Need to know what material the frame is on a "Little Big Horn" modell?
Steel or aluminium?

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Original ones were forged & machined steel. Later ones were cast steel(probably yours).....None were ever aluminum....Your's is brass plated over steel.

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S&W Accumulator

Do you have the gun ?
I'd think with a magnet you could tell pretty quickly

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

Not yet
Don't even know if i should go ahead and make the deal, it's about $315
Just got an offer at a Marlin 1894 in .44 mag for about $690

Although a much better gun, i don't have that much cash to spend.


and i don't have to change all my brass and tools from .44-40 to .44mag

Wow, them be fightin words. While many post 64 model 94's are suspect, the original is heads and shoulders above the Marlin 94 in many ways. Just saying, of course I am partial to early Winchesters.

By the way...

Thank's


Smith&Wesson Forum once again delivers
I asked the same Q at an other forum 4 days ago (no respond), here it takes 3minutes

Winchester -94 in .44-40 is not an ideal combo

not to mention the goldplated ones. i'm looking for a shooter.

Sell something and spring for the Marlin.

Whatever it is, it's strong. I had one back around 1978 or so. So did my best friend. We loaded them hot, with the hottest .44-40 loads in the Lyman manual at the time. I still have that manual laying around, so I could get to them if you wanted me to. But it's a strong rifle and fun to shoot. I wish I had it here.

That help?

I agree that Marlin 94 is probably a better choice in "pistol" calibers than a Winchester 94 in the same caliber. But I own both Marlins and Winchesters. The old ones in both brands are excellent guns.

I did
Sold a bunch of calipers and indicator clocks that i don't need any more.
If i can find my old VW "Ersatzteil katalogs" for typ 1-2-3 i could probobly get some more.


Found a typ 2 katalog that they wanted $500 for.
But that's on german ebay and would take too long.

The .44-40 loaded for use in a rifle is still a low pressure ctg compared
to the other calibers that the Win 94 uses. Loads in manuals do not
even come close to the pressure of the .44 magnum and .30-30. The
model 94 will have no trouble with the pressure of the .44-40. And
$315 is cheap for any mod 94 these days.

The problem with the Winchester 94 is that it is constructed for a longer cartridge (.30-30)
and the .44-40 will stowpipe if reloaded to fast.

My Win 94's in 45 long colt & 44 magnum "will-not" stove pipe no matter how fast you work the lever......However a worn out one might.

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S&W Accumulator

Never happened with mine.

I wonder, for y'all that say "mine don't jam, no matter how fast I run it", just how fast you really went?

I've seen top SASS shooters running a 73 faster than my MP5 goes. Can't do that with a 94. Can't even do that with a 92. The actual physics of the action design will not allow it.

Taking an action designed for a 2 1/2" cartridge, and redesigning it to use a 1 1/4" one just ain't a quick as using an action designed for that 1 1/4" one from the start. And, even though it is much stronger, John Browning's ramp is not as fast as Tyler Henry's elevator.

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I always take precautions

Funny how threads seem to get derailed and off track so often. I don't
see where the OP said that he wanted a lever action that would let
him outrun a sub gun. Said he was looking for a shooter. A 94 at $315
outruns a Marlin at $690 for a shooter rather easily I would think.

If fastforward to 2.10 you find what i'm talking about.

Thank you
I am going to use it for Cowboy action first.
However i'm not "in it to win it" so i might just manage to shoot slowly

(more time to have fun)

Well.. it looks like the Winchester will be the rifle that i'll buy.

If you find the Lyman manual i would appreciate to have a good stout load

From the 45th Edition of the Lyman Manual, a manual printed back when men were men, women were women, and little green creatures from Alpha Centauri were little green creatures from Alpha Centauri.

We used the lead bullet, numbered 42798 back in those days, with no problems. However, I would recommend you find something with a crimp groove to prevent the bullet(s) being pushed back into the case by recoil when in the magazine tube. We did not have this problem back in the day, but it can happen so get a bullet with a crimp groove.

Work up slowly, but you will be impressed with the power. We used and experimented with both the 2400 and 4227 loads and I cannot remember which we settled on but they were both impressive at or near the top end.
Cheers!

Thank you sir

I have both 2400 and 4227 so as soon the snow thaws, i'll start reloading

He didn't say he was "looking for a shooter", he said he wanted it for cowboy shooting.

And HE'S the one that stated that a 94 will jam if trying to shoot it fast.

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I always take precautions

Your brass will wear out considerably quicker with the hot loads and you'll get mouth cracks and such. If you CAN buy brass where you are, that's not such a problem. If you are like me and every little thing has to come down on the Midnight Express, that's a bit of a concern. You don't want stuff "wearing out" quickly.

A 205 grain bullet up around 1,800 fps has the same "impact" as a 150 grain load out of a .30-30 Winchester. Don't go too wild, would be my advice. You can load pretty hot, but once you're up around 1,600 fps, that's pretty good power right there and will be easier on your brass, your rifle, your shoulder, etc., etc. .

I know we went right up there, but we were kids and stupider than we probably are now. Let me know how it works out.

That's a big 10-4

Sure wish I would have sprung for one of the JM Marlins like the 1894 in 44 mag. back in the 70s or 80s when I was in my buying hayday. Notice the price of them like stated above for $690 is not unusual today. Both fine guns.

I have owed many Winchester 94's & 92's and feel the 94 more suited to longer rifle rounds eg 30/30,32spl,38/55 etc and the 92 better suited to shoot pistol rounds due to shorter bolt/lever throw. Also in a modern 94 in 44/40 you can load it to 44mag levels due to larger case cap!

Yes they are. However, the 1894 Marlin was designed for revolver rounds. The 94 Winchester wasn't. The 92 Winchester, however, was.

I'd never even heard of a 94 in .44/40 before this thread.

It looks like it originally came with a knife, too.

This one at Cabela's is 1400 bucks, but since it's Cabela's that means $315 is probably about right.

Gun Library: Winchester Model 94 Little Big Horn Centennial In .44-40 W.C.F. : Cabela's

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

In or around 1978 when my best friend and I bought our Little Big Horn commemoratives in the old McCloud's Store in Brandon, they came in a nice box with the rifle and a "Commemorative book" on the Custer Battle. There was no knife, and no room for a knife in the styrofoam packing of the box.

Perhaps some came with a knife, but ours' didn't.

I was wondering when someone was gonna' say something about that. I'd never saw one either.

I also don't want a .44-40 as I don't want to have to lube cases for a high volume shooter.....I think someone would be better served with .357, .45 Colt, or .44 mag.

Well, sure. Everyone knows that it's better to use straighwall cases, so you can use carbide dies and not have to mess with lube.

EVERYONE knows that.

And 357 and 44 magnum are better than 32/20 or 44/40 - EVERYONE knows that too.

But there's some of us weird people that like 'em.

It's like EVERYBODY knows that an automatic is better than a revolver, and EVERYBODY knows that a Glock is better than a 1911.



Y'all just keep believin' that.

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I always take precautions

I purchased one new in 78 and no knife came with it, however i think there was a 30/30 version too!

I just had a word with the local PD and..

(Some of you whine about a ten days waiting period when buying a gun)

For me it is at least another 6 weeks before they even start handling my application.
Fingers crossed, i want to start reloading some hot loads for the local beavers