Winchester model 94 stamped S.F.P.D. On receiver was made in 1957 |Winchester Rifles|Forum|Winchester Collector

I use to own a SFPD Model 94 carbine, serial #1075072 that I purchased from the Davis Company in West Sacramento, California on 11-30-1983.  They had acquired them directly from the San Francisco Police Department by trading to the department equipment that that the department needed.  Apparently the SFPD could not sell the rifles, but could use them as trade items for other equipment. Davis Co, had gotten quite a few of them. I remember them having around twenty  of them on display for the wonderful price of $125. That’s what I paid.  The SFPD must have purchased them over a number of years because they looked to be versions from the early 1930s, such as the one I bought, on through the 1940s and 1950s. None of them showed much wear on the wood or bluing.  Mine just had bumps and dings like it had laid mainly in the trunk of a patrol car. They had more at a second store location in Berkeley with 20 more there.  The total was around 40 Model 94s. They also had received a number of Remington Model 11s, and lastly 4 S&W Model 58s that Davis Company kept for themselves. (I only know this after all these years because I wrote it down in my inventory book back when I purchased the Model 94.) The SFPD was hand stamped on top of the barrel just behind the carbine flip up rear sight. The locations of the SFPD stamp varied from rifle to rifle. The one I purchased was the oldest appearing model that I saw there. I believe it was a 1931 vintage with no saddle ring.

I couldn’t afford more than one that day, so I asked the store if they would put a second one away for me and that I would be back the following week. They told me that they would, and so i returned the following week to buy it. The one that they had saved for me was different than the other ones I’d seen the week before. It showed obvious usage with the bluing gone from the receiver and no SFPD stamping.  I was disappointed, but bought it anyway. How can you lose at $125?  My theory is that this was a confiscated carbine that was just added to the department carbines when they traded them.  I later figured out that it was one of the 1937 transitional carbines, and I still own that one.  I wasn’t as disappointed when I realized what I had. It is serial #1123876.

The first carbine I traded away in September 1985 to Larry Wallace at the Cal Expo Gun Show in Sacramento for a Model 1876.  He was a dealer in old Winchesters, and great guy from Stockton, California that liked me and gave me many good deals. He is sadly deceased now. His favorite models were 1873s.  He had one of the three movie carbines form Jimmy Stewart’s 1950 movie.

One other interesting note that the fellows at the Davis Company mentioned to me was that they were aware that the SFPD also had in their inventory  a few Model 1892 carbines in 44-40 caliber. These, they said, had SFPD engraved on their receiver.  They were hopeful that they could work out a swap for those rifles as well. That got me excited, but as far as I’m aware, it never happened. Does the SFPD still retain these in their possession?  No idea, but I’ve never ever heard anything else about them.  I am not ware if Davis Company is still in business or not.  I moved north to Cottonwood a few years later. I hope this somewhat rambling post is helpful.