Why are Model 90s in .22 Long Rifle so rare? 1st, that caliber was not produced until 1919. That's almost 30 years after production began. They are late to the scene and did not show up until the 610,000 range. (And were discontinued in 1932.) Second, during the 1920s the competition between other small caliber Winchesters (and other

manufacturers) was very high. What does that mean to you? Buy Model 90 Long Rifle. They are getting swallowed up in collections and become more scarce every year. Of course, buy authentic ones (not rebarreled ones). AND as we've told you a thousand times: buy them with good bores. Like this one. It is a octagon barrel Model 1890 in .22 Long Rifle made in 1923. The receiver, and mag tube is going to a silvery plum patina. The barrel still has 90% original blue. The walnut wood is very nice, the action smooth, the serial numbers match AND it as a bright shiny, mint 9.5 bore. No disappointments here, boys.

 

 

 

Don't you just love the way Model 1890s sound? No, I don't mean the report from the cartridge when you squeeze the trigger. I mean the sound of the pump action when you feed a cartridge into the chamber. Oh, man, that gets my heart pumpin' every time. It's the wonderful old 1890 telling you, "Hey, I'm ready . . . let's do it!" If you own one, you know exactly what I mean. And there is no .22 that is more fun to shoot than a Model '90. It's a plinker's paradise.

Whether you are shootin' rocks, cans, squirrels, varmints, or the flame out of a candle. This is the one. So, if you are going to have an 1890, how about a .22 short . . . the easiest, and most economical ammo you'll ever find. And this one has gorgeous condition. 95% blue on the receiver, octagon barrel and mag tube. Even the buttplate has most of its blue. The wood is full, with very few dings or dents. The sights are correct. It has a mint, bright, shiny 9.5 bore. This is one of those great guns that you buy, shoot and enjoy. But you don't upgrade it. It's already at the top.

 

 

 

What's the best selling Winchester this year? For us, it just might be Model 1890s. We haven't kept one all year over a month. Of course, we look for only really nice condition ones. Like this one. It's a 22 WRF…with octagon barrel, of course. The WRF stands for Winchester Rim Fire . . . and yes, they still make the ammo. You can find it most

everywhere. The receiver is turning a silvery patina, the barrel has 90% flat blue. The wood is above metal, with most all of its original varnish (just a few minor dings and dents). The action is crisp, the sights correct. The serial numbers match. And the bore is a bright shiny 9++. It's the exact kind of gun that's a great investment, and yet you will have no hesitation to go out and plink around with this one. It will make you happy you own it.

 

 

 

 

This is the kind of gun everyone loves. Solid, original . . . good condition. Round barrel, full mag . . with 80% flat blue on the barrel and mag. Blue receiver turning a little brownish. Full, nice wood. Correct sights. A nice, very shootable 7.5++ bore. (It just shows some bullet wear.) This one would make a really nice present for the wife. She's always complainin' that you spend too much time out in the shop with "those old guns!" Think about how surprised she'll be on her birthday when she unwraps this beauty. Why, we predict she'll be speechless . . . at least for a minute or two. You might not want to give her any ammo right away. Okay, maybe that's too much to expect. But, this is one great gun that the next owner, whomever that might be. This is a very collectable gun that you will love to shoot.

The truth of the matter is, our wives enjoy this caliber. They are both named Jan . . . which gets a little confusing at times. And both of them grew up as city girls in California. Neither were brought up with huntin', shootin' and guns. But they are wonderful gals who seem to understand our need for pursuing this crazy hobby of gun collecting. NO, we don't have to hide what we are buying, or the price we spend on a gun. They understand solid investments, and good dividends. PLUS . . . they have learned to enjoy target shooting. Yes, they both have concealed carry permits from Utah and Idaho. Yes, they have their own carry guns. But they also enjoy the long guns, and the 25/20 is a favorite. The very first time Steve's Jan shot her 25/20 take down Model 53 she shouted . . . "Hey, I can hit everything I aim at." Not bad for a city girl. Not bad for us old rough old men, either.

