Winchester Model 94

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ksrusl

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I was wondering if anyone knew what kind of finish (receiver) and value this rifle has. According to the serial number, it was manufactured in 1965. The barrel rifling looks like new, same with the bluing. No rust on the gun. Any help is appreciated.

ksrusl
 

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I have a post '64 Winchester, like yours. Mine has the typical shallow pitting in the finish. IIRC, the receivers are made of cast austenitic manganese steel, aka mangalloy or Hadfield steel, but plated with an iron coating so that they could be blued. It's the iron coating that deteriorates - I believe the actual mangalloy casting is fairly corrosion resistant.

I have never seen one of these post '64 Winchesters with that type of finish as is on yours. While someone could have had it nickeld with a mat finish, I think its far more likely that it was successfully stripped of its iron coating down to the bare metal. If that is the bare mental, I think it looks kind of cool. I would like to know how it was stripped and would consider doing it to mine. I believe that this type of steel has some natural corrosion resistance - thus why it really can't be blued. The reason why I don't think someone nickel plated it was because the lever is not plated.
 
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It definitely looks like either some Harry Homeowner or aftermarket work. I personally stay away from such projects unless I know the history. YMMV.
 
The iron coating over the base metal was used to apply a case hardened finish to the receiver. My October '64 gun has about 40% left.

Since collector value of the gun has been eliminated, the functional value is all that remains as a firearm.
 
There is no collector's value for any of the post-64 Winchester 94's with the iron coated mangalloy steel receivers. From a functionality standpoint, the receivers are probably some of the toughest, most durable ever made. However, from an aesthetic perspective, they all turn ugly and there isn't a reasonably easy way to make them purty again.

I have always wondered what it would take to buff one of those stripped receivers to a high luster finish. I have read that it can take a mirror like finish, but apparently it is no more corrosion resistant than ordinary steel.
 
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From 64 to 68 Win receivers were iron plated and blackened with Du-Lite's Oxiblak.

68-72 Winchester changed their process to Black Chrome Plate.

During the early 1960's, When Winchester decided to redesigned their product selection to accommodate a more economical method of production by eliminating many of their journeymen machinist's and professional gunsmiths. The Model 94 was one model selected to have a re-engineered receiver that were machined from a graphitic steel casting. This new material would not accept the normal Du-Lite Oxiblak bluing process, used by Winchester since 1940, without discoloration. The color could vary from copper to plum red, depending upon the individual piece. When refinishing these older receivers which have been iron or black chrome plated, a gunsmiths typical procedure is to buff the receiver bright & smooth, which often removes the thin iron or chrome plated coating exposing the graphitic steel casting. Normal blackening processes cannot be used on those receivers.
 
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I've always read that the post-64's used high manganese steel, or Hadfield Steel. I'm not sure what graphite steel is?:confused: Graphite is just carbon, and all steel has carbon in it.
 
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