94 parts swappin'

[OldWin]

About 20 years ago, I had an uncle pass. His son showed up at my dad's and left a bunch of his dad's guns, headed back to California, and was never heard from again.
We sat on em all this time, until I figured 20 years was long enough.
There was an early post-64 94 30-30 carbine in there that looked unused. It had some crappy hardwood with micron thin finish that had chipped off in several places. Looked like a good truck gun candidate to me.
I took it out and shot it first. To my surprise, the thing shot great. The biggest hurdle was cleared! Next, it needed a decent rear sight, so I pulled an old 66 Lyman outta my parts and mounted it up.
Then, that ugly wood had to go. I stripped it with citrus stripper. I'd read where the cheap birch and beech stocks won't take an oil stain evenly. I'd seen it too. I read an alcohol based leather dye with a tru oil topcoat would work better. I figured this would make a good guinea pig!
It did work well! File that one away.
I drilled the stock for a swivel stud and mounted my favorite sling, the old cotton canvas M1/M14 sling.
I wound up carrying this thing last fall. I shot a young female coyote and a nice 9 point buck with it.
The last piece of the puzzle was the crappy stamped lifter. Last night, my truck gun project was completed. I got a couple cast lifters out to my buddies shop. I stripped the 94 and tried them both to make sure they'd both work. One, I'm going to send to Kodiak, Alaska to my son. He uses a similar carbine. It is a constant companion no matter what he is doing for the many bears they have. It sees hard use and he should ditch the stamped lifter too.

[Coalsmoke]

Nice project. That turned out really well!

I am working on my first Winchester 94 project, I mostly have Marlins. My project gun has a stamped lifter. How important is it to replace that?

[OldWin]

In reality, most are fine. There are thousands of thise rifles out there that have lasted decades and thousands of rounds.
I think where people have trouble is when, for whatever reason, they jam the action. A shell under the carrier, long cartridge......or whatever. Then they bend the carrier trying to clear the jam. Of course, that is just my opinion.
Most of my 94s are old. Luckily, the improved cast carriers from the 70s will swap right in.

[Coalsmoke]

Good deal. Thanks for the info.

I'll probably give mine a try and see how it works.

[OldWin]

No problem.
I only own 3 post 64s. I have made changes or modifications to two of them. Both have been good serviceable rifles.
Matter of fact, the other one is what I was working on when I stumbled onto the Scout rifle forum.

[Pitchy]

I remember back in the day when i was young and handsome when new Win. were cheep we would always look to see if they had the stamped lifter or cast.

[OldWin]

Haha we did that too, Lenn!

Remember when you could get minty ones for 100-150 bucks? Them days are o er buddy!

Well, I did get this one for free, I guess.

[Griff]

The only time the stamped lifter is a problem is when you have a jam... or try to force something that you shouldn't. I have a couple of early post '64s, one still has the stamped lifter and I haven't had a lick of trouble out of it... but then... I'm careful with the ammo I feed it. But, it is super cool that so many parts will interchange on the '94. While many folks don't like the coil mainspring... I happen to feel they're smoother and less problematic than the old flat springs...certainly easier to install once you know to trap the spring when compressed.

Now all you have to do Jay, is dress it up a little:

[OldWin]

Hey Griff! I had no idea you were such a fancy pants!
Look at that pimpin lifter!

I have both types of mainspring......but I'm a leafspring guy.
The coils feel weird to me when thumb cooking. Almost like they cam over. I think it's the strut angle changing.

And yes, like I said above, I think most people make their own trouble with the stamped ones.

[Coalsmoke]

Dayum!

That is a fancy lifter! Where do I get one of those?

[JOG]

Hey Jay, Thats good work on the Winchester! Remember when nobody wanted them 25 years ago. Now there bringing $750 to $800 in great shape!
Wow that jeweled lifter looks like the hub caps on Sixguns apple green 1972 Coop DeVille!
Johnny

[OldWin]

Haha yeah I know right?

Hahaha good ole Johnny!
I gots to get my peepers on old Six's caddy. Fuzzy dash and lots of speakers I'll bet.

