Winchester Model 1894 Carbines in British military service, information please !

[#1oilman]

These questions are primarily directed to our British military historians. Last night I purchased a Winchester Model 1894 carbine in .30-30 caliber at auction for a friend. The carbine is profusely marked with British proofs and the " Not English Make" stamp. Winchester polishing room records date manufacture as 1940 during the height of the Battle of Britain and only 40.000 model 94 carbines were produced that year. One can be fairly sure that no English hunter was ordering a deer rifle at this point in history. Given that arms were in great demand in England at this point, we were wondering if the government or war department of the day purchased these arms for issue to the Home Guard in preparation for what was believed to be the imminent Nazi invasion by sea. This is the second model 1894 Winchester of same vintage my friend has seen, similarly marked. We know that Britain purchased Winchester Model 1892 carbines in caliber .44 for the Royal Navy and Model 1886 rifles in 45-90 caliber for the Royal Flying Corp to shoot down German air ships during the First World War and I have seen examples of both. The model 92 carbines were inspected by Canadian inspectors and marked with the familiar Dominion of Canada DCP proof. Given these prior purchases in a time of need it's not a stretch to think that the same occurred during the early months of 1940. Canada also turned to Winchester and ordered several thousand model 94 carbines for issue to the Pacific Coast Militia Rangers for the defense of Canada's west coast, from a Japanese invasion. This order was only partially filled and was supplemented with Winchester model 64's and the Marlin model 336 all in .30-30. The Canadian purchases were done in parliament by Order in Council and we thought the British purchases might have been done in similar fashion. If any of you know of such records of such purchases or how to obtain them we would greatly appreciate your assistance. Winchester records do not exist showing such purchases by Britain.

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