Help ID this old Winchester rifle.....

[msmp5]

Ser # 620xxx cal 25-35 26” round bbl. What model is this? Approx Mfg date? Not interested in selling it, but I am curious as to the approximate value, if any of you experts wish to hazard a guess as to that number. Thanks!

 

[Sarge7402]

The caliber 25-35 gives it away. It's a Winchester Model 94. That and the full length magazine tube. DOM around 1912

http://www.winchesterguns.com/conte...ture-Dates-by-Year-2012-Scanned-Documents.pdf

 

[msmp5]

That Winchester mfg date by serial number info is a great resource, many thanks, Sarge7402.

So none of the Winchester lever action models older than the Model 94 were chambered in 25-35? Would this be considered a collectible gun? Value? Or more a shooter? I’m not really familiar with that caliber...... can you buy modern 25-35 ammo? And, if yes, would this 100+ year old gun be safe to shoot it? What kind of game would be appropriate for hunting with this caliber?

 

[Scooter22]

The 25-35 is in the 30-30 family introduced in the 1894 Winchester. Any old Winchester is collectable. I don't know how many want a 25-35. It's a decent round for deer and smaller game but hasn't been chambered in guns since the 60s or 70s. I don't know if any ammo is currently available and most old stuff is collectable. IIRC the heavy bullet in that round was a 120grn FP which should work ok for deer 100yds or less. Best bet would be to get some cases, if available and reload for it. 30-30 cases can be necked down to make brass if you can't find any. Cast bullets would be the most cost effective. The gun if in good condition is fine to shoot. It would be a fun gun to have.

 

[straightshooterjake]

I can't offer much information about the rifle in the original post, but I can offer a couple of notes about recent availability of the 25-35.

First, Midway has one type of 25-35 ammo in stock. It is Hornady Leverevolution ammo, and it is pricey, but its performance is probably pretty decent. So there is at least a little bit of new ammo available.

Second, Winchester made an attempt to bring back the 25-35 cartridge in 2005, shortly before the plant in Connecticut closed. I don't know how many rifles were made, but there were a least a few. I remember a friend of mine commenting about one at that time, and there is an article about them on GunBlast.

Gunblast - Winchester Brings Back the .25-35!

Edit: Winchester's website shows that 25-35 is an available option in current production. I don't know if they are really making them, but they are listed. The website did not list a country of origin for the new model 94's, but I suspect they are made in Japan by Miroku.

 

[Coyote3855]

I inherited two Winchesters in .25-35 from my Dad. One is a rifle very similar to yours except it has an octagon barrel and was made in 1902. He bought it used when he was 16 years old in 1932. Has a flat spot on the fore end where he carried it across his saddle. The other is a carbine made in 1950. He killed a bull elk with the carbine, a head shot at about 25 yards. But mostly they were his coyote guns. I won't speculate on value. Mine are priceless and will go to his grandson.