[Merle]

About 20 years ago, I had an uncle pass. His son showed up at my dad's and left a bunch of his dad's guns, headed back to California, and was never heard from again.
We sat on em all this time, until I figured 20 years was long enough.
There was an early post-64 94 30-30 carbine in there that looked unused. It had some crappy hardwood with micron thin finish that had chipped off in several places. Looked like a good truck gun candidate to me.
I took it out and shot it first. To my surprise, the thing shot great. The biggest hurdle was cleared! Next, it needed a decent rear sight, so I pulled an old 66 Lyman outta my parts and mounted it up.
Then, that ugly wood had to go. I stripped it with citrus stripper. I'd read where the cheap birch and beech stocks won't take an oil stain evenly. I'd seen it too. I read an alcohol based leather dye with a tru oil topcoat would work better. I figured this would make a good guinea pig!
It did work well! File that one away.
I drilled the stock for a swivel stud and mounted my favorite sling, the old cotton canvas M1/M14 sling.
I wound up carrying this thing last fall. I shot a young female coyote and a nice 9 point buck with it.
The last piece of the puzzle was the crappy stamped lifter. Last night, my truck gun project was completed. I got a couple cast lifters out to my buddies shop. I stripped the 94 and tried them both to make sure they'd both work. One, I'm going to send to Kodiak, Alaska to my son. He uses a similar carbine. It is a constant companion no matter what he is doing for the many bears they have. It sees hard use and he should ditch the stamped lifter too.

Looking good@

[Sixgun]

I just happened on to this thread......that dang Johnny...... talkin' 'bout my green Caddy and makin' fun about it.....it's actually fluorescent sparkle green. The curb feelers are chrome, the fuzzy dice came from the "Blue Room", a club in west Philly and the seat covers came from the wig shop. That Caddy has 257,000 miles on it and I never changed the oil but I wax it daily. It's got a big back seat but right now I'm having trouble removing the 2" thick coating of Afro Sheen ....may have to use carb cleaner.

$750 for a post '94? Why sure, if a Rossi is bringing $200 NIB that's about right.

Although I don't have any, those post 64 '94's are good shooters. Buy why would you take something like that in the woods when you have so many nice old real Winchesters? -----006

[OldWin]

Hey buddy!
I know it seems foolish, but lots of times in in places or conditions I don't want to drag my sweet old Winchesters through. And I really don't want them sitting in a molle shotgun scabbard over the seat in the truck or Jeep for weeks on end.

Plus....I figure it's still better than a Rossi.

[Sixgun]

Look Jay....that's BS and you know it old friend....ANY gun can be used with care plus they make these gun cases that don't absorb moisture......15 years ago I was upstate Pa. for buck season......the worst case scenario happened......I was using a 90% 1886 Ex. Wht. in 45-90 that there may be 25 in existence......(and I have TWO of them. ) I was on the top of this hill about 30 yards long...the hill was at a true 55-60 degree angle and I needed to get to the bottom of it......a snow blizzard came in and as I started the scary descent ....by holding on trees, my feet went out and I was on my way to the bottom....fast.....I instinctively raised that fine 1886 above my body and hoped for the best......had there been a protrusion of any kind I would have lost my "boys"....guaranteed ...yes, I put the Winchester above my "boys"....Beside, I was around 50-55 y.o.and I quickly figured I don't use em anymore anyway but that Winchester will live on.....I made it to the bottom, stood up and continued hunting........

Except for TWO times, the only guns I've taken afield for deer, elk, turkeys, squirrels, foxes, whatever ....have been antique Winchesters...and fine ones...no j.u.n.k. need apply. I figure I've killed around 30 deer and with each kill comes 10 days that you don't get a shot ......squirrels...15 days a season.....hundreds of times woodsloafing.....you figure....and all those guns are still here....

Now little brother...no more do I want to hear of you even owning/hunting/shooting/ or for that matter, even TALKING about j.u.n.k.......you use a real gun, a pre WW ONE Winchester. You hear me boy??!!! You do that and I'll let you keep all those single action Colts.....yooooouuuuu know, the ones that were in the Buffalo coat.

I'm getting all worn out entertaining here...I need to take a break.....BIG DAY tomorrow....concrete truck is coming to pour cement for the underground bunker I'm building......must be 200 Rossi's I'm using in place of rebar....----006

[Griff]

...must be 200 Rossi's I'm using in place of rebar....----006

Now that's funny, right there! Must be because you recognize how strong they are!!!

[Sixgun]

...must be 200 Rossi's I'm using in place of rebar....----006

Now that's funny, right there! Must be because you recognize how strong they are!!!

Griff....I always admit defeat....and my man, you beat me good on that! Well done!----006

[Griff]

...must be 200 Rossi's I'm using in place of rebar....----006

Now that's funny, right there! Must be because you recognize how strong they are!!!

