… and some are neither? So, this one here. I wouldn’t feel safe shooting it. It looks like it’s built on a Model 1894 receiver. No mention of who did the work, brand of barrel or if it feeds cartridges. I suppose it could be a rebore. Basically no information at all. Yet that hasn’t stopped people from bidding.
Reaction from other members?
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/845908865
November 7, 2015

Well….it’s shiny.
Mike
The modern 94 chambered in 444 is called the timber carbine. There is also an XTR model with full mag. And they have more steel around the locking block like the 1970s 375 WIN 94.
I use the 444 on sambar deer down here in Victoria. 265gn Hornady interlocks do the job well.
Chris
A man can never have too many WINCHESTERS...
clarence said
Yes, but isn’t there a modern (so called) 94 available in that chambering?
By others responses I believe their is. I would of giggled and laughed at the thought of a “new” 94 chambered in 444. Due to my ignorance of modern Winchesters I can’t tell you a thing about them. The only one I have had in my hands is one of the Wranglers chambered in 32WS. I was doing a local gun show and had a pretty clean 2nd model1890 22 short I picked up cheap. The Wrangler was NIB and the guy did a straight trade with me. My son’s birthday was the next weekend, guess what he got.
I do find it ironic for Winchester to use a Marlin cartridge when Marlin chambered for so many Winchester cartridges in the years gone by. “marketing”
Erin
Erin Grivicich said
clarence said
Yes, but isn’t there a modern (so called) 94 available in that chambering?
By others responses I believe their is. I would of giggled and laughed at the thought of a “new” 94 chambered in 444. Due to my ignorance of modern Winchesters I can’t tell you a thing about them. The only one I have had in my hands is one of the Wranglers chambered in 32WS. I was doing a local gun show and had a pretty clean 2nd model1890 22 short I picked up cheap. The Wrangler was NIB and the guy did a straight trade with me. My son’s birthday was the next weekend, guess what he got.
I do find it ironic for Winchester to use a Marlin cartridge when Marlin chambered for so many Winchester cartridges in the years gone by. “marketing”
Erin
I believe that the 38-55 and the 32-40 were both Ballard/Marlin chamberings that Winchester started using in the 1885 and then the 1894. The earliest box for these cartridges call out for “Winchester single shot, Ballard and Marlin Rifles”.
Per the Catalogs the 38-55 Ballard is first listed and shown in the Jan. 1, 1884 catalog. The .32-40 is listed and shown in the Nov. 1, 1885 catalog which is also the first catalog to show the .32 Bullard and .38 Bullard cartridges as well.
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
Maverick said
Per the Catalogs the 38-55 Ballard is first listed and shown in the Jan. 1, 1884 catalog. The .32-40 is listed and shown in the Nov. 1, 1885 catalog which is also the first catalog to show the .32 Bullard and .38 Bullard cartridges as well.Sincerely,
Maverick
I always enjoy references to the Bullard cartridges. The .32-40 Bullard is not interchangeable with the .32-40 we are familiar with. It is a bottle necked cartridge and I believe the bullet diameter is about .317. The 38-45 Bullard is shorter than the .38-55. Not many rifles chambered in these rifles. I have a Bullard single-shot rifle and it is chambered from the factory in .32-40 Ballard/Marlin. The two .32-40 Bullard repeating rifles I have are the Bullard chambering.
steve004 said
Not many rifles chambered in these rifles. I have a Bullard single-shot rifle and it is chambered from the factory in .32-40 Ballard/Marlin. The two .32-40 Bullard repeating rifles I have are the Bullard chambering.
Introducing unfamiliar cartridges, having no practical advantages over popular ones, was not a wise move for a start-up company. (Nor was that the company’s only unwise business decision, according to Jamison’s excellent book.) But the gun itself was the Cadillac of lever-actions, in my opinion. I’ve only had the opportunity to handle one of them, belonging to a friend, but not only was it the smoothest lever-action I’ve ever handled, but everything else about its construction was the epitome of fine craftsmanship. In 50 yrs of attending gun shows, I only saw a handful offered for sale, & they were all priced way above my pay-grade.
Maverick said
Per the Catalogs the 38-55 Ballard is first listed and shown in the Jan. 1, 1884 catalog. The .32-40 is listed and shown in the Nov. 1, 1885 catalog which is also the first catalog to show the .32 Bullard and .38 Bullard cartridges as well.Sincerely,
Maverick
Maverick, this is true for the commercial loadings for the 32-40 and 38-55 but the Ballard target loads were being used earlier.
Chuck said
Maverick, this is true for the commercial loadings for the 32-40 and 38-55 but the Ballard target loads were being used earlier.
Yes, the .38-50 Ballard came along in the mid 1870s. Many if not most popular cartridges were developments of earlier ones. Before the .32-40 there was the .32-35 Stevens, and so on
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