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, boys, here's your special order feature deer huntin' gun.

Bill emailed us last December and asked, "What do you mean when you say it has special features?" Well, in the old days when you went down to the hardware store or gun shop to buy a new Winchester, what you would find would be several rifles (either octagon or round barrel, full mag) and a few saddle ring carbines (standard 20" length, sights, and buttstock). Those were the "standard" guns, and the most common ones sold by far. On the counter would be the latest Winchester catalog showing all the options you could have on that model (provided you could wait until the factory in New Haven, Connecticut, built it for you). Every change you made from the standard rifle or saddle ring carbine would be a "special feature".

Take this little beauty, for instance. It has a 1/2 mag, and a shotgun butt. Some old boy in 1915 wasn't satisfied with one "off the rack," and special ordered these features. Now, some of you caught the fact I said this was a deer huntin' gun. You might complain that a 32/20 cartridge is not strong enough to be too effective killin' deer. FA would argue with that. Who in the world is FA? He was the original owner of this little carbine, and he was proud of its work. Right on the stock is carved: "FA 4 deer". So he had to sneak up a little closer on them. Obviously, that wasn't a problem to him.

The receiver has silvered out on this one, except in a shaded place or two. The barrel has 70% flat blue. The walnut wood is full, unsanded. It has the normal dings and dents of a huntin' gun. (And FA's record of deer he took with it.) The action is smooth. The bore is a shiny 8. It's had bullets go through it, boys. This is a used gun. Used and loved.

There's a good chance it was aimed at a lot more game than "4 deer". It's only proper that a huntin' man buy it. It's a veteran in the woods and won't let you down.

 

 

 

 

Antton Jauregi spent most of his 78 years tending sheep in the Santa Rosa Mountains of northern Nevada. All that time he carried a Winchester 1892 in 32 WCF. Why that caliber? He reports: "I could kill the coyotes and the report didn't scare the sheep."

Benen Walsh still pans for gold in the streams of the Owyhee Mountains in southwest Idaho. He inherited his 1892 Winchester 32 WCF from his uncle in 1946. It is still never further than a arm length from gold pan or his portable dredge. "I'm not up here to hunt animals . . . I just need to make sure no one gets too close to my claim. Havin' it right out in the open against a boulder for ever'one to see has kept more than one ol' boy from trespassin'," he states.

Don't know what you'll need your 32 WCF for . . . but you do need one.

Nice, clean gun. That's what caught our attention when this one was spotted on a crowded table in a ill-lit corner at the Big Reno Show. The metal is smooth (90% flat blue on the barrel). The walnut wood is solid. The action crisp. The bore is a nice bright, shiny 8.5. Just honest bullet wear. The old boy who special ordered this one shot it. Then brought it back to the homestead and cleaned it, and, no doubt, set it in a handy place in the corner. If you've never shot a 32/20, boys, you're missing a treat. They shoot straight, don't bruise your shoulder or destroy what's left of your hearing. This nice condition 1/2 mag was made to be toted through the brush, across the prairie and into the woods. How about that, a special feature, collectable gun that is a favorite to take out and shoot.

 

 

 

 

George Madis in his Winchester Handbook, states there were about 1200 short rifles made in Winchester 1892s. Just how few is this?

Okay, this time it's simple . . . PRINT THIS PAGE. Now tote it over to your gun safe and pull out of your Winchester 1892s in 38/40. Spread them out on the floor. How many short rifles do you have? How many with shotgun butt and 2/3 magazine?

When do you plan on getting one? Now's the time. This just might be the gun. Look at these pictures again.

