New Winchester 94s?
- Thread starter Model12Win
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Pathfinder45
New member
Thank you, Dufus. I am strongly right-handed for most things while being totally left-handed at just a few tasks. This leaves me to wonder how it is for others. I have watched a lefty operate a right-handed bolt gun with some success, but always thought they would be better off learning to shoot right handed or go with a Winchester lever-action. Then came the Angle-Eject to mess it all up for the left-handed folks. The ambidextrous ergonomics of the original version made it so it could be Everyman's rifle. The Marlins are good, but maybe not so much if you are left-handed.
RIDE-RED 350r
New member
I am right handed with everything I do save a couple of things. I couldn't imagine trying to learn how to shoot left handed after shooting right handed all my life. I did take a close range left handed shot at a woodchuck around the corner of my shed. I got him but talk about feeling akward! Kind of like trying to throw a football left handed...never works out
Pathfinder45
New member
After I broke my right wrist, I had to do everything left-handed. After I healed, I went back to right-handed for most things, but stayed a lefty on some of it. But I have always been 100% left-handed when splitting firewood with a maul. I think Winchester should re-issue the top-eject version and forget about scope compatibility. I put a vintage Lyman tang-mounted peep sight on mine and it works quite well, in spite of the fact that my eyes now need reading glasses at 62. I think the new Miroku Winchesters use a tang safety, which would be incompatible with mounting a sight in that location. I believe the post-war versions were generally drilled and tapped for receiver-mounted aperture sights. Scopes are good for what they are good for. But they are addictive, overrated, and unnecessary on a woods rifle. Some folks simply can't shoot without a scope because their eyes legitimately will not allow otherwise. Many others use their eyes as an excuse to not bother to learn to use good iron sights. My eyes aren't as excellent as they once were, but they are good enough to do quite well with a rear peep sight.
RIDE-RED 350r
New member
I swing an axe/maul left handed as well, but pretty much everything else I'm right handed. When I was a teenager I could hit a baseball with a bat almost as good lefty as righty.
I might be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure the Miroku lever rifles come pre-drilled for a tang sight and Marbles makes a tang sight specifically for the mounting pattern on the Mirokus with the tang safety. I'm almost 100% sure of this.
I like the scopes on my bolt rifles despite the fact that for the majority of my hunting area the scope isn't totally necessary. But on my lever rifles, I say no to the scope.
I might be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure the Miroku lever rifles come pre-drilled for a tang sight and Marbles makes a tang sight specifically for the mounting pattern on the Mirokus with the tang safety. I'm almost 100% sure of this.
I like the scopes on my bolt rifles despite the fact that for the majority of my hunting area the scope isn't totally necessary. But on my lever rifles, I say no to the scope.
RIDE-RED 350r
New member
Just looked at Marbles page
They make a tang sight for the originals of course, and also Miroku 1873 and 1886, and Model 94 Legacy with tang safety. They don't list Miroku 94, I wonder if/how it differs from the New Haven made tang safety models
And I was incorrect about tangs being pre-drilled for a tang sight. Some models the receiver is pre-drilled for scope mounting, others pre-drilled for a receiver sight.
Been awhile since looking at those features, sorry for the misinformation
They make a tang sight for the originals of course, and also Miroku 1873 and 1886, and Model 94 Legacy with tang safety. They don't list Miroku 94, I wonder if/how it differs from the New Haven made tang safety models
And I was incorrect about tangs being pre-drilled for a tang sight. Some models the receiver is pre-drilled for scope mounting, others pre-drilled for a receiver sight.
Been awhile since looking at those features, sorry for the misinformation
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Same here; most of my lever-action rifles (excepting a Savage "Brush Gun"), and a fifties Remington Model 760 along with a Ruger 10/22, have a Williams receiver sight mounted on top. I don't put a scope on a rifle unless I think I really need one (the "need" meaning a target's longer anticipated distance required to make a shot).
This thread is a little old but I ran across it while comparing Miroku 94s with New Haven 94 AEs.
I really like the New Haven 94 AE rifles because they use forged receivers and are decent quality.
There is no doubt that Miroku firearms are well made but they are really custom shop quality rifles.
The cross bolt safety doesn’t bother me as much as it does others. I would prefer not having it, but I can live with that as long as I don’t have a sintered steel post 64 receiver.
