Winchester Mod.94 Buffalo Bill Commemorative

[357-RevolverGuy]

I came across a never fired model 94 .30-30 Buffalo Bill Commemorative for $460. I know these lever actions are suppose to be collector models but I’ve been thinking about getting it to actually shoot and take hunting with me this year. It’s got a heavy 26” octogon barrel and I like the minor details like the nickel accents, engraving on the receiver, and the medallion on the walnut butt stock. Manufactured in 1968. It’s really a very nice looking rifle.

I’m just wondering if I’d be overpaying. I heard these really aren’t all that rare and I don’t plan to keep it around unfired. I’ve never owned a Winchester 94, as I always went with the Marlin 336. Do you guys think $460 is a good deal on this?

 

[pluspea]

I have one and payed $125.00 in 1969, my Dad picked it up for me at a local hardware store. I turned it into a shooter and killed my first deer with it(a head shot). I added a sling and a rubber butt pad, it is my cowboy assault rifle, and I like it that way.

 

[NYlakesider]

I came across a never fired model 94 .30-30 Buffalo Bill Commemorative for $460. I know these lever actions are suppose to be collector models but I’ve been thinking about getting it to actually shoot and take hunting with me this year. It’s got a heavy 26” octogon barrel and I like the minor details like the nickel accents, engraving on the receiver, and the medallion on the walnut butt stock. Manufactured in 1968. It’s really a very nice looking rifle.

I’m just wondering if I’d be overpaying. I heard these really aren’t all that rare and I don’t plan to keep it around unfired. I’ve never owned a Winchester 94, as I always went with the Marlin 336. Do you guys think $460 is a good deal on this?

If it does not have the original box & papers that came with it and/ or shows ANY ware or tare /dings it’s lost its collector status. Not that that rifle had much collector status to begin with as they made a bunch.

I would not pay that much for it!

 

[bobf]

I bought one in the Late 60s to use, tried it one time and sold it. I couldn't hit a 5 gal bucket at appx. 40 yds. I'm sure you will have better luck than I did.

Bob

 

[feralmerril]

I would. If you like it and want to shoot it why not? Overall most commemratives have better polish, better wood than the standard models. Usualy they even go for less than the standard models. Thats the way I look at it.

 

[arjay]

I guess I would compare the price to a standard post 64 model to begin with.The octagon barrel and crescent butt plate look neat,but I wonder how heavy it would be to carry all day.

 

[feralmerril]

I had a original one that would be over a 110 years old now. They were heavy. I still own a 94 carbine that I bought new about in 1957 as my first centerfire. Put a peep williams on it, shot a number of deer with it and it is still very accurate. I also own a 95% model 64 that dates about 1952. Its a safe queen. With a peep the carbine is far more accurate than you would think! Light too.

 

[NYlakesider]

I guess I would compare the price to a standard post 64 model to begin with.The octagon barrel and crescent butt plate look neat,but I wonder how heavy it would be to carry all day.

Many years ago(1962) my uncle gave me a pre 1900 Model 94 32.40 25'' octagon barrel & crescent butt plate rifle. Nice rifle very accurate, but like you were saying it gets heavy real fast. No way was I going to put sling attachments on that rifle! I took it out hunting only once.

 

[357-RevolverGuy]

The seller does have the original box. I don’t think it has all the papers that came with it though, just the certificate. I guess I just need to decide if I want to spend that much. I paid less than $300 for my Marlin and can still find a good used one at under $400. The octogon barrel has a really solid feel. I’ve been told because of the length and weight that it’s especially good at reducing some of the recoil when compared to the standard barrels on the mod.94. I’m going to sleep on it for a few days and figure out if I really want it. Should I decide to talk him down in price, what do you think would be fair? Thanks for the advice guys.

 

[NYlakesider]

The seller does have the original box. I don’t think it has all the papers that came with it though, just the certificate. I guess I just need to decide if I want to spend that much. I paid less than $300 for my Marlin and can still find a good used one at under $400. The octogon barrel has a really solid feel. I’ve been told because of the length and weight that it’s especially good at reducing some of the recoil when compared to the standard barrels on the mod.94. I’m going to sleep on it for a few days and figure out if I really want it. Should I decide to talk him down in price, what do you think would be fair? Thanks for the advice guys.

My 2011 Fjestad (Blue Book) lists the gun as $650 (Perfect in every way including all paper) <I think that is much more than I would pay< my max would be around $300, hopefully less if wanted as a shooter.

Next B.B. price show in descending quality lists at $130 it says over a 112,000 rifles and carbines were made. Gun is far from rare so that is where my offer comes from.


Sleep on it!

 

[Fishinfool]

Not a rare rifle, but still, a new condition Winchester 94 with an upgraded finish and hard to find options for about $450.00? I think it is a good deal if you like the gun. Heck, plastic pistols cost more these days.

I once bought a Browning High Grade model 71 in 348 Winchester when they first come out. Limited production, beautiful wood and engraving along with gold inlays.

