Winchester 94 trapper question..

[morgan in nm]

Hello, it been a while since I posted but yesterday I happened to come across something that I wanted to talk about. I went into one of my favorite candy stores and the dealer came across a winchester(US Repeating Arms) 94 trapper in good condition as a trade for a new scope. The individual trading it off couldn't hit anything with it so he didn't want the trapper anymore. The serial number is 5088xxx so I think that puts it around 1982. It has honest wear and some spotting on the reciever and is clearly marked 30-30. The dealer wanted $400 for it which is a fair price around here so I bought it. In the process of cleaning it and trying to figure out why it dousn't shoot very good, I measured the bore and found out why. The bore is .32 cal. The rifling is typical US Repeating arms shallow and the barrel has no signs of ever being removed from the receiver. I decided to cast the chamber and low and behold, the dang thing is chambered for 32 winspc. When I finished cleaning it, I thought I had better take it out and shoot it and it is fairly accurate. The cases came out excellent. Right now I am in the process of a complete take down and I am thoroughly convinced that the barrel had never been tampered with since it left the factory.

So to the question, is it possible that I have a "Monday" carbine that is mismarked? How many late model trappers came out in 32winspc? I am more than satisfied as I love the caliber but I am curious how a mistake like this could have been made.

I know, I will post pictures when complete. Thanks, Morgan.

[Griff]

I should think that type of error to be fairly rare.

[damienph]

I think that a rollmark with the wrong chambering would be very rare. I also wish that I was the one who found it. I would love to have a .32WS trapper to go with my .30-30 trapper.

[mod71alaska]

Morgan, to the best of my knowledge the Winchester Trappers that came out in 1982 were the first Wranglers (stamped on the barrel) and had large loop levers and "engraved" scenes on either side of the receiver. I think the Wrangler, before the Wrangler II came out in 38-55, was chambered .32 WS (or at least the vast majority of them were.). Do you have a Wrangler engraved receiver and not a wrangler marked barrel? Hmmmm...interesting...

[morgan in nm]

There is no engraving on the receiver and the barrel simply states:

Winchester-R in a circle(as in registered trademark)-Model 94 30-30 WIN
Made in New Haven, Conn USA Winchester Proof Steel

I have seen many wranglers and this carbine doesn't appear to be like any that I have seen. This does not have the large loop.

The interesting thing to me is that if somebody rechambered it to 32winspc, who would go through the time and effort to open up the barrel and still leave the 30-30 mark still present. Besides, the barrel has no indications of ever being removed from the receiver. The rifling is typical factory-type 6 groove. I think it is truly a factory foul-up.

[mod71alaska]

Morgan, I'd suggest contacting Robert C. Renneberg, who is the author of the definitive Model 94 book: Winchester Model 94, A Century of Craftsmanship. He is retired now somewhere in FL. I don't have his email address on this computer, but I think you could locate him with Google. Before he retired and moved to FL I had the opportunity to buy 2 minty Model 94s from the 1940s from him, and we have corresponded and talked occasionally but not recently. He's a friendly guy and is "The 94 Man!" Who knows, maybe your 94 has a story and is priceless!!! Good luck and keep us posted.

[Ji in Hawaii]

What an awesome find! Congratulations! I'd prefer a 32 special Trapper over a 30/30 too, great cartridge and quite the novelty.

[Poohgyrr]

That sounds like quite a catch. Congrats.

[morgan in nm]

Thanks for the congradulations folks. There is only one true thing to do with it and that is shoot the heck out of it. I cleaned it completely and I can't find any damage from shooting 30-30 in the chamber or barrel and I personally think it was worth the money for nothing more than a conversation piece. I will contact Renneberg to see what he has to say about it. I am almost thinking that what happened was that they started production on the wranglers and some how some parts got put into the wrong pile but that still doen't explain the wrong caliber marking. If that was the case, there might be a few like it or maybe even some early wranglers that won't chamber a 32winspc

[Tycer]

Very Cool

[handirifle]

Is there a possibility that someone (not factory) just re-bored and re-chambered it to 32 WS, and didn't mark the barrel, since it didn't have any other special markings on it to indicate Wrangler?

[Stan in SC]

Are you intending to restamp the caliber on the barrel?

Stan in SC

[mod71alaska]

Are you intending to restamp the caliber on the barrel?

Stan in SC

Because of the liability Browning probably will re-barrel it for you for free.

[OldWin]

Haven't posted here in forever but this caught my eye. I would not be surprised if your carbine did in fact come this way. I saw the exact same thing on a 1950's era 94 carbine many years ago. Shoulda bought it!

[JBledsoe]

.

Hi Morgan,

No doubt your rifle was a factory mistake. I have collected
Trappers since they first came out in the late 1970. I have seen a number for such mistakes as incorrectly marked barrels, rare but they do exist. I have seen 2 guns that were never chambered for a cartridge. 1 gun marked 45 Colt is a 44 Mag. And the list goes on. In 1986 when USRA went into chapter 11, they were making guns with any parts that was available and some really odd combinations of parts came out of the factory.

Don't waste your time with a call to Browning, they are quite ignorant about the Winchesters of late production. I called Browning about a Trapper that I have that has a laminated Win-Tuff stock. Browning said that USRA never made one, I had one in hand as we spoke. They would probably tell you that USRA never made a trapper with a Legacy stock (pistol grip), or a Brushed Chrome model, etc.

You have a factory mistake, don't change it, enjoy it.

JB

[Sixgun]

Its a factory screw-up. Just for s***s and giggles, see if it has the 1-16 twist.---------Sixgun

[stretch]

Wow - that's good 'un!

I'd keep it and shoot it as a 32 Special.

-Stretch

[morgan in nm]

Sorry I haven't commented back the past few days. Been spending long days and nights trying to teach a whole bunch of kids about metal fabrication.

OK, I measured the rifling and it is 1 in 16" twist. I bet everything I own that this a factory mess up. I am not only a shooter but I am also a collector with an excess of 25+ pre-64 winchester leverguns and model 12 shotguns amongst the other hobbies a person who really cant afford can get themselves into. I have heard of many factory mistakes involving no chambers, bores not concentric with barrels, missing parts, etc. I have never seen a mismarked caliber until this. Off hand, I can hit a clay pigeon on the ground at 100yds with ease with this little carbine and my reloads. Because of this I have no intentions modifying this carbine and when I get tired of playing with it, it will go into my collection hopefully not for a while because I am really impressed with the balance and feel unless I come across a new toy in the meantime.

I want to thank everybody who responded with this topic because it has been an interesting discovery and it makes me wonder how many of these mistakes(gifts) are hanging around waiting to be played with. If I don't come back on here in a while its because next week I get to spend a fun-filled week with the kiddies in Indianapolis for National FFA Convention. Thanks again, Morgan.