Win 94 disassembling,bluing, finished

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45C

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View attachment 604343View attachment 604341View attachment 604342Hello there ,

So, I paid $450 for a Win 94 chambered in 30 30 ,sight unseen.
I think it’s a 1970s production.
Got it off an older gent who said he owned it for its entire life and was used for moose hunting.


When I got it, it was in rough shape, service rust,dirt and a few dead pine needles in some hidden away spots.lol
Not a lot of bluing left.

I bought a Birchwood Casey rebluing kit and thought I’d give it ago.

Disassembling was pretty easy,once I had that done I soaked everything in a rust removing agent and that do it’s work.
Turned out pretty good.
The I followed the steps on the rebluing kit and got it stripped to the bare metal.

I gave it 4 coats of bluing and stained the stock walnut, with a final shot of semi gloss coating.
I’m gonna hit the stock and forgrip with some stainless 0000 wool when it drys up.

I’m happy with what I have considering it’s my first time doing this.


So now comes the hard part, reassembling.
Here’s where I’m gonna need some help.
Wish me luck.. lolView attachment 603491
 
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I used a "guide book" for re-assembly - learned darn quick is different instructions for a pre-64 versus post 64 rifle. About most I can suggest - use proper fitting screw drivers to not mess up the various screw slots - the Brownell's kit for Win 94 has six sizes - not sure if that is pre or post 64. Also that front barrel band goes on backwards as easy as correctly orientated - might want to watch out for that - I believe the cross screw head is supposed to be on left side of the rifle. Same like the band that supports the front of the magazine tube.

I see that you removed the loading port cover - might want to make or find a support block to hold that spring against the inside of receiver, while you get the mounting screw into that from the outside? I did not remove the inside guides like you did - those might need an "L" shaped screwdriver to re-install?

Regarding cold blue - might have been my application, or just time - I had done one with Oxpho-Blue from Brownells - 15 years later, it is silver grey colour. I removed a ramp sight from another rifle about Fall of 2020 - carefully removed all the solder remnants to bare steel and about 8 coats of Birchwood Casey "Super Blue" - was just looking - that too is fading - the area where that ramp was, is clearly visible - I suspect that cold blues need to be periodically "re-done" - I no longer think they last like rust blue or hot blue.
 
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I may have got the birchwood casey term wrong, maybe it’s called rust blu and not cold bluing,I’ll have to check later.
 
Any of the cold blues, even oxpho blue, which i find works the best of the lot for me fade, especially if handles. If its rust blue, you should have been actually rusting then boiling or steaming the parts, and other steps. Rust blue is maybe the most durable bluing process.

For assembly good screw drivers is a must, if you cant remember what screws or parts go where, start by setting out all the parts you do know. I have put together a number of "bag guns" not to mention almost every gun becomes a bag gun to a degree once all the parts are tossed in a basket to do a proper rust blue.
 
Scar270 said:
Any of the cold blues, even oxpho blue, which i find works the best of the lot for me fade, especially if handles. If its rust blue, you should have been actually rusting then boiling or steaming the parts, and other steps. Rust blue is maybe the most durable bluing process.

For assembly good screw drivers is a must, if you cant remember what screws or parts go where, start by setting out all the parts you do know. I have put together a number of "bag guns" not to mention almost every gun becomes a bag gun to a degree once all the parts are tossed in a basket to do a proper rust blue.
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Well cold bluing it was.
 
Sixties-'70's era 94's are notorious for not taking bluing well on the receiver, because of the sintered metal that was used. Some have reported good results, but I've seen an awful lot that turned out a plum colour.

The screw heads for the cartridge guides are "outsies", where the pre '64 screws are "insies". Very challenging to get back in on the pre '64, not so bad on the post '64. Getting the lifter lined up and working properly might be the biggest challenge.

Getting the stock band back on may have you wishing you hadn't done that. No end of trouble getting the screw hole lined up, and eventually I had to relieve some wood on the forend with a chisel.

It shouldn't be too bad to get back together, just a lot of fiddly stuff.
 
45C - the small handbook that I have shows both your bands to be installed backwards? Screw heads should be on the left side of rifle, for both bands? Will take someone who knows to confirm that ...
 
View attachment 604339
Potashminer said:
45C - the small handbook that I have shows both your bands to be installed backwards? Screw heads should be on the left side of rifle, for both bands? Will take someone who knows to confirm that ...
Click to expand...
Yes I was wondering about that,
I watched a YouTube video,some guy named MackDaddy, boy does he ramble on a lot.. lol
I took a pic of his and it’s the same way I put mine.

That’s not to say , his is wrong also.
 
Was an issue I had - either with a 1958 or my current 1955 - went on way easy when the wrong way - was my book showing that they were backwards - so spent a lot of fussing to make it look like the book - I hope it is correct - I really do not know, and can not imagine how it makes a difference, except to someone "fussy" ...

Might be like the rear sight axle screw for M1917 (aka P17) - many pictures found on Internet with slotted head on one side or other and the nut on opposite - I am sure both will work about the same - but being from military, I am sure is only "one" right way. Was an adage I read somewhere - "always dress an Enfield from the left" - so I tend to default to screw slots on left side, unless I specifically know different ...
 
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View attachment 604340Well ,I have a 1980 win 94 and it appears you are correct and Mack Daddy is not.. lol
( completely slipped my mind to check my other one.)

And I think I now know why, if you look closely enough, you can see a gap around the bottom edge of the band…looks a bit off.
I’m gonna change them around and see what it looks like.

I changed them around, it was a bit more difficult to fit the screw but it it went on.
 
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Looks better. cold blue is not as durable but much easier than hot or rust blueing. Hardest part about complete reblue is reassembly without marking the finish.
 
Nice job, I’m just wrapping up a ‘75 vintage 94 as well. Stripped the majority of it back to the white and cold blued with Super Blue as well, luckily the receiver took the bluing well. The gun is reassembled and I’m just refinishing the stock, it’s a good friends rifle and the exterior was in real rough shape when he got it, internals and the barrel was in nice shape thankfully. Someone stored it in a soft case in a seacan for god knows how long, lots of exterior rust. I’m going to post some before and after pics when the wood is back on.
 
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I got lucky with the internals and small bits, it had a good coating of grease inside the action/receiver so minimal rust there. The exterior was basically orange, had to sand it down to bare metal.
 
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