My first 'classic' Winnie long spoon

HHI944 · 03-20-2011, 02:56 PM

I just picked up a 227XXXX serial '94 in 30-30. She's a little rough, but I only have $225 in her. My other '94 is absolutely immaculate, but an early 70's model. Still, I feel kinda guilty shooting it given it's pristine condition. I think I'm going to strip this down, give it a good once over, cold blue it and use it as my shooter. Any tips on cold bluing? I've never done it, but it seems fairly simple. Similar prep to Duracoating and I've done a few of those with good results.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Forgot something!

HHI944 · 03-20-2011, 04:29 PM

Well, here she is by herself

An action shot

A serial shot, my finger covering the last three

From left to right:
1972 Model of 1894 in .30-30 (one 1cm scratch, otherwise pristine, around 50rds total) an early 60's Sears 'replica' BB gun and the 1957 Model of 1894 in .30-30

id10t · 03-20-2011, 05:39 PM

I wouldn't reblue unless really really needed... and if it was mine and I was going to refinish it I'd make it perfectly fake. Right color duracoat or similar on the metal, have the stocks hydrographically printed to AAA fancy look. From 5 feet she'll look NIB ... find a vintage box and go to new ranges with lots of winchester nutz... take it out, say it doesn't look bad for an old gun bought off a widow for $100, and put a few boxes thru it

targa911S · 03-20-2011, 05:54 PM

I would not strip it. I would go over the metal with Oxpho blue (cream) from Brownells and 0000 steel wool. Follow the directions repeat about 5 or 6 times. Then wipe it down with RIG. It will look great and you won't kill the spoon by stripping it white. However it looks pretty damn good in the photos. If you are doing the wood, just dull it with 0000 wool and hand rub a few coats of tru oil on it. Stripping is really a radical fix if you don't need to do it. Don't EVEN pick up a piece of sand paper!

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Nice rifles! The 1894 is one of my all-time favorites... My friend's father has a Teddy Roosevelt Commemorative carbine with an octagon barrel in .30-.30 that's never been fired and I got a good look at it a few months ago. Beautiful rifle!

HHI944 · 03-20-2011, 07:29 PM

Targa, that's exactly the kind of input I was hoping to get, Thanks! I'll order a bottle of that tomorrow and plan on it being a good project for next weekend.

It came from an auction house that just got their FFL and the combined firearms knowledge of their employees is about on par with a middle schooler around these parts. Everything was listed poorly and their pictures were horrible. This one was listed as 'Winchester 30/30' and no mention or picture of serial (The only gun they had that they didn't plaster pictures of the serial all over the internet...) The rest of their guns sold for ~80% of retail. Great for them, but stupified me. I always thought the goal of an auction was to get a good deal, not waste a few hours of your life to save 20-50 over gunshop prices...

HHI944 · 03-20-2011, 07:32 PM

Thanks Art. I actually got the BB gun first and from the same auction, last year. About a week after that I broke down and bought the Olin-era '94.

HHI944 · 03-23-2011, 05:06 PM

Any suggestions for sights? I'd like to increase the sight radius as well, so something that pushes the rear sight back is what I'm after.

Jeff Higgins · 03-23-2011, 06:03 PM

Current Lyman, Williams, or vintage Redfield peep rear sight will do the trick. They mount to the left side of the receiver. There may even be some screw holes already drilled and tapped for one. If not, any gunsmith can do that for you.

HHI944 · 03-23-2011, 06:11 PM

Thanks! That's what I was hoping to find. I'm almost positive that both of my 94's have the holes drilled and tapped for that.

HHI944 · 03-23-2011, 06:19 PM

As a note, I never really paid much attention to the pre/post 64, passing it off as BS. There is a noticeable fit and finish difference between them. Even though the newer rifle has seen far fewer rounds, the older rifle locks up tighter every time.

targa911S · 03-23-2011, 06:23 PM

What Jeff said. +1

ODDJOB UNO · ODDJOB UNO's Garage

brownells still has............for the time being, as they are not going to stock them anymore................ chrome silicone zoomy magazine tube springs. highly recommend this simple azz fix. plus the major fact that FTF problems 99% of the time are associated with a WORN mag tube spring and/or a DIRTY MAG TUBE!

take forend apart, carefully pull apart as spring under tension. turn barrel upside down so follower comes out. take swabs and clean hell out of mag tube until SPOTLESS! then lightly lube with NON DUST ATTRACTING LUBRICANT(mil-comm for one). look for aluminum mag tube follower(call wild west guns or brownells or midway) if it doesnt have a steel/alum one and it has the POS plastic mag tube follower. slip new mag tube follower in and then new spring and put back together.

a lil trick is to use an O-RING on exterior of mag tube right between barrel/mag tube clamp where screw goes thru to fasten together to alleviate screw from digging itself into mag tube groove from recoil.

this lil tip is i think on paco kellys lever guns forums.

funny how lever actions grow on ya! i love 'em!

P.S. DO NOT REBLUE! you will cut value almost by 1/2! i love the patina on them!

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

My Dad bought a 30-30 with the octagon barrel when my older brother was born. It was some sort of commemorative model, had like a badge on the stock, all in a cool red Winchester box. I don't think it has ever been fired.

Most beautiful gun I ever saw.

HHI944 · 04-13-2011, 02:45 PM

Well, I did a little polishing with steel wool, a very small amount of touch up cold blue with the oxpho (don't care about resale, I'm keepin it) and the obligatory thorough cleaning. She looks pretty good now and after a coat of tung, the stock is gorgeous. Just ordered a williams receiver sight from midway, now I gotta figure out sling mounts.

targa911S · 04-13-2011, 03:19 PM

pics?

HHI944 · 04-13-2011, 09:22 PM

I'll try to grab a few tomorrow, doesn't look substantially different, just smoothed a few things out a bit. I intend to shoot the snot out of this so I'm not fussing with it much. I replaced the mag tube spring, aside from the sight and a sling, it should be good to go.

pwd72s · 10:44 PM

I've got a pre '64 30-30 winchester. Box stock...carried on a few elk hunts as a back-up in case my other rifle's scope went south or something.

Inherited from Dad who also seldom used it. He won it at an Elk's lodge raffle.
Called it his $5.00 rifle...the amount he spent on tickets.

(edit) You guys seem to know a way to tell the exact year by the serial number. Any link to that info?
Only way I know it's pre '64 is that I had a smith here replace a missing screw, (I'll never loan it again) and he said it was pre '64 when I picked it up.

HHI944 · 04-15-2011, 08:47 PM

A pic, tons of finger smudges, I've been tinkering on 20 million things today the Winnie included. Got my Williams receiver peep sight from UPS today along with another toy (the flashlight in the pic, it's a hellfighter x4) The sling I intend to use, whenever I figure out how to do the butt/stock mount, is pictured as well.

edit: just saw Paul's post, here ya go
http://www.savage99.com/winchester1894_dates.htm