That rifle sat for years in my safe, "burning a hole in my pocket" as they say. Finally, I bought a box of shells, and ran them thru the gun to test function. Then I went to the range and fired 3 shots - all dead center on a paper plate at 50 yards. Took the gun to Maine that year, and shot one shot, tagging a nice buck. I felt a lot better about owning that gun afterwords. When I did sell it, I still got a lot more then I paid for it new...

So if the gun "fits you", and you like it, then use it, just don't trash it and you will be fine...You are not risking big money on a rare collectible.

Larry

 

[desi2358]

I have one of the Canadian Centennial models and I love it. The octagon barrel seems to hang on target better than any of the carbines I've owned over the years. It's displaced my other 30-30's and next to my Marlin 39 is probably my favorite lever action.

The market for all those "collectible" limited production guns seems a bit soft anyway. I think many people lost interest in having a gun they couldn't shoot without lowering the value. They don't seem to sell well anymore and I see more and more of them selling for what I would consider a "shooter price". Some are a bit garish others quite attractive and they're different than the run of the mill carbine. If you like it buy it and don't feel bad about shooting it. A good firearm should be used in my opinion, not gathering dust.

 

[feralmerril]

If the gun isnt flawed $130s would be the best gun bargin I ever heard of in modern history! I would outfit my quad, two trucks, car and lawnmower with one each.
What is it? The gold filled bling people dont like? I have seen this with virtualy all commemratives, colt, smith, winchesters, ubertis etc. It seems the country sells them and after that we cany give them away?
I like fine wood, bright blue etc. The only sane reason I could understand IF it were so, is the thinking that the factory might build them super cheap in the guts figuering that they will never be shot! Untill someone shows me that to be true, I belive that if someone wants a certain model and likes a pretty gun whats wrong with 1/3 price used fancy gun of the plain stock model? A year or two ago I sold a beautiful texas ranger smith with the knife and case I bought new in the early 70s. I never shot it as I always had several other good standard model 357s I did shoot. Now if it were my only .357 I would have wore it and shot the heck out of it. Kind ov wish I had now!

 

[perrazi]

I have several Winchester comm. rifles and enjoy shooting all of them. I had one of the buffalo bill rifles many years ago and shot it a ton. was accurate and recoils much less than a carbine. my book says they made 10,000 rifles and carbines together. sometimes sold separately and sometimes together with matching numbers. buy it and put a tang sight on it. btw, if you reload you can shoot cast lead in it for almost no recoil at around 1000fps.

 

[Cdog]

Those late 60's rifles have some very flimsy sheet metal parts. Even as a shooter, I'd replace a few of the cartridge handling components.

Looking inside one of those compared to an original or even a later production 94 it ain't hard to spot the difference.

 

[Frank46]

I bought a Canadian Cenntenial carbine about 8 years ago. Kind scratched up but the bore had not seen many rounds. That little carbine is very accurate. About two years ago for my 65th birthday I got the same issue Canadian Cenntenial long rifle. With the 26" long barrel it has a nice heft and hangs right well. Reducing the recoil was not on my mind when I got it. I bought it to shoot cast bullets. But do expect to see an increase in standard velocity due to the 6" extra length of barrel. I've about ten lever actions, from 357,44,a bunch of 30-30's, one 444, and a win big bore 375 win. Some winchesters and marlins. Got one beater marlin that I may well use as a truck gun. Frank

 

[Roadtrash]

Years ago a friend of mine bought one of those and used it as a shooter. It was one of the best 94's I ever shot. It was very accurate and the recoil wasn't as bad as a regular 94. He used it for years as a hunter then one day traded it away. I wish I had known he was going to get rid of it, I would have bought it from him.

My take is if it feels good to you get it and use it I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

[jgh4445]

Dodge trucks even had a comm model made for them. The deal was you bought a Dodge truck and got a Mod 94 Dodge comm rifle for "free". It had a coin inlaid in the right side of the stock that had a Dodge Truck logo on it. Had one..shot fair..sold it. Think that was in the seventies or eighties.

 

[nachogrande]

COMMEMORATIVES

generally not worth as much as you would think as they came out with comm's way too often and made way to many of them. and yes often a standard in 80% may sell for more than an unfired comm. sometimes the box is worth more than the gun. if it were a John Wayne comm you would have struck gold. 1 option, try and get him down, then sell the box on e-bay/wherever and put camo tape on the shiny parts, and go huntin. oh, and don't waste your time with blue book, think black book and fair market value. any gun is worth whatever the biggest fool is willing to pay for it.

 

[jaykellogg]

I had a Canadian Centennial built in 1967. It had black chrome instead of blueing on the frame. Mine had small chips where the lever went into the frame, but I saw others that had bad peeling of the black chrome. Also the inside had flimsy stamped parts and the wood to metal fit was awful. I believe that one has black chrome also. I would look at all edges to ensure there isn't any peeling/chipping. I would try and get it for a bit less.