Well, I pulled the trigger (pics included)

[allhands]

I said in a previous post that I was,"bit by the leverbug..." well today I found a deal and did it. Winchester 1894, made in 1908, .32 Special.

1894-1.jpg

Trying to contact Cody Museum for a letter, but not sure if they'll come up with anything. Due to it's 26 inch barrel, button mag, shotgun butt and sights, I think I have a custom gun that someone ordered, but I can't prove it. The bore is bright and shiny with alot of rifling, and the action cycles and locks up tightly.

1894-2.jpg

Anyone have any thoughts or input on the possibility of a custom rifle? My WInchester knowledge is pretty good, but I know alot of you out there can offer insights....

[gamekeeper]

cool, looks like you found a treasure..

[O.S.O.K.]

Can't help you on the question but congrats on the purchase!! Looks really nice.

[fordwannabe]

The cody museum is the place to find out if it is a real factory custom gun or if it is a made up of parts, gun. If you send them the fee and it comes back as having left the factory as is, it is worth considerably more than if the local gunsmith in 1934 didn't have the right part so he put these on instead.
It does have the correct 32 special only rear sight on the barrel so I believe at least the barrel to be correct and if it doesnt have an extra dovetail in the bottom of the barrel out near the front then it probably has the correct length mag. As far as butt stock being original on;ly Cody knows......
I am probably going to use a 1908 32 special as my deer rifle in Pa this year and am working up loads now. I got it in Old Towne Maine this past year while up not hunting bears(you actually have to see them to hunt them, Dang hurricane).
Here is a thought that you didn't ask for but....pay the money for the cody letter it may make your rifle much more valuable, and as far as the 26 inch barrel the long octagon was actually much more popular so the round ones are rarer in this length. Good luck

[pokey]

get the letter.

oh , nice rifle.

is the magazine cap flat or domed?

[allhands]

The magazine cap is "domed". What does that mean? As I said, my research only goes so far......

[twobit]

allhands,

Your rifle has a very good chance of being 100% original but not necessarily as much of a special order gun
as some might think. Lots of features that are described as "special order" and thus implying to a point that
a person basically ordered a rifle from a menu of options were in fact commonly manufactured by Winchester
in large number and in the warehouse as part of inventory. The rear sight and caliber combination, half magazine,
shotgun butt,and the standard 26 inch barrel length are all very typical on Model 1894 guns. The rifle will need
to have a serial number of less than 353,999 in order for Cody to be able to verify the configuration as original.

Michael