Miroku Winchester 1894 or pre 64 Winchester 1894

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BigMike349

New member
My mother wants to get a Winchester 1894 30-30 for my father and was wondering if she should go with a new miroku made model 1894 or a pre 64 1894. Our biggest concern is we don't really know what to look for in a pre 64 model showing good functional condition. Also what price would I expect for a pre 64 model?
 
if your Dad is an older more traditional gentlemen get him a real Winchester. while I have some imported guns a Winchester or Marlin lever should be an original made in USA>
....they are not rare and a good one can be had for half what a imported made one costs. approx. 500 versus 1200 I find it hilarious that guns cost too much to make in new haven conn but now that they are made in japan they cost double. I do have a vanguard which is made there but that is not the point.....lots of different opinions available....bobn
 
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+1 - I would suggest she get a pre-64 ILO a tang-safety Miroku for him.

I wouldn't worry a whole lot about functionality - they're hard beasts to kill.

As long as the bore looks good & the wood/metal finish is good or better, it's a no-brainer.


At half the cost of a Miroku, I would expect to pay $500-$700 for a nice pre-64 M94 Carbine.
If you can find one such for les $$, so much the better......


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if your Dad is an older more traditional gentlemen get him a real Winchester. while I have some imported guns a Winchester or Marlin lever should be an original made in USA>
....they are not rare and a good one can be had for half what a imported made one costs. approx. 500 versus 1200 I find it hilarious that guns cost too much to make in new haven conn but now that they are made in japan they cost double. I do have a vanguard which is made there but that is not the point.....lots of different opinions available....bobn
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my understanding is that FN had originally wanted to manufacture the Winchester 94 at their South Carolina plant (where the Model 70 is produced) but they found it to be far more expensive than having Miroku produce it for them. I forget where I came across this info, maybe the Winchester site but I believe it. You have to figure with the cost of machinery, tooling and skilled labor the cost would go through the roof. Miroku already has these things in place since they've been manufacturing firearms for a long time. Makes good business sense to me. The irony is that we would all like for the Winchester 94 to be made in the USA, BUT, nobody would be willing to pay a premium for one because they're no longer inexpensive like older Win 94's. You can't have it both ways imo. It's either pay a higher price for a quality firearm made in Japan, or payer even more for it to be made in the US. Yes, gunbroker and other auction sites have pre-64's aplenty but the near mint ones i've seen were selling for just as much as a new Miroku made Win 94. Go figure
 
+1 get a Pre 64. As has been said, a decent Pre 64 need not run more than $500-700, but if money is relatively no object like new examples still can be found on the auction sites still for less than the average price of a Miroku. Early post 64s got a bad rep for the then-new receiver materials and finishes used--which often pitted and flake badly. I mention this as PRE 64's are not immune either, just less prone. A lot of folks carried/handled the gun by the receiver. If it got wet from sweat or rain a lot and not wiped down/occasionally oiled they could also end up with some pitting. Most Pre 64s are fine in this area, but something to be aware of...you shouldn't pay a premium for a Pre with finish issues, though there are many sellers that'll have you believe that... as many are out there that have zero issues. Lastly, there are a few sites that can help you date the firearm, but a quick Pre 64 identification, tell-tale feature is/was a screw at the bottom of the lever mechanimh/receiver...It is true. Winchester resurrected the feature many years later (90s+) but only found in combo with the angle eject feature ...So, if it's got the screw. And is top eject, 99% chance it's a Pre 64. Combine those aspects with a serial number under about 2.7 million, IIRC, and you've got a Pre.

Lastly, Part II - While there were several subsets over the years, there are two primary eras of Pre 64s - Pre War (WWII) and during/after the War.Most actually refer to this latter group as "Pre 64" and consider Pre War another matter altogether. Much of the Pre War production had features associated with the "old west" --at least up to the 30s (when more "later" features became more prevalent)--namely standard curved buttplates on most (not all) carbines and rifles, saddle rings on the carbines etc., and AFAI WWII signaled the end of allrifle (vs carbine) production til Post 64 or roughly 1941 through 1963--at least as a regular catalog offering. I mention all this as decent "Pre War" guns cab have a market and price structure (as in higher) all their own. Carbines up through 1950 (including some 51's) retained one Pre War/Old West fesature --"long" wood forends---the wood ahead of the barrel band is noticeably longer than later guns. ...these can give the gun an older, classic "cowboy" look some favor..and as a result can run a bit higher for that image.
 
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I have an old Pre 64 model 94 in 25-35 cal. and a Miroku made model 94 in 30-30 cal.....the 25-35 sits in the safe while the Miroku 30-30 gets shot on a regular basis at the range and in the field ! I like tradition but the new 94's function and shoot as good as it gets out of a lever gun and are well made ! To each their own , I buy my guns to use and own guns made in Finland , Belgium , Japan , Italy , Germany , and mostly from the USA ! :)
 
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