| Winchester Model 1894 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Lever-action rifle |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United States |
| Wars | Indian Wars Spanish–American War Mexican Revolution World War I World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | John Browning |
| Designed | 1894 |
| Produced | 1894–2006 2011–present |
| No. built | 7,500,000+ |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 6.8 lb (3.1 kg) |
| Length | 37.8 in (960 mm) |
| Barrel length | 20 in (510 mm) |
| 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, .444 Marlin, .45 Colt, .450 Marlin, .410 bore |
| Action | Lever-action |
| Muzzle velocity | 2,490 ft/s (759 m/s) |
| Feed system | 9-round (26" barrel), 8-round (24" barrel) or 7-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 Model 94) is a lever-action repeating rifle that became one of the most famous and popular hunting rifles of all time. 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 (.30 Winchester Center Fire, in time becoming known as the .30-30 Winchester) in 1895. In 1901, Winchester created the new .32 Winchester Special caliber with production of rifles starting in 1902.
The Model 1894 was produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company from 1894 to 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.[1]
One Model 1894 is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Arms & Armor department.
- ^ Wilson, R. L. (2008). Winchester: An American Legend. New York: Book Sales, Inc. pp. 96–103. ISBN 978-0-7858-1893-9.