Looking for info on my less than elegant 1894

[Slinky Pickle]

Anyone want to take a stab at the age of this thing. It's been "rode hard and put away wet" as they say. The bore is not in great shape and I'm not even sure if it's salvageable yet. Time will tell.

It's a got a saddle ring mount (ring is gone) and is stamped as "Model 1894" rather than "Model 94" so that answers a couple of questions. I've looked in all the obvious spots for a serial number and the only number I can find is just ahead of the trigger which isn't a place I've ever heard of for a meaningful number. My guess is that the "67" is just an inspection stamp.
I'm not sure if all the parts are original and someone has got a bit creative with the front sight and band arrangement. The rear sight is also not original. I'm hoping that the location and contents of some of the factory stamps might help point to a manufacturing date.

It looks like someone blinged it up at some point and the tack spikes are still in the forend. The hole in the stock was said to be for a lanyard rope. In the state it's in I don't think it has any real value but it will fit just nice behind the cabin door.

An interesting old beast but it will be a bit of time before she breathes fire again.

 

[Slinky Pickle]

 

[JT-AR-MG42]

The rifle butt really threw me and I just can't make out what is going on with the front sight placement? and location to the barrel band.
Maybe a few more photos?

About the only thing I could suggest would be to pull the magazine tube off.
The underside of the barrel is often found with a two digit date, and although the barrel date is not definitive, it gets you in the ballpark.
The date numbers are found right at the junction with the receiver.

I really like that rear sight and am going to try to research it out of curiosity.

JT

 

[Jim Watson]

That makes two. It has been a good while but I recall another numberless Winchester lever action.

 

[Slinky Pickle]

Found a little more info on the underside of the barrel. Not sure what any of it means though.

 

[Scorch]

Good grief, what a parts collection!

Just a few thoughts:
* The famous Winchester Proof (WP inside an oval) proof mark was not used until late 1897 or early 1898 (one on the barrel, one on top of the front receiver ring). Yours is missing the proof marks.
* The Winchester 1894 roll mark on the tang was discontinued about 1927.
* The integral front sight slot on the barrel has been removed (probably damaged at some point) and been replaced by a dovetailed sight.
* The serial number has been removed. I have heard of Winchesters without factory serial numbers, but have also seen forensic types raise serial numbers from unmarked Winchesters. The folks at Winchester were pretty meticulous about some things, serializing being one of those things. But who knows?
* The rear sight has been replaced by the rear sight from a Winchester Model 1903 semi-automatic. Even 120 years ago, not everyone liked buck-horn rear sights.
* The carbine butt stock has been replaced by a modified rifle butt stock, probably due to damage to the original (falling down or horses rolling over was a common cause of damage).

 

[Slinky Pickle]

The front sight is obviously something that someone through on recently and never shot it afterwards because at 25 yards it's 1.5 feet high. In the picture below I finally figured out what was going on and aimed very low. There was a 1/16" wooden shim under the rear sight so I removed it. The sight didn't appear to move much but I fired it again anyways. The top two holes are with the shim, the bottom two without. I am utterly amazed that this thing can shoot that straight given the condition of the bore.

I'll try a 1/2" front sight and lower the rear as much as possible and try it again. It looks like there's hope yet for this ol' girl.

 

[gw44]

If it could only talk, the game it has taken the hunts it has been on, how many times did it save its owner ???

 

[Slinky Pickle]

I tried a Nitric acid solution and got nothing in the way of a serial number. What really confuses me is that the original forging striations are still visible in a few places on the receiver. There are even some that pass right through the area where the serial number would normally be located. If the number was removed, why would the striations not be removed as well? I'm starting to really wonder about this thing.