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I was just looking at a model 1894 at Gunbroker.com. It is serial number 602 which according to the Cody letter, the serial number was applied November 7, 1894. Received warehouse November 27, 1894 and Shipped December 3, 1894. But what caught my attention was the order #3095. My lettered 1894 is serial number 31,607. Serial number applied December 6, 1897 with a ship date of August 5, 1898. The order number of mine is #1278. I am assuming that the order numbers were applied as received??? If that was the case, the poor soul waiting for what is now my rifle, would have waited for his rifle to ship for at least 4 years. Also….how does order # 3095 end up serial #602? Maybe the order numbers were for all models, not just the model 1894? Just curious to hear what you think. Both are plain rifles. The only difference in the two rifles is caliber. #602 is 38-55…#31607 is 32-40. Maybe order numbers started at 01 each year?? Any facts, theories or opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!!!
Order numbers were not used exclusively for the 94. They would of been used for all the models being built during that time so the order numbers would be jumping all around. As far as the numbers starting over. Its possible but if a guy had a look at the ledgers you could tell a lot. I know from what I have seen for order numbers is most of them have all less than 6 digits.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
In the earlier years at the Winchester factory, the orders numbers were reset when the new accounting year began, and were shared with all models (e.g. a shipment of Model 1873s and Model 1976s were on the same order number). I know this because Walt Hallstein once owned a Model 1873 and an 1876 that shipped on the same date with the same order number. Sometime in the early post-1900 years, the order numbers appear to be in separate continuing sequences per model, though I do not know that to be a fact.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Thanks guys,
It’s fun learning! The history of the old Rifles is exciting. It’s fun to wonder about the history, like my 1894 was found in Powder River country in Wyoming, and knowing it was shipped to someone years before the cattlemen’s invasion of Johnson County in 1892 or before Tom Horn entered Wyoming in 1901. The old rifles began their lives in the old west…..If they could only talk!
Mark
WyCowboy said
Thanks guys,It’s fun learning! The history of the old Rifles is exciting. It’s fun to wonder about the history, like my 1894 was found in Powder River country in Wyoming, and knowing it was shipped to someone years before the cattlemen’s invasion of Johnson County in 1892 or before Tom Horn entered Wyoming in 1901. The old rifles began their lives in the old west…..If they could only talk!
Mark
So true Mark! The history is much of the enjoyment.
We are so fortunate to have those like Bert and Bob who have so much knowledge and willing to share it.
I was reading an article “Winchester-The First 150 Years” in the NRA magazine ‘American Rifleman’ yesterday and found the story of how Winchester was founded very interesting.
Winchester Model 1873 44-40 circa 1886
January 26, 2011
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WyCowboy said
Thanks guys,It’s fun learning! The history of the old Rifles is exciting. It’s fun to wonder about the history, like my 1894 was found in Powder River country in Wyoming, and knowing it was shipped to someone years before the cattlemen’s invasion of Johnson County in 1892 or before Tom Horn entered Wyoming in 1901. The old rifles began their lives in the old west…..If they could only talk!
Mark
Where on Powder River………Kaycee? Arvada? I’ve stumbled around in those parts quite a bit.
~Gary~
Online
I have Mod. ’94 ser# 601 that shipped Nov. 21, 1894 to order # 1135. I was talking to the fella that owns #602, as these guns should be to-gether but it doesn’t look as though that will happen, shame. Henry
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
Once I had a mint WW2 Winchester M97 Trenchgun. Paid around $2,000 for it. On a gun site on the Net, I spotted the consecutive number to mine, also mint. BUT, the price was $7,000, so I passed up a chance at a consecutive pair. Consecutive guns of any type are very rare, and the problem is, the other guy will not give his up and neither will you. Big Larry
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