New Winchester Ranger 30/30 lever, gun

[gsbuickman]

Morning Guys ...

I finally went and done it, I finally got me another lever gun, but not just any lever gun, a Winchester 94 . Going on two years ago I had a Winchester 94ae in 44 Mag, but at the time I wasn't setup to reload and I didn't have anything else in 44 and like an idiot I let it go for something else I just had to have.

Well, fast forward to last weekend when someone new to a local buy, sell, trade, discuss firearms group that I started for everyone here in the valley posted up a pair of Winchester 94 Ranger lever guns in 30-30 for sale or trade that got my attention. He sold one of them to another member of the group and I touched bases with him about the other one. It turns out he bought both of them brand new and put a box of shells through each before putting them in his gun safe and letting them sit unused until he decided to sell or trade them for something more suitable for Elk at longer distances.

We got to talking about things and looking at options because he already had a 270 and 06' when he stopped by yesterday evening and I ended up trading him for my sportered 1891 7.65 Chilean Mauser w/ 100 rds nib Privy / PPU shells for it. Now I'm the new owner of a practically brand new Winchester Ranger 30-30 . Granted it's not a 44 like my previous 94 even though I'm set up to reload 44 shells now, but the good thing is I already had brass, boolits, primers, powder & dies for the 30-30 on my bench, just no 30-30 to go with them. Now that's changed, see how that worked out even though I didn't get a matching 44 lever gun to go with my Virginian Dragoon ?, anyhoo, it's all good ...

 

[chicharrones]

Looks like a great trade. Congrats.

 

[PapaG]

I got one of those last year and put a receiver sight on it as I can't see the rear and won't scope a 94. Only complaint is that doggone cross bolt safety.

 

[Scooter22]

Wow you got a great deal! Only thing imho is to get the white spacer off the rear stud. Try some cast bullets through it for plinking. 30-30 is perfect for them. I have 5 30-30s. 2 Win, 2 Marlin and a Stevens 325 bolt action. Enjoy it.

 

[Wisco]

It’s a good time to be buying anything guns for good prices...if the sellers can stomach the sale for the going rates.

The Winchester 94 is one of my all time favorites. Even the comparatively less desirable post 64 models are almost always good shooters - and often better than some oldies.

 

[gsbuickman]

Thanks Guy:s . I admit it, I'm not a fan of run of the mill production firearms, I'm a surplus and historical Firearms Junkie & I have a decent collection of shooters that's slowly growing. I like Firearms with a lot of history and stories behind them mostly geared towards the old west and the military surplus side of things.

With that being said it doesn't get any more iconic than a Winchester 94 lever gun ( pre or post 64) and I'm glad I laid my hands on a beautiful example of one, especially since the 94 was apparently discontinued and their prices continue to climb. On a side note I'm also looking at acquiring an iconic black powder handgun for my collection, a 36 cal. Lyman Remington 1858 revolver just like Wild Bill carried ..

Anyhoo, I like this model 94 a lot better than the 94 AE I had awhile back. Idk what the furniture is made of (birch?) But it has a real light stain on it and it has some really nice wood grain patterns and that's exactly what I like and the finish on it is silky smooth and against the satin bluing it looks really nice. Unfortunately this does have a cross bolt safety but thankfully it's not that great big red button that screams "Lawyer Lock or Big Red Truck" like the cross bolt on the 94 AE did against the chrome plated receiver. Even though this is a little black button on the cross bolt safety I'm seriously considering removing and replacing it with a machine screw to match the other screws in the receiver. I was researching it a while back and it's a fairly simple process to do and this time around it looks like I'll have to put it on my bucket list of things that need to get done . In the meantime this came with a set of see thru scope rings so I got them installed and topped them off with my Nikko Stirling 3_9x40 ..

 

[PapaG]

Just look at the ballistics between 30-30 and 44mag beyond 75 yards. I'll take the 30-30 every time and I have fifty six years shooting each. And reloading each. I'm kind of partial to the Leverevolution bullets

 

[bannockburn]

gsbuickman

Nice trade and it looks like you have the cat's approval on it too!

On a side note I'm also looking at acquiring an iconic black powder handgun for my collection, a 36 cal. Lyman Remington 1858 revolver just like Wild Bill carried .

If you're referring to Wild Bill Hickok I think you will find he was typically known for the two ivory stocked Colt Model 1851 Navy revolvers he carried.

