Winchester Model 1894 | |
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Type | Lever-action hunting rifle |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | United States France |
Wars |
Indian Wars World War I World War II |
Production history | |
Designer | John Browning |
Designed | 1894 |
Produced | 1894–2006, 2011– |
No. built | 7,500,000+ |
Specifications | |
Weight | 6.8 lb (3.1 kg) |
Length | 37.8 in (960 mm) |
Barrel length | 20 in (510 mm) |
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Cartridge | .30-30 Winchester, .32-40 Winchester, .38-55 Winchester, .25-35 Winchester, .32 Winchester Special, 7-30 Waters, .307 Winchester, .356 Winchester, .375 Winchester, .357 Magnum, .44 Remington Magnum, .45 Long Colt, .450 Marlin, .410 bore |
Action | Lever-action |
Muzzle velocity | 2,490 ft/s (759 m/s) |
Feed system | 8-round (26" barrel) or 6-round (20" barrel) internal tube magazine |
Sights | Notch rear sight, post front sight. Peep sights also available. |
The Winchester Model 1894 rifle (also known as the Winchester 94 or Win 94) is a lever-action repeating rifle that became one of the most famous and popular hunting rifles. It was designed by John Browning in 1894 and originally chambered to fire two metallic black powder cartridges, the .32-40 Winchester and .38-55 Winchester. It was the first rifle to chamber the smokeless powder round, the .30 WCF (Winchester Center Fire, in time becoming known as the .30-30) in 1895.
The 1894 was produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company through 1980 and then by U.S. Repeating Arms under the Winchester brand until they ceased manufacturing rifles in 2006. Reproductions are being made by the Miroku company of Japan and imported into the United States by the Browning Arms company of Morgan, Utah.
The Model 1894 has been referred to as the "ultimate lever-action design" by firearms historians such as R. L. Wilson and Hal Herring. The Model 1894 is the rifle credited with the name "Winchester" being used to refer to all rifles of this type and was the first commercial sporting rifle to sell over 7,000,000 units.
One Model 1894 is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Arms & Armour department.
The Winchester Model 1894 was the first commercial American repeating rifle built to be used with smokeless powder. The 1894 was originally chambered to fire 2 metallic black powder cartridges, the .32-40 Winchester and .38-55 Winchester. 44-40 was standard until the special nickel steel was perfected, two years later. In 1895 Winchester went to a different steel composition for rifle manufacturing that could handle higher pressure rounds and offered the rifle in .25-35 Winchester and .30-30 Winchester. The .30-30 Winchester, or .30WCF (Winchester Centerfire), is the cartridge that has become synonymous with the Model 1894. Starting in 1899, the Model 1894 was also chambered in .32 Winchester Special.