Range Report: Winchester Model 1894

Range Report: Winchester Model 1894 - An iconic .30-30 lever action rifle video from Texas Gun Vault.

The video was filmed two years ago.

Summary:

In this Range Report, I have the opportunity to shoot and review a truly iconic piece of American firearms history, the Winchester Model 1894 chambered in .30-30 Winchester. Opportunities to spend time with rifles like this do not come around very often, making this a particularly special experience.

The Winchester 1894 is one of the most influential lever-action rifles ever produced and played a significant role in American hunting and firearms history. As someone who appreciates historically significant firearms, I was excited to get this rifle out to the range and see how it performs more than a century after it was built.

Despite being an antique, this rifle continues to function remarkably well. Its reliability, smooth action and surprising accuracy are a testament to the quality of its design and craftsmanship. Join me as I take this classic Winchester to the range and see why it remains one of the most celebrated lever-action rifles ever made.

This video documents my personal thoughts, opinions and experiences with this firearm. Yours may vary.

NOTE: The rifle shown was made in 1912.

Firearm Antiques

Above, after discovering it, I immediately cleaned and oiled the Manton shotgun. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To start this off, antique is generally defined as follows (Source: Wikipedia):

An antique (from Latin antiquus 'old, ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely to describe any object that is old. An antique is usually an item that is collected or desirable because of its age, beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection and/or other unique features. It is an object that represents a previous era or time period in human history. Vintage and collectible are used to describe items that are old, but do not meet the 100-year criterion.

I am not an antique collector, but I do have a couple of items that are classified as antiques. They just happen to be firearms (specifically, shotguns).

Above, the Manton Double Barrel Percussion Shotgun. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The first one is a Joseph Manton Double Barrel Percussion Shotgun. It was made somewhere in the 1800s (19th Century). It is not known what year exactly as it has no serial number. It is on display in my living room and I regularly keep it cleaned and oiled.

My dad bought it and I had no idea he even had it until I opened a rifle case and found it. 

Above, the Winchester Model 12 shotgun I bought.

The second antique is a Winchester Model 12 12 gauge shotgun. Its serial number indicates that it was made in 1919. Winchester Model 12 shotguns were produced from 1912 to 1964. 

As both these shotguns are over 100 years old, they fall into the antique category.

Antiques Roadshow: Appraisal On Winchester 94

Here's something interesting.

A man brought in a custom Winchester 1894 made in 1896 to the Antiques Roadshow on PBS for appraisal. 

It has a plaque indicating Buffalo Bill's Wild West show on the stock. It may (or may not) be authentic. 

Here's the video on the rifle:

 

Winchester 1894 from 1897: Where the Classic Began!

Winchester 1894 from 1897: Where the Classic Began! video by Pinnacle Mountain Gunsmithing.

Summary: 

Hello, Everyone! Today, Joel brings you a rifle we've been working on for a while, a Winchester 1894 from the first few years of production. It's very different from modern examples, and we'll take a look at what makes it unique. 

 

Why Cracker Barrel's Iconic Decor Was So Sentimental

Above, a hot-air balloon as seen from an Albuquerque Cracker Barrel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Let's see. In recent years I have been to at least four Cracker Barrel restaurants.

I've been to the one in Gallup, New Mexico. I've been to two in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And, I've been to one in Kingman, Arizona.

Above, the fireplace at an Albuquerque Cracker Barrel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

All of them looked pretty much the same with the same antiques. The sameness doesn't bother me. It is fun looking at the antiques while waiting for the meals to be served. Looking at the items from bygone eras is the big draw for people. Ruining that would be worse than the logo fiasco. Also, the food, for me, has been consistently good. I've no complaints.

Above, an Elvis Presley gospel CD from Cracker Barrel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There's an interesting story about how Cracker Barrel acquires their antiques. The article also tells of the warehouse that stores them.