The pictures speak for themselves. Smooth metal with silvery receiver and 80%+ flat blue on barrel and mag. Walnut wood is solid, with shotgun butt. Nice looking 2/3 magazine. No rust, pitting or extra holes. Lyman rear tang with, flat-top barrel sight, standard rifle front sight. All are correct and have been with the gun forever. Shiny 7.5 bore. How many cartridges does a 2/3 mag, short rifle hold? Eight, if you cram them in . . . but there's no need to compress your magazine spring. Figure on putting 7 cartridges in this one. Hey, if you can hit what you're aiming at after 7 shots . . . it's either run off . . . or shot you first. We love these little guys. How many short rifle "92s are we carrying? Check out our catalog. Then go look at the big boy dealers . . . how many do they have? Yeah, we buy every one we can find.

A short rifle 1892 will be one of the rarest guns you own . . . but you'll have to shoot it. A short mag, short rifle in 38 WCF . . . one the most comfortable carry guns you'll ever own. Yep, it shoots straight as can be. Maybe not the most expensive gun in your collection . . . but it might become the last one you ever sell.

 

 

 

 

That caught your attention, right? "Are you kiddin' me?" you mumbled. "A smooth bore 1892?" Yep. This is the first smooth bore we've owned. As you boys know, the smooth bore 1892s were mainly a wild west, trick shooting guns. The ammo was loaded with shot shells, had a smooth bore, and seldom did the ol' boy (or gal) miss the glass ball targets. This one's a 44/40 round barrel rifle that has a full mag, flat top rear sight and ivory bead front sight. The serial number 382819 means it was made in 1907. The metal is a silvery patina, the walnut wood is full and nice, the action smooth. This one was sent back to the Winchester factory and a very rare smooth bore barrel was added on March 21st, 1938. How do we know that? It's stamped on the barrel. Besides both the receiver and the barrel have the Winchester factory proof marks. (Plus it has Winchester inspection, caliber and year of installation marks under the barrel.) Besides the proofs, the barrel has the regular caliber markings, plus SMOOTH BORE, plus 3-21-38 stamped on it. It doesn't look like the barrel was ever blued. Our guess is that is was a silvery gun already in 1938, and rather that slap a dark blue barrel on it . . .they left it in the white as a better match to the gun. After all, a trick shot doesn't want everyone to know his "tricks." And the bore in this rare gun is a mint 9.9++. Mirror bright? Shoot, boys, without rifling, this is a mirror. Now's the time to ponder . . . how many smooth bores have you seen for sale? And will you ever see another? Hmmm. Now, you could say . . . "I think I'll wait for one in better condition." Yep, you can do that. Provided you have 10 years and ten thousand bucks. But this is way too fun of a hobby to have to wait that long. Buy this one now, and just think what it will be worth in ten years.

 

 

 

 

High condition. Oh, yeah. Boys, you might find a few other high condition guns like this one. But you will spend more money. This one has a round barrel, full mag and beautiful full walnut wood. There is no pitting, rust or extra holes. Look at all this blue, boys. There is NO reblue on this one. It's totally original. The sights are original and correct for it's serial number. The action is smooth. The takedown locks up tight. The mint bore is a 9.9++. The walnut wood is full and retains most of its original varnish. The gun has no flaws. The pictures never due justice to the blue. Some has begun to wear . . . most retains that wonderful Winchester color. The surprising feature of this gun is its price. I just did a quick survey of a couple of pals who list high condition guns on their websites. One had one on "sale" for only $4695 . . . the others above 5 grand. Oh, you can find one with even better condition . . . but not for this price, unless your granddaddy was banker and kept one in a safe to let you have it. It is the kind of gun you will want to pass down from one generation to another.

The 32 WS cartridge is based on the .30-30 Winchester cartridge of 1895, but differs from the .30-30 in bullet diameter. More significantly, Winchester decreased the rate of rifling twist in their Model 94 rifle, from 1:12 when chambered for the .30-30 to 1:16 when chambered for the .32 Winchester Special. Winchester used the slower twist to reduce fouling retention when creating a new cartridge for sportsmen who wanted to reload their own ammunition using black powder and cast bullets. It was also marketed as something more powerful than the .30-30 and yet had less recoil than the .30 Army. Ballistics are similar to the .30-30 cartridge and its .308 caliber bullet, but the larger diameter .321 bullet of the .32 WS will create a larger wound. However, given the same weight of bullet in both calibers, the .30 caliber would have a greater sectional density, and correspondingly greater penetration. According to Winchester's original claims, the .32 WS has about 5-10% more energy than the .30-30 at point-blank ranges, and less at longer ranges due to increased drag due to the .321's greater diameter and reduced sectional density.

