30-30 value

[Steve77]

I've got this winchester 94 in 30-30. The serial number dated to 1973 if i recall correctly. It doesn't really get used, so I might get rid of it. What should I expect to get out of it? It is in great shape except for the miserable flaked bluing. The custom stock is kinda unique, but I'm not sure if it does anything for the value. I wish I had a nice clean 94 to swap the stock onto.

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[nekshot]

I love those recievers!! Sand them down and polish them turns a turd into a sharp looking gun. Around our area that gun would be priced short of 300 bucks.

[Steve77]

I love those recievers!! Sand them down and polish them turns a turd into a sharp looking gun. Around our area that gun would be priced short of 300 bucks.
Yeah, It would make a good carcass for a project, otherwise I think it is probably just another shooter.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

That is indeed an interesting stock. Was it that way when you bought it? As for the receiver, what you've got is one of about 1.5 million of them that have a cast steel receiver instead of a forged receiver. No difference in strength or utility, but the cast receivers don't blue well so a plating of iron was added to the surface which would blue. Unfortunately, the receiver is the natural balance point of the rifle and hunters carry them one handed with the sweaty hand wrapped around the receiver. Eventually, like yours, the receiver rusts. Then the owner takes it to his local gunsmith and wants it reblued, and if the gunsmith isn't familiar with the problem he buffs off the rust and the iron plating goes with it and he's down to the cast steel. When he tries to blue it the receiver turns out plum colored and/or splotchy. When I was in the business the only alternatives were to spray the receiver with flat black baking lacquer which I did on many of them, or send them off and have them plated with black hard chrome. Now there are many spray-on alternative coatings, many available from Brownells, and a careful do-it-yourselfer can turn out an acceptable job. You might think about giving it a try--you don't have much to lose. As for the stock, I'm not sure what you've got there. Are the patterns inlays or made with a Magic Marker? If you can remove them and do a nice refinish job on the stock you might bring the price up to the $400-$450 range, but as it sits it does look like $300.

[TXGunNut]

I like the stock. That receiver bluing comes with the territory on guns of that era. It's a bit distracting but it's still a solid rifle.

[Steve77]

The stock was on it when I purchased it. The original owner said that a smith in Detroit had done the stock work. I typically prefer the Marlins over the winchesters, mostly due to starting out with Marlins and getting used to them and never quite having the same sweet spot for the Win. I think it would look great with cerakote or durakote receiver.

[TXGunNut]

I don't compare my Winchesters to my Marlins. Not fair to either gun, they're both awesome.
One of the spray-on finishes will serve you as well as most expensive finishes.

[Gtek]

Shake some bushes and find a Winchester guy sitting on a 336, win, win!

[Shawlerbrook]

Agree with all above. Around $300 seems right for Post-64 Winny in that shape. The sintered metal receivers all look that way as time passes. Either remove the finish/rust and make it looked like brushed SS or finish with something like cerakote or durakote. Another option is just shoot it as is. They are one of the best carrying rifles ever made.

[Hick]

I was in the shop of Antique and Modern Firearms in Lexington in July, and they had a couple of the same vintage and similar light rusting on the receiver. They were asking $325