Yesterday I was out shooting with a friend who is an old lever gun guy. His hunting guns are BLR's chambered in .300 WSM and .243 Win. But, he used to hunt with Winchester 1894's in .30-.30 Win. So, he brought his two old Winchesters out to shoot the box of handloads I built him a couple weeks ago. The first gun has a serial number in six digits, a 24-in octagonal barrel and a flip-up tang sight. The front sight was a little post with a small bead on top. Little bluing remains. The wood is without dings and has the nice curved butt stock with a steel plate. It shoots like a dream. Offhand at 100 yards resulted in 100% hits on a 12 x 18 steel plate and from a rest 60% hits at 220 yards. My friend when he was 12 in 1957 borrowed this gun from an elderly neighbor and when the man gave up hunting and shooting several years later sold it to my friend for $10! At about the same time (1963) my friend bought a new Model 1894 with 20-in barrel. Serial number is in 7 digits and starts with a 2. It also shoots like a dream. I want one each of these delightful guns. Can I afford them?

go to gunbroker.com or auction arms - you might be able to pick one up there that is the pre-64 model you are looking for. Now that Winchester is on a major down hill the cost of one may increase greatly-hurry!