 

[Bushpilot]

Congrats.... For whatever reason it always makes me happy when some one gets excited about getting a lever action..... The best of luck with it....

 

[gsbuickman]

Congrats.... For whatever reason it always makes me happy when some one gets excited about getting a lever action..... The best of luck with it....

When I let my 94ae go they were selling for about $350. I didn't know that Winchester had discontinued the model 94 and the prices have been climbing ever since until I did some checking on the current prices for the model 94's for the trade deal on this one and found out that they're now selling for $500 - $600 or more depending on what model and Condition it's in. Needless to say, I'm just glad I was able to acquire another model 94 for my collection before the prices get any higher ..

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

They make good deer rifles. I was in my local Walmart about 10 years ago & they had one for $125. so I bought it & gave it to the kid next door.

 

[gsbuickman]

Alright, the crossbolt safety is no more, I just deleted it from the receiver . Now I need to look at options for filling the empty holes. It doesn't look like I have enough room in the receiver for a couple really short machine screws with shallow lock nuts to hold them in place. Ii know I can use a couple 1/4" plugs but I'm also pondering a couple electrical grommets with a couple really short machine screws that would thread snugly into them ..

 

[Newtosavage]

Good move on the safety. I like your taste in rifles. I have a pre-64 Win 94 that I got for Christmas 33 years ago, and a new 94ae with the tang safety. They are both great rifles. I'm sure you will love yours. Maybe not the most accurate or flattest shooting or newest, but they are more fun to shoot than just about any rifle I can think of, and the ammo is still the cheapest factory centerfire rifle ammo you can buy. Enjoy!

 

[Newtosavage]

When I let my 94ae go they were selling for about $350. I didn't know that Winchester had discontinued the model 94 and the prices have been climbing ever since until I did some checking on the current prices for the model 94's for the trade deal on this one and found out that they're now selling for $500 - $600 or more depending on what model and Condition it's in. Needless to say, I'm just glad I was able to acquire another model 94 for my collection before the prices get any higher ..

Have you priced the brand new ones from Japan?

 

[Ks5shooter]

Gotta love the levers

 

[Bushpilot]

Alright, the crossbolt safety is no more, I just deleted it from the receiver . Now I need to look at options for filling the empty holes

Obviously the cross bolt safety bothers you.. It's not my favorite feature either but I wouldn't get too hung up on it.. None of my Winchesters have it but one of my Marlins does, a nice 336 which also happens to be a very sentimental lever gun... It belonged to a very colorful, late uncle of mine that used to talk guns with me and occasionally would take me hunting as a kid... Anyway, not that you're asking my opinion, but if it were me I think I'd leave the safety in it and just not use it if you don't like it. I personally would rather leave it as is then have holes or fillers... Seems that you might be more likely to have problems with fillers falling out (or in) or stuff getting in the action than just leaving the safety off and not using it... But hey, that's just my opinion...

 

[gsbuickman]

So I dug around in the electrical drawer of my toolchest & found a couple appropriately sized electrical grommets and got them worked into place in the empty holesholes & it already looks much better, as if it were made this way. Here in a little bit I'll dig through my miscellaneous nuts bolts and screws and see if I can find something I like that all thread snug into these grommets, if not I'm a leave it is as until I do .

 

[gsbuickman]

Good move on the safety. I like your taste in rifles. I have a pre-64 Win 94 that I got for Christmas 33 years ago, and a new 94ae with the tang safety. They are both great rifles. I'm sure you will love yours. Maybe not the most accurate or flattest shooting or newest, but they are more fun to shoot than just about any rifle I can think of, and the ammo is still the cheapest factory centerfire rifle ammo you can buy. Enjoy!

Thanks . It's not as cheap as 7.62x39 ( $0.25 a rnd ) but I checked with my favorite go-to source online and 30-30 is cheaper than all the other cartridges I own or have ordered in the past .

 

[SwampWolf]

I got one of those last year and put a receiver sight on it as I can't see the rear and won't scope a 94. Only complaint is that doggone cross bolt safety.

I agree with the no scope but receiver sight on a "traditional" lever-action carbine thinking. However, as much of a traditionalist as I almost always am when it comes to the appearances of most firearms, I've never really minded the looks of a cross bolt or tang-mounted safety on one of these carbines. But then, I never paid much mind to the looks of the keyhole on a modern Smith & Wesson da revolver-heresy, I suppose.

