Don,
I looked at a different survey document I have, and found several more (earlier) serial numbers with the August 14th patent date error. Including the two recent guns on Gunbroker, I have a total of (16) in my surveys. Accordingly, they are not rare.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
January 26, 2011

deerhunter said
Tedk said
Second post in this thread may answer your question….
The patent date barrel marking on my 1892’s are October 14, 1884. The patent date on my 1886 (on the lower tang) reads PAT. OCT.14, 1884 / JAN. 20, 1885. So just wondering what the August 14, 1894 patent date corresponded with (if anything).
Don
Good question……… I’d like to know where it came from too.
~Gary~
Winchester had three different contours for roll dies: flat for octagon barrels, concave radius that matches the standard round barrel, and a concave die that matches the carbine barrel, and as I’ve just learned the ELW round barrel.
Since this error is only found on carbines and ELW round barrels, we can make the assumption that only one die has this particular patent date. This leads us to conclude that this was not a deliberate change on Winchester’s part, but more of a mistake on the engraver’s part.
Bottom line is that it’s an early 20th century version of a typo
And here we sit, nearly a hundred years later trying to determine the deeper meaning of a “typo”.
The reference to the 86/92 roll is just a Wild Axx Guess (WAG) on my part, as that’s the only barrel addy that has a 14 date in it, and it’s quite similar to the 94 dates in font size and overall size.
V/R
Mike
I find myself in complete agreement with Mike. The patent date error marking is not something to get worked up over, and there is no way to definitively determine “why” of “what” the reason for the error was… it simply exists, and it definitely is not a rarity.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert H. said
Interesting, and a rare Trapper!
Of possible interest, there are two Model 1894 Trapper Carbines out there with serial number 746707, yours, and a 15″ Trapper in 30 WCF… confirmed duplicate serial numbers!!
Bert
Bert,
Very interesting that there is another trapper with the same serial number. I got the BATF letter with mine.
When I bought this trapper from a local gun shop, I didn’t even realize the error patent date until I got it home.
Al
Bert H. said
Al,
The BATF issued a letter for the 15″ 30 WCF as well. It would be really cool to pair the two up in a collection
Bert
Sure would Bert. Here is the BATF publication where mine is listed https://www.atf.gov/publications/firearms/curios-relics/update-january-2009-june-2010.html.
I found the 30 WCF listed in the 1972 – 2007 publication, bottom of page 41. It’s listed as a 14″. https://www.atf.gov/sites/default/files/assets/pdf-files/p-5300-11-firearms-curios-or-relics-list.pdf.
Al
Still no 18 inch carbine.
Got a 15 incher, couple of 16s, a 30 incher and recently picked up a 32 inch in 32-40.
I looked at a 14 inch 94 (letterable) at the Tulsa show in Nov, but wayyy too rough for the money that they were asking, a serious dog.
So a 14, 18, 34 36, and the uber rare 19 is all I need
Mike Hunter said
Still no 18 inch carbine.
Got a 15 incher, couple of 16s, a 30 incher and recently picked up a 32 inch in 32-40.
I looked at a 14 inch 94 (letterable) at the Tulsa show in Nov, but wayyy too rough for the money that they were asking, a serious dog.
So a 14, 18, 34 36, and the uber rare 19 is all I need
Mike,
There are some other lengths you do not have…
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
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