old winchester 30-30?

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Axis II

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My buddy acquired a Winchester 30-30 with the top eject. he says its worth a ton of money. He mentioned something about being made right after the war.

He was talking about selling it last night because he needed the money and was going to put it on consignment at a LGS for $600. I have seen this rifle and its in darn near mint condition. I opened my trap and said don't sell it to someone sell it to me. this way if he ever wanted it back he could buy it back from me.

My 2 concerns are...

I cant use it in Ohio to hunt so it would mostly be a target gun and something with history to have. I may decide to hunt WV and that would be a sweet little gun to hunt with but I would have to scope it. Not sure how this could be done with a top eject and don't want to modify something that could have monetary value or historic value.

my other issue is a guy he works with also does pawn brokering. I guess the person never came and paid him back so he sold the gun to my buddy for $250.knowing what it was he jumped on it.

My concern is how can someone pretty much run a pawn shop out of their house and then keep a firearm and sell it if the person doesn't come back.

he told me he wouldn't sell it to me for $600 that he would let it go for much less for me.

I'm one to not buy guns just to have them, if I cant hunt with it than I don't need it.

what do you guys think?
 
Ol' "slabsides" Winchester 1894s could be scoped but, usually, the mount would require threads on the left side of the receiver and a mount attached, causing the scope to be offset. This requires altering the receiver which you seem unwilling to do.
An alternative is a Lyman type tang sight. The tang behind the hammer would require to be drilled & threaded for the attachment screws. Again, altering the gun.
I'm not sure that just because the .30-30 is an old top eject style that makes it very valuable, though apparently it is in good condition. Were I to pick it up I wouldn't worry about scoping it.
Unless there is another way of mounting a scope I am unaware of, I don't think you can do it without some alteration to the gun.
 
I have a mount that uses existing screw holes and works fine. True that it is offset which is minor fot 30-30 ranges. But I would not pay $600 for it, and I would consider a longer range cartridge like .308, 7-08 for Western hunting.
 
id mainly be hunting hogs and deer in west Virginia with it. its a model 94 but he said based on research it was made right after the war. didn't pay much attention on that part.
 
If you want a scoped lever action rifle buy a Marlin instead. Marlins have four drilled and tapped screw holes on top of the receiver especially just for mounting a scope base. It also ejects the cartridge from the side thus not hitting the scope.

It is also very easy to put peep rear sight on a Marlin. Skinner makes a nice sight. I have a Williams rear peep sight on my Marlin and it is great set-up for hunting hogs.

Winchester 94's shot up in price after they stopped making them. I personally would not give $600.00 for a gun that I had no real use for.
 
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the first gun I ever deer hunted with was a 30-30. this is one of the reasons id like to get one. I didn't know mounting the scope would be such a PITA. i think if it had nice sights i could practice a little more and use them.
 
Winchester M94

The side mount scope is off axis. The bullet travels from one side of the line of sight to the other. If you sight in at 25 yards at the beginning. The final scope adjustment has to made at 100 yds or more.
th_WIN9430WCF.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] http://www.winchesterguns.com/support/faq/date-your-firearm.html
 
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its a model 94 but he said based on research it was made right after the war.

If it truly has value based on historical significance, that value will be lost when you drill the first hole. Of course, a lot of the historical significance would depend upon which of the many wars that occurred since the 94 was introduced that we are talking about.

Why does it have to be scoped in W. Va?
 
If it truly has value based on historical significance, that value will be lost when you drill the first hole. Of course, a lot of the historical significance would depend upon which of the many wars that occurred since the 94 was introduced that we are talking about.

Why does it have to be scoped in W. Va?
doesn't have to be scoped but I cant hit squat with iron sights.
 
Which war?

Spanish American? WWI, WWII, Korea, VN?

Serial number could tell you the actual year it was made.

Makes a difference. So post it with the last four as X like 1,23x,xxx and someone can tell you the year date likely.

