and.....?

Care to explain that?

 

Hopefully it isn't a birthday gift from your newborn nephew.

 

hmmm...

 

My wife’s uncle 91 years old dropped it off and those were his instructions.

Rich

4months ago I gave away 100+ rounds of 30-30 as I had no use for them……

 

So is it a pre-64?

Pictures?

 

How can I tell pre 64??

Rich

 

Is it a commemorative model?

 

Look up winchester dates of manufacter on line, put in serial #

 

Boy, I don't get that, not shooting until he's dead. Check the bore. Shoot it. He'll never know...

 

Yep, I'd want to know how it shot and cycled before I went

 

Gave my word

Rich

 

And that means something to most of us, his rifle, his wishes, put a good coat of Renaissance Wax on it and wait.

 

It is best to do as your uncle requested. Wait until he's gone.

 

Appears to be an 81 or 82, breaking out the renaissance wax and give it a healthy rub down.

Rich

 

Well, everyone loves the Pre-64s best. They went up to about 2,500,000 serial numbers.

Early post-64s were crap but quality improved a bit by the early 70s and early 80s were probably fairly good.

Well worth keeping and cherishing since it's a family gun.

Start looking for ammo.......30-30 has been hard to find and with the world situation as dangerous as it is, you'll want to start to build a little stockpile in case of trouble.

 

welcome

congrats on the new toy and the caveat....

 

I have just been gifted a 94 in 30-30 that’s never been fired. Only request being to not fire it till original owner has passed..
Rich

Put it in the safe and never speak of it again, until, you know.
Then shoot the heck out of it.

 

Nice rifles, gents. Had one that was a real deer slayer. Sold it about 20 years after I had to give up hunting.

 

I think his request is reasonable, and your honoring it is commendable.

The only feature that my Model 64 doesn't have that was on my list for a custom build is a part or full hex barrel. I can live with that. Now what to do with the Model 94 that I was going to build on.......

 

Was an incredibly thoughtful gesture of your wife's uncle, am sure he thinks very highly of you to have done so, keep his wishes for the rifle...a small thing to fulfill. Like Ray Wylie Hubbard says: "The days I keep my expectations low, and my gratitude high, are VERY good days". Am always thankful when somebody thinks of me, no matter how small the event, it means they care.

 

A gifted rifle is special. My pre WWII model 94 30-30 was given to me by my father when I was a young man. I hunted deer with it in Maine in my early years. It was stolen from our house in Florida along with all my long guns. Months later a Ruger 77/22 and a Kimber of Oregon M82 were recovered in a crackhouse raid in Bradenton. The rest were never recovered even though the police had the serial numbers. Treasure your gift and honor the request, no matter the year, model or monetary value.

 

Perhaps a bit off-topic but I have to say something about all these 94s shooting "2-inch groups at 100 yards."

I have owned a few Marlin 336s that were fairly accurate. But the one Winchester 94 I ever owned- a 1980s second hand piece IIRC- was barely "Romanian AK47 accurate!" It was lucky to make a 8-inch group at 100 yards. And the bore looked great.

Did they do something weird to the barrels in the 80s or something?

(Please don't say I can't shoot; if that was the case all my rifles would perform poorly. Many of you have seen my targets over the years!)

 

My first Model 94 (purchased in the mid 1990s for $275) was made in 1956 and I put one of the new production Lyman No 2 sights on it and proceeded to load up Hornady 150 gr RNs with BLC-2 and got a load that shot 1.5 MOA 5 shot groups. The perfect deer rifle for the Black Hills IMHO. It sold me on the Model 94, but got sold when times got tough.

It was replaced with a Model 94 made in 1973 and it never shot better than 4 MOA. I came upon another one a couple years newer and it was only a 3 MOA carbine. I also had a late 1980s (still pre 1990 cross bolt safety) rebounding hammer Model 94 AE and it was also a 4 MOA Carbine.

Winchester changed to a sinter forged receiver in 1964, but I don’t think that‘s the issue as my Model 94 rifles made in 1966-1979 all shoot about 2 MOA.

So my thoughts are the 1966-81, and later AE carbines in their standard grades are either poorly fitted, or are just not accurate in their post 63 carbine format for what ever reason.

My accurate pre 64 Model 94 carbines and rifles as well as my post 63 Model 94 rifles all also have tang sights. In my experience the partridge and semi buckhorn sights found on the Model 94s are not all that conducive to meeting whatever accuracy potential they have.

 

I have a 1955 '94 30/30 that came with an old Lyman reciever sight. I need to get it out for some range time since I am rediscovering reloading as a near retirement.

 

If the OP’s gifted rifle was in new condition, and a pre 1964, I would never fire it. It is commendable that he is a man of his word.

As to the model 94s, obviously the pre 1964 versions are the most collectible. One of the best shooting 94s I ever had was a sintered steel version that had some wear on the receiver. I sold it to a friend because I just couldn’t get over the sintered steel receiver.

To me, the best deal out there are the AE models. I’ve shot some that shoot like a dream. They aren’t collectible like the pre 1964s, and the safeties turn off the purist collectors so the value stays down. I buy every NIB one I can find at a reasonable price. They have forged receivers, are well made, and the ones I buy are American made. I’m not referring to the high priced Japanese made 94s. Something about a foreign made 94 just doesn’t seem right.
My guess is that the steel in these AE models are better than the pre 1964 versions. I could be wrong, but metallurgy has come a long way.

 

Gave my then 12 YO son a Ranger AE .30-30 (Birch stocked model), mounted a Bushnell 1.5-4x scope, loaded up some Speer 130gr FNSP's to about mid-range and we were able to shoot pretty consistent 1-1 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. He still has the rifle and about 100 handloads, he's 50 now, just never took to hunting like I did. As far as I know its never had a factory round in it.

 

I see some tang and some receiver sights in this thread. Which is the best option to mount on a post-64 without drilling any new holes? Thanks

 

If Rocinante said 2.5 million where made , which is very believable, seeing as every gun shop has 2-3 used ones in there store . I'm just asking - how many are unfired and 65 years old. I'm just guessing not very many. They where sold to be used not preserved. I think you got a real GEM there. Me I would never shoot it and keep as is. Bad example but take a look at Winchester Commemorative 94s shot value vs never shot.
If it where was mine I would keep it unfired in original box . Your the conservitor now. Pass it on to ur son or granddaughter when the time is right. Winchester 94 30-30 are 500.00 for a nice one used. I personally have new guns in my collection never shot never will be which my sons will get. CZ 527s Colt 1911s
I think your wife's Uncle knew exactly what he was doing when he gave it to you. I would call that high praze.

 

Heck, I would enjoy keeping it unfired - I have more guns than I have time to shoot anyhow. :-/

And thanks to the poster who put up the stamped ctg. lifter pic - I grew up with all sorts of older M94's in bush Alaska, with both my father and mother taking a moose with one. But I didn't know of the stamped lifter configuration, that's interesting.