Welcome.
What do you have invested in your carbine?
Unfortunately, the wood on your carbine has been refinished. It even may have been replaced and refinished. The finish of the rear ladder sight is well worn relative to the barrel. It might be just well worn being raised relative to the barrel or replaced later.
Receivers from that era flaked a lot and I can’t tell if the appearance is from flaking only or, to me, it looks like bluing might have been applied a long time ago.
Hello Pat,
What is the serial number on your Model 1894 SRC?
Unfortunately, I see several issues (bad news) with it in the pictures you provided.
1. The barrel has at least one non-factory hole drilled & tapped in it.
2. The front sight blade is not factory original.
3. The front barrel band is installed backwards.
4. The receiver frame appears to have cold blue on it.
5. The gumwood stocks have been sanded and refinished.
The actual value of the gun is approximately 50% of what you paid for it.
Sorry for the grim review,
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Hi Guys,
I am new here but I have read a lot of the posts on this site and I find them very interesting. I was at a local gun store yesterday and saw an 1894 rifle full octagon barrel in 30-30 and when I ran the serial number found it was made in 1898. I wasn’t able to look at the bore but it had a small modern scope put on it and it was well worn. The price of the rifle was $2200 I believe and clearly over priced. Not a rifle I was going to purchase just curious about. The rifle was consigned so the price was probably the owners put on it not the gun store. Its hard to find a full octagon barrel 94 at least I don’t see many but the shape of the rifle would have turned me off. A friend of mine recently gave me an 1894 carbine in 30-30 which I dated to 1905 its in used shape and the bore is probably good+. When I got the rifle I evaluated it critically with some of the references I have and what I have seen offered for sale and figured it was probably worth about $1000-$1200, not that I plan to sell it. When I shot it from the bench out to 50 yards I could keep a 5 shot group loaded one at a time almost inside 2″ with commercial ammo, I didn’t touch the sight shot it as I received it. For me that is pretty good. I didn’t pay for that carbine but if I saw it for sale I might have been interested in it. I have seen similar carbines in the same caliber & condition be offered in the $1500-$1800 range.
The point I am getting at is neither the carbine I got from my friend or the rifle I saw at the gun store have collector value but as I see it they have user value. There is still a pretty big interest in lever action rifles and there are a lot of companies making them. If you wanted a clone Winchester carbine or rifle you have a lot to choose from Uberti, Rossi, Japchester, just to name a few and if they are in stock. Other than Rossi, I don’t think you could get one for under $1000 and to me that is were these user Winchesters come in. For me I would rather have a vintage Winchester that I could use and enjoy without worrying about having it in the “weather”. I have owned a couple of these clones and they are not bad but nothing compares to owning, holding, and shooting a vintage Winchester.
What I love about this site is you can ask about a particular Winchester and get a critical assessment about it from the members here which is very valuable. What Bert said about your carbine is valuable to knowing about your particular purchase. But I wouldn’t beat yourself up about paying what you did for it. If you plan to use it and enjoy it there is a lot of value there. The next time (and I bet there will be a next time) you can be better prepared to make a more educated purchase by the assistance of the members on this site.
Rob
Bert H. said
Hello Pat,What is the serial number on your Model 1894 SRC?
Unfortunately, I see several issues (bad news) with it in the pictures you provided.
1. The barrel has at least one non-factory hole drilled & tapped in it.
2. The front sight blade is not factory original.
3. The front barrel band is installed backwards.
4. The receiver frame appears to have cold blue on it.
5. The gumwood stocks have been sanded and refinished.
The actual value of the gun is approximately 50% of what you paid for it.
Sorry for the grim revie,
Bert
Bert thank you for pointing those out to me for future buys. I had no clue on what to look for the gun just caught my eye.
The S/N 803504
Robert Drummond Jr said
Hi Guys,I am new here but I have read a lot of the posts on this site and I find them very interesting. I was at a local gun store yesterday and saw an 1894 rifle full octagon barrel in 30-30 and when I ran the serial number found it was made in 1898. I wasn’t able to look at the bore but it had a small modern scope put on it and it was well worn. The price of the rifle was $2200 I believe and clearly over priced. Not a rifle I was going to purchase just curious about. The rifle was consigned so the price was probably the owners put on it not the gun store. Its hard to find a full octagon barrel 94 at least I don’t see many but the shape of the rifle would have turned me off. A friend of mine recently gave me an 1894 carbine in 30-30 which I dated to 1905 its in used shape and the bore is probably good+. When I got the rifle I evaluated it critically with some of the references I have and what I have seen offered for sale and figured it was probably worth about $1000-$1200, not that I plan to sell it. When I shot it from the bench out to 50 yards I could keep a 5 shot group loaded one at a time almost inside 2″ with commercial ammo, I didn’t touch the sight shot it as I received it. For me that is pretty good. I didn’t pay for that carbine but if I saw it for sale I might have been interested in it. I have seen similar carbines in the same caliber & condition be offered in the $1500-$1800 range.
The point I am getting at is neither the carbine I got from my friend or the rifle I saw at the gun store have collector value but as I see it they have user value. There is still a pretty big interest in lever action rifles and there are a lot of companies making them. If you wanted a clone Winchester carbine or rifle you have a lot to choose from Uberti, Rossi, Japchester, just to name a few and if they are in stock. Other than Rossi, I don’t think you could get one for under $1000 and to me that is were these user Winchesters come in. For me I would rather have a vintage Winchester that I could use and enjoy without worrying about having it in the “weather”. I have owned a couple of these clones and they are not bad but nothing compares to owning, holding, and shooting a vintage Winchester.
What I love about this site is you can ask about a particular Winchester and get a critical assessment about it from the members here which is very valuable. What Bert said about your carbine is valuable to knowing about your particular purchase. But I wouldn’t beat yourself up about paying what you did for it. If you plan to use it and enjoy it there is a lot of value there. The next time (and I bet there will be a next time) you can be better prepared to make a more educated purchase by the assistance of the members on this site.
Rob
Rob you couldn’t have said it any better my friend. I will be a little more prepared next time it was a spur of the moment I saw the gun and it caught my eye thank you for the input!
Pat
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