"New" M94 Classic 30-30

[AKtinman]

I just acquired a Winchester Model 94 Classic 30-30 with 20” octagonal barrel. Action and metal is all in very nice condition, a few use marks on the highly figured walnut. I suspect the Pachmayr pad is not original to the rifle, but it was well-matched to the buttstock when it was installed. Serial number is in the low 3 million range, so I think this means it is a late ’60’s manufacture. This is my first Model 94 30-30, but I did own a 44 Trapper AE about 15 years ago.

This was acquired as a using gun, not for any collector value or to be a wall-hanger. This one reminds me of the gaudy “gun-a-month” commemorative guns Winchester used to make, and I have had no interest in them. The gold inlaid “engraving” on the receiver is not overbearing, and I might be able to ignore the gold loading gate and saddle ring, but I really liked the feel and balance of this rifle (carbine?) and since I had a thousand 170gr FP Oregon Trail boolits and a set of dies on hand, it needed to come home with me.
http://www.fototime.com/F68CE7C07238DB0/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/A1BAAD402CF8C08/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/B6C438A467DF5EA/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/F228DFED48C91FF/standard.jpg

The last 30-30 I owned (Rem 788) got traded away about 30 years ago, and I was loading condom boolits for it. I’ll do a forum search for cast boolit loads, but if you have any favorite cast boolit loads to recommend, I’d appreciate it.

This gun is going to need a sling, and I saw the Uncle Mike’s offering with the magazine band swivel. As this has the rifle foreend, are there any better solutions for the front sling mount?

It also will need some sights. I’ve got a Williams receiver sight in my parts bin, but am looking for suggestions for the front sight. I am thinking of something similar to the old Redfield Sourdough.

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

[Uncle R.]

Comments?
It's a post-64 94 with a "rifle" forend cap, octagon barrel and nice looking wood. I love that mag tube band. The whole thing would be really nice if it weren't for the gold filling - kinda like "gansta" whitewalls to my eyes - a little over the top. I strongly suspect that "gold" in the engraving would go away with a little acetone - and the loading gate is easy to refinish too.
:bigsmyl2:
Altogether - I wish it was mine.
Let us know how it shoots.
Uncle R.

[gon2shoot]

I generally prefer to put my own scratches on a gun, but what the heck, if it shoots good. ;)

[Griff]

Winchester issued it's commemoratives for quite a few years, usually as a yearly issue. The two "special issue" were the "Antique" and the "Classic". The Antique was a 20" carbine and the Classic came in 20" & 26" octagon barrels in a rifle configuration (forend cap, curved buttplate, full-length mag tube). IIRC the Antique was introduced in 1964 and the Classic in 1968, and both were produced over several years. Both have that scroll engraving, the gold colored saddle ring and the gold spring cover (loading gate). I suspect that some previous owner added the gold fill in the engraving... I believe they were plain. But... wood was generally good, and originally it would have had a steel curved buttplate.

If your rifle has a "stamped steel" carrier (lifter) it was made prior to mid 1971 or thereabouts, if it's a cast piece, it's later.

Enjoy your new rifle; not carbine.

[AKtinman]

Winchester issued it's commemoratives for quite a few years, usually as a yearly issue. The two "special issue" were the "Antique" and the "Classic". The Antique was a 20" carbine and the Classic came in 20" & 26" octagon barrels in a rifle configuration (forend cap, curved buttplate, full-length mag tube). IIRC the Antique was introduced in 1964 and the Classic in 1968, and both were produced over several years. Both have that scroll engraving, the gold colored saddle ring and the gold spring cover (loading gate). I suspect that some previous owner added the gold fill in the engraving... I believe they were plain. But... wood was generally good, and originally it would have had a steel curved buttplate.

If your rifle has a "stamped steel" carrier (lifter) it was made prior to mid 1971 or thereabouts, if it's a cast piece, it's later.

Enjoy your new rifle; not carbine.

Thanks, Griff.

I was thinking this was a "rifle" vs "carbine", but wasn't sure because of the length of the barrel. This one does have the stamped steel carrier.


Uncle R:

No luck with the Acetone. I tried a toothpick with the Acetone, and the gold wouldn't come off the engraved portions of the receiver.

A Dremel might work... :D


I'll be loading some of the 170gr cast with Unique and 2400 to try this one out. Looks like a fun gun.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have one of the long barelled versions. The butt plate is a steel item and is chequered all over. I would like to lose the engraving and the gold on the loading gate (most of mine is worn away anyway). Mine shoots real good! Good luck with it. The wood on these was also nice, mine is terrific. I was about to sell it to help pay for a pre 64 94 that I found, but as I pulled it out of the safe I saw the wood again and shook my head and put it back. It's a keeper. I might try and get a pre 64 action and swap the bits over.

[ggeilman]

I also have a 24" version, but due to the gold loading gate it doesn't get shot much. I want to try and keep it in decent condition although I did buy it as a shooter. I don't use my SASS name on many other boards, not sure why.

Van Morgan SASS 76068

[jlchucker]

The Classic models came with that gold loading gate and that engraving pattern but from the factory the engraving wasn't gold filled. Both the rifle and short rifle were made originally with the standard steel checkered buttplate. Both the rifle and short rifle (Winchester was calling the 20 incher a carbine back then, even though it had the octagon barrel and forearm cap) came with a saddle ring that was included packaged in a little plastic bag so that the owner could install it or not. Both came with semifancy walnut. Customers could buy them individually, or in "matched pairs" that included one of each barrel length with consecutive serial numbers. I bought the rifle version back then, and it's very accurate with both cast and jacketed bullets. Looking back on it all, I wish I had bought one of each. They only came in 30-30.

[corvette8n]

Nice looking gun.