 

 

 

 

Okay, we'll admit it. We love special features on old Winchesters. You won't find many in this catalog that don't have a feature of two . . . or three or four. They set the gun apart from all others and give us a hint about the original owner.

At first glance, you look at this high condition 30 WCF carbine and say . . . someone messed with the buttstock. NOPE. That's the way he ordered. In fact, this early gun letters exactly as you see it. He ordered NO saddle ring (called a sling ring in the letter). He ordered a rifle buttstock. 3/4 magazine and express sight. Notice, too, the sling eyes, which means he wanted to tote this one over his shoulder. (Thus, no saddle ring.)

All of this is in the factory letter. Up above, in the section of 1892s (if it hasn't sold by now) is a short rifle that letters with a saddle ring and a carbine butt.

This one has 80% blue on the receiver, 95% on the barrel and mag. It's got nice, unmessed with walnut wood that still above metal. The rear sight is a Winchester express sight (that would have been another special order feature). And the front sight is a ivory bead Marbles insert marked 94. The action is smooth. The bore is a bright shiny 8.5 that's had a few bullets through it. Hey, this gun is 110 years old . . . of course it's had a few bullets. But my, what great condition. What unusual features. We love it.

Jerry wrote to us and asked "My old Winchester has a serial number that starts with an L . . . what does that mean?" Well, right about the time this gun was made, (and Jerry's too) the 1 stamp at Winchester lost the little hook on the top of the 1. As the bottom wore off, it began to look more and more like an L. But Winchester didn't bother replacing it for a while. It's not an L but a broken 1.

 

 

 

 

"Where do you guys find these guns?"

It's a common question we're asked all the time.

In the movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the opening scene shows Sundance playing poker in a dingy saloon and having good luck. Finally, a poor loser, jumps to his feet, hand on his holstered revolver, and growls "How to you account for your string of good luck, mister?" Sundance, played by Robert Redford, keeps a straight face and quietly responds, "Prayer". Obviously, the loser isn't greatly convinced and a shooting exhibition follows. Well, boys, we aren't goin' to look all somber and tell you we find these with "prayer", but the truth is the Lord has been good to us in lots of ways, and sometimes these rare guns just come our way.

We love it.

Look at this one. It's a Winchester 1894 in 30 WCF. It has a 26" lightweight barrel. It is 1/2 octagon, 1/2 round with 1/2 magazine. It has a shotgun butt, with smooth metal buttplate (with hook). It has an early Lyman tang sight, and express rear barrel sight (with all the leaves) and a ramp front sight like all lightweights. It is a smooth silvery receiver, smooth silvery barrel. The wood is full with a minimum of dings. The action is smooth, the bore is a nice 7.5 to 8 . . . very shootable. It just shows bullet wear. Okay, here is the clincher . . . this gun LETTERS! Shoot, boys, it not only letters, but the George Madis books dates this one back to 1896. In his view, and the view of ATF, this one is an antique. Can you believe this? Where do we get these beauties? Hey, we aren't ruling out prayer. At a minimum, a prayer of thanks for allowing us to enjoy this great hobby.

