Winchester 94: America's Favorite Hunting Rifle

Above, my Winchester 94 made in 1962. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Regular readers of this blog know that I purchased a pre-1964 Winchester 94 in .30-30 Winchester. Before purchasing it in Albuquerque five years ago, I had been on a lookout for one for some time.

The rifle was in great shape and the price was right. It was a deal I couldn't refuse. It was built in 1962. I confirmed its age through its serial number at a Winchester serial number database while at the gun store.

It is fun to shoot. Although there are plenty of deer in my vicinity in New Mexico, I confine my shooting to target plinking at our community shooting area.

Gun Digest recently (three days ago) posted an article on the history of the Winchester 94 that is worth a read if one is even remotely interested in acquiring one. It even explains why the pre-1964 Winchester 94s are coveted by collectors and enthusiasts.

It begins with:

We take a closer look at the Winchester 94 lever-action, the most iconic American hunting rifle ever made.

In some hunting circles, it was once considered a rite of passage to be able to silently cock back the hammer of a lever-action rifle. More often than not, it was the hammer of a Winchester Model 1894, more commonly known as the Winchester 94.

With over 7.5 million made since the model’s introduction in 1894 the Winchester 94 is easily the most popular deer rifle ever produced, and there was a time when almost every American hunter had one in his gun rack, safe or hanging from the window of his truck. Compared to shotguns and bolt-actions, lever-action rifles aren’t as popular with hunters as they once were, but the Winchester Model 94 remains in production to this day and still holds the title of the single most iconic American hunting rifle of all time.

To read the article, go here.