Winchester M94 SRC

[CZU]

Winchester M94 SRC

This is my third M94. I don't really collect them but do look at them when they cross my path. Stopped in at the lgs a few days ago and this one was in the rack. It's not a pretty one but it locks up tight and the bore is perfect. My friend at the lgs said there was a lot of interest in this one but the lookers were afraid that it had been rebarrelled. I told him that I didn't think so because the magazine tube finish looked just like the barrel finish condition wise. Receivers on these older ones were notorious for finish flaking/loss, at least through my experience. Most all of the early ones that I have looked at had receivers that were in various stages of this condition or had been reblued.

This one was made 1911-1912, what sold me on it was the rear sight. It's an express 3 leaf that is marked 50,100,200 yards. I thought that the sight was somewhat rare as I had never seen one and I have looked at my share of these early ones. I was in for a surprise though, Winchester collectors say that it is fairly common. Go figure..

 

[Bald1]

CZU, I disagree. That's about as pretty a rifle as I've seen. I love an old gun with wear and patina. Are u able to find ammo for it ?

 

[Shark Bait]

Beautiful rifle with character. IIRC the receivers that had the flaking issue were post 1964 guns. Not sure of the years.

Bald1, it is really tough to find .30-30 right now, along with many others.

 

[sigp220.45]

Damn, that thing gives me heart palpitations! Nice score!!

 

[CZU]

CZU, I disagree. That's about as pretty a rifle as I've seen. I love an old gun with wear and patina. Are u able to find ammo for it ?

No problem for ammo, just your everyday 30-30. That is if you can find any. I hunted with a 50's era M94 for years, still have plenty of it.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Great old rifle...........

at least you don't have to baby it and worry about putting the 1st scrach on it.

Now you can relax and just enjoy shooting it or hang it over the fire place,
if thats your thing.

 

[22shtur]

Nice looking carbine. I wrapped my saddle ring with leather to eliminate the rattle when I carry it afield.

 

[30-30remchester]

I have collected and studied 1894's for 4 decades now. About 50 early 94's have been through my hands through the years. Without a close-up inspection, this look to be an honest carbine. The high nickel content in the receivers made the bluing fairly thin and easy to rub off on pre 64 models. I never saw one that flaked as is commonly thought. The 94 carbine is the easiest carrying long arm I have ever experienced. When I was guiding deer and elk hunters an old 94 carbine was always around. When we back packed an elk or deer out of the woods, a 94 carbine was always there in case a bear disputed ownership of the downed beast. My favorite resembles yours and was made in 1932. However, mine does not have any bluing left on the barrel or mag tube. I checked under the buttplate of mine and found a man's name and his town of residence which happened to be Fairbanks, Alaska. Great find.

 

[Wyo]

I have a 1908 SRC with a rear sight like that. It is completely greyed with almost no finish to speak of. The wood is solid, though, the metal is smooth and the barrel and action seem almost as new. It's a great old shooter. I bet you'll enjoy yours a lot.

 

[2152hq]

The bbls and magazine tubes were Rust Blued so they have a tendency to retain their blued finish much better than the frames from the same time period.
The bluing used in 1911 was likely Charcoal Bluing. Open Hearth type,,not the yet to be use Carbona Bluing using the American Gas furnace method. That would come into use very shortly thereafter though.
Colt was using the same method and swithed over at about the same time,,about 1912/1913 to the American Gas Co/Carbona Blue system.

Charcoal Bluing has a bit less tendency to flake off on the Winchester frames than the Carbona Blue applied finish. Just the nature of the finish though the two look nearly alike at first glance.

Beautiful looking, honest (as they say) Model 94 SRC.
That rear sight is not really common I don't think. You see the 'common' SRC rear sight on SRC's much more often that the 3-leaf seen here.
I'd think the 3 Leaf rear sight may even be a special order item on a SRC.

 

[LEO918]

Great find, CZU. I have a Pre War 1894 with the express sight as well. It's the one in the middle of this old photo.

 

[boykinlp]

Very Nice! Looks like it has been there, and done that! As the old saying goes, "if it could only speak......"
Larry

 

[hivel37]

Would love to find one like that. It'd be
good match for a well-worn 9422 SRC I have.

 

[Ethang]

who says that is "not a pretty one" ..that thing is gorgeous.

Nice snag.

 

[IamCaleb]

Nice score!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[s&wchad]

Nice SRC!

Photos of the top back of the barrel showing the proof mark(s) might help determine if the barrel is original.

 

[richcory]

Good looking M94

Cory

 

[CZU]

Nice SRC!

Photos of the top back of the barrel showing the proof mark(s) might help determine if the barrel is original.

Here are a couple pics, WP proofs on barrel and receiver. I would say all original.

 

[s&wchad]

Looks good!
Those are the definitive Winchester proof marks on the barrel and receiver, which are correct for guns made after about 1906.

Winchester only sold replacement barrels to approved gunsmiths and those had an addition stamp; a "P" inside a horizontal oval. Collectors refer to that as a mail order proof.

You found a fine SRC!

 

[cndrdk]

Very nice SRC. And by the way, had the same rifle, made in 1912, and it also had the same 3 leaf sight. Maybe it was a popular rear sight during those years. I thought the sight was unusual as I have been around a lot of 30-30's. Growing up on a ranch in New Mexico, every rancher had a couple and I never seen the 3 leaf rear sight. I gifted my 1912 SRC to my close cousin who still lives in New Mexico for her to display as 1912 year New Mexico became a state.