Been thinking about getting a lever gun.

[Throckmorton]

OH NO !! He caved to popular thinking and is going black !
You really need to stick to your plan to own and SHOOT a lever gun for some REAL fun !
I have 5 lever guns,ZERO AR's,and I have a huge smile on my face on every range trip. !
sorry we 'lost' you.

 

[Spitpatch]

...and the Brotherhood mourned the loss of one so promising.

 

[k7grc]

Hey sorry for the delay in response. I think I might have to put my lever gun fantasies on hold for a bit. I just got a lead on a Colt AR-15 for a good price, so I might do that, and purchase a lever gun at a later time.

levers and old wood, beats plastic and black any day.

 

[Hammer_Man]

Hey it's not all that bad, it's a 20" target model, nothing tactical about it But dont worry, I still plan on a lever gun in the future.

 

[LarryM]

IMHO Joe Link nailed it. Hands down the 30-30 lever is the best camp/brush gun there is. I still have my deceased fathers Marlin 336 and it will be passed on to one of my boys eventually. If you don't go for the Winchester get the Marlin, it's a solid well made rifle.

 

[ArgentineSteel]

I have always liked the action in the Marlin 336 better than the Winchesters I've shot. The action was just smoother and cycled better for me.

 

[Ownerus]

I have always liked the action in the Marlin 336 better than the Winchesters I've shot. The action was just smoother and cycled better for me.

To me there is a perceptible difference between pre and post 64 model 94's. The pre 64 rifles just seem crisper..less clattery. There is a bit of extra linkage in the 94 compared to the Marlin which may tend to make them seem noisier but also accounts for the much trimmer profile.

 

[RVTECH]

To me there is a perceptible difference between pre and post 64 model 94's.

Maybe, but I have see post 64s that were very tight - and loose also. My 2004 Trapper is very tight and smooth but took a couple years of shooting it full of Gunslick to smooth it out. Lots of old, worn out 94s out there too. A co worker a couple years age was hunting with a 1929 family heirloom and while back at his rig it slipped half cock and fired going through the body and flattening a tire.

 

[Spitpatch]

In '72, Winchester went on a campaign to save their arse from the "Post 64" reputation (or lack thereof). They improved almost the entire line, including the '94, adding another bevel to the "floorplate" of the lever linkage, tightening up the action quite a bit. (This is also when they introduced the 9422: probably the best idea of the campaign.)

Those '94's of 72 and shortly thereafter are pretty darned good guns. More recent specimens I've seen are a slip back in quality.

 

[Spitpatch]

One other item of interest to any '94 shopper who is leaning toward finding a good pre-64 for shooting purposes, is that in 1957 (or '58?), they began drilliing the side of the receiver to accept a nice peep sight (like a Williams or Refield, etc.) Previous models were not drilled. (Of course post-64's were drilled). So, for a pre-64 gun that can be significantly and easily enhanced for accuracy (without altering originality) look for those in that '57-63 window.

 

[RVTECH]

they began drilling the side of the receiver to accept a nice peep sight

Interesting bit of information. My '68 Buffalo Bill is drilled, my 2004 Trapper is not - but may be someday.

 

[Spitpatch]

Check your newer trapper for two very small screw holes on TOP of the receiver walls (on either side of the bolt lugs). My buddy's trapper has these, as did one I sold. Williams (and XS:the "ghost peep" outfit) makes a peep to go on there. I think Skinner makes one too. It looks like there's not enough "meat" in the receiver walls for screws to go in there, but I guess it works.

I'll assume your trapper is "angle eject", and these are the same holes used to defile it with a scope mount.

 

[RVTECH]

Check your newer trapper for two very small screw holes on TOP of the receiver walls

They are there.

 

[Mecanik]

"that in 1957 (or '58?), they began drilliing the side of the receiver to accept a nice peep sight (like a Williams or Refield, etc.) Previous models were not drilled."

I've been doing a study of Winchesters that were drilled for a reciever sight. I've found the earliest serial number Winchester that was drillled so far is around 1895012. I know 1834070 was not factory drilled so somewhere in between those numbers the change was made. I'm sure somewhere in the Winchester archives that exact serial number is written down but until then that's as close as I can come.

 

[Spitpatch]

Good work, Mec.

Here's my '94 .30-30 (one of them).



This one is Ser #2146xxx. Redfield peep, buckhorn replaced by dovetail blank, Brownell's Latigo sling. Ready for a bounding Whitetail at 75 yards, or a standing Muley at 175.

 

[clee2]

I have to say that I went away from my black rifle fetish and recently bought a Marlin (remlin) 1895 SBL in 45-70...I did all of the internet reading about the cautionary tales, spoke to the Freedom Group peeps at SHOT, and still couldn't find the pre-Remington SBL that I wanted, so I took a chance and bought a recent model.

Before taking delivery, I cycled dummy rounds over and over (my FFL likes me). I checked for front sight cant, fat-fingered jacked-up screws, mis-aligned rail, etc. It was rough-looking from what I could see inside the action, but it worked and it looked pretty darn good in relation to all of the horror stories. I took it home, smoothed out the internals (yes, I know one shouldn't have to do that at all but what fun!), and shot the beast. How wonderful! Mild, even with the heavy loads and accurate. Waiting for a Diamond D Custom leather sling and butt cuff. Was thinking of adding a small, robust red dot such as Trijicon RMR or Aimpoint H1, but it doesn't need it with the excellent peep sight. I'll probably send it out to WWG for some upgrades, but for now, I'm happy that I went Lever!

 

[H2O MAN]

... Was thinking of adding a small, robust red dot such as Trijicon RMR or Aimpoint H1, but it doesn't need it with the excellent peep sight...