A friend gave me a Winchester hand held reloading tool. It has an 1894 patent date on it. It is marked 38-55. I am a shooter, not a collector, but would like to know how it works before it disappears into the pile on my work bench. Is there any source of information on how this tool is used?

That is it! I can see how it might remove fired primers and reprime cases but beyond that it's not easy to see how it works.

The tool's original directions are already shown above. For additional details you might also print a copy of the tool's patent, No. 514722, off the US Patent & Trademark Office's internet database.

But for me, the crux of the Model 1894 tool is  that it's slow but sure in the sense that cartridges are loaded consistently if only to the exact form Winchester machined into each die.  For the average shooter, this restriction likely still is a reassuring safety factor and advantage.  Not surprisingly, however, most single shot afficionados, if they use a Winchester tool at all, prefer the Ideal-like Model 1881.

I had one in 32/40 and got rid of it because it wouldn't extract out of the chamber. Your straight case might be better.

The instructions could be better written.  The trick is to both push the cartridge into the die and then extract it in stages.  You should also keep die's interior clean and smooth, and perhaps a little lube would further help with tapered or bottlenecked cases.