I actually look for like new condition, American made, 94 AE rifles. I have Several Miroku Firearms, and they are all excellent, but there is something wrong with a foreign made American icon.
I really like the New Haven 94 AE rifles because they use forged receivers and are decent quality.
There is no doubt that Miroku firearms are well made but they are really custom shop quality rifles.
The cross bolt safety doesn’t bother me as much as it does others. I would prefer not having it, but I can live with that as long as I don’t have a sintered steel post 64 receiver.
I actually look for like new condition, American made, 94 AE rifles. I have Several Miroku Firearms, and they are all excellent, but there is something wrong with a foreign made American icon.
The list is a long one, from A-Square and Armalite to Weatherby and Winchester. To me, it matters little, so long as the "pretender" is a well-made firearm, worthy of buying and keeping for its own merits and not merely for its "brand" name or country of origin or conflation of the two.
I have owned Marlins and Winchesters and still have a 94 Win Trapper I bought long ago. My very first centerfire was a Win M94 in 30/30 so there is a nostalgic element there. I've killed deer with the first one and the current one; I can't see getting by without a 30/30 or two or three... While I don't hunt with it anymore, it is, IMHO, the perfect "bugging out" rifle.
I have owned them all, pretty much, and still do own several pre-64 Winchesters, and a couple of Post 64 Commemorative s, Browning BLr, and I have owned several Marlins over the years.Personally, any of them might serve you well, with individual specimens varying in quality.
When you start talking about being in $900 territory, I personally start looking for a good clean Pre-64 Winchester which can still be found in that price range and sometimes 2 to 300 cheaper.
I don't really like the angle ejects but they can be serviceable. The post 64 Commemorative hex barrel models can often be found in the shooter class (fired and hunted with in the past, probably no box) for even less money, often around $600 or there about and they will often make great hunting rifles.
Used J.M. Marlins can be pretty good, and often a decent choice for a scope.
The newest current crop of Marlins are not that bad and some come with great mounting rails for scout scopes and aim points, or conventional scope mounting. And the brand new ones often have ballard rifling which I prefer over the old Micro-groove, myself.
I recently purchased a new Marlin 1895 guide type gun in 45/70 because I wanted a scoped 45/70 for hog hunting (I had been using a Browning 86 carbine in 45/70 with receiver sight) and I ended up mounting an Aim Point Micro on the new Marlin. This gun came with a pretty rough action, but it has slicked up quite a bit with some use. It could stand a trigger job, but the part that really surprised me, and I almost hate to say it, because you will think I a full of crap, but the darned thing will shoot 3 shot, 1" groups at 100 yds even with the Aim Point shooting at a 8 inch Black bull target. If It had shot 3" groups (expected) I would have been happy. The older J. M. Marlins I owned usually wouldn't do less then 2"-3" and that with a scope. I was shooting factory 300 gr. Hollow points in the new Marlin.
So, I think the Marlins are getting better, but most could stand an action job, and quality may still vary from model to model and individual rifle to rifle.
When you start talking about being in $900 territory, I personally start looking for a good clean Pre-64 Winchester which can still be found in that price range and sometimes 2 to 300 cheaper.
I don't really like the angle ejects but they can be serviceable. The post 64 Commemorative hex barrel models can often be found in the shooter class (fired and hunted with in the past, probably no box) for even less money, often around $600 or there about and they will often make great hunting rifles.
Used J.M. Marlins can be pretty good, and often a decent choice for a scope.
The newest current crop of Marlins are not that bad and some come with great mounting rails for scout scopes and aim points, or conventional scope mounting. And the brand new ones often have ballard rifling which I prefer over the old Micro-groove, myself.
I recently purchased a new Marlin 1895 guide type gun in 45/70 because I wanted a scoped 45/70 for hog hunting (I had been using a Browning 86 carbine in 45/70 with receiver sight) and I ended up mounting an Aim Point Micro on the new Marlin. This gun came with a pretty rough action, but it has slicked up quite a bit with some use. It could stand a trigger job, but the part that really surprised me, and I almost hate to say it, because you will think I a full of crap, but the darned thing will shoot 3 shot, 1" groups at 100 yds even with the Aim Point shooting at a 8 inch Black bull target. If It had shot 3" groups (expected) I would have been happy. The older J. M. Marlins I owned usually wouldn't do less then 2"-3" and that with a scope. I was shooting factory 300 gr. Hollow points in the new Marlin.
