Winchest M94 30-30 rear sight

73582

73582

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Hoping the local M94 fellas can help me.

My M94 has the small dovetail rear sight. It is flopping around too easy it seems, if I were to be aiming slightly down from horizontal the sight falls down.

Wondering if there is a spring or something missing or the pin is simply suppose to be a friction connection to the flip sight and it worn?

This has been drilled for a weaver scope mount, I took the scope and mount off (still have them), rifle is a 1974 by the ser#.

Your opinion, is it a good idea or a bad idea to reblue the rec? or stop thinking about it and just use it?



 
I believe that's an aftermarket sight, mate. Factory sight looked more like this:

Winchester-Model-70-Post-64-Rear-Sight.webp


Gotta think someone's replaced it with a frankly better sight, but that it fits too loosely. They shim up pretty good.

If you don't have any access to shim material, let me know and I'll mail you a few wee pieces.

Have a good Friday night,

Dan
 
Dark Alley Dan said:
I believe that's an aftermarket sight, mate. Factory sight looked more like this:

Winchester-Model-70-Post-64-Rear-Sight.webp


Gotta think someone's replaced it with a frankly better sight, but that it fits too loosely. They shim up pretty good.

If you don't have any access to shim material, let me know and I'll mail you a few wee pieces.

Have a good Friday night,

Dan
Click to expand...

Thanks Dan, ill have a closer look and see what I can do with it
 
Sorry - I think I misread. Not loose in the dovetail, but rather flops down to the folded position, yeah?

Couple of options then. First is replacement. Check out Western Gun Parts. They'll have something similar to what you have now, but unfvcked. :)

Option B: WGP will also have the factory sight. You'll need the whole apparatus - the base, the sight wings, and the elevator. Give 'em a serial number and they'll get you what you need.

Option C: Williams makes a neat sight that mounts to the two holes in the rear port side of the receiver. Click here. I have a 94 of similar vintage to yours, and mine bolted up nicely. Ten minute job.
 
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There should be a little flat spring under the leaf to keep it in position. It's either missing or lost it's tension.. Do you know if it's a Marbles or a Lyman?
 
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OP - is up to you what to do - I would wonder why to have the rear sight on barrel to lay down if no scope or no aperture sight? Maybe consider to just wedge something or epoxy or JB Weld the thing in the vertical position and go shoot stuff?? I have a made-in-1955 Win 94 - I tapped out the original barrel sight and intended to install a dovetail blank, when I installed the rear aperture sight. Could not find a blank here - too lazy to file one - and I do not use that rifle very often - so is still to be completed.

I did mount a scope on Win 94 about exactly as shown in your picture - late 1970's (?) - I think you will find those tapped holes are likely 8-40 thread for the screws that came with the base - if it was a Weaver base - might want to insert some plug screws into those holes? I used a drop of thread locker to keep them from coming loose, once I had the slots lined up to where I wanted them - I forget if all were straight to each other, or if all were straight up/down on the rifle.

I never tried to re-blue those post-64 receivers - is multiple times written on the internet that the "mystery metal" that was used does not accept bluing - at least not like we expect - I do not know how long that phenomenon continued - might end up having to get that one Cerrocoated or similar "spray on and bake" to re-finish it?
 
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The receiver will go a purple if reblued. About a 15 to 20 year period after 64 that they used a different metal that doesn’t take blueing well. Lyman offers a site that is similar to yours. Might be easier to just replace instead of fixing.
 
Thanks for the comments. The rec is smooth and glossy, yet, just look at it. The nasty is going on underneath the finish, weird.
Ill look into replacing the sight.
 
73582 said:
Thanks for the comments. The rec is smooth and glossy, yet, just look at it. The nasty is going on underneath the finish, weird.
Ill look into replacing the sight.
Click to expand...

It is an interesting comment that you make about "under" the finish - true bluing is actually a form of rust - can be done in yellows, reds or blue-black - depends, I think, how many oxygen molecules get bound up to the iron molecules in the steel. So, obviously that post-64 has got some sort of finish that was applied over top of the "mystery metal" - I did not know that - I thought Winchester had a "secret" process to make that mystery metal turn to dark blue/black. Cold blue is different again - I think most versions actually deposit like copper selenium and then turns that into copper selenide (a dark colour) - so is not actually same as "real" bluing.
 
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I’ve reblued 2 post 64s using cold bluing.
One turned out good the other not as good but better than it was before.

I have an extra set of rear sites if your interested
 
45C said:
I’ve reblued 2 post 64s using cold bluing.
One turned out good the other not as good but better than it was before.

I have an extra set of rear sites if your interested
Click to expand...

Thats too bad, thanks, would have taken you up on that. Found some at Corlane sport goods in Dawson Creek this morning, theyre on the way to me.

Think Ill leave well enough alone, its a rifle I dont want to be worried about taking out. Was given to me a while ago, just paying some attention to it now, bought a bigger safe last fall and bumped into it again. Just cleaned up the walnut, new coat of clear, just get that sight sorted and itll be good to go.
 
mbogo3 said:
If the gun was made during the pot metal receiver years re-bluing it won't look decent.
Click to expand...

The post '64 model 94's were made using Powdered Metal Technology, and were electroplated to get the colors the way the factory wanted. All the collector models were made up this way along with the standard ones back then. Nothing wrong with PMT made parts like the receiver body as far as strength goes. The buggaboo is in the finish. The black chrome used on the ones like the OP's unit was actually a porous coating, just like the shiny chrome plate used on car & motorcycle parts over the years.

Gotta keep moisture at bay with a good lube/protectant to help prevent the finish from lifting off of the metal. Puttin' 'er away wet is the fast way to lose the finish.
 
73582 said:
Hoping the local M94 fellas can help me.

My M94 has the small dovetail rear sight. It is flopping around too easy it seems, if I were to be aiming slightly down from horizontal the sight falls down.

Wondering if there is a spring or something missing or the pin is simply suppose to be a friction connection to the flip sight and it worn?

This has been drilled for a weaver scope mount, I took the scope and mount off (still have them), rifle is a 1974 by the ser#.

Your opinion, is it a good idea or a bad idea to reblue the rec? or stop thinking about it and just use it?



Click to expand...



You know what Brother is that receiver wasn't drilled like it is then I'd say don't re blue it . but it's yours . and if you want make it look nice. or leave it the way it is and shoot it . as for the sight if it's not original and it doesn't shoot to point of aim then by all means change it . the previous owner put that folding sight on because of the scope . good luck in you choice and happy shooting.
 
Looks like the spring is broken on the folding sight. The spring will have a slight arc that interferes with the bottom of the sight, this creates tension keeping the sight in position.
 
A comment in Post #14 made me go look on Internet to see a picture of made-in-1974 Win Model 94.

This is a picture that I found in an article - it shows that 1974 version to have the long fixed type rear sight, not the flip down type. So, OP has choices.

Win-receiver1.jpg
 

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