Lot 9

Special Order Winchester Deluxe Model 1894 Lever Action Rifle

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Special Order Winchester Deluxe Model 1894 Lever Action Rifle

Estimate: $50,000 - $85,000

Starting Bid: $45,000

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
June 27, 2026 5:00 PM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Extremely Rare and Magnificent Antique Special Order Winchester Deluxe Model 1894 Takedown Lever Action Rifle with Matted Extra Light Barrel in Desirable .25-35 W.C.F. with Factory Letter The Winchester Model 1894 is one of the most beloved of all American firearms. The design from legendary gunsmith John Moses Browning has stood the test of time and is still in widespread use after more than 130 years and remains one of the country's classic deer rifles. Browning had already designed the Winchester Model 1885 single shot rifle, the Model 1886 firing powerful big game cartridges, and the Model 1892 firing smaller black powder era cartridges also compatible with Colt's revolvers such as the .44-40 W.C.F., but the Model 1894 was revolutionary: it was the first sporting rifle specifically developed for smokeless powder. It offered a sleek and dependable new option for American sportsmen and law enforcement and building on Winchester's legendary reputation was popular from the start. 250,000 Model 1894s were in circulation by 1905, 500,000 by 1911, and 1,000,000 by 1927 when the millionth rifle was presented to President Calvin Coolidge. Millions more were made in the decades that followed. The Model 1894 proved popular all around the country with Americans of all walks in life. They were especially popular rifles and carbines for law enforcement, ranchers, farmers, and hunters, including President Theodore Roosevelt who used a Model 1894 in .30-30 to hunt pronghorn in the West and another outfitted with a Maxim silencer for varmint control at Sagamore Hill. The Model 1894 also saw use in multiple conflicts. They can be seen in numerous photographs of men on both sides of the coal wars, and they saw use in both World War I and World War II, particularly for guards, troops in remote regions, and for sailors to free up standard arms for the front lines. The .25-35 W.C.F. was introduced into the Model 1894 line in 1895 and was one of the first small caliber smokeless cartridges alongside the venerable .30-30 W.C.F. and offered higher velocity and lower recoil than the .30-30. Early on, it was popular for medium sized game, including deer, and some used their Model 1894s in .25-35 to take much larger game, including moose, with careful shot placement. High condition, special order Winchester Model 1894s are highly prized by collectors. Most Model 1894s were standard rifles and carbines that were used extensively, often by several generations. Thus, relatively few early Winchester Model 1894s remain in high condition. Per the Madis numbers published by Winchester, this rare special order rifle is antique. The factory letter confirms the configuration as: .25-35 caliber with a matted, extra light, round barrel; set trigger, takedown configuration, half magazine, and fancy, checkered stock. It was received in the warehouse on July 23, 1901, and then shipped on July 27 in order 98800. This rifle has an incredible array of special order features. The matted barrel alone is a very noteworthy feature. As Winchester expert and author George Madis pointed out, "Matted barrels were produced in very limited numbers." According to research compiled by Oswalt and Hawk published in "Armax Vol. V", only 200 rifles were produced with matted barrels out of the first 353,999 Model 1894s manufactured, and they list this particular example by serial number as having a matted barrel. A rifle with these carefully selected features was also no doubt ordered with a specific purpose in mind, and that purpose was not for it to be beautifully preserved for decades to come. Somehow, this rifle escaped the rigors of the fields and forests and remains nearly as it left the factory 125 years ago with exceptional fit and finish of our nation's talented craftsmen, including gorgeous high polish blue finish on the barrel and frame and vibrant case colors on the lever, hammer, and buttplate. The rifle has a beaded blade front sight dovetailed on a ramped base, rare wavy line matting along the length of the top of the barrel, adjustable sporting rear sight, the two-line nickel steel marking and one-line "22-35 W.C.F." marking on the left at the breech, correctly no proofs, close coupled set triggers, the three-line model and patent marking on the upper tang, and a beautifully figured fancy walnut stock and forearm with checkering and a casehardened crescent buttplate.

Manufacturer: Winchester

Model: 1894

BBL: 26 inch round

Stock: highly figured deluxe walnut

Gauge: 25-35 WCF

Finish: blue

Serial Number115361

Class: Antique

  • Condition: Excellent. This extraordinary special order Winchester Model 1894 remains nearly as it left the factory 125 years ago and retains 97% plus of the bright original high blue finish. There are only some very faint handling and storage marks and very minor surface oxidation visible on the upper tang. The loading gate retains 90% plus bright original nitre blue finish, and 95% plus of the vibrant original case colors remain on the hammer, lever, and buttplate. The wood is also excellent and has beautiful flame figure on both the forearm and the buttstock, crisp checkering, essentially all of the glossy finish, some minor blemishes by the heel, and otherwise minimal handling and storage marks. Mechanically excellent. This is a truly extraordinary Winchester Model 1894 in terms of both the rarity of its configuration and its overall excellent condition.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000