Manufactured in 1897, this is a fine example of a special order, plain pistol grip, Winchester Model 1894 takedown rifle. In many ways, these non-deluxe, special order 1894s are more rare than their deluxe counterparts, as many customers that were ordering and paying extra for special order features would often also pay for the higher grades of wood with checkering. According to Oswalt and Hawk in their survey of the existing 353,999 ledger records for Model 1894s, they note that one in 10 was ordered in takedown configuration, 17,768 were ordered with shotgun butts, and that only 13,703 of the 276,780 rifles were ordered with pistol grip stocks. This amounts to only 4% of the rifles with existing records having pistol grip stocks, the fast majority of which have checkered or carved stocks (10,600 rifles and carbines ordered with checkered or carved stocks). The top flat of the special order part octagon barrel is marked with the standard two-line address and the caliber marking at the breech. The upper tang is marked with the three-line model, trademark, and patent date, and the serial number is marked on the bottom of the receiver. The left side of the lower tang is marked "4564S CF", with "4564" repeated on the butt of the stock and inside the buttplate. It is fitted with a German silver blade front sight and a three-leaf "express" rear sight with platinum inlaid centerlines. It is mounted with a standard grade, smooth forearm and pistol grip stock with a hard rubber grip cap and smooth steel shotgun buttplate.

Fine, retains 70% plus of the original blue finish, 60% of the original case colors, and 90% plus of the original nitre blue on the loading gate with the balance mostly a smooth grey patina, an artificially browned area of pitting on the upper right of the barrel, and a series of minor dings on the magazine tube near the takedown lever. The wood is also fine with some scattered minor handling marks. Mechanically excellent. A rare configuration special order Winchester Model 1894 rifle!