What price for a good Winchester

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Always looking to buy good second hand Winchester "lever guns" but it seems today they are grossly over priced pieces of near junk! I have a number of 'collector grade' 92's and '94's but if selling I would hardly think they are worth a 4 figure sum. Good shootable barrels are very scarce with many guns requiring rebore or sleeving.

These '92 carbines in 38/40 were ex-prison service with 4 digit numbers made in 1892. Excellent metalwork, carried a lot by guards, but shot very little.

[pietro]

.

Those Winchester 92's, because they are not 25-20's or 32-20's, regularly bring an easy $1400 USD.

Plain-Jane pre-64 Winchester 1894/94's bring like money

US Cowboy Action shooters keep them in demand.

.

[indian joe]

Always looking to buy good second hand Winchester "lever guns" but it seems today they are grossly over priced pieces of near junk! I have a number of 'collector grade' 92's and '94's but if selling I would hardly think they are worth a 4 figure sum. Good shootable barrels are very scarce with many guns requiring rebore or sleeving.

These '92 carbines in 38/40 were ex-prison service with 4 digit numbers made in 1892. Excellent metalwork, carried a lot by guards, but shot very little.

We were spoiled ! got used to those old guns selling for a few hundred partly because of "honest" johhny howard instigating an export ban of firearms from australia to the US - we were one of only two countries on the planet subject to that ban - cut us off from the US collector market for these old 92's (particularly the button magazine guns like yours - they are scarce over there) --- looks like finally the supply downunder is drying up.?

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I have another 38/40 full magazine (1919) a 44/40 1/2 magazine (1896), a 1906 1/2 mag '94 in 32/40 and a 1927 '94 full magazine 23/40, all in pristine condition with no rust or pitting in the bores.

I regularly shoot all of them with cast boolits just for the enjoyment of it all!

Then of course there are the 'modern' remakes, Browning B92, Pedersoli 1886 and reworked Winchesters like this custom '92 in 44 Special, all are great to use but not worth the same as a original!

[indian joe]

The first gun I ever bought (15 yrs old paid five quid) was a 32/20 SRC button mag - accurate barrel - action had been loved to death - it was worn out but still shot great.
Have had a half dozen came and went got three now, 32/20 original long mag round barrel rifle, 44/40 bitzer short rifle, 38/40 here below

It started life as a 32/20, came out of western Qld pretty tired and a stuffed barrel, we aquired a new 24" barrel pre chambered 25/20, fitted that up and hardly shot it for years, got the bug to change it a few years ago and rebuilt it to 38/40 - 26" half oct half round barrel. A serious project but well pleased with the result. almost my favourite rifle.

[ATCDoktor]

Here’s a M92 SRC circa 1912 that I bought several years ago:





It left Winchester chambered in 25/20 but at some point later in life it was “bored out” to 32/20.

It appears to have spent many years rattling around in a scabbard seeing a lot of use (note finish wear pattern right at the balance point on the receiver).

Whoever did the rechamber work did an ok job and if you look close you can see that the rear sight is homemade (it shot 4” low at 25 yards with factory ammo set up like that).

I replaced the homebuilt sight with a late model ladder sight and it is very accurate with my handloads.

100 yards




This rifle was one of the best deals I made on a rifle and it came home with me for the princely sum of $200 U.S in 2017.

[John Taylor]

Several years back I picked up an unfinished Italian 92 frame and started on an 80% project. It has a 26" barrel in 44-40. I had all the correct markings installed including a S/N depicting that this is the first 92 that I have made. It has not been fired yet do to a small problem with the feed rails. Got new ones but have not installed them yet.

[indian joe]

Several years back I picked up an unfinished Italian 92 frame and started on an 80% project. It has a 26" barrel in 44-40. I had all the correct markings installed including a S/N depicting that this is the first 92 that I have made. It has not been fired yet do to a small problem with the feed rails. Got new ones but have not installed them yet.

the feed rails were the fun part of my conversion.

[John Taylor]

Can't sell mine, I don't have a manufacturing license. While it is lawful to build one for myself I can not make one for someone ells. Also I can't send any gun parts out of country. Got in trouble for trying several years back for sending a customers barreled action back to Canada.

[Pirate69]

Please pardon my ignorance. Does this mean a 25-20 or 32-20 would be worth more or less?

.

Those Winchester 92's, because they are not 25-20's or 32-20's, regularly bring an easy $1400 USD.

Plain-Jane pre-64 Winchester 1894/94's bring like money

US Cowboy Action shooters keep them in demand.

.

[GhostHawk]

About 5 years ago at a pawn shop I found a pair of good looking Win 94's both in .30-30.

Bought the post 64 first, spent 350$ for it, and was happy with it. I should have quit there.

But no I went back and dickered hard for the older 94. On the outside well cared for in good condition. I ended up with both of them for under 1000$ dollars.

Problem is while the old one looks good. It has a severe restriction at the rear sight. I was never able to get my cast slug all the way to the breech. So take the old girl apart. Oiled both sides, and was able to drive it forward.

So it has a tapered bore, much bigger at the muzzle. 3 to 5 thousands bigger than the breech.

So I loaded up some very mild loads with a 150 gr cast. At 25 yards I fired 9, one hit the paper.
This one by the way was built in 1944. I have debated sending it to JES to bore it out to a .35-30-30. But I have not actually packaged it up and done it yet.

It is living on borrowed time. Guns that won't shoot don't normally last long with me.

EDITED: NO OFFERS TO TRADE OUTSIDE OF S&S

It is a GOOD looking Win 94. It just has a sewer for a barrel.

