Winchester 94 32 Special

[daisygordoninc]

I have a Winchester 94 32 special that has serial number 171306, which was built in 1899. Of course the first 32 sp was built in Oct. 1901.
I've ask a few gun guys what they think this means and most do not know. One suggested that it may have been manufactured as a 30-30
then rebarreled to 32 sp, and then sold in 1903. The Cody letter says it left the plant in 1903. Any experts in this area have any ideas
about this.

[hondo1892]

Does the letter say what caliber it was when it left the warehouse. Sometimes they had barrel swaps done at the factory before they were shipped and sometimes an owner sent them back to get a new barrel put on them. Then there is the possibility that some one bought the rifle but the barrel was really bad and they found an old Winchester barrel to replace the old worn out one.

[OldWin]

Most likely, it is a factory re-barrel. There was usually an extra stock of 32WS barrels, so it is a common chambering for a factory job.
Depending on when it was done, it will have an oval PW proof mark with another oval above it with just a P. That is where the new barrel was proofed to the rifle. Sometimes, sight styles give it away also. For example, a carbine made when your was, but has a barrel with a ramp frint sight.
Barrels were sometimes sold alone. These will many times have unique rollmarks on them. Post up some pics if possible.

[Sixgun]

Receiver serial numbers are only close ...as to date of manufacture......with many receivers hanging around sometimes for a decade or more before they were put together and sold.........keep in mind, Winchester had receivers laying around and bins full of parts like Carter had liver pills laying around......

Take the forend off and look for a date stamped underneath right next to where the barrel screws into the receiver.......they dated barrels in this time frame, sometimes with only the last digit during the years "1900-1909".......so common sense will tell you that a barrel that's dated close to when the receiver was supposedly made is usually solid evidence that the two go together. If the barrel is dated "24" ...well, it was most likely rebarreled.

You can also tell by the barrel address as this changed a few times and I can tell you if you take a picture and post it.----6

[daisygordoninc]

Here are a couple of picks of sight, and the writing on the barrel, Nickel Steel Barrel/Especially for Smokeless Powder
I just can't get these pics to transfer, I have always had trouble with that on this sight, still do.

IMG_0501.JPG

[daisygordoninc]

Here is a second pic of the 32 special

IMG_0500.JPG

[Griff]

It's my understanding that Winchester 94s were put together with parts kept at each assembler's work space, receivers were simply taken out of inventory with no respect as to order. It's why some features that some stipulate began with serial number X are seen on earlier numbered guns. I think Marlin did much the same, and such practices continued up until at the the 1980s. I have a 375 Marlin, (introduced in 1981), on a receiver serial numbered to 1978. I bought in new in box from the retailer in early 1982, for that year's bear hunting!

[Sixgun]

Can only see the bottom pic....proper sight for the 32 Spl......if you want to know for sure, your going to have to get a factory letter.---6

[Turdyturdy]

According to the Winchester Collector Association your model 94 was made in 1903. Their database is derived from The Cody Firearms Museum from the Winchester Polishing Room records discovered after New Haven plant closed. This data is now considered the gold standard for dating old Winchesters. So your 32 Special was made well after the first production examples.