So, I think the Marlins are getting better, but most could stand an action job, and quality may still vary from model to model and individual rifle to rifle.
Cheapshooter
New member
At close to a grand on the price tag I would go for the new Henry gate feed lever gun.
Hi Model 12 Win,
I know the Mojave wasteland. Tweakers are as thick as Mojave greens. It's a wise idea to have protection within arm's reach anywhere in the Mojave.
I'm gonna date myself: when I was a kid, my dad, who was an accomplished artisan, would routinely tell me, "Don't by that. Japan makes junk!"
Well, a lot has changed since my formative years. Japan is a First World country that has become an industrial leader of renowned craftsmanship, mostly due to American engineer Demmings tutelage.
Browning's stellar BLR is made by Miroku of Japan. I don't own a copy. I have a friend who does. It's accuracy will rival a quality bolt action. I've seen a lot of BLR's in hands of Rocky Mountain hunters. I believe Miroku manufacturers Browning's A-Bolt, a rifle known for shooting very tiny groups.
I'll cop to not having first-hand knowledge of new production Winchester guns. My guess is a Miroku Model 94 is every bit as good as an original Model 94.
I know the Mojave wasteland. Tweakers are as thick as Mojave greens. It's a wise idea to have protection within arm's reach anywhere in the Mojave.
I'm gonna date myself: when I was a kid, my dad, who was an accomplished artisan, would routinely tell me, "Don't by that. Japan makes junk!"
Well, a lot has changed since my formative years. Japan is a First World country that has become an industrial leader of renowned craftsmanship, mostly due to American engineer Demmings tutelage.
Browning's stellar BLR is made by Miroku of Japan. I don't own a copy. I have a friend who does. It's accuracy will rival a quality bolt action. I've seen a lot of BLR's in hands of Rocky Mountain hunters. I believe Miroku manufacturers Browning's A-Bolt, a rifle known for shooting very tiny groups.
I'll cop to not having first-hand knowledge of new production Winchester guns. My guess is a Miroku Model 94 is every bit as good as an original Model 94.
Like you, I'm old enough to remember when that was true. But it hasn't been true for well over half a century and certainly isn't true now.
They're probably better, at least in terms of fit and finish. They ought to be, they cost more than twice as much.
The reality is that the Winchester 94 went out of production in 2006 when the New Haven factory closed. You can now buy a nice reproduction from Miroku.
Japan quality
I am a huge fan of made in Japan. A big part of my living comes from selling a made in Japan product. I drive Japanese cars too.
I am particularly impressed with their machining capability. They don't let me take many pics (I'm the classic Japanese tourist) inside the machine shop, much is proprietary.
I have attached a pic they did allow me to take. It's quite impressive, YOSHIDA the Co. name milled on to a complex curved surface. The Y is 30 um deep, each letter 5 microns less, the A at the end? 5 um (microns) deep on a curved surface. This piece was of course done on a CNC, imagine writing the toolpath.
As a point of reference, if you have thick hair? One hair is about 60 microns thick.
I am a huge fan of made in Japan. A big part of my living comes from selling a made in Japan product. I drive Japanese cars too.
I am particularly impressed with their machining capability. They don't let me take many pics (I'm the classic Japanese tourist) inside the machine shop, much is proprietary.
I have attached a pic they did allow me to take. It's quite impressive, YOSHIDA the Co. name milled on to a complex curved surface. The Y is 30 um deep, each letter 5 microns less, the A at the end? 5 um (microns) deep on a curved surface. This piece was of course done on a CNC, imagine writing the toolpath.
As a point of reference, if you have thick hair? One hair is about 60 microns thick.
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muzzleblast...
New member
I have owned several Miroku Winchester/Browning rimfire and centerfire rifles as well as shotguns. I have never considered any of the "classics" produced by Miroku as intended to be replicas; rather high quality, modern reproductions. I personally hold Miroku's craftsmanship in high regard.
Thanks for the chuckle, I'm pretty blessed that way, my kid....not so much.Wish I had enough of them left to measure.