I've had my grubby hands all over the innards of these rifles. You want the truth? Here it is:
I have seen loose and tight pre 64s
I have seen loose and tight post 64s
They all were better average quality than Marlin, except for those few shining points in history where Marlin got it right (the early ones look like they were made in a back room with a bench grinder.)
If you're talking about quality, Winchester stands out in my mind as being far more consistent over the last 100 years than any of the other American makers (till they folded that is).
The changes made in the 60's were not bad, except for the fact that they had to learn to make firearms in a new way (which they pulled off with superb grace, if you compare to Remington's recent purchase of Marlin firearms and the subsequent learning curve we all paid for).
The upshot of it is, that I would sooner own a Winchester than any other American firearm, no matter when it was made. I base this on a knowledge of their quality internally, and not where they cut cost on things like stocks and finish, and non essential flu flu BS that makes everybody week in the knees or sick to the stomach. I judge firearm quality by what's on the inside, and Winchester has impressed me so many times, I just know what to expect.
The problem is, they were too practical with some of the changes that were made (the M70 extractor for instance was an absolute stroke of genius, but was so far away from what they had originally, no one appreciated it).
The sintered metal recievers on the post64 94 levers was that way as well. I mean, from a practical/functional point of view, if you're going to cut cost on something, the place to do it is in the big part that just holds all the parts doing the work in alignment! They were years ahead of their time on that.
Unfortunately, these changes did not sit well with the american people, and Winchester pretty much got dealt all the dirt that should have been passed to the new manufacturers, who offered cheap junk to the public at a reduced pricepoint, to the detriment of real quality. The American public wanted cheap guns and high quality, but proved that they were only willing to look at the surface appearance and function, giving no thought to the longevity of the firearms, nor the true craftsmanship that went into them. (I know this, because now I'm being asked to fix all these low quality firearms because "grandpa gave it to me and it's special!". Well, grandpa shouldn't have been taken in by the cheap junk sellers.)
This spelled the doom for a company that only knew how to produce fine firearms the old way.
Fortunately, many many people bought the new Winchesters, but soon found that even though they shot really really well, and functioned perfectly, Winchester did not put the emphasis on surface quality that the others did.
The post 94 is a classic example. That sintered steel receiver, while very strong and perfectly reliable, would not keep the finish more than a few years before it started getting all spotty and rubbed off. So even though it works perfectly, in a short period of time, it looks like complete junk. This left a sour taste in the mouth of the American public, and they complained so much about the looks of the guns, that it soon became common knowledge that the post 64 94s were junky rifles which hurt their pricepoint dramatically (Americans are a very vein people, and appearances are everything, right after cost).
Therefore, the post 64 Winchester 94s are not worth half what they should be. If you find one in absolutely immaculate condition, $350 is all you should pay for it, regardless of its history.
Regardless of the quality of the guns or how they shoot, that's all they are worth for the reasons listed above. We can argue till the cows come home about right or wrong, but the reality is it's just not worth what a Marlin of the same vintage and condition is.
The good news is it's a great way to get into an awesome shooter for low money, but if somebody's trying to sell you one for $500 "because I worked on it" or because "I know somebody who worked it over real good" it's time to walk away shaking your head.
Just my opinion.