Winchester Model 94 Trapper

About the Winchester Model 94 Trapper

The Winchester Model 94 Trapper is the short-barreled carbine variant of John Moses Browning's classic 1894 lever-action rifle, featuring a 16-inch barrel, straight-grip walnut stock, saddle ring and hammer spur extension. Originally produced as 'Special Short Carbines' by Winchester in calibers like .30-30 starting in the late 1800s for trappers, prospectors and lawmen who needed a packable rifle for horseback work, the modern Miroku-built Trapper carries on the design with chamberings ranging from .30-30 Winchester up through pistol-caliber rounds .357 Mag, .44 Rem Mag and .45 Colt.

Winchester never officially called these guns 'Trappers' - the company's internal name was 'Special Short Carbines.' Frontiersmen, trappers and lawmen ordered them with 14-, 15- or 16-inch barrels because a full-length saddle gun was unwieldy on horseback. Genuine pre-1933 Trappers in good condition routinely fetch $6,000-$8,000 today.

Winchester Model 94 Trapper specifications

Modern production by Miroku of Japan, fitted with the post-2010 tang-mounted safety. Magazine capacity varies by caliber: 5 rounds in .30-30, 9 rounds in .357 Mag / .44 Rem Mag / .45 Colt. Weight ~2,722 g (6 lb 0 oz); overall length 870 mm (34.25 in); length of pull 343 mm (13.5 in). Original short-barreled 'trappers' (14-15 in) were never officially cataloged and are now exceedingly rare collector pieces.