Winchester Model 94
The rifle that defined the .30-30 cartridge and the deer-camp lever-action category. 1894 design, 2026 production, Non-restricted across both endpoints.
Is the Winchester Model 94 banned in Canada? Not currently. The Winchester Model 94 is Non-restricted, but it scores 2/15 on the Holdover Ban-Risk Index. It is not currently eligible for compensation. The current amnesty for prohibited firearms expires 90 days after the latest Supreme Court appeal termination under SOR/2026-114.
Classification: Non-restricted · OIC/SOR: - · Ban-Risk: Low · Compensation: Not currently eligible · Amnesty: SCC appeals + 90 days
Verdict
The Winchester Model 94 is the rifle that defined the .30-30 Winchester cartridge — the first smokeless-powder sporting cartridge ever chambered, in the first lever-action ever designed for one. John Browning's 1894 design has remained in production for 132 years (with one brief hiatus 2006–2010 during Winchester's restructuring), and the .30-30 has remained the working calibre across that span without meaningful change. The Index reads the Model 94 at 2/15 — one point for lever-action, one for common centrefire — alongside the Marlin 336 (Batch 5) and the Henry Long Ranger (Batch 4). Three lever-action entries on the Index, all clean Lows, none on any list. The Model 94 sits as the originator of the category and the longest continuously produced sporting rifle on the current Canadian market.
Tracking a rifle on this list?
The Ban-Risk Index updates as classifications and the federal compensation list change. Get those changes, and the SCC + 90-day amnesty deadline reminders, in The Dispatch.
Lineage
Parents: Winchester Model 1873 (precursor lever-action design)
Siblings: Winchester Model 1892, Model 1895 (sibling Browning-designed lever-actions, also Non-restricted)
Derived: Trapper, Sporter, Big Bore, .30-30 vs .32 Win Special chamberings
Primary sources for this entry
- RCMP FRT — RCMP. accessed 2026-05-27
- Winchester Repeating Arms — Model 94 catalogue — Manufacturer. accessed 2026-05-27
Safety note: the Ban-Risk Index is editorial estimation, not legal advice or a substitute for current official guidance. The classification field reflects current RCMP FRT status as of the last-scored date. For any transfer, surrender, deactivation, or transport question, consult primary RCMP / Public Safety Canada sources and, where appropriate, a Canadian firearms lawyer.
