After Bitchin' about High Gun Prices, I got a Winchester 94 for $475 this week.....but

After bitchin' up a storm about High Gun prices ( cuz that's what we do )........ I found a Winchester 94 30-30 for $475..... so I bought it....

It's a 1972 Winchester 94 30-30 that is in fantastic shape for a 50+ year old gun

The wood and barrel/tube are beautiful, but the frame is starting to lose some of its finish

I know the 1970-1980's 94's used a 'Sintered Steel' frame which is a steel alloy that is iron plated and nearly impossible to cold blue and hot blue turns it purple....

I know I can't complain.....( and Bambi surely won't care )..... but has anyone ever touched up or refinished one of these receivers.....???

My plan is just to go shoot it and revel in my $475 purchase.....but at some point, I may want to clean it up.... ( I know I'm being an old nitpicker here )

Bill

I think it looks pretty nice, and it still has the often removed/lost front sight hood! I'd simply degrease it and use your favorite cold blue on the worn spots.

Got you beat;
Inherited my Grandfather's Win 94 Saddle Carbine from 1927. Nice straight shooter and from what I understand were never sold EAST of the Mississippi River. He was a railroad brakeman and bought his in Minneapolis when he was stationed there.

I bought one for my wife in the mid 1970's for $129.00. I think she carried it once, my son carried it once in the 1990's and I carried it once in the late 1990's. Hardly been shot at all. I always wanted one when a 12 year old and they were only $54.00 in the Sears or Montgomery Wards catalog. So I bought one for $120.00 just to have it. Grandad always carried his on the horse. As I remember they kicked like a mule. Now I only shoot handguns.

These days I'd just strip it and Ceracoat it.

Have it case colored.

Only what I would do...
Leave it alone. Winchester was always experimenting with metal finishes and metallurgy. From early on, bluing did not adhere well to their nickel steels. And til the end, the bluing has failed on their '94 receivers. Keep it protected with silicone or other oils, and be proud of it.

I have a well maintained Trapper '94, with such failed bluing on the receiver, it looks like the distressed finish was on purpose. And there remains no rust. And it is beautiful.



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I see where the left side of the receiver has two holes in it. Possibly used to mount a small frame for an angled scope. My Ace Hardware store in downtown Reno has a department in their basement for all kinds of screws for guns. I was able to match two to the other screws on the receiver and looks like they were OEM. My Winchester is a Sporting Rifle with a 26" Nickel Steel Octagon barrel that was mfg. in 1908. It had gone through a poor cold blue treatment that was not done properly. The previous owners tried to get a plum patina and there is one spot where it has started to flake off. Not a collectable, but the receiver and other small parts look practically new. The wood was well used. I took it all apart and did some refinishing (not shown in picture). Accurate and reliable could probably last another 100 years in my son's hands. My LGS sold it to me for $775. Worth it to me, my first Winchester in .30 WCF.

Actnbill said:

...My plan is just to go shoot it and revel in my $475 purchase.....but at some point, I may want to clean it up.... ( I know I'm being an old nitpicker here )

Bill

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One size never fits all, and everybody has an opinion - but if it was me, I would basically leave it alone. Treat it like you might a classic Mauser, that's showing decades of honest use; keep it clean and recognize that messing with it will cost more than it's worth (& could even reduce its value). Be happy that you don't have to worry about scratching it, which will probably happen immediately after you refinish it, if you go that route (Murphy's Law being what it is ;^). Let it show its own history, and tell its own story, and nobody who sees you shooting it will mistake you for a greenhorn!

As always IMHO, FWIW, YMMV, etc.

Well if you would have gotten one of these 1966 94s you would not have that problem I wanted one since I first saw them at Sears in 1966 but could not afford one or the ammo. I think they were around $125.00

NAAAAAA just messing with you. You got a nice classic and a fun shooter. If you reload you can REALLY have fun with it. I loaded up some 100gr plinkers at a screaming velocity. Also gas checked and lead. Just a lot of fun and fairly cheap to shoot..

1873 Uberti 357, 1866/1894 Winchester 30-30,
1860 Iron Frame Navy Arms Henry, a real beauty, 44 WCF/44-40 and a Colts 1847 Walker for back up






I shot it in SASS long range competition. It did good enough to win 1st place

If you want it to look new or nicely finished cerakote it in a color of your choice. Yep, bluing isn't going work on the receiver. My story: I found a 94, later learned made in 1978 in 1982. My records show I paid 90 bucks for it. Left side of barrel had minor rust spots, I fixed those. Left side of receiver had lots of surface rust. I took the rifle apart and removed all the finish from the receiver. Then learned bluing won't work. A gunsmith showed me how they turn out. Not good. No cerakote in those days.
It has been used hunting and shot at the range many times since. Receiver has never had any finish applied. To match a little I also removed bluing from the barrel bands. I wipe it down after use and never has gotten rusted up since. I could spend 250 and have the whole rifle looking new, but no thanks it looks good now and functions great. Local gun shop checked it out a couple weeks ago, I am going to sell it. He will pay me 800 bucks.

Kir, no holes on the receiver were put there to add a scope. In the photo are holes for the screws holding the action together and to take the receiver apart. Not shown in your photo are 2 small screws upper left side on receiver near the hammer. Those are filler screws to add a peep sight. I don't know if there is a current scope mounting system for the 94s. Weaver did make a side mount at one time. Save your money and don't mount a scope on the side of a 94. Get a rifle that has angle or side ejection.

Edit: I enlarged the photo, See its is before Win drilled the peep sight holes. Look up the serial number on line and get its date of manufacture. It's an older one.

@Actnbill man what a great find!

I also have a trapper, maybe not quite as well maintained but the receiver does have that distressed look. I love it. I've thought about having it cerakoted but probably won't.
That's one of my favorite rifles ever. Not the prettiest but boy does it shoot.

And oh-boy does mine shoot too.

Love the older wood on lever action. Great score!

Good buy! For 475, you got a great deal on a handy little rifle that will serve you well and you won't have to worry about dinging it up.

I remember seeing those for sale @ $75.00 new in 1972 in a local store…you scored a great (for our times today) deal.

I bought one new in about the same year as your and made it a truck gun...it lost about half it's finish due to scratches and such. It was a good shooter so when it no longer needed to be a truck gun I decided to send it to Tyler in Texas for a refinish...he did a good job but it never shot well after that so I send it down the road. After that I would never recommend a refinish on one of those...enjoy the fact that it has performed and will stilll do the job....it's a tool you know!

WAYNO said:

Only what I would do...
Leave it alone. Winchester was always experimenting with metal finishes and metallurgy. From early on, bluing did not adhere well to their nickel steels. And til the end, the bluing has failed on their '94 receivers. Keep it protected with silicone or other oils, and be proud of it.

I have a well maintained Trapper '94, with such failed bluing on the receiver, it looks like the distressed finish was on purpose. And there remains no rust. And it is beautiful.



.

Click to expand...

Me too. I would love to have it that way. Just keep it lubed!

At a big gun related outdoor flea market one day I decided that it was time to satisfy a long put off desire for a 94. Nothing fancy or expensive, just an affordable post 64 model.
Two candidates were decided on. One was nearly mint, & only about 10% more money than a finish worn but serviceable one. The mint one might have been worth more for the long run & resale, but the not so mint one had a smoother action & a better trigger. I like character in something like that, used, but not abused & brought it home. It won't likely see any cold blue or paint, & for dang sure no cera or duracoat.

But,,, to each there own.