Winchester Model 1894 .25-35 W.C.F. Lever-Action Rifle (1899) — Nickel Steel Part-Octagon 21.25 Inch Barrel, 7-Round
This Winchester Model 1894 was manufactured in 1899 and is chambered in the less common .25-35 W.C.F. It features a nickel steel barrel marked "Especially for Smokeless Powder," a part-octagon/part-round profile, and a measured 21.25-inch length that is non-typical relative to common catalog lengths. Classic details include a right-side loading gate, top ejection, and a straight-grip walnut stock with a steel crescent buttplate.
Condition
Overall Condition: Good condition, showing some signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Excellent Rifling - Sharp lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: Typical handling marks consistent with the platform's age and prior use. Areas of finish loss are present. The bore is bright and clean. Refer to pictures.
What’s Included
- Winchester Model 1894 lever-action rifle chambered in .25-35 W.C.F.
Produced in the 1890s era with a 1899 manufacture date, this rifle retains the correct tang legend reading "Model 1894 — Winchester — Pat. Aug. 21, 1894." The barrel carries Winchester's New Haven address along with "Nickel Steel Barrel — Especially for Smokeless Powder," reflecting the period's transition to smokeless cartridges.
The .25-35 W.C.F. chambering is less common than .30 W.C.F., and this example pairs it with a part-octagon-to-round nickel steel barrel. The measured barrel length is 21.25 inches, a non-typical length relative to common catalog offerings, and it is matched to a button/short tubular magazine.
Sighting equipment includes a dovetailed front blade and a sporting rear leaf with elevator. The action is the classic Winchester lever design with a right-side loading gate and top ejection. Stated capacity is 7 rounds.
Stocking is traditional rifle configuration with walnut throughout: a straight-grip buttstock capped by a steel crescent buttplate, and a rifle forend with a steel cap. Length of pull measures 13.0 inches, and the receiver is steel.
Overall construction and markings align with period Winchester production, including U.S. manufacture in New Haven, Connecticut. The combination of nickel steel, smokeless rating, and the .25-35 W.C.F. chambering underscores this rifle's place in the late-1890s development of the Model 1894.