Gun Collectors Club Blog - Winchester Model 94
My Winchester, featured on this page, is the Model 94 Lever Action, Repeating Carbine, .30-30 Winchester 20" Round Barrel, Limited Edition II (1,500 made in 1978 or 1979). I've often stated that I'm not a fan of commemorative or special edition guns. In fact, this is only the second commemorative gun I've ever purchased.
One thing I knew for certain when I began my search for a Winchester .30-30; the gun I would buy had to be a pre-64 in excellent condition, or else it would have to be a special or limited edition gun. The materials and workmanship that went into making this firearm are extraordinary and unlike the standard Winchesters being produced in the late 1970s.
One of the things I have difficulty with as I grow older, is the ability to quickly identify with how many years have passed since the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s. I was graduating high school (Class of 1978) when this gun was made. At my age, I would not hesitate to use this weapon if the need presented itself. The decrease in value that one of my heirs might realize when I'm gone, would likely not cross my mind.
At the time Winchester produced these 1,500 guns, they were commemorating 5 million of the Model 94 guns being sold. Of course since that time, they sold another 2 million of the Model 94, making it the most popular sporting rifle in history.
After selling that old, beat-up Winchester, only three months passed before I was shopping for a really nice replacement. It just seemed downright Un-American to not own one.
For many years I kept an old 1969 Winchester .30-30. The gun had been in a rack, in the rear window of a pickup truck, for so long, that the sun had bleached one side of the stock. This long-term bleaching effect from the sun, left the rifle with a well worn, oddball appearance. When I liquidated a group of old guns some time back, I believe that old gun sold for $600 or $700, perhaps more.
From time to time, as I'm searching for an old gun to add to my small collection, my criteria can be more about what I am trying to preclude from the search, than what I am trying to include!
Looking across the room at the gun, standing in my Winchester Run-Around Susan Gun Rack. This gun is beautiful and my photos don't do it justice.
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Author, Sam Fadala shares his vast knowledge of Winchester's 30-30 Model 94 in this wonderful book.