Griff....I always admit defeat....and my man, you beat me good on that! Well done!----006

Jack, I know ya, ain't no winners or losers here... just a love of leverguns... even foreign junk! However, I know how Jay feels... I'd much rather use my post '64s to using the pre-war mdl 94s I have... not that mine are real collector's items, just shooters...

[OldWin]

The biggest thing for me is treestands. I get squinky with my nice old Winchesters climbing in and out of stands or using a pull rope. Now, I've done it. I was up a tree with a nice 1873 in 44 from 1887 a year or so ago.
But I don't like it.

[JOG]

Winchesters 94 AE post 1982 all steel receivers are good shooters! At least the two that I once owned.
I'm sorry Six, but my twin globes are just as important as some rifle's! I much rather have a scratch in a 94 stock than lose lefty in a freak fall!
With a rare vintage 86, it's a tossup! I'm seeing used Rossi 92 going for $700 around these parts!
That's more than Sixgun paid for his Coop Deville! I admit his $3,500-dollar Canadian lynx seat cover are quite Spectacular!
I have to admit when Six cruses by cranking the theme to Sanford & Son out of his vintage 1970's Blaupunkt 8 track system, it blows my mind!
The man exudes an incredible amount of class no to be undone by any of us mere mortals!
Johnny

[OldWin]

Hahaha Johnny my man! I can picture that clear as clear can be!
Da, da, DA, da.........da, da, DA, DA, da, da, da.......

I have a 94 AE Trapper in 44 that shoots good. It's a pre-crossbolt, but I just couldn't abide the rebounding hammer, so I converted it to a half cock like they are supposed to be.

[JOG]

If it's a Winny, it has to have a half cock. Years ago, I had a color cased Winchester 94 in 45 Colt.
It had that dang rebounding hammer and the tang safety.
I couldn't get used to it and traded it off for something or another.
I hope all is well up north! The snow is near gone here on the south end.
Bring on the spring!
Johnny

[OldWin]

Yup. I just couldn't do the rebounding hammer. I swapped in a late 60's lower tang assembly and FCG. Problem solved!

Yeah we've lost a lot. Ice is going out of the river nice and easy. There was some serious ice in the river this year. Always worry about another spring like 87.
We was sledding up to Jackman last week. There was crazy snow, but I bet it's way down now.

[Sixgun]

What's all this talk....pre cross bolt, pre tang safety, JM Marlin..etc..etc....why don't you simplify it all and just buy "pre war". Forget all that other j.u.n.k....

That Johnny has me on a all night laugh.....hey Jay, Johnnys another guy who would be fun at deer camp.....I can see it now, Johnny pulling in deer camp in an old Buick Riviera painted purple with no springs on the back so the bumper is dragging.....the grill is painted bright yellow for the contrast with an italicized "BLM" right in the middle of it with stickers, "Go Al" and "Praise the Lord Jesse"....of course because the car has 471,000 miles on it the tires are showing their threads and the chrome exhaust pipe comes up through the roof and blows 80 weight gear oil with some STP added.

He'd have a rifle to match the car.....an old and abused Rossi in 32 S&W short that he picked up at Leroys Bar & Grill that's in Spanish Harlem. Instead of a Orange huntin' coat he'd be wearing an ivory Zoot suit and loafers with a penny held on by masking tape.....

Oh man...I gotta get some shut eye....this beats watching those losers on the left.....

[JOG]

Wow Six, you're a clairvoyant! After blowing up the engine in my Gremlin drag racing against Miguel Fernandez and his boss souped up Ford pinto! It was quite a blow to my ego throwing a rod in the heat of battle! We were racing for pink slips. After losing I had to give him my favorite piece of lingerie! Boy did I look good in that slip!
Oh well, easy come easy go! Now I am thinking of dumping a small fortune into a 1972 Buick Riviera. I'm talking 1,100 big ones for this old classic! The best part is I found two cans of Denty More beef stew under the back seat! It's the first car that I drove that had four doughnuts all spy painted with Ebonic curse words!
With just over 426,289 miles what could possibly go wrong! Vengeance is mine, I will hunt down Miguel and win his classic Pinto!
Then I'll trade it in for a bucket of Popeye's chicken and a case of Mickeys fine malt liquor!
Johnny

[Drawdown]