I've got a plinker loadfor you: 8.5gr of Unique under the Lee 309-150 fngc, like shooting a .22

A lot of the Winchester 94 commemoratives are on the C&R list as are all of the pre-64 Winnies.

Thats why we C&R holders live on Raman noodles.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I bought a set with consecutive serial serials from a dealer back in `69. Really nice wood on both, the plated loading gate was the only bling on them. I came up missing the carbine about 2 yrs. back, my son thought I didn`t really need so many carbines in the safe and he sold a bunch of them! He doesn`t go in the gun room anymore when he is over here! The full length rifle does shoot nice, though a bit end heavy. I believe the classic series was the start of the commerative craze of Winchester.Robert

[StarMetal]

Why not buy the blued parts and replace them...that is the gold loading gate and trigger? Then you can put it back the way it was if you sell it.

The magazine tube band looks cool but the less dovetails that are cut into the barrel the better...that is if they were the stamped dovetail cuts. They displace metal and often the bore becomes tight there.

Joe

[Four Fingers of Death]

I bought a set with consecutive serial serials from a dealer back in `69. Really nice wood on both, the plated loading gate was the only bling on them. I came up missing the carbine about 2 yrs. back, my son thought I didn`t really need so many carbines in the safe and he sold a bunch of them! He doesn`t go in the gun room anymore when he is over here! The full length rifle does shoot nice, though a bit end heavy. I believe the classic series was the start of the commerative craze of Winchester.Robert

Ｔｈａｔ＇ｓ　ｇｏｔｔａ　ｂｅ　ａ　ｈａｎｇｉｎｇ　ｏｆｆｅｎｃｅ　ｉｎ　ｍｙ　ｂｏｏｋ．Ｙｏｕ　ｅ ｘｐｅｃｔ　ｋｉｄｓ　ｔｏ　ｄｕｍｂ　ｔｈｉｎｇｓ，　ｂｕｔ　ｎｏｔ　ｏｎｃｅ　ｔｈｅｙ　ａｒｅ　ｇ ｒｏｗｎ　ｕｐ　（Ｉcan't say matured in this case).

[waksupi]

Ｔｈａｔ＇ｓ　ｇｏｔｔａ　ｂｅ　ａ　ｈａｎｇｉｎｇ　ｏｆｆｅｎｃｅ　ｉｎ　ｍｙ　ｂｏｏｋ．Ｙｏｕ　ｅ ｘｐｅｃｔ　ｋｉｄｓ　ｔｏ　ｄｕｍｂ　ｔｈｉｎｇｓ，　ｂｕｔ　ｎｏｔ　ｏｎｃｅ　ｔｈｅｙ　ａｒｅ　ｇ ｒｏｗｎ　ｕｐ　（Ｉcan't say matured in this case).


Is the new server causing this anomaly, or does Mick just have a lot of time on his hands?

[O.S.O.K.]

That kinda looks like the Canadian Centenial model that I had at one time - very muzzle heavy but was a bonus for shooting off-hand!

Nice buy!

[jlchucker]

Why not buy the blued parts and replace them...that is the gold loading gate and trigger? Then you can put it back the way it was if you sell it.

The magazine tube band looks cool but the less dovetails that are cut into the barrel the better...that is if they were the stamped dovetail cuts. They displace metal and often the bore becomes tight there.

Joe

Joe, I agree with you. I was working at Winchester when I bought my Classic Rifle (the 26 inch model) and had them make mine up with a black loading gate. They all came with a black trigger anyway. While the "Classic"s all had that dumb engraving pattern, they all came with the steel "shotgun" buttplate as well. Something strikes me odd about some of the comments made today on this thread regarding the curved buttplate and gold-filled engraving. The Classics were sold with engraving all right, but while ugly, it wasn't gold-filled. None had the curved buttplate. Winchester made a huge amount of various commemoratives at that time--usually paired up as a "rifle" and a "carbine" or sold singly. Lots of those had gold, engraving, medallions, and curved buttplates. Classics were intended more as a "standard" but fancier offering of the regular 94, with the ugliness limited to the cast-in "engraving" --always blackened, and the gold loading gate. All Classic models had semi-fancy walnut, but with straight, checkered-steel buttplate. Winchester figured on these being carried and shot. They included a saddle ring but the rifles were shipped with this feature not installed. They thought that you could take out the plug screw and install the part yourself if you wanted it. I didn't put mine on my rifle, and it got lost over the years. By the way, the saddle ring on my early-80's trapper fits the Classic perfectly. Apparently this part was a standard item for a long time--just sometimes made ugly, depending on which commemorative it was intended for.

[jlchucker]

By the way, Starmetal--I forgot to comment on the front magazine tube band. This is typically dovetailed into the barrel, and they usually did a very good job on this. However, if you remove the forend, you will find that the barrel itself isn't really "octagon" for its full length. Much of the bottom portion, hidden by the forearm, will have a long flat milled along the bottom. Why they did this I don't know. One thing though. These "Classic rifles" and "Classic Carbines" generally shoot very well, and so do those commemoratives that eventually got fired. Winchester typically did an excellent job on all of these models accuracy-wise. Too bad the marketing department was managed by a bunch of commemorating cartoonists with no sense of history or style. They did as much as anybody , IMO, to put a fine old manufacturer of classic American firearms out of business.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Is the new server causing this anomaly, or does Mick just have a lot of time on his hands?


Nothing wrong with the server, I'm in China and this computer normally runs on Mandarin. It obviously does not like the English and has a mind of it's own it seems. I seem to have caught it napping, working fine at the moment.

It is a bit of a challenge when all of the dialogue boxes and drop down menus are in Chinese, you have to remember where everything is.

Four Fingers.