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treebutcher

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Just to be different I would like to build a custom rifle on a winchester 94 action. 30/30 and 357mag have very similar case and rim dimensions, the biggest difference is the length of the round. Anyone ever do a build on a 94 action? My thinking is I would need to fabricate a new carrier or a spacer to account for the case length difference, am I off base? The answer to the last question am I crazy is yes.
 
Silvertip13 said:
They made '94's in 357 mag
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Yup...and in that caliber, quite possibly the worst gun Winchester ever made. The 94's will work wonderfully with a cartridge similar in length to the 30-30 but when they tried to take advantage of the Cowboy market by chambering them in pistol calibers, they are a nightmare. Every Cowboy shooter I have ever known to own one has sold it in frustration. If you want a lever gun that you have to use like a single shot that's the one for you but if you want to "Rifleman" some rounds thru it you will be disappointed.

To the OP there are far better rifle options for a customized pistol cal. and far better cartridge options for a custom 94 if your stuck on them.
 
fingers284 said:
Yup...and in that caliber, quite possibly the worst gun Winchester ever made. The 94's will work wonderfully with a cartridge similar in length to the 30-30 but when they tried to take advantage of the Cowboy market by chambering them in pistol calibers, they are a nightmare. Every Cowboy shooter I have ever known to own one has sold it in frustration. If you want a lever gun that you have to use like a single shot that's the one for you but if you want to "Rifleman" some rounds thru it you will be disappointed.

To the OP there are far better rifle options for a customized pistol cal. and far better cartridge options for a custom 94 if your stuck on them.
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Fingers284 has it right....... the 94 is made for rifle cartridges not a pistol length cart. I have seen several of the 94's that came out it 44 mag.
Frequent jammers. Try another action that suits the cartridge of your choice. ,,,,,,,,,,, Frank
 
92's make excellent 357's and 44 Mags.

94's make an excellent 38-55 using a .375 barrel and bullets...
 
The 92 models are better suited for pistol calibers. That said I owned a Model 94 in .357 for 20 years never had an issue, but I know others that had.
 
treebutcher said:
Just to be different I would like to build a custom rifle on a winchester 94 action. 30/30 and 357mag have very similar case and rim dimensions, the biggest difference is the length of the round. Anyone ever do a build on a 94 action? My thinking is I would need to fabricate a new carrier or a spacer to account for the case length difference, am I off base? The answer to the last question am I crazy is yes.
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Not an expert but some calibers I've thought would be cool in a custom 94: 25-35 ackley improved in a 24 or 26 inch octagon is the kewlest, 356, 450 marlin
 
I would NOT build a pistol cal gun on a 94 action. For one thing, the lever throw is long for longer rounds. Look for a nice little 92 action if you like winchesters and want pistol cals.
 
Well now that changes things. I'm stuck on the 94 because I have one. I will have to rethink things a little. Thanks for the input guys. Back to the drawing board
 
With a 94, you will want to look at rimmed cartridges and you will need round-nose projectiles for the most part (or LeverRevolution ammo). A lot of guys go .38-55 since it's a great round and hard to find in factory offerings these days.

There are lots of other options though, like:

-.219 zipper
-.25-35
-.30-30
-.32 Win Special
-7-30 Waters
-.35 Remington
 
If you do a barrel conversion to a new chambering based on a 30-30 case as the parent case what you'll need/want to do is also convert the magazine to hold no more than one round. Then when you load the gun the first round is pushed into the new short mag by the second round which stays resting on the elevator.

In this way you can safely use sharp ended bullets without any risk.

But this really does mean you should cut down the magazine. If you just leave it long you run the risk of you or someone in the future loading too many at one time and having a round get set off and causing the magazine tube and fore stock to turn to splinters.

If two rounds isn't enough then stick with cartridges that can be used with round or even flat nosed bullets. The .32 Win Spl and .35 Remington would qualify when loaded with the right bullets for use in tube magazines.

What the guys are saying about the 94 with short pistol calibers is very true. A cowboy shooting buddy of mine hit the limit on his .45Colt chambered 94 a while back. He's stuck with it because it was the rifle he started with but the rifle is seriously holding him back. That long travel action just doesn't work that well with the short rounds. Lots of sticking in the lever stroke that needs jiggling to clear. At low cycle speeds it's fine. It's only when you want to "Rifleman" off a fast string of shots that it acts up. (Fingers, that "Rifleman" off a string of shots was a GREAT line!).

Really though it makes no difference if you start with a 92 or other lever gun. If you want them to shoot and cycle seriously smooth and fast they NEED to be lovingly slicked up to do that job. It's simply that the 94 can only be taken so far and it's still a dog in comparison to the others.
 
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