Daniel L. Shuey, "W.R.A. Co. Headstamped Cartridges and Their Variations, Vol. 1" says that Winchester did not market the 25-20 WCF until 1895.
Then I went back and read what John Campbell wrote. The action was manufactured and given a serial number. They were made in batches, not as a continuous production process. The time between the completion of the action and the assembly into a rifle might have been as short as a day or as long as several years. Probably dependent on demand and the economy. The action was made in 1890 or 1891, but was apparently assembled at some time 1895 or later. And who knows how long it sat in a warehouse?
Or the rifle might have gone back to Winchester for rebarreling, in which case there might be some code numbers on the barrel beneath the fore-end. Or (less likely) Winchester might have sold some gunsmith a barrel.
Is the rifle worth the cost to have it lettered?
