7,000,000 SOLD: INSIDE THE RISE OF THE WINCHESTER ’94 by Legacy of Gunpowder
Summary:
Discover the incredible story behind the Winchester Model 1894 — one of the most iconic rifles in American history. From its creation by John Browning to its role in shaping the frontier, this lever-action rifle became a symbol of the Old West and a favorite among hunters and collectors. Learn why the Winchester 1894 remains a legend over 100 years later.
| Above, my 1962 Winchester 94. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
One of the top (if not THE top) firearm restorers, Turnbull Restoration, posted a history of John Browning's Winchester 94 (or 1894) rifle.
I saw many Winchester 1894 rifles and carbines at the Winchester Arms Collectors Association's gun show in Cody, Wyoming last Friday of various ages.
The article is titled, "Winchester Model 1894 History and Legacy".
The article begins with:
There are few things in American history more enduring than the lever-action rifle. It’s hard to picture the late 19th-century frontier without one slung over a saddle or tucked behind a door. And of all the lever-actions ever made, none earned quite the reputation—or built the legacy—that the Winchester Model 1894 did.
This rifle, designed by John Moses Browning, wasn’t just a product of its time. It was a product that helped define its time.
To read more, go here.
| Above, my 1962 Winchester 94 in .30-30 caliber. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Those who follow this blog know that I am a big fan of the Winchester 94 lever-action rifle. I bought a pre-64 model six years ago and it is my favorite firearm.
The NRA posted an article on its history and disassembly back in 2021 in their online version of American Rifleman.
It starts with:
In November 1894, Winchester introduced its new Model 94 lever-action rifle with the following prophetic words: “We believe that no repeating rifle system ever made will appeal to the eye and understanding of the rifleman as this will and that use will continue to warrant first impressions.” Winchester’s new rifle quickly became the preferred firearm of Western settlers, prospectors, law enforcement officers, hunters and ranchers who appreciated its power, reliability, light weight and compact dimensions.
Today, more than 100 years and 5,500,000 rifles later, the Winchester Model 94 remains a bestseller for those same reasons. Like so many other successful rifles and shotguns, the Winchester Model 94 rifle was designed by John M. Browning who sold his Model 94 patent (No. 524702 of August 1894) to Winchester.
| Above, designer John Moses Browning. |
One of my Winchester rifles is a Winchester Model 62a, a pump-action .22 rifle. It is commonly called a "gallery gun" as they were frequently used in amusement park shooting galleries. It is a fun plinker.
I inherited mine from my maternal grandfather. It was made in 1947 according to its serial number.
The Winchester 62a was another creation by legendary gun designer John Moses Browning.
Here's a video on the 62a by Cape Gun Works:
The following was posted in one of the Winchester 94 Facebook groups.
It is an interesting photo of the Browning Brothers gun store in Ogden, Utah. Many gun designs we use today were invented by John Moses Browning.
According to the post:
Browning Brothers gun shop, Ogden, Utah Territory, 1882. From left to right: Thomas Samuel Browning, George Emmett Browning, John Moses Browning, Matthew Sandefur Browning, Jonathan Edmund Browning, an unnamed dog, and Frank Rushton. Note the sign with the misspelling of “ammunition.” (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
The building still exists. Utah members of E Clampus Vitus should plaque the location if they haven't done so already.
| Above, purchasing the Winchester 1894 rifle at Ron Peterson Firearms. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
When I was in Albuquerque killing time before my flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to catch the cruise ship to Key West and Havana, Cuba, I decided to go to Ron Peterson Firearms to browse around. Friends here had told me previously that Ron Peterson Firearms has a good reputation for thoroughly checking used firearms before putting them up for sale. That's why I decided to go there. Antiques Roadshow has featured Ron Peterson as a firearms expert on the show.
While there, I spotted a Winchester 1894 .30-30 lever-action rifle on a rack. I looked at the tag and it said it was a pre-1964 rifle. I confirmed this by looking up the gun's serial number online with my phone. It was manufactured in 1962.
I had been on the lookout for a pre-64 Model 1894 for a while and the price ($495.00) was reasonable. So I decided to buy it. Since I had a flight and ocean cruise immediately coming up, I put the rifle on layaway. After the cruise and getting back to Albuquerque, I went back and picked up the gun.
This morning, I was perusing around about Winchester 1894 rifles and spotted a good article on them from 2018. It was posted by The Register-Herald out of West Virginia and written by Larry Case. He provides a history of the rifle, including why pre-1964 Model 1894s are so coveted.
He begins it with:
Were it not for the Winchester Model 1894 rifle, and more specifically those chambered in .30/30 Winchester caliber, deer hunting in America might not be the same today. That’s a pretty bold statement and one that many will scoff at, but we have to start somewhere.
No other rifle in history would become as iconic, at least for deer hunting, as the old Winchester 94. Indeed, for several decades if someone referred to a “deer rifle,” to most hunters this meant the tried and true lever action Model 94. If you have a dad, great grandad, or even a great-great grandad who deer hunted, it’s very possible that you have a Winchester Model 94 in a gun safe or closet somewhere. Over seven million Model 94s were produced and sold.
The Model 94 was conceived in the drawings of the firearms genius we talk about here fairly often, John Moses Browning. Seemingly every well-known firearm from the past century came from the work of Mr. Browning. Browning may be best known for inventing automatic and semi-automatic firearms (the Colt 1911 pistol and the Browning Auto 5 shotgun, to name only two), but the Model 94 has been called the ultimate lever action design by more than one firearms historian.
To read the full article, go here.