Why are Win 94's so expensive these days?

I still remember the Rifleman with Chuck Connors.

Just think how popular the 94 would be if that show was still airing.
 
What boggles my mind is that a good pre 64 model 94 may sell for $700 and a 1964-1968 model 94 (the absolute worst) may sell for $600. To many gun enthusiasts now a 94 is a 94 and the older vintage rifles command very little premium. Rambling around gunshows 25 years ago a nice pre 64 might have gone for $500 and a post 64 would have brought $250 tops. Times have changed.

I see the same. I've seen post 64's lately on the EE and other sites selling at said prices. I've also seen oil filters for my truck double in the last year.

Its been tough to grasp reality lately, so much has changed in such a short period of time. Seeing inflation grasp onto the post 64 model 1894 market like it has, I fear for what's to come.
 
The Savage 99's have gone wild to.

Replaced wood thats been sanded down so that the receiver is crazy proud on the wood and usually a pin or screw holding the almost non-existent pads together to hold the tang crack together are actually selling (or being marked as sold) for $750, this was a $300 gun five years ago.

Although the prices have risen if you watch the EE closely 75-80% of the guns on the first page are all bumped at least once and a few alot more, they aren't selling.
 
I remember my first gun purchase on CGN,it was a beauty of a 30-30 ,xtr model,in mint condition,when I got it I could hardly believe how clean it was.I sold that rifle on here for $375 shipped,and made $100 on it LOL.what happened?
 
The xtr variants are very nicely finished indeed.
However my biggest beef was there was no mounting holes for Foolproof receiver sight.
And I am not 100 percent sure, but I believe the Miroku made 30-30s have also omitted this rear peep mounting position?
To me this is a huge mistake. I don't care they are AE therefore optics friendly.
A fella should have the two options versus factory irons on AE model.
The tang mounted safety has eliminated the other option of traditional tang site. Another big wrong to be undone.
 
I've got 2, a beauty of a 1957 32 Special that I traded some surplus 7.92x57 for ~15 years ago and a 44 Mag with the cross bolt safety that I was given.
 
There are much better hunting rifles in much more versatile calibres, but there remains the cachet of the handy lever "cowboy gun."

They seem to appeal particularly to new shooters and hunters. I haven't gone to a gun show yet where I haven't seen a young guy, most frequently with a buddy along, proudly strutting about with his new-to-him Winchester 94.

I'm not knocking them, I've got three, all of them hand-me-downs but when I go hunting I choose something else out of the locker.
 
My grandfather gave me his mint condition 94 Ranger from the 70s I believe. No cross-bolt safety. It has seen about 40 bullets total. I know the Ranger was the “cheapo” version, but it is well made, quality pins, etc. I’m almost anxious to use it now… I will reserve it for occasional range fun and specific hunting situations that benefit a from a short weapon (e.g. bear hunting from treestand).
 
Nothing profound just find the numbers interesting.

When Winchester ceased production of the 94 in 2006 some 6.5 million had been manufactured. Do the math. Over the 112 years of production they manufactured on average over 58,000 per year or 165 model 94s per day. That was just the 94. It was a busy place.
 
There is no comparison for quality for an early 1900's model 1894 Winchester and a 1960's version. The early model had fit and finish which was hard to beat. The later model was junk to be blunt. Up through the late 70's and early 80's the quality improved considerably. But a late 1800's or early 1900's model 1894 is hard to beat for fit and finish. Highly skilled hands went for cheap in that era. And in 1964 the beancounters were running Winchester. They were not "gun people". A reputation that took a 100 years to build was trashed in 3 or 4 years.
 
It amazes me that an early 1900"s 1894 still sells for under $1000 and people buy a 1950"s 94 for the same price.

A few years back myself and another gun enthusiast were tasked by another friend to help him out with an hierloom.
A 26 inch barrel Model 1894 Winchester circa 1923.
With our Chapman screwdrivers we did our best because the owner tried to reassemble it without proper screwdrivers. I tell you what. The steel is butter soft. Some of those screws were Uber hard to line up proper without three hands. Winchester screw patterns have changed over the years significantly.
The worst part was soft steel in the screws and screw threading(!!) New lubrication seemingly was quickly "consumed" by the receiver because of that porous makeup that strange steel. It seemed as if we were dealing with iron versus modern chrome moly steel.(!!)
We were quite amazed afterwards we did not cross thread anything. We also both agreed this is a task we would never do again. Meaning trying to undo other persons mistakes, without better tools, without gunsmith knowledge, is very intimidating.
 
cause people are stupid, the asking prices are outrageous & certainly not worth it, few are selling...the new Ruger/Marlin will soon take the wind out of the sails of these prices. Why buy a poorly built $2,000 marlin or old 94 when you can get a state of the art lever with a full warranty for $1,400.
 
cause people are stupid, the asking prices are outrageous & certainly not worth it, few are selling...the new Ruger/Marlin will soon take the wind out of the sails of these prices. Why buy a poorly built $2,000 marlin or old 94 when you can get a state of the art lever with a full warranty for $1,400.

LGS is taking pre-orders for the new Ruglin 45-70 and quoting "approx $1725" for one. Give or take of course.
 
So I haven’t been following prices on these and not really a lever collector. I have a Henry Steel in 357 that I shoot a lot but what’s something like this selling for these days?

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I bought it to shoot it but haven’t yet. How much could I loose if I blasted away a box of ammo with it?

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It appears unfired.
 

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