Went gun show hoppin' a fort-night ago, and what did i happen upon, but this-here pretty little rattletrap. I had always wanted a Winchester model 94' saddle-ring carbine, and while they are not particularly rare (Winchester's Hartford factory has churned out several million since the guns inception) they have become a bit pricey, especially since Winchester closed it's doors several years ago.
Having agonized over a clean, late model specimen earlier in the day, I was happy as all get-out to stumble across this unassuming long-arm with a price so easy on the wallet that I might as well have stolen it. The serials point to and early-teens manufacture date, and while it is in the standard .30 WCF (30-30 Marlin) it has several interesting features, most notably a special order shotgun stock, and an over sized lever loop (Generally assumed to facilitate gloved riders).
The weird thing is that the over sized loop appears to be factory (It bears the same wear as the rest of the gun). Did Winchester offer an over sized lever loop as a special order? I know that such accessories became popular following the debut of the 'Rifleman' T.V. show (God Bless Chuck Connors!) and 'True Grit', but this gun is decidedly older. I have read some oblique references to government issued 94' Trapper carbine models sent to the Pacific North West w/ similar features, but this particular gun is not federally stamped. I intend to write the Cody Museum to see if perhaps they can provide some answers. Regardless, this little workhorse is a welcome addition to the family.
2 comments:
Probably an add on. Also called "large loop" or "bow fingered" levers.
All I could find officially was that Winchester did not make any in the 1892 model. Nothing about the 1894. Several sources say it was an invention of Hollywood.
I figure the best way to find out is to buy a letter from Cody ($$$). Either way, I could never pass up a pre-war Winchester.
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