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Win. Model 94 - stress cracks
ktbunger
Member Posts: 43 ✭✭
I recently inherited an old Model 94 in .30 WCF. My grandfather apparently found this gun leaning against a fence post. The story is that it had an octagon barrel with a half nickel for a front sight. The serial number is 456,XXX and a gunsmith I had look at it said it was made in 1908. My grandfather had it re-barrelled with a 20" round barrel, but according to the length of the magazine it should only have about a 16" barrel. The aforementioned gunsmith found two stress cracks in the metal on either side of the hammer and told me the gun was not safe to shoot.
I have some questions. Would this gun have originally had an octagon barrel? Is there any way to fix the cracks to make the gun usable again? How much does the re-barrelling my grandfather did hurt the value? Is there a source for old rifle barrels that would return this gun to its original appearance?
Note on a new old barrel...the receiver and magazine have hardly any blueing left so my concern is that a brand new barrel would look bad up next to the other parts.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
I have some questions. Would this gun have originally had an octagon barrel? Is there any way to fix the cracks to make the gun usable again? How much does the re-barrelling my grandfather did hurt the value? Is there a source for old rifle barrels that would return this gun to its original appearance?
Note on a new old barrel...the receiver and magazine have hardly any blueing left so my concern is that a brand new barrel would look bad up next to the other parts.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Comments
The magazine tube length has nothing to do with what the original barrel length was. There are 94s with barrels that go beyond the length of the magazine tube. If the gun had originally a half oct/half round barrel, I believe most of them were 24 or 26 inches in lenght and extended well beyond the magazine tube. Maybe "Bert" can add later, he's very knowledgeable about Winchester rifles. There's also a good chance that when your grand father changed the barrel, he could have changed the magazine tube as well. As Mike said you have a wall hanger.
Regards Dave
Gunbroker item #s
18993478 and 18905779 I believe both are what is known as the "Eastern Carbine". does this look simalar to what you have.
Regards Dave
Captain Kirk, Tech Staff<P><BR>
By the Way....Welcome to the Ask the Experts Forum and the Gunbroker.com Family.............Best....Captain Kirk
I am in complete agreement with all the other fellows who have replied to you thus far... your old Model 1894 is a wall hanger, and can not be safely repaired. Have your local 'smith remove the firing pin, and then hang it on the wall.
In answer to your first question, Yes, it most likley did have an octagon barrel. Value is no longer an issue on that old rifle due to its poor mechanical condition.
Bert H.
Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!
Thanks...Travis
Neal