Winchester 94 30-30 looking for advice

65 to early 70s they used cast lifters. Then they stitched to a machined one again. Although different than the pre 64. The cast lifters are not desirable I'm told.

I've always liked the look of the top eject better.
 
Wow what a process, and 14 times. Haven’t heard of twist or damascus barrels before, knives and swords for sure. Never would’ve thought rusting it on purpose would produce those effects, quite the knowledge of metals to think of things like that. Great video, I quite enjoyed it! Thanks Bill!
 
Bottom line for any 94, buy the one in a caliber you like (there are a bunch of options from .30-30 to exotic stuff like 32-40) in the best condition you can find/afford. If you actually use it, probably avoid any flashy commemorative models, those finishes are less robust and when they start deteriorating the gun will lose resale value quickly.

Personally I like pre-64 guns and am probably in the majority, but they don’t shoot any better.

Other things to consider, these were made as rifles, short rifles, trapper guns, saddle ring carbines, and special order guns with options like takedown, octagon barrels, swivel studs, double set triggers, half-magazines, etc.

Cheapest option will be the typical 20” round barrel short rifle with shotgun style buttplate and full mag in .30-30 or .32 Winchester special, made from the 1920’s up through present day. There are more of these around than any other configuration by far.
 
Thanks claven! I think this will be a fun hunt! And it’s far from a unicorn so there should be plenty of configurations to browse I hope!
 
If you are thinking retail, there is a decent selection of pre-64 guns at p&s militaries right now. They have a website with photos of the actual guns and good descriptions.

Epps also has a selection, but you would need to phone them and ask questions. Their photos aren’t great and descriptions are sparse.
 
This is one of the best hunts you can have !! Searching for "A" or "THAT" specific gun ! Every day brings a new hope...lol
The Gun Dealer in NB usually has a few old lever actions in from time to time. Some can be consignments, but still all for sale. Keep him in mind when you're perusing, and us in the loop if you find something.

*tagged for interest
 
Thanks for the interest kevin, i’ll keep you guys posted here and ask questions if something I like pops up for sure , still going to do some more research first but I am excited!
 
My Winchester is a post '64 with black plated receiver, stamped lifter and birch stocks.
Perfectly usable rifle.
It is a bit different - I had acquired a large quantity of .303 Savage ammunition, and had the barrel set back a bit and rechambered for .303. I shortened the magazine tube and forend to suit.
Shoots just fine.
Should it need to go back to .30-30, I acquired a .30-30 barrel and replacement magazine tube and forend.
Just a word about scoping a pre angle eject rifle - an offset scope requires a learning curve. Workable but awkward.
I rebuilt another one - a real beater. Blasted and Oxphoblued the receiver. Took the colour very well and looks good many years later.
 
Thanks tiriaq! Didn’t know you could change caliber that easily on those…didn’t know much at all about them to be fair! Will definitely keep the offset scope in mind though, not really a route I would like so probably will stick with irons and if in the future a scope is desired it would be on one of the angle eject. My first go will definitely be iron sights.
 
Ghillbert said:
Thanks tiriaq! Didn’t know you could change caliber that easily on those…didn’t know much at all about them to be fair! Will definitely keep the offset scope in mind though, not really a route I would like so probably will stick with irons and if in the future a scope is desired it would be on one of the angle eject. My first go will definitely be iron sights.
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Yes and no. Depends on calibre. There are different lifters and feel rails for different calibre, though the receivers are all the same. Depending on calibre change you could have to change or modify other internal parts.
 
Ohhh, ya i see it can get a bit complicated (to me anyway lol) not ready for that rabbit hole yet. The more I learn the more there is to learn about. Thanks claven. Oh that sounds sarcastic, it wasn’t , thanks for clarifying! The wealth of knowledge here is great and much rather talk to you guys then just google stuff!
 
You've also got to think about what you want the rifle for & where you are.

My first & only '94 Carbine belonged to my Dad. My Mom bought it for my Dad as a wedding present in '46 when he got back from "The Free European Tour", aka WW2. She got a big discount from Eaton's, where she worked at the time. For the Canadian Shield, where Dad & I usually hunted, it was/is the perfect rifle, as in the Black Spruce, you can't see, much less shoot, over 60-75 yards, even in broad daylight, much less at first or last light. You really don't need a scope for that situation & the short 20" barrel is much easier to carry through the bush than a longer-barrelled rifle if you want to "still" hunt like in the old days. I gave it to my son a dozen years ago.

If, on the other hand, you live, or will hunt, where long distances are the norm, then if you must use a Winchester lever action, a '94 rifle, with its 26" barrel, may be more appropriate. Even if you do not mount a scope, the longer sight radius will help in the accuracy department.

In any event, you must remember that for almost any of the cartridges offered in the '94, except the .307 WCF or .356 WCF, bullet expansion, after a certain range, due to decreased velocity, will become an issue.

Unless you want it strictly for plinking, stay away from a .219 Zipper or .25-35, or even the .32-40, one of my favourites, although only in the Stevens 44 1/2. The .38-55 is nice as a short-range timber / bush cartridge with its ~260 grain ~0.380" bullet, but has a rainbow trajectory.

The .30 W.C.F. [as marked on pre-~1950 Model 94's, aka .30-30] & .32 W.S. [Winchester Special] are essentially equals, although if you want to use jacketed bullets, you will find more of a selection for the .30-30 / .30 W.C.F.

My $0.02 Cdn, FWIW.
 
Thanks james! Wasn’t aware of all the calibers available so will have to make sure I pay attention when browsing, I will be looking for 30-30 for sure, couple reasons one is thats the one I’m trying to loosely match ( i know it was a 94 30-30 but not year etc) and also I don’t reload yet so less common calibers don’t interest me yet…
As for use It will be mostly range/bush used but not hunting as of yet, thats a whole ‘nother rabbit hole. I really appreciate all the feedback so far everyone and feel free to keep it coming as I’m not shy about how much I don’t know but am like a sponge for knowledge in this lifestyle that is my passion albeit a bit new to the game of owning, collecting and all that goes with it. Been shooting since a kid over 40 years ago but now with my own guns!!
 
Oh I just realized that maybe I should be using reply so you guys know when I have responded ? Or does it matter? Still a bit new around the edges here but I’ll get it sorted soon enough
 
kevin g said:
This is one of the best hunts you can have !! Searching for "A" or "THAT" specific gun ! Every day brings a new hope...lol
The Gun Dealer in NB usually has a few old lever actions in from time to time. Some can be consignments, but still all for sale. Keep him in mind when you're perusing, and us in the loop if you find something.

*tagged for interest
Click to expand...
The chase is better than the catch sometimes!
 
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