From a few years ago...

[Archie]

Visting a good friend in one of the western states. Friend knows I am a collector knows one can trace date of manufacture by serial number. Ask me to find date for a rifle in his collection.

I advised him not all guns have 'lists' on line but I will give it try.

He shows me a Winchester '94 in .30-30. Nearly all the blue is gone, but it's clean. He says it's been in the family for 'some time'. (He's not sure.) He thought it "old" but not sure how old. It is the 'loaner' deer rifle for family and usually delivers the goods.

I assured him Winchester is usually well documented and proceed to show him where to find such lists. (Web search for "Winchester serial number dates" or similar for different manufacturers.)

Serial number came up nearly instantly. 1899. He did think it was an 'old one'. I did tell him not to pawn it.

 

[Riomouse911]

Not often you can hold a piece of history from the 19th century that still operates as well today as it did back then!

That's one thing I love about firearms; you can just picture the places an old gun has been and the events it may have been a part of just by holding and looking at it...

 

[Nature Boy]

What do you figure it’s worth?

 

[Bbear]

Just wondering if it's the 'rifle' version w/ the 22" octagonal barrel or the carbine version? I have my Grandfather's Model 94 marked '30 Winchester' with a 22" octagonal and a Williams peep sight.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Not often you can hold a piece of history from the 19th century that still operates as well today as it did back then!

That's one thing I love about firearms; you can just picture the places an old gun has been and the events it may have been a part of just by holding and looking at it...

O, I don't know....I'd say 90% of the surviving military arms made since the advent of smokeless powders (and especially noncorrosive primers) are still fully operational if you can get ammo for them. That number certainly runs into the millions.
Now, finding working civilian artifacts from the 1890s is another story. Even though many were made to last, their faster obsolescence cycles led to more people discarding their hand crank butter churns and carriage tackle and such.
Thank goodness governments tend to hang onto war stuff!
And I do wish my old guns could tell stories.....my crushed and burnt Arisaka would have a doozy I bet!

 

[BSA1]

Legendary Tom Horn owned a Winchester 94 in 30-30 and it was claimed he used it to shoot and kill young Willie Nickell in 1901 from 200 yards away.

Maybe further research into this gun is needed?