With the rising price of levers it makes me feel better about my choices.

I just have not decided if it is worth the hassle and the expence to turn a piece of history into a shooter.
Or if I should just leave it as a wall hanger. Or trade it for a .35 that shoots.

The Post 94 is a solid performer. I just removed the safety, so one less thing to go wrong. Wrapped the bottom of the lever with camo paracord to make it easier on hands. That one shoots nice tight groups, would do fine on a deer.

[pietro]

Please pardon my ignorance. Does this mean a 25-20 or 32-20 would be worth more or less?

IME, since there is less of a demand for .25-20 & .32-20 Winchester 1892/92's in most areas of the US, they bring less $$$ than the larger chamberings.

[FergusonTO35]

About 5 years ago at a pawn shop I found a pair of good looking Win 94's both in .30-30.

Bought the post 64 first, spent 350$ for it, and was happy with it. I should have quit there.

But no I went back and dickered hard for the older 94. On the outside well cared for in good condition. I ended up with both of them for under 1000$ dollars.

Problem is while the old one looks good. It has a severe restriction at the rear sight. I was never able to get my cast slug all the way to the breech. So take the old girl apart. Oiled both sides, and was able to drive it forward.

So it has a tapered bore, much bigger at the muzzle. 3 to 5 thousands bigger than the breech.

So I loaded up some very mild loads with a 150 gr cast. At 25 yards I fired 9, one hit the paper.
This one by the way was built in 1944. I have debated sending it to JES to bore it out to a .35-30-30. But I have not actually packaged it up and done it yet.

It is living on borrowed time. Guns that won't shoot don't normally last long with me.

But perhaps someone has a .35 caliber lever they want to trade for it.

It is a GOOD looking Win 94. It just has a sewer for a barrel.

With the rising price of levers it makes me feel better about my choices.

I just have not decided if it is worth the hassle and the expence to turn a piece of history into a shooter.
Or if I should just leave it as a wall hanger. Or trade it for a .35 that shoots.

The Post 94 is a solid performer. I just removed the safety, so one less thing to go wrong. Wrapped the bottom of the lever with camo paracord to make it easier on hands. That one shoots nice tight groups, would do fine on a deer.

With a junk bore, sounds like the main value of the 1944 model would be as a collection of pre-64 parts. I would do the rebore and get some enjoyment out of it.

[Ithaca Gunner]

I hadn't paid attention of Winchester prices for a while and was shocked to see what they are now! My antique 1894's and pre-war 94 have tripled in price.

[FergusonTO35]

I'm going to assume your 1944 is not a rare variant other than it's age. If the barrel is basically unusable as is, would it really hurt the value to make it usable again with a rebore? This isn't the same thing as doing a rebore on a good barrel, and I would think that being unusable in it's present shape would diminish the value.

[John Taylor]

About 5 years ago at a pawn shop I found a pair of good looking Win 94's both in .30-30.

Bought the post 64 first, spent 350$ for it, and was happy with it. I should have quit there.

But no I went back and dickered hard for the older 94. On the outside well cared for in good condition. I ended up with both of them for under 1000$ dollars.

Problem is while the old one looks good. It has a severe restriction at the rear sight. I was never able to get my cast slug all the way to the breech. So take the old girl apart. Oiled both sides, and was able to drive it forward.

So it has a tapered bore, much bigger at the muzzle. 3 to 5 thousands bigger than the breech.

So I loaded up some very mild loads with a 150 gr cast. At 25 yards I fired 9, one hit the paper.
This one by the way was built in 1944. I have debated sending it to JES to bore it out to a .35-30-30. But I have not actually packaged it up and done it yet.

It is living on borrowed time. Guns that won't shoot don't normally last long with me.

But perhaps someone has a .35 caliber lever they want to trade for it.

It is a GOOD looking Win 94. It just has a sewer for a barrel.

With the rising price of levers it makes me feel better about my choices.

I just have not decided if it is worth the hassle and the expence to turn a piece of history into a shooter.
Or if I should just leave it as a wall hanger. Or trade it for a .35 that shoots.

The Post 94 is a solid performer. I just removed the safety, so one less thing to go wrong. Wrapped the bottom of the lever with camo paracord to make it easier on hands. That one shoots nice tight groups, would do fine on a deer.

Going to 32 Special might be a better choice, factory ammo and less expensive loading dies.

[Noah Zark]

. . . This one by the way was built in 1944. I have debated sending it to JES to bore it out to a .35-30-30. But I have not actually packaged it up and done it yet.

It is a GOOD looking Win 94. It just has a sewer for a barrel.

With the rising price of levers it makes me feel better about my choices.

I just have not decided if it is worth the hassle and the expence to turn a piece of history into a shooter. Or if I should just leave it as a wall hanger. Or trade it for a .35 . . .

GhostHawk, were that 1944 Model 94 mine, it would already have been rebored to 38-55. Super-easy conversion, and a heck of an intrinsically accurate cartridge.
In the early 20th century the 1894 in 38-55 was the national bear rifle here in northern PA. Many hunters used them on whitetail and bear.

Noah

[John Taylor]

GhostHawk, were that 1944 Model 94 mine, it would already have been rebored to 38-55. Super-easy conversion, and a heck of an intrinsically accurate cartridge.
In the early 20th century the 1894 in 38-55 was the national bear rifle here in northern PA. Many hunters used them on whitetail and bear.

Noah

Feed guides would need to be changed also.

[eastbank]

i,m also in the rebore to 38-55 crowd.