Above, the Gallup Cracker Barrel fireplace. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The article is posted by TastingTable and it begins with:

Cracker Barrel has been making a lot of changes lately, and many of them aren't landing well with longtime fans. Most recently, the chain of restaurants and retail stores removed Uncle Hershel from the logo and received backlash for it. Last year, the chain modernized the interiors of the restaurants, and that, too, came under scrutiny. The old-fashioned interiors of Cracker Barrel restaurants held a lot of nostalgia, so it's not surprising that diners didn't like it when the look changed so drastically. It turns out that the restaurants are just doing a little refresh and, in response to a viral TikTok video, they assured patrons that the old-timey decor would be back on the walls sooner rather than later.

What you may not know is that the old decor actually holds meaning. Every single antique that decorates the inside of a Cracker Barrel is real and was at least inspired by local history. It all started with the first restaurant-store that opened in Lebanon, Tennessee, in 1969. Founder Dan Evins enlisted the help of Don and Kathleen Singleton, who owned a local antiques store, to come and decorate the interior to feel like an old country store.

As Evins opened more Cracker Barrels, the Singletons came on board as full-time designers, setting up the decor for each location. In 1979, after Kathleen got sick, their son, Larry Singleton, took over. He retired in 2018 after almost 40 years. Joe Stewart, who worked with Singleton for 33 years, is now the decor manager. 

Above, Russell Azbill and Larry Lucier getting their orders
taken at the Gallup Cracker Barrel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.

The Winchester Model 12

Above, picking up the Winchester Model 12 at Loeffler's Guns Etc.

The Winchester Model 12 shotgun first caught my attention in the Facebook Winchester groups. I was reading raves from different members on how they loved shooting it. 

Another reason why it caught my attention was that people were saying it worked great while trap and skeet shooting. I went trap shooting last year while visiting friends in Lake Havasu, Arizona. I bought a Remington 870 Express 12-gauge while there. However, its shorter barrel didn't seem suited for trap shooting when I tried it later. I had better results with a borrowed shotgun with a much longer barrel during a previous shoot.

As the Model 12 has a 30-inch barrel, it seemed to be better suited for trap shooting than the Remington. I still like the Remington. I found a Winchester Model 12 12-gauge made in 1919 for sale at Guns.com at a reasonable price and bought it. I had it sent to Loeffler's Guns Etc. in Grants, New Mexico. I shot it a couple of weeks ago and I found it as enjoyable to shoot as did the posters at Facebook. It was quite accurate as it hit what I aimed at (an old campaign lawn sign). Not bad for an antique made 105 years ago!

Above, my little Winchester collection. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Truth About Guns website posted a review of the Winchester Model 12. 

It begins with:

Oliver Winchester’s legacy won’t ever be tied to a specific gun. The Winchester Repeating Arms Company is one of multiple legacies and successes throughout its century and a half of production. They started life as a lever-action rifle company and won the West. They transitioned to one of the premier shotgun companies at the turn of the 20th century and ended as a bolt gun company. We are going to cling to the second legacy and focus on shotguns, specifically the Model 12.

I initially thought about doing an Obscure Object of Desire article, but what’s obscure about the Model 12? TTAG tends to write and review new guns, but why not step back and appreciate a classic? Almost two million model 12s were produced, so they aren’t uncommon these days. You’ll pay a pretty penny for a Model 12 that is in good shape, but if the condition is a bit ratty, they can be had for a reasonable price. A ratty Model 12 is still better than any Freedom Group 870 you might find on the used market. 

The Model 12 – The Perfect Repeater

The first successful pump-action shotgun was the Winchester M1897. This gun is legendary, and the Model 12 often lives in its shadow. However, the Model 12 is the superior shotgun. The M1897 was great but a bit complicated and fragile, and the exposed hammer and guts out of the bottom design weren’t the best. The Model 12 took the 1897 and fixed some of its flaws. The gun became known as the “Perfect Repeater.”  

Production of the gun began in 1912. Winchester was creative and innovative with its guns, but its naming conventions were a bit boring. Production lasted until 1964, with occasional special runs of the guns.  

Winchester enclosed the hammer, beefed up the forend and built a refined gun. It’s smooth as silk and was originally built to supplement the 97. Winchester released the guns in 20 gauge at first. They didn’t want to compete with their own 1897. However, in 1913, they dedicated to releasing 12- and 16-gauge variants. A .410 variant was never produced, but the Model 42 was a scaled-down Model 12 for the .410 crowd.

 To read more, go here.