Prices went ga-ga after Winchester quit making them and for a bit they sold at ridiculous prices and folks that have them still think they should but folks buying ain't buying at those prices.

Not sure when 94s started getting factory drilled for the aperture rear sight option (most users don't even know what those two little screws on the rear left top side of the receiver are for) Most of the later mounts replace one of the larger screws already on the left side and use one or both of those small screws later added for the aperture sights.

Zero for windage is the only thing majorly effected by being off set and that is reduced by zeroing at reasonable ACTUAL hunting range reather than up close.

If I was attempting to zero or forced to zero at 25 meters I would just set it up so my group was centered an inch right of my aiming point and call it macaroni. Likely cross some where out around 100 and only be that much of to the left at 175 and how much further do you plan to use a .30-30?

Folks forget that back in the late 1960s one of the very first red dot sights was available with mounts to replace the rear sight of the '94 so the dot was centered over the bore. Can we say Scout rifle before Colonel Cooper even wrote it up? Think K98k mauser with ZF-41 LER Scope. As soon as LER scopes came out for use on pistols folks started trying those on '94s. Not sure anyone makes a mount now but if you just gotta have a scope on a '94.......

Of course the later "Angle Eject" Models were meant for traditional scope mounting over the bore.

Those would be after the last mentioned war, BTW .:)

-kBob
 
Many people think any old Winchester is worth a ton of money. It could be a $6000 gun, a $600 dollar gun or a $300 gun and subtle details could mean a lot. I'd make sure of what it is 1st.
 
I may decide to hunt WV and that would be a sweet little gun to hunt with but I would have to scope it. Not sure how this could be done with a top eject and don't want to modify something that could have monetary value or historic value.
You will probably find this rifle is drilled and tapped for either an aperture (peep) sight or a tang sight. Either one of these would be fine for a .30-30, and would not require drilling any new holes in the gun.
 
The side mount scope is off axis. The bullet travels from one side of the line of sight to the other. If you sight in at 25 yards at the beginning. The final scope adjustment has to made at 100 yds or more.

Could you not just measure the lateral distance from the center of the scope to the center of the barrel, then adjust the impact of the group to be that far to the right of the sighting point (or, equivalently, aim the scope that far to the left of the center of the target at a mark you made there) so the bullet flight plane would be parallel to the line of sight? That would be off by what, an inch? An inch and change?

Unless you're going for head shots on varmints, seems like that error would be less important for hunting-grade accuracy than the crossing error that changes with range. At least you know the offset without having to estimate range then figure out the triangulation.
 
I really think that if it is a pre-64 and in good condition it is worth every penny of $600. I had a friend that just bought a 1956 Winchester 30-30 of Gun Broker and paid close to $1,000. Gun was in mint condition. His had a Lyman pep sight on it and was shooting <2" groups at 75 yards.

have a pre-64 that is in 90% condition and would not sell it for $600 and I really do not have any history with the gun.
 
I've seen many old 94's sell for much more also, this isn't enough information to make a call on the gun.

As far as hitting with open sights, you won't ever learn any younger. Lever actions were made to be shot that way IMO, it's a big part of their appeal to me; a light, handy gun to move through the woods with. As long as you stay within its range limitations the 30-30 is very effective for deer.
 
robhof

I've got a 1952 mod 94, paid $300, not mint but great shooter, had holes with plug screws on Lt side of receiver for off center scope mount, got scope and mount on Ebay for under $30, so for $330 I've got a shooter and worn enough to not worry about trucking through the brush.
 
if it is a minty pre 64 win as yu kind of say then it could be worth 4 to 600 fairly easy if its not been buggered with.

if he was a good buddy and needed money id offer around 300$ to 350$. i would put a condition on that i would keep it for 6 months then sell it if he did not buy it back.

around here a lesser grade pre 64 win 30-30 with good bore are often sold for 400$+

this way he has made 50$ already and yu stand to make either your money back or as much as much as maybe 200$.

get the serial no and see what year it was made and check condition carefully.

what i can also tell you is around here it very seldom you will buy a win for less than 300$ if its a pre crossbolt safety gun.

sure lots of guys get them cheap from their buddys and like to brag about it.

however your in a non rifle hunting state so that will have to be factored in unless yu want to sell on net and ship.
 