I just checked this thread for first time today, thinking it was just about needing parts. To me a Win is a Win, but acknowledge the pre 64's as the cream, but I learned from my dad, who was an 100% Win man, but mostly pertaining to shotguns, that he had as good of success with the later as the earlier!
But I love your rifle-sling combo, and good buck done proved em! My 1971 made NRA Centennial 30-30 is my most prized rifle. I always wanted a Mod 64, and when I found it unfired, made it all the more just like it was made for me, 1971 even being one the most special years of my life also, and this rifle has proved itself so consistent and took a nice buck with it in 2019 to prove it! So to me regardless how viewed its a Mod 64, I don't disgrace it by calling it a 64a.
And you got there a fine Mod 94 Win, today, details can't take away or add to it! Great pics!

[OldWin]

Thank you sir!
I like the old cotton canvas slings because they stay put on a wool coat. Weather also doesn't hurt them, and they are quiet and quick to adjust.

I have 3 model 64s, but like most all my Winchesters, they are old. Two 24" rifles in 30wcf and 32WS, and a 20" short rifle in 30wcf. I don't care for pistol grips so I don't really use them. I much prefer a very early rifle I have that was factory returned. It has a complete model 64 barrel, mag, and forend, with the original straight crescent butt of the old rifle. It's chambered in 32WS, and is a great shooter.

[Griff]

It's funny, you guys disparage the 64A, but it was the second rifle I owned. Won it in a raffle while in the Navy, off the coast of VN in 1972. Bought one raffle ticket... $5. I used it along with the mdl 94 (1969 production) in 44 Mag to help sink aircraft wing tanks jettisoned over the South China sea. It was stolen in early 1974 after I got out of the Navy along with the mdl 94. Victor from this site allowed me to buy its replacement (LNIB) from his collection. It's a prized addition to my collection. Used it in 2005 to collect a nice south TX doe. One of the "Project rifles" I'm assembling wears a "1894-1994" commemorative barrel. Love the ½octagon/½round barrel!

[OldWin]

It's funny, you guys disparage the 64A, but it was the second rifle I owned. Won it in a raffle while in the Navy, off the coast of VN in 1972. Bought one raffle ticket... $5. I used it along with the mdl 94 (1969 production) in 44 Mag to help sink aircraft wing tanks jettisoned over the South China sea. It was stolen in early 1974 after I got out of the Navy along with the mdl 94. Victor from this site allowed me to buy its replacement (LNIB) from his collection. It's a prized addition to my collection. Used it in 2005 to collect a nice south TX doe. One of the "Project rifles" I'm assembling wears a "1894-1994" commemorative barrel. Love the ½octagon/½round barrel!

No heat from me, Griff.
The last few years I shoot my post 64 guns more than my old ones.

[Drawdown]

I guess I did sound negative, but I certainly don't the rifles, only the "a" being added to it! Seems so many frown on them being post 64, but I can honestly say, right now if someone layed a beautiful pre 64 Mod 64 before to trade for mine, I wouldn't trade. If I was allowed to shoot and hunt a plenty to compare, I might? Mine has been to me just perfect, "The Mod 64 I Always Wanted"! So I refer to it as just a Mod 64 which it is!
Other than my dad's old Mod 50 Win 12ga, it's my most prized gun, other personal details goes with it making it very special!

Most the negative about the "a" comes from local friends around here who I growed up with, squirrel hunting with. We considered the old Mod 37 Win SS, our favored guns. But in the 60's - 70's they had replaced it with the 370, then the 37a. I saw at least 2 barrels split at the choke from shooting 3" Mags thru the 37a for Turkey hunting, so everyone here trashes pretty much anything "a". The 37a choke being about a 1/2" long.
I had a fine old Mod 37 I used for years, 12ga. Turns out today, my favorite , and honestly my all time favorite and still using it is a 16ga Mod 370 made in late 60's. It's never failed me when I do my part at reasonable distances, squirrels and turkeys.

[JOG]

The rarity of the pre 64 Winchester these days is one reason I personally shoot the later AE models, along with my 40+ year old Marlins. You just don't see many pre 64 for sale anymore! When you do the prices are crazy!
I'll always take out the oldies a few times a year for some fun.
Pre WW1 models are $1,500 to $2,000 around here! I'm surprised that people are paying that much!
Perhaps a year or two down the road firearm prices will return to pre covid prices!
Factory ammo seems to be returning, unfortunately the prices are laughable!
Johnny