30-30 Winchester

[Longwood]

I bought a 30-30 from an aquaintance today that is next to new.
I paid $350 and got 4 boxes of Remington and Super X rounds and a vinyl zip-up case.
He told me that the serial number put the date of manufactur at 1971.
How did I do?

[Montana Ron]

The first deer pays for the rifle, the second pays for everything to reload it, the third deer is
pure profit..........show me what you can invest in that pays it's self back and feeds you in
one hunting season.......Put $350 in the bank and see how long it takes at .5% to earn it's self
back....................

[Gtek]

Pre- Safety, I bet the wood fits, I bet it cycles nice, if it does not- diss and clean and oil. If your Marlinitis becomes worse you will understand how you have done. Very fair price and not throwing the dice at the (STUFF) pushed out the doors from Marlin from last several years. Enjoy- Gtek

[stubshaft]

Depends on whether or not it is a Marlin or Winchester?

[Longwood]

It is a winchester 94 with a 20" barrel and it looks like it has never been fired.
I can't help it, I don't care for the looks of the marlins

[Larry Gibson]

It is a winchester 94 with a 20" barrel and it looks like it has never been fired.
I can't help it, I don't care for the looks of the marlins

You did fine from one M94 owner/lover to another, don't let them Marlin owners try to make you feel guilty for their poor choice........;)

Larry Gibson

[Longwood]

You did fine from one M94 owner/lover to another, don't let them Marlin owners try to make you feel guilty for their poor choice........;)

Larry Gibson

Thanks Larry
I paid more for a Rossi 92 45 and a Taurus Thunderbolt 45 so I think I did OK.

[stubshaft]

Good deal. I like the accuracy I get out of my 45/70 Marlins but will always have a soft spot for Winnies. My first real hunting rifle was a model 64 and I've shot many a hog with it and other 94's that I have owned.

[Gtek]

Mr. Gibson Sir, Did your mother teach you not to pick on Marlin owners because they were "SPECIAL"! Gtek

[white eagle]

you did real good
I have a win.model 94 as well
actually my father bought it for me when I started hunting deer at age 12

[jlchucker]

You did good. In that vintage Winchester, though, the cartridge lifter is famous for being a part stamped from sheet steel. Eventually it will bend, and when that happens there's no fix except to replace that lifter with the later version, made from an investment casting. You'll know when this happens because when you lever a cartridge, the round will slide under the lifter instead of chambering. This can happen soon, or it may take years. It's an unpredictable failure. Winchester did away with that stamped lifter not long after your rifle was made, and the later part can be fitted easily enough when the time comes. Meantime, enjoy shooting until the time comes.

[Larry Gibson]

Mr. Gibson Sir, Did your mother teach you not to pick on Marlin owners because they were "SPECIAL"! Gtek

Well, I got a M94 Winchester carbine for my 14th BD....and still have it.....if that tells you anything about my Mother's thoughtfulness....I mentioned "Marlin" once and she asked whatever I would want a fish like that for:D

Larry Gibson

[Longwood]

I have had so many rifles and handguns that I could not list them all. I always liked the looks of the Winchesters mainly because of the wetern movies I grew up on.
I always sort of wanted a 94 but I never hunted meat much and never liked shooting the 30-30 factory loads but I am now 69, only shoot for fun and since I load my own can make a very fun gun to shoot along with the 45 replica rifles I bought last year.
Great gun deals seem to be very common now so I also bought a Sharps I stumbled upon at the local gun store a week ago. It came with a lot of gear and 16.3 pounds of 45-70's.

[Gtek]

:drinks:Mr. Gibson- Is that not what makes it fun. My fish clean up real easy, give me that one.

[shotman]

Longwood where did you get that avatar of the president at birth. not much has changed since 1961
good deal on gun if you dont scope it

[jh45gun]

I like Both Winchester and Marlin. I like the lines of the model 94 better but I like the Marlins for their side ejection and caliber choices. I have a W 94 and a M 95

[Jeffrey]

You did fine from one M94 owner/lover to another, don't let them Marlin owners try to make you feel guilty for their poor choice........;)

Larry Gibson

Quote from 'Grandpa' - "Good thing everybody doesn't like the same thing. Cause if they did everybody would be trying to kiss Grandma"

Jeffrey - Marlin owner.

[Bealzybub]

My model 94 only reminds me of how old I am (not too, but). I had a friend that was an FFL that sold me mine for $139 NIB. Can you guess my age, lol................

[Larry Gibson]

Quote from 'Grandpa' - "Good thing everybody doesn't like the same thing. Cause if they did everybody would be trying to kiss Grandma"

Jeffrey - Marlin owner.

Grandpa must have had a M94 as he obviously knew what was good.........:smile:

Larry Gibson

[pietro]

You did good. In that vintage Winchester, though, the cartridge lifter is famous for being a part stamped from sheet steel. Eventually it will bend, and when that happens there's no fix except to replace that lifter with the later version, made from an investment casting. You'll know when this happens because when you lever a cartridge, the round will slide under the lifter instead of chambering. This can happen soon, or it may take years. It's an unpredictable failure. Winchester did away with that stamped lifter not long after your rifle was made, and the later part can be fitted easily enough when the time comes. Meantime, enjoy shooting until the time comes.

