I have a 1894 winchester Trapper model in 32-40 with a cresc...

I have a 1894 winchester Trapper model in 32-40 with a crescent butt plate
and buckhorn sights, no saddle ring that is a shooter probably a 6 out of 10. Made in 1910
any idea of value?

Guest,

You have posted a bit of conflicting info there. Trappers are usually carbine models which have shorter than normal barrel lengths than standard.
They do have a steel butt plate but it is different than the cresent butt plate found on rifles. The standard carbine sight is pictured below and flips up. Though it sure could have been replaced in the past almost 100 years. The lack of a saddle ring is the real question I have. Does the fore end have the metal ring around it like in the photo.
If not you may have a short barrel rifle. That would be consistent with the cresent butt plate and no ring and more typical buckhorn sight.

Let me know
2bit

Thanks for the reply. The fore ring doesn't go over the barrel
wich measures 16 in and is a hex
thanks again

sorry it is a octagon barrel

If it has an octagon barrel it is not a "trapper" type. This term is usually reserved for Model 1873 and 1892 short barrel carbines. Carbines, and hence trappers, never had octagon barrels. So I am pretty sure you have what would be termed a short rifle. The cresent butt plate, no ring, buckhorn sight, and octagon barrel are all consistent with short rifles. The photo is of a short rifle with a 22 inch barrel. Standard length was 24. Shorter barrels were available at the time of manufacture. There were only 2252 rifles made with this length barrel out of over 5,000,000 1894s!! So they are very rare. Often a barrel has been cut down in the past. You can tell the difference by noting the distance from the end of the barrel to the magazine retaining ring. The front of the ring should be right near 3 and a 1/2 inches from the end of the barrel. Anything shorter is a cut down barrel. Original short rifles are slightly more valuable than a standard rifle in the same condition. The .32-40 was not produced in large numbers and made up just 11% of the rifles prior to 1905. Send a few photos. There are still some unknowns that limit an educated guess.

Here are some pictures I hope will help. Just curious about the 3 1/2 in on ring, this short of a barrel there is no room.
thanks again 65falcon

65 falcon

If you will send me the following photos maybe we can figure what your rifle has gone through in its life. The magazine retaining ring does look too close to the end of the barrel. I need a shot of the barrel address, see photo, of the rifle. Also, a shot of the entire barrel and could you tell me the length of the fore end? Include one of the caliber marking at tne receiver end of the barrel.

Thanks
2bit

here are more pics can't get the address on the barrel shot clear enough, it says
manufactured by winchester repeating arms company
New Haven conn usa pantend august 21 1894
the forestock measures 10.25 in thanks for the help

more pics

more

more

that 10.25 in measurement is from reciever to end of forestock ring
serail # 515722 thanks

65falcon

If that is the car you are driving I am impressed! You have been busy this morning. OK, your gun is definitely not a carbine and hence not a trapper version of a 1894. It has had the original barrel cut down to its present length. All Winchester 1894 magazine retaining bands were cut the same distance from the muzzle regardless of barrel length.

Here is what happened to your rifle. Based on the photo of the end of the barrel pointing to the left you can see the rusty "ghost" of where the retaining band used to be on the magazine. It looks to be the correct distance from the original end of the magazine. So the barrel has been cut off from the muzzle end but the magazine was cut down from the receiver end. The sight and the magazine retaining band dovetails were re-cut into the barrel, the latter in the wrong position relative to the new muzzle, and then the rifle reassembled. The front sight also looks to have been filed down since the sight window length has been altered.

The bad new is that all that work killed the collectors value of the rifle. The rest of the rifle might be worth a few hundreds for parts but that would be about it. Sorry for the news after all the effort.

2bit