Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Need help dating a 1894

I recently received the gun from my dad's estate but I don't know anything about old Winchesters.

The serial number is 197,318 and the caliber is 25-35.

It's got a 26" octagon barrel, a flip-up peep sight, the tube is as long as the barrel, and a crescent shaped steel butt plate.

Any help would be appreciated.

looks like 1900

Wow, that was quick! Thank you.

Can I still find ammo for it? The gun looks to be in great shape.

Yes you can buy new ammo. Sellier & Belloit (sp) and Winchester make 25-35 ammo. The S & B goes for $15-20 per box, The Win. ammo costs $40 or so . The S & P doesn't get very good reviews. I have a Savage 1899 in 25-35. I found an old box of Rem. core locks at the local gun shop so it doesn't hurt to ask. The factory specs on the ammo is 117 gr. bullet at approx. 2200 fps.

Thanks for the info, I'll have to pick up a few boxes.

I've got a chrono, it'll be interesting to see how it shoots.

It looks to be solid as a rock and even the blueing and finish is pretty much intact. I don't think it got hunted much.

Be careful with it, sounds like a pretty rare piece.

Maybe I shouldn't shoot it.

Any idea of the value?

Bad pic.

Although it's hardly definitive from your one small photo, my impression is that the finish on your rifle is original. There is still enough wear on the finish that high end collectors are likely to overlook it, but an auction price in the $1,200-$1,600 range wouldn't surprise me.

If that's from 1900 it's actually a very clean gun IMO and would not scare away would be collectors.

The Blue Book of Gun Values puts a 60% rifle at 1300 and 70% at 1850. Need to see more of the rifle to grade it as Dawgin'it suggest, but his range of value seems reasonable.

Ok. I'll snap a few more pics and get them on tommorrow.

It's a cool gun. I'm starting to love it, and I haven't even shot it yet.

I'm not very familiar with the percentages game in regards to vintage rifles, but this thing has got to be 85%+++. There's simply nothing wrong with it. Very slight general wear I guess. After all, it is 112 years old.

I have a 1907 vintage 26" octagonal barreled 1894 in 32 W.S. in similar (maybe a bit better) condition. I shoot it at least 3 or 4 times a year without hesitation.

not much to shoot with 25-35 so some of them are well preserved