Winchester 94: Lots of little pieces...

N

Nightcrawler

New member
*sigh* I tried to take apart my Winchester 94 trapper, .357 Magnum.

Taking it apart was the easy part. Getting it back together. So many screws that go into the receiver. I can't seem to get the pins in just right, either.

Stupid. I'll probably have to take it to the shop to get it back together...
 
Thanks!

It was a looooong download for me (I'm on dialup, sadly) but I appreciate it. The shop is closed today, so maybe I'll take one more crack at it myself...
 
I wonder why so many people assume that just because it is an old design the Model 94 is simple. Few of the old rifles (or shotguns) were made to be taken apart and the old timers did not do so. Any gunsmith who has worked on those old guns knows that cleaning was the last thing on the owner's mind.

Jim
 
Jim's Right!

First of all, if the old timers were lucky enough to latch onto a lever gun and have enough ammo, cleaning it was not often done. Nor was disassembly an option. I can imagine on the frontier ready access to cleaning "kits" with bore brushes, solvent, patches, light to work by, tools, etc. was not available. Can you imagine not cleaning after shooting black powder cartridges? I'd like to know more about how or forefathers maintained their firearms.
 
Pretty simple. The ones that were shot weren't maintained and the ones that were maintained weren't shot. The nice ones we see today were owned by gun collectors or "gentleman sportsmen" who fired a gun little and did not carry it under rough conditions. The average Winchester 1873, 1892 or 1894 that was used on farm or frontier is a POS - rusty, stock cracked, buttplate pounded, screw heads battered, sights missing, magazine tube bent, no finish, rifling long gone, etc.

Nightcrawler and others who try to take those guns apart soon understand why the Army refused to issue them. Just imagine troops in an encampment trying to clean a Model 1892 after a long dusty day in the saddle. The Model 1873 Springfield may have been slow, but it could be cleaned, would work under some pretty bad conditions (after they got good ammo), and packed a real wallop at both ends.

Jim
 
Jim Keenan
I see a little inconsistancy in your above statement.
In your first paragraph, you describe the horendous conditions that the rifles were able to work in with out cleaning.
In the second paragraph you talk about the inability to keep it clean being a problem.

I'm not saying that a lever gun is any more reliable than a bolt gun in dirt and dust, just that there isn't as much difference as some would lead you to believe.

I am of the belief that a number of factors came in to play in the decision not to use a lever gun in combat. In addition to field stripping being impossible, the tender tube mag for example would not long stand up to battle use. Where do you mount the bayonet? (and how ridiculous does it look). Low power calibers etc.
I have stripped my 1910 M94 at hunting camp with no manual and just a few hand tools. It is possible (but I wouldn't even think about it in the field). I should point out that I am a mechanic, I am used to keeping mental track of a multitude of small parts.
 
Hi, John,

Yes, there is some inconsistency, but few civilian rifles ever got as dirty as ones carried by the military. Civilians could at least wrap a cloth around the rifle, something the military was not allowed to do.

You are right that those lever actions usually did keep working, in spite of all the abuse. I saw a '73 recently that a fellow bought at a gun show. It was about as I described, but my quick checkout indicated it could have been fired. I don't know how accurate it would have been or if it could have been fired rapidly due to wear on the carrier, but it would have gone bang.

I agree that the stripping needed for cleaning can be done in a hunting camp by someone who is careful. But I can't recommend it unless absolutely necessary, and I am not sure I can think when it would be necessary. There is just too much chance of a spring or pin wandering off and taking the hunting trip along with it.

Jim
 
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