 

 

 

 

Where have all the carbines gone? Not exactly the title of a folk song from the early "60s . . . but it is a good question. In the past 12 months we can't buy enough carbines. They seem to jump off the table. Many sell even before we go to a show. This is one of those guns. It's in the rarest of the 1894 calibers, 32/40. As you boys know, this is the

most difficult 1894 carbine to find. It's a special order gun with a 2/3 magazine. The receiver is silver. The barrel and mag have 75% flat blue. The metal is smooth, without rust, pitting or extra holes. The sights are correct. The action crisp. The wood is full to the metal and above everywhere. Looks like some extra hard varnish was added, but it looks great. The bore is a bright, shiny 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. It's a fine gun. If you like saddle ring carbines, you'll love this one. Boys, if you haven't started collectin' them yet, this is great place to begin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"What's your favorite cartridge in a Winchester 1894?" There's a case to be made for each of the five calibers. And everyone draws it's followers. We know many an Idaho whitetail deer hunter who will tell you there's no better cartridge than the 32 WS. And there are more 30 WCF (30/30) sold than any other gun on the face of the planet.

Personally, I'm a 38/55 kind of guy. It's the big bullet among the 1894s. And it's an old West caliber. There's something about the sound and the feel of a 38/55 that hints of times past, and eras when a good gun meant a safe, prosperous life.

And a saddle ring carbine? You got to think wild west when you say those words. A lot of good cowboying was done in the west between 1895 and 1930. And those were the years that the 38/55 saw it's greatest use.

This is a nice gun. The receiver has silvered out, except for the shadowed and shaded places (like those around the saddle ring). The barrel and magazine have about 85% nice flat blue. The metal is smooth, free from pits or rust. The walnut wood is nice, full to the metal. The sights are correct, the action smooth. The bore is a bright, shiny mint 9.5. There are no flaws in this one.

One question were often asked, "Which gun has the best re-sell value?" That's a good question and not always easy to answer. We have so many with special features, it's difficult to choose one over the other. However, if you asked, "Which standard 1894 saddle ring carbine is the easiest to re-sell?" The answer is simple. The 38/55 . . . we've sold 3 or 4 of them every year for ten years. They are the gun every collector knows he wants.

 

 

 

 

Great caliber. Great condition. Perfect, mint bore. What else needs to be said? Yep, it has 95% plus, bright shiny blue on the receiver. (Just one wear spot above the loading gate.) The barrel and mag tube have 98% blue. Of course there is no rust, pitting or extra holes. The sights are correct and out-of-the-box crisp. The wood is full, unsanded . . . with nearly all of its original varnish There is one bruise on the left side of the forearm. The boltface is so blue, we're not sure it's ever had a bullet through it. The bore is a mirror bright, mint 10. Not bad for a 102 yearold gun. If you glance through this catalog, you'll notice we always have several 38/55s.

Why? Because they are the most popular guns we sell. We had none of these last year at this time. They are great to shoot. And, with production only around 12,000 . . . they are rare. From time to time, guys ask us which one will make the best investment. ALL pre-1930 Winchesters that are correct and unmessed with are great investments. But if you are talking steady increase in value, and easy to resell, nothing tops a Winchester 1894 38/55. They are like gold in Ft. Knox.

 

 

 

 

When the military adopted the 30 U.S. Army cartridge (30-40 Krag) Winchester needed to develop a rifle that accommodated that caliber. John Browning and Winchester designers came up with this design. They couldn't use point-nose cartridges in a standard tubular Winchester magazine. So, they came up was the first box magazine in a Winchester. The final design was very efficient and effective. Unfortunately for Winchester, the military bought very few of these fine guns (Some 10,000.) But

everyone from the Arizona Rangers . . . to the legion of western hunters, loved the gun. Some guys don't even know that "95s were originally chambered for black powder. They came in 38/72 or 40/72 and have 26" barrels with standard front sights. Here's your chance to own one. This round barrel rifle has beautiful wood, 15% blue on the receiver, 80% on the barrel, a bright, shiny 9 bore. The sights are correct. It has a rifle buttstock that looks like it's been on the gun forever. But the letter reads it had a shotgun butt at one time. Who knows? What we do know is that this is one rare caliber gun.

 

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New Guns

No pictures available at this time. Call or email Jim for details.

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1886, Rifle 33 Cal. Light-weight, Takedown 1/2 Mag. LIKE NEW - PERFECT 10 BORE
sn. 159837      $4195

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