The Last Cowboy: Winchester Model 94

If you’re like me, you’re sick of hearing and reading the word iconic in firearms-related media. In many cases, the word isn’t being used correctly, and where it is, iconic is somehow applied to that one thing somebody is trying to shill. 

So, let’s start with a different question: What guns are you likely to find in an American household? 

I think you’ll find the Model 94 Winchester would make the list. It wasn’t the last lever design from Winchester, and it certainly wasn’t the first. It wasn’t exotic or really particularly sexy, even for its time. It was, however, a reliable, do-most-things workhorse, and although we could never prove it, it probably killed more deer in the United States for the span of four or five decades than any other model out there. 

It made it just in time for the last years of the Old West (which was far more unpleasant and less glamorous than most imagine), and it’s still being produced in some form today. The Model 94 Winchester is “The Last Cowboy.”

The lever rifle is arguably the ubiquitous American long rifle design. Beginning with the Henry Rifle that rose to fame and notoriety during the American Civil War as that “damn Yankee rifle you can load on Sunday and shoot all week,” the lever action quickly became the rifle to carry if one wanted firepower on demand. 

Immediately following the American Civil War, Winchester released a series of lever guns beginning in 1866, and that line of various models remains in production today, as do its imitators. 

Most lever actions were pistol-caliber carbines, at least until the advent of the 94. The idea was certainly sound. The pistol caliber provided considerable firepower in the tubular magazine, and the long barrel gave it enough velocity to have punch. It wouldn’t shoot nearly as far, or accurately as the Sharps and other single-shot longer-range rifles, but up close, it dominated. 

Billy the Kid is supposed to have remarked that it was his Winchester that people really feared, not his pistols. The pistol-caliber rifles made buying only one type of ammo a matter of convenience. However, the rivalries of the day meant that one of those caliber options wasn’t .45 Colt, just like .357 SIG became .357 Auto.

Arriving on the heels of such designs as the 1873 Winchester, the Model 94 fielded a new, more powerful rifle cartridge, the .30 Winchester Centerfire or .30-30 Winchester. It was a bridge and a compromise. It reduced the magazine capacity, and thus the firepower, but it increased the range and the power.

It was quickly popular not only because of the name, but because of its inherent utility. It was great for ranch work, hunting, and all-around use. It even became quite popular with law enforcement until after World War II. Other models, such as the 1895 Marlin and an untold slew of copies over the years, quickly testified to its popularity.

The Model 94 was (and remains) a very effective brush gun. It’s light, easy to operate, and extremely reliable. It is very effective within 200 yards on most game, and although many were custom engraved, the model itself was not a safe queen. It was very much a workingman’s gun. It was affordable, and it did the job well. It also gave in to a sense of nostalgia.

Over the years, the 94 underwent multiple modifications and was offered in many calibers. Winchester made considerable efforts to produce commemorative rifles for everything from the Boy Scouts to John Wayne in the full-size Model 94. The design stayed essentially the same after the switch over of Winchester tooling in 1964, and only truly underwent “economizing” with the Ranger line later on.

Being a top eject model, most Model 94s didn’t lend themselves well to having a scope mounted, but when the design was finalized, that wasn’t much of a consideration. Later models were slightly modified to accommodate better mounting of optics. 

With the resurgence of interest in lever actions, the Model 94 (if you don’t already have one) is an excellent choice to consider. Many can be found lightly used and often at bargain prices.

 Even the pre-64s can be had for well under $1K if you look. You won’t find paracord or threaded muzzles on them unless the previous owner modified it. However, most of them, especially the non “Ranger” models have very nice finishes and above-average-to-excellent wood. They tend to be extremely well made, and listening to the action work is remarkably satisfying. Why buy an imitation when you can have the original?