Buck13: Yes you could if it really mattered.

Dad bought a new 94 .30/30 after "the war" too, (Vietnam one) and as much as I used to think about that rifle right after he got it, it really didn't bother me much when he sold it in around 1980 for $150. There are many better rifles around than an early seventies 94 .30/30.

ohihunter, if you'd be fine hunting out of state with a thuddy thuddy, why not buy a .444 or .45/70 which are also legal here?
 
id probably keep it if he didn't want it back.

the first rifle I ever deer hunted with was a 30-30 lever gun and ive always had a somewhat soft spot for lever guns. if I kept it it would be a plinker and if I ever made it back to WV deer gun.
 
Buck13: Yes you could if it really mattered.

Dad bought a new 94 .30/30 after "the war" too, (Vietnam one) and as much as I used to think about that rifle right after he got it, it really didn't bother me much when he sold it in around 1980 for $150. There are many better rifles around than an early seventies 94 .30/30.

ohihunter, if you'd be fine hunting out of state with a thuddy thuddy, why not buy a .444 or .45/70 which are also legal here?
I hunt ohio with a single shot 45-70 right now. I'm working on going lever action in that too.

Ive got contacts around WV and know the area cause ive hunted there a few times.

I think I'm hyped up on this cause its a Winchester top eject and kinda brings back a little memory.
 
Worth a ton of money? I guess that would be a lot of money? :)

Before I went and pulled the trigger I would be looking at the serial number and see exactly when the gun was made. I would also be looking the gun over real close. Then and only then if I wanted a 30-30 Winchester rifle I would consider buying the rifle. If the rifle was in excellent condition as you describe I would not be drilling and tapping but leave it as is and shoot using the open sights or maybe add a tang peep sight. Anyway, first things first find out when the gun was made.

There is always a magical something about the lure of a 30-30 lever action rifle. When I was younger I had more an interest in the gun in a 30-30 chambering. They no longer trip my trigger but if this is what you want then consider it. I would also point out that in various configurations Winchester made over 7.5 Million of John Browning's design of the Winchester 94. Even early ones in very good condition can be had, as was mentioned, in the $500 range.

Ron
 
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Reloadron, it is not the 30-30 but it is the lever action that got me hooked on getting as many lever actions as I can. Now looking for an older 357 and 44 lever action rifles. I know were the is a older Winchester 35 caliber but the left side has been drilled for a scope. Just can not put the trigger on that one.

YES, I am addicted to lever actions and I do not hunt.
 
Worth a ton of money? I guess that would be a lot of money? :)

Before I went and pulled the trigger I would be looking at the serial number and see exactly when the gun was made. I would also be looking the gun over real close. Then and only then if I wanted a 30-30 Winchester rifle I would consider buying the rifle. If the rifle was in excellent condition as you describe I would not be drilling and tapping but leave it as is and shoot using the open sights or maybe add a tang peep sight. Anyway, first things first find out when the gun was made.

There is always a magical something about the lure of a 30-30 lever action rifle. When I was younger I had more an interest in the gun in a 30-30 chambering. They no longer trip my trigger but if this is what you want then consider it. I would also point out that in various configurations Winchester made over 7.5 Million of John Browning's design of the Winchester 94. Even early ones in very good condition can be had, as was mentioned, in the $500 range.

Ron
He said he took it to the LGS and the owner told him it was worth more than $600 but he probably wouldn't get that because its not something like a garande or anything like that.

the guy said he sold one for like 450-500 so my buddy should ask 600. this would be him posting it at the LGS. he said based on what he seens online they are almost 1k.

I don't know the serial number.
 
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