Win 94 sight problem

[tcbnick]

AT 50 yds this thing shoots 12" left, up and down is fine. I've bought this gun new in about 1974 and hunted with it for all my teenage years, so I know it use to shoot fine. It's been in the safe for the last 20 yrs or so. But now with casting, and wanting to remember the old times, I got it out and ran some store bought ammo through it, and at 100 yrds I could not even see where the bullit hit. So up to the 50yder and at least I could find the hole.So into the gun room I go, complete disassembly and cleaning, thought maybe some old hard gummy oil and stuff was under the barrel. Back out and still 12" off. Ok now I start tapping the frount sight over, gets better, alittle more, better yet, now the frount sight is about to fall out of the dovetail, thats not good. So I stopped and came here.

Questions

Tapping with a hammer and brass punch is not the most precision way of doing this, so what is?
What else can it be? Using a laser beam the barrel seems straight,same with the stock. The crown looks OK, but I think it would have to be really bad to be this far off.
Any ideas, suggestion?

Thanks Nick

[RickinTN]

Using the brass punch and hammer or similar is the only way I know to move it. You can move the rear sight for adjustment also, just go the other way. Not sure what would have moved the point of impact that much over the years other than being a different load?
Good luck,
Rick

[MtGun44]

Hammer/brass punch is correct. See if you can pull off the mag and forend and shoot a few this way.
If it goes straight, you need to look into forend or mag band twisting the barrel when
shooting, uneven pressure, too tight, etc. If still hits left, I'm wondering if it is possible the
barrel got bent a bit?

You are not leaning the barrel against any kind of a hard surface when shooting, are you?

Bill

[tcbnick]

Thanks guys. OK hammer and punch it is. I've been shooting off of a rest, and I may not be the best shooter but the gun shoots the same for my range buddies, so its not just me.

Bill, I will strip the front-end and see if that helps. And yes everything is possible with all of the moving I have done.

? Has anybody used those laser cartridges? Thinking one of those might help see if the barrel is bent.

[AZ Pete]

Thanks guys. OK hammer and punch it is. I've been shooting off of a rest, and I may not be the best shooter but the gun shoots the same for my range buddies, so its not just me.

Bill, I will strip the front-end and see if that helps. And yes everything is possible with all of the moving I have done.

? Has anybody used those laser cartridges? Thinking one of those might help see if the barrel is bent.

I've used a laser ctg. and it worked great. If I recall we were within one or two inches at 100 yards.

[725]

Really clean the copper out when switching from jacketed to cast. May be minor but every little bit helps. How's the crown?

[KCSO]

If you are really 12" off at 50 yards you have some serious problems not related to the sights. I would start with the barrle crown and look for dents and check the inside of the muzzle for a ring or major rust. If this shows nothing I would guess that the barrel may be bent.

[starnbar]

Check the buttstock and the screws had one that was cracked and did the same thing not as bad but after pulling the stock it was cracked bad from the receiver on back.

[DougGuy]

Bent barrel..

[tcbnick]

Thanks guys
It'll keep messing with it. The crown looks good, no dents on the barrel. Man I hope it's not a bent barrel.

[C.F.Plinker]

Look down the length of the barrel from above it. If the barrel wasn't screwed on all the way the front sight will lay off to the right a few degrees. When you sight down it correctly your shots will go left. If that is your problem, you can either drift the sights until they are lined up correctly or have someone tighten it on a little further. Then you will have to check for the correct headspacing and bolt lockup.

[starnbar]

If its been in your safe for the last 20 years and it shot ok when it was placed in there and hasn't been used since its not a bent barrel.

[MtGun44]

You should have a pretty good idea if there is any chance that the gun could have been
subjected to the really large forces that would be necessary to bend a barrel. If it has
been under your control and not abused, I would assume something associated with
the mag tube, barrel band or forend are putting different loads on the barrel and
changing the way the barrel vibrates when shot, not a bent barrel.

Are you resting it against something on the right side when you are shooting, like
leaning against a post or tree? This alone can cause a gun to shoot to the side quite
a bit.

Bill

[tcbnick]

Barrel band it is! I took off the both bands and the forearm,and it shot slot better. A few taps on the sights and all is good. I'm going to check the forearm with some inlay black, because it looks like there is a fresh wear spot in the barrel channel. But none the less I'm on the right track. Now to put it back together and try it, and if it's off I know we're to look.

Thanks guys
Nick

[MtGun44]

The 'remove the forearm' trick is one to remember when a levergun goes sour. Likely to be the
barrel band and/or handguard fit to barrel/magtube or frame that is the problem.

Glad you located it. Consider glass bedding the rear face of the forend to the receiver while you
are at it. This tends to stabilize things in a good way.

Bill