Win 94 trigger safety

[olafhardt]

On my 70's Win 94 the little safety teat that blocks the trigger if the lever is not closed is messed up. The hammer will fall if the lever and bolt are not fully closed and fire a primed case. This rifle seems to work better because of this. Since I am used to this, I notice how much this saftey(?) measure impeads bolt closing on other levers. I don't picture my self firing the rifle with out closing the lever. What are your thoughts?

[Dan Cash]

The little safety lever has been on 1894 Win. for ever. It is there for a purpose so get it fixed. You will sooner or later run into a cartridge that balks at chambering just a little, the lever won't be quite closed and the locking lug won't be fully engaged. You will spring/stretch your rifle thus ruining it. There is a certain personal hazzard involved, too, as the case will rupture, separating at the head. It is entertaining. How do I know? Don't ask.

[Junior1942]

A ruptured brass case some 10" from your eyes would ruin your day. It might also ruin the day of your heir who inherits it some day and doesn't know about the problem. Fix it!

[Boerrancher]

All Winchester rifles made before the 94 did not have that eyesight saving little feature. I know fully well my 66 does not have it, and I was always careful. One deer season a couple years back I shot at a big doe about 60 yards away and missed. I worked the lever and it didn't close. The deer was still hanging around and I noticed the round was only half way chambered. I couldn't get it out or in. As I was messing with it trying to get it out I accidentally bumped the trigger and the gun fired. I couldn't see, couldn't hear, and could feel the blood running everywhere.

Thank God I was wearing my glasses and not my contacts. I eventually got to where I could see a bit but couldn't tell how badly my face was injured, though my clothes were covered with blood, as was the gun. I noticed blood pouring from where the end of my index finger was out of the missing end of the glove. I put the gun on the ground next to me and stripped off what was left of my glove and wrapped it around my index finger where the bone was sticking out because all of the skin and tissue had been blown away. When I finally got to where I could stand I still had nearly 1/2 mile walk to my truck and then another half mile drive home. The wife spent hours picking the pieces of brass out of my face, and bandaging up all of my wounds.

It was several days before I could clean up the gun and clean all of the pieces of finger out of the action. What had happened to cause the second round not to chamber and stick was the case separated above the head on the first shot and I didn't notice it. When I tried to close the lever It forced the live round partially into the broken case still in the chamber and it only went half way in. My load was 9 grains of Unique on a 205 gr RNFP cast. I can only imagine what kind of a blast it would have been had it have been a 30-30 or 32WCF with 30+ grains of powder.

I am lucky. My combat training and combat experience allowed me to keep my head and treat my wounds that were bleeding badly so I could make it out of the woods. Had it been a larger blast or permanently injured my eyes I may not have been so lucky. I now never take a gun in the woods with brass that has been fired more than twice. I am not going to tell you to get it fixed, you can or not, suture yourself. That is if you are able to do so. In all seriousness though I would consider getting it fixed before you shoot it any more.

Best wishes,

Joe

[olafhardt]

Thanks for the excellently written replies. I was looking for good " been there done that and aint going to do it again because....... " replies like we get on this site.

[1Shirt]

Quite a story Borerancher! A live and learn proposition. There is an old Yankee saying, and being an old yankee--------"the only people who don't make mistakes are them that do nothing" and "The people who make the same mistake twice deserve the consequences". Am truely glad to know that you came out of it ok, and that your background and training came thru!
God Bless!
1Shirt!:smile: