bert

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25-20
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December 8, 2014 - 4:37 pm
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I have an early 1894 in 38-55 with Nickel Steel barrel RBR .This is the main reason I bought it , as I really only collect full length octagon rifles. I may have bought it anyway for the exc. bore . (The first thing I check on a potential buy ) My Cody search does not mention WHV, perhaps mine a little earlier than this new fad. I havent seen many BP cartridge barrels stamped with this option . I read somewhere that it was a $2 option for 32-40 & 38-55, about  the same as an Octagon upgrade, but while the majority would pay for octagon, very few apparently would pay for the steel upgrade. I also would like to know the percentage. I have heard that later ones may be stamped NS under fore-end with out the visible top marking, but you would think that if it is N.S . Winchester would display this desirable upgrade prominently on top. I dont have any post WW1 black powder cals to check this. Also Winchester maybe didnt push the NS upgrade as they probably didnt want the Idea that the the standard black powder barrels were in-adequate

Phil

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mike webb
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December 8, 2014 - 5:28 pm
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I’m glad it has a nickel steel barrel as the bore is MINT. I suspect that it wouldn’t be so fine if it were regular steel. At any rate it is an interesting rifle and the first NS .38/55 (out of seven or eight)I have owned.

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