winchester dates of manufacture model 94

I also fired a couple of reference groups at 25 yards for comparison to an old Winchester Model 1894 carbine (manufactured in 1896) equipped with iron sights that we were testing that same day.įirst, for comparison to the old 1895 carbine, I fired two 3-shot groups at 25 yards. Bob and I fired 3-shot groups at 100 yards. Targets were Outers Scorekeeper 100 yard targets and Outers 100 yard Small Bore Rifle targets. We used a Caldwell Lead Sled rifle rest loaded with a single 25 pound bag of shot for stability. This outdoor facility provides solid shooting benches and target distances of 25, 50, 100 and 200 yards. We did our testing at the Isaac Walton rifle range south of Eugene, Oregon. For this review Guns and Shooting Online Technical Consultant Bob Fleck also did some shooting. Weight - 7 1/2 pounds (including scope and mount)īecause this is my personal rifle I have had the opportunity to put a reasonable variety of ammunition through it over a number of range sessions.The basic specifications of our pre '64 Model 94 carbine are as follows: It is hard to go wrong with this combination. The Model 94 is the best selling sporting rifle of all time, and the. 30-30 Winchester cartridge, one of the best medium range hunting cartridges ever designed. Our test rifle is chambered for the popular. I also had Rocky Hays, our Guns and Shooting Online Gunsmithing Consultant, smooth and lighten the trigger pull to 3 pounds. I chose the latter, and equipped this rifle with an XS Sight Systems 'Lever Scout' mount, Weaver rings, and a Leupold M8 2.5x28mm IER scope. The alternatives for scope mounting are an offset side mount, or a 'scout type' mount forward of the receiver. This precludes a scope mounted to the top of the receiver. Pre '64 Model 94s eject fired cases up and over the shooter's shoulder when the lever is operated. (The classic definition of a bargain is something you don't need at a price you can't refuse.) I wasn't looking for a Model 94, but the price was more than reasonable. I happened across this rifle at a gun show a year or so back. The barreled action is finished in a polished blue, and the black walnut stock wears its original gloss lacquer finish. It shows practically no wear, inside or out. Which brings us to the subject of this classic gun test, a Model 94 carbine manufactured in 1961. Most of the shortcomings of the post 1963 Model 94s were eventually corrected, but the pre '64 versions remain the most desirable of all Winchester Model 94s. The new guns still worked and shot just fine despite their aesthetic flaws, but the credibility of the Model 94 took a serious hit, and examples manufactured prior to the 1964 changes became instant classics. The steel buttplate became plastic and a less durable metal finish was substituted for the traditional bluing. To save the Model 94 and restore a reasonable profit margin, Winchester redesigned the action for cheaper manufacture, substituting stamped sheet metal and roll pins for parts previously machined from forged steel. This is exactly the fate that befell the classic Mannlicher-Schoenauer carbine, and eventually spelled its doom. Winchester executives realized that soon the Model 94 would have to be priced beyond the reach of the average hunter. Unfortunately, by the early 1960s the production costs of the traditional Model 94 with all of its forged steel parts had risen dramatically. With nearly perfect lines and balance, they became the best selling sporting rifles of all time. These graceful little rifles are a study in functional walnut and steel. Surely among the most beloved firearms of all time are the Winchester pre 1964 Model 94 carbines. Winchester Pre '64 Model 94 Classic Gun Review

Winchester dates of manufacture model 94