Winchester 94 .30-.30 vs. Rossi .357 M92

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DavidB2

New member
I have a dilema. I have longed wanted a lever gun to shoot. After looking at the new Marlins; I have heard nothing but negative on current Quality control. I had settled on a Rossi M92 in .357. Especially, since I don't reload and it is cheap and fun to shoot. Can also served as a woods/brush gun or back up deer rifle on short yardage.

However, yesterday at the gun store I started looking at some used Model 94 .30-.30 rifles. I was thinking about how they are only going to get more expensive. I have about $530.00 to spend, max. For that price I found several quality Model 94 Win. on the internet. I figured now is a good time to buy one. The only one I had was a family heirloom that was stolen years ago.

I prefer the .357 as I already have .308, .243, SKS and other milsurps to hunt deer. But is a critical time to invest in a Winchester before they get out of my price range? I hate these choices.
 
Good deals on .357 seem hard to come by lately. I wish I would of bought a decent Winchester or Marlin several years ago. There was a listing locally on Armslist for a.357 Rossi (plane-jane model) for $600. It was swooped up pretty quickly.

.44 mags are a bit easier to find for some reason.
 
I love my Rossi 92 in 44-40 but if I had to choose I would keep my 94 Winchester 30-30. FWIW the 94 is not a good platform for pistol caliber cartridges. It was designed for a rifle cartridge from the beginning. If you have one that feeds reliably keep it because more don't than do.
 
You don't say what year(s) the 94 is you're looking at. I would say there's no panic at the moment but your suggestion is probably correct that the "good" ones will go up. Good ones to me are Pre 64 and ca 1978-81 just-pre USRAC take over, a short period when Win finally had corrected many of it's earlier Post 64 sins. There are some really clean ones out there of this era that are a semi-well kept secret. Second tier would be pre safety Angle Eject (AE) USRAC models. Third would be one of the later tang-safety (post cross bolt) 94s.

There's nothing like a 92 and Rossis are great; I've had and/or shot a dozen of them since '80 or so, and the .357 is a particularly useful round. But they'll be around--used and new.
If you find a Win .30-30 you like, grab it...then start planning for the 92 :)
 
Back in November I picked up a 20'' Rossi in 357 mag for $290. It was in flawless condition and shoots like a dream! It holds 12 rounds of 357 mag and 13 38 specials. The amazing thing is that it feeds absolutely everything without a hitch. Everything from empty cases, to 357mags that are barely seated.

I have no idea what the original owner did to it but boy am I impressed with this gun. It feels solid and rugged. Even the wood is perfect. Its not all glossy and shiny but rather a plain dark finish. Exactly how I like it.
 
I have one of each and really like them both. Buy whichever one comes up first and then plan for the next whenever it comes up. And start reloading; it is part of shooting deliberately. Affordable is in the eye of the beholder (or beholdress as the case may be...). What I have come to do is hoard $100 bills in the corner of my safe and wait for opportunity to come. I call it "El Paso Joe's gun fund." So when one of those 'affordables' comes along I am ready for it...
 
collector or shooter

You mention a lever gun "to shoot" and for that the .357 is the answer. There will be no more "Winchester" M94's, so from a collector/value standpoint the M94 is the answer.

Which do you want more, a collector or a shooter?
 
I think it largely depends on what year of manufacture you're looking to buy for the Winchester 94. you'll always pay a premium for pre-64's....there's just no way around it and good ones are becoming harder to come by. post 64's, on the other hand, are a dime a dozen and vastly over-priced. You should be able to get yourself a post 64 in like-new condition for $300-400, which would be fair market value. unfortunately, every Tom, Dick and Harry on gunbroker thinks their beat up Model 94 is worth as much as a pre-64. remember, Winchester manufactured over 7 million of them, so there's not exactly a shortage of Model 94's
 
I'm not sure what constitutes a 'good' one, but my M94 .30-30 made a couple of years before Winchester shut down is a pretty nice rifle.
I always wanted a .30-30 and finally bought one several years ago. Mine has the checkered Walnut and matches my 9422M. I am not sure how you define good/ better or best in a .30-30, but I really like mine. I like mine so much, I am headed to the range tomorrow to pop a few rounds. I just added a Bushnell TRS-25 red dot and I want to see how the combo works.
 
