100-Year-Old Winchester 94

[ReadyontheRight]

just messin with ya, figured i would get you fired up and we would see the finished product sooner

Yeah, I know.. Good one!

I could use some advice on the sights. Now that I know they are not correct, I would like to change the sights.

What did the front site look like on early 94s? I picture a tall, skinny blade sight like a 1903 Springfield - (which is also what I would like). Does anyone have pics of the correct site and where can I get one?

How do I remove the old front sight and install a new one? I have only done it on a Remington rifle where I just drifed in a tru-glow sight into a dovetail. This looks more complicated.

I will most likely save up and get a tang-mounted rear peep sight eventually, so I will leave that for now.

[J Miller]

The front sight on a ramp like that is usually a .360" tall or there abouts bead sight.
It's best to use a front sight pusher tool to remove and install the sights. However by putting the ramp against a solid support you can drive the sight out with a punch and hammer. Remove them from L to R as you look down the barrel at a target.

A nice looking and somewhat period correct set of sights can be had from Marbles or Lyman.

Joe

[Malamute]

The period correct front sight for your gun is a small stud type base with a steel or nickle silver blade pinned into it, and the front band much closer to the muzzle. The ramp you have is from the 30's and later. The standard rear sight for early carbines was called a "leaf" sight, commonly called a ladder sight with a sliding leaf and a folding portion that raises. The sights were very short and they had the rear sight dovetail slot much closer to the receiver. The rear sight you have looks like a nice early rifle sight, (the grooves on the sides being an earlier type)it was a semi-buckhorn style, and has been filed down flat on top in the "express" style. Actually, a better sight than the early carbine sights, and the flat top is faster and easier to use for most of us. Original early carbine leaf sights sell for $200 and up, repros are about $100 I believe.

I don't have any pics of either front or rear sights handy.

Kirk D has a nice early type carbine in 38-55 cal, if he shows up, perhaps he can post a pic of his to give you an idea. The stock was different too, with a curved buttplate that wrapped around the top of the stock, and a flat place along the top edge.

[KirkD]

Here are a few photos of the carbine Malamute mentioned. It is a model 1894 Winchester 38-55 saddle ring carbine, made in 1907 ....



The saddle ring .....



The front sight (post with a slot in which is inserted a blade, held in place with a pin that goes through slot and post. Funny how I didn't notice the crud around the base of the front sight until after I took the photo! ) ....



The buttplate (note the flat top on the buttplate and stock) .....

[Griff]

Reproductions sights are available:

Rear: http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,4484.html

Although I'm not sure it would be a correct front sight on a carbine for that era, this copy would correct on a rifle of that era (my 1910 26" rifle wears one) and quite similar to front sights on earlier carbines and some of the shorter "trapper models (except for the screw). Not sure if it has enough height:
http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,4422.html

On my Trapper:

For that wood:
buttstock & forend: SCR pre-64, pre-war (uses curved steel buttplate as pictured by KirkD): http://www.gunstocksinc.com/web_pages/P ... stock.html

I've found the steel buttplate for this style buttstock on EBay and a couple of other sources, (none are showing it available right now).

When you start looking for that saddle ring, be aware that Winchester used two different thread sizes on the studs, (I forget which was the early and which was late, but you're looking for the early size).

[Old Savage]

You betcha ELWOOD.

[Travis Morgan]

KirkD,

You need to slap some Ray Holes Saddle Butter on that old saddle, ASAP. Once you get it, get ahold of me, and I'll give you some particulars on how to get the most out of it.