 

[WestKentucky]

I haven’t paid much attention to the 94s simply because of the lack of a safety. Now that I see these I will be open to one.

And if I despised a safety feature on a gun so bad as to remove it, I would skip buying the gun. Face facts, we live in a world with ridiculous lawsuit craziness. If an accident were to ever happen with that gun then you have no leg to stand on legally. All the plaintiff has to say is that a safety feature was deliberately deleted making the gun unsafe.

 

[gsbuickman]

I haven’t paid much attention to the 94s simply because of the lack of a safety. Now that I see these I will be open to one.

And if I despised a safety feature on a gun so bad as to remove it, I would skip buying the gun. Face facts, we live in a world with ridiculous lawsuit craziness. If an accident were to ever happen with that gun then you have no leg to stand on legally. All the plaintiff has to say is that a safety feature was deliberately deleted making the gun unsafe.

Lack of a safety on a Model 94 like this? , not likely . There are actually 3 separate safeties on these model 94's.

1. The cross bolt safety that stops the hammer from swinging forward and hitting the firing pin

2. The safety release on the bottom of the stock that doesn't engage unless you're pulling the lever action tight against the stock that engages the trigger .

3. The safety built into the trigger mechanism that doesn't let the hammer swing forward to slap the firing pin before swinging back unless the trigger is fully depressed .

Deleting the cross bolt safety, one of the three safety mechanisms on these model 94's in no way shape or form makes these Firearms unsafe, but it does get rid of some lawyers eally ignorant idea and makes them look a lot better ...

 

[SwampWolf]

In the meantime this came with a set of see thru scope rings so I got them installed

Just more opinion from me but, as commented earlier, not only do I not like scopes on little carbines like the Model 94 (I think optics rob the carbine of its greatest asset: A handy, quick-pointing gun for traversing through heavy brush and thick cedar swamp type environs) but I really detest "see-thru" rings (making a decent stock to sight cheek weld virtually impossible to attain). If you like 'em, fine with me. I can be an opinionated ole cuss.

 

[gsbuickman]

Just more opinion from me but, as commented earlier, not only do I not like scopes on little carbines like the Model 94 (I think optics rob the carbine of its greatest asset: A handy, quick-pointing gun for traversing through heavy brush and thick cedar swamp type environs) but I really detest "see-thru" rings (making a decent stock to sight cheek weld virtually impossible to attain). If you like 'em, fine with me. I can be an opinionated ole cuss.

Actually it's a lot easier than you think and it's set up just how I like it. I can shoot it left handed with the iron sights or I can shoot it right handed in my normal shooting position with a nice cheek to stock weld and use my left eye for the Optics because I'm cross eye dominant (right handed & left eye dominant) and it works perfectly. I grew up shooting everything right handed with and without Optics but due to nerve damage in my head I can't use my right eye to shoot right-handed anymore, so I had to learn how to shoot left-handed several years ago but having a set up like this works perfect for me and I still get to enjoy shooting right-handed with OpticsOptics, even if I'm shooting left-handed all I have to do is bring my head up a tiny bit and I can still use the Optics and it's not an issue ..

 

[gsbuickman]

Well , I looked at the receiver and since the left side of the receiver mostly had flathead screws and the right side of the receiver had round flat metal studs I dug through my miscellaneous nuts, bolts & screws and found a machine screw and a bearing guide pin from an R/C car w/ a round flat stud to match with the same black chrome finish that the receiver has on it. I grabbed each one by the shank in the very tip of a pair of needle-nose pliers to get the short length that I wanted so they would go all the way thru the grommets but not protrude into the receiver and interfere with the hammer, then I used an angle grinder to cut the excess length off them & worked them home in the grommets. Outside of the receiver the shanks on them fit kind of loose in the grommets but with the grommets installed in the receiver the holes in them got smaller and now they fit nice and snug and they tightened up the grommets inside the receiver itself so there's no way they'll be falling out and I think it turned out fairly nice ...

 

[Pat Riot]

Nice lever gun. I am sure you will love it
I have 2 Win. 94’s. Rather than remove the safeties I put 2 small o rings on each one. They don’t accidentally get pushed in and I don’t have holes in my gun. I tried coming up with something to fill the void but just decided on the prongs. I just change them out every 3 or so years.