I'm not sure what constitutes a 'good' one, but my M94 .30-30 made a couple of years before Winchester shut down is a pretty nice rifle.
I always wanted a .30-30 and finally bought one several years ago. Mine has the checkered Walnut and matches my 9422M. I am not sure how you define good/ better or best in a .30-30, but I really like mine. I like mine so much, I am headed to the range tomorrow to pop a few rounds. I just added a Bushnell TRS-25 red dot and I want to see how the combo works.
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there are plenty of post 64's that are aesthetically nice, but my understanding is that any Model 94 up to around 1981 used a stamped mystery metal for the barrels and receivers, which meant they couldn't hold a blue very well and were prone to pitting/flecking/rusting (something I frequently see with gun listings). the newer AE Model 94's went back to 100% steel forgings. but, at the end of the day if it gets the job done and if it makes you happy then it doesn't really matter.
 
My first experience with the M92

I wanted to get a R92 Rossi for quite a while. I went into the Big 5 here in El Paso and was looking to buy a Rossi handi rifle - .243 and 20ga. That sounded very Handy!!! I mentioned to the clerk that I really wanted a M92 in 357 Mag. to match my pistol.
She said they had the very rifle in the back unopened. I shot it yesterday afternoon - it was worth it when I elploded a 12oz bottle at 40 yards with the first shot. $450 + tax.
 
I can't make the choice for you

Rossi's give great value for the dollar. The '92 is sweet. I love mine.

The Winchester will likely hold value better, be more expensive to shoot but offer superior downrange performance.
The Winchester is a hunting gun. The Rossi more of a knockabout truck or camping gun.
 
I have both; a 1952 Winchester 94 in 30-30 and a new Rossi 92 in 44 Mag. Both shoot great.

If you don't reload 30-30 is almost always easy to find, and cheap compared to other rifle ammo. It's also a very mature caliber, meaning that all the major ammo manufacturers have a good handle on what works.
 
I went the route of the Rossi in .357 magnum. As a pure toy it is a blast to shoot. I could be persuaded to use it on deer or hogs with my hand loads. That being said if I needed a deer rifle I would go with the 30-30. As a fun gun you can't beat the Rossi. Especially if you load for .38 special.

In my opinion the 30-30 kicks like a mule for what it is and is not that fun to shoot a lot of.

I would look at the .44 mag rossi if you do not have a .357 mag pistol. The .44 is a great round.
 
I don't know how much the Rossi runs, but I would explore the Cimarron/Uberti 92 repros. Pricey, but I think better quality. (It looks odd to see repros selling for a lot more than I paid for originals, but that is the way things go these days.)

Jim
 
I have a model 94 Saddle ring carbine .44 mag. I would recommend one of those to you but I'm not sure you'll find one in your price range. I was offered $1000 for mine a few years ago.

Don't know what they're going for right now, I'm not interested in selling.

You can't go wrong with the old 30-30 though.

Boomer
 
there are plenty of post 64's that are aesthetically nice, but my understanding is that any Model 94 up to around 1981 used a stamped mystery metal for the barrels and receivers, which meant they couldn't hold a blue very well and were prone to pitting/flecking/rusting (something I frequently see with gun listings).
Click to expand...

Well your understanding is wrong. The barrels are the same winchester proof steel as they have always been. The receivers were made from sintered steel and have the same strength as a a forged receiver. You can do your own research. And you are correct, they do no take to blueing as well as straight steel receivers.

My gun is a post 64 rifle and has the receiver with the blueing loss. Am I bothered by it? Heck no. This rifle shoots just fine and is a pleasure to carry around. It weighs 6and3/4s pounds. No trouble at all. And its a shooter. Get a 94 or a marlin 336. They are fantastic guns. I could hunt the rest of my life with a 30-30 and never be handicapped.
 
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