Included in this lot is a desirable Special Order, early classic Winchester 1894 rifle, with low serial number 300848, in scarce .32 WS caliber (.32 Winchester Special). This rifle was made 1904. This example has the rare 26” half-octagon barrel paired with a full length magazine. This is two special order features from Winchester because when a rifle was built with a half-octagon barrel it was paired with a half-magazine, unless the customer specifically requested a full magazine. According to the standard work by George Madis, “The Winchester Handbook”, of the hundreds of thousands of Model 1894 rifles, only 3,633 had half-octagon barrels. Combined with the special full magazine, this rifle is doubly rare. It is also important to note that the .32 WS caliber, which was introduced for the Model 1894 Winchester in the year 1902, was actually advertised as a cartridge factory loaded with smokeless powder that could be reloaded with black powder. At this early date, many riflemen on the frontier, where factory ammunition might be difficult to purchase, were more inclined to load their ammunition with a supply of black powder than the new, difficult-to-locate, high-pressure smokeless propellant. This early production 1894 shows fine deep blue on the 26” half-octagon barrel, along with nice blue on the top portion of the magazine with the balance an uncleaned aged patina. The receiver retains fine screws and displays good, aged blue mixing heavily with gray/brown. The fore-end and butt stock are excellent and display a tight wood to metal fit. Additionally, this early 1894 has the standard Winchester buckhorn rear sight paired with a blade with bead front sight, along with sharp and clear correct Winchester markings on the barrel. At one time this fine rifle was fitted with a tang sight that has been removed. The mounting screws for these commonly found sights remain; replacing such a tang sight would be simple. The 1894 was one of the most popular of Winchester’s models and thousands are still used regularly today. The 1894 was also known as the “Klondike Model”, as many found their way to the Yukon Gold Rush of the last years of the 1890s and into the 20th century. It was equally as popular east and west of the Mississippi and big game hunter/conservationist, Theodore Roosevelt, was known to have used a Winchester 1894. This example boasts a tight action and fine bore with good rifling all the way through. For such an early production example, this is a truly fine 1894; it is in better condition than usually encountered on the collector’s market today. Considering its special order barrel and magazine, it would be a prize for any collector. This firearm qualifies as a Curio & Relic, and requires FFL Transfer or NICS Background Check.