You, sir, are in error - Winchester applied those updates very late in 1970, and they appear on all 1971 production Winchester Model 94's - which is the DOM of the OP's Carbine.

Longwood: Take care that the exterior of the receiver always has a coating of oil or light grease - as they are prone to rusting, and cannot be easily reblued or cold blued by conventional methods, due to the composition of the receiver metal & the way Winchester originally finished them (a form of plating).

.

[jlchucker]

You, sir, are in error - Winchester applied those updates very late in 1970, and they appear on all 1971 production Winchester Model 94's - which is the DOM of the OP's Carbine.

Longwood: Take care that the exterior of the receiver always has a coating of oil or light grease - as they are prone to rusting, and cannot be easily reblued or cold blued by conventional methods, due to the composition of the receiver metal & the way Winchester originally finished them (a form of plating).

.

I stand corrected. My own Winchester had the cast lifter, but it was a pre-production one, made in late 1969 or 1970 while I was working there. During that particular time period my brothers bought 94's off dealer shelves, a bit later, with the stamped lifter still in them. I didn't refer to text references or magazine articles like you must have. I was only trying to go by memory, which may be fading away with age. If he's got the cast lifter he shouldn't have any problems.

[WinMike]

Hmmm......some years ago, a beater 1970 production (serial #3412xxx) '94 was sort of incidentally thrown into a trade. But I like the handling so much, and after adding a cast-off Williams receiver sight, I ended up keeping it.....it's surprisingly (at least to me) accurate, fun to shoot, etc., etc. But you all know this.

What's mystified me is the composition of the receiver, as mentioned above. It's non-magnetic, and, I assumed, non-rusting (although I haven't given it a chance to do so). Can you elaborate further?

Secondly, how do I know if my rifle has the now-dreaded sheet metal lifter? Mine is blued, if that helps any, and looks kind of sheet-metal-ly from above.....but it's never given me any trouble.....maybe replace it to be sure?

[jlchucker]

Hmmm......some years ago, a beater 1970 production (serial #3412xxx) '94 was sort of incidentally thrown into a trade. But I like the handling so much, and after adding a cast-off Williams receiver sight, I ended up keeping it.....it's surprisingly (at least to me) accurate, fun to shoot, etc., etc. But you all know this.

What's mystified me is the composition of the receiver, as mentioned above. It's non-magnetic, and, I assumed, non-rusting (although I haven't given it a chance to do so). Can you elaborate further?

Secondly, how do I know if my rifle has the now-dreaded sheet metal lifter? Mine is blued, if that helps any, and looks kind of sheet-metal-ly from above.....but it's never given me any trouble.....maybe replace it to be sure?

Blued and sheet-metal-ly is a bad sign. Accurate shooter though, is not surprising. I wouldn't replace the lifter though until it starts giving trouble. The later version is a casting and I've never seen a blued-looking one. Back about the time your rifle was made, one of my brothers bought a new 94 carbine in a gunshop. The lifter started failing on him after two or 3 boxes of ammo, and a Winchester Warranty dealer in Hookset NH replaced his stock lifter with one of the newer ones. I recall riding over there when my brother brought his rifle there for service. Another brother bought a 94 around the same time period, with a stamped, blued lifter that's still working just fine. Go figure. If I were you I'd just shoot my new acquisition until a problem developed, then get it fixed when you need to.

[WinMike]

If I were you I'd just shoot my new acquisition until a problem developed, then get it fixed when you need to.


Thanks....it's not exactly a new acquisition....going on 25+ years and several hundred rounds....so maybe it won't fail!

Dang....and I was looking forward to a final winter project.....

[jlchucker]

If I were you I'd just shoot my new acquisition until a problem developed, then get it fixed when you need to.


Thanks....it's not exactly a new acquisition....going on 25+ years and several hundred rounds....so maybe it won't fail!

Dang....and I was looking forward to a final winter project.....

You've got a hold of one like one of my brothers has. Bought around the same time (1970 or so), stamped lifter, well-used, and still working just fine with the stamped lifter. He knows what he's got, and just keeps plinking away without a problem. Too bad all Winchesters of that era didn't keep working like yours and his. By the way, my brother used mostly j-word bullets until this past year--and now he's discovered that his 1970 model is minute of soda-can accurate at 75 yd---with a Lyman 311316 boolit propelled by a light charge of Unique. No more j-bullets out of that rifle. :cbpour:

[Longwood]

My lifter look like it is sintered metal so I guess it is stamped but from powder not from sheet.

[Longwood]

Take care that the exterior of the receiver always has a coating of oil or light grease - as they are prone to rusting, and cannot be easily reblued or cold blued by conventional methods, due to the composition of the receiver metal & the way Winchester originally finished them (a form of plating).

.

I sanded off that shiney finish and painted it flat black to cut down on the glare.
I could not see the sight very well so I silver soldered a nice Thompson Contender sight to the slide so I could see the rear sight better.














No I dint!:kidding: