Winchester Rifles

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My old department (major chemical company) has been trying to hire a couple of Buyers for 2 years. Can't find anyone qualified. There are plenty of good jobs out there for the people with the right qualifications. The problem of finding good people is a job I passed on to my successor. It's so very hard to find good people with the right experience. You wouldn't believe the fruitcakes I interviewed over the last 5 years. If you have kids or grandkids, push them into engineering educations (chemical, electrical, mechanical, or biomedical). This is the age where you do not want a liberal arts degree, but since it's easy to get, the kids get one of those. And then they come home to live with you while they try to find a job making coffee or flipping burgers.

Yup! Way off topic, but hearing that "nobody can find a job" is just backwards of the problem that I had where "I couldn't find an employee".

As for Winchester rifles, just about the prettiest rifle I've seen in years was a Winchester bolt rifle on a Gander Mountain sale table. It was on sale but still quite expensive, but MAN it was beautiful. That walnut stock was special, and the metal was polished to a high shine. I'd buy one.
 
603 Country,

I saw a couple at a Gander Mountain that were the so beautifull I still think of them. They were Winchester Model 70 Featherweights, in Stainless with really dark walnut stocks. They were chambered in 30 06 and the bolts on them were so smooth to operate. Great looking rifles.
I have been trying to encourage my Son to persue an Engineering Degree when he graduates, and have pushed him so hard to keep his grades up he hates me, we have put money back for his college, its up to him now. He likes guns too, thats one thing we both agree on though. :D
 
Bottom line: if i want a winchester made in the USA, I have to buy a model 70 (and its made by FN). All the Leverguns are made in Japan, what a shame.
Ill check the pawnshops for winchester rifles made till 1960...
 
Bear..there are still plenty good used older Winchesters out there....And while they may seem expensive..just price a new gun.....They are all high.....Actually with the economy..it is a buyers market right now.....
 
I remember when you could buy a used model 94 at just about any pawn shop for $125. Now they fetch a premium. I have one that I bought new back in 1995 for about $250
 
I bought my 94 for $59.99 at a grand opening of a local gun store. Then again, I'm probably older than you.:D
 
I bought a new 1886 Winchester and gave $12.95 for it.................................................................................................................................Naw....not really
 
Like it or not, the Miroku plant is putting out higher quality leverguns overall than the New Haven plant put out in at least the past two decades. :)
Denis
 
Like it or not, the Miroku plant is putting out higher quality leverguns overall than the New Haven plant put out in at least the past two decades.
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I don't get this statement....They did'nt even make the same model guns.....
The US made 94 was way cheaper costwise than anything made by Miroku.....
I understand that the 94 is being made in Japan now...I have yet to see one yet.....
 
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I call BS...... I have owned New Haven made guns (with controlled rd feed).....Well made and accurate.....The FN guns look cheaper..... I suspect are cheaper made..... I overlooked the poor stamping and wood to metal fit of the FN guns....Now I hear they have a different type trigger??? You can bet it is cheaper made....I won't be going down that road.....Reminds me of 1964 all over.....
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The reason you get opinions of Winchesters that are all over the place is because the quality has been all over the place. Guys who either love 'em of hate 'em do so because of their experieces. They don't understand that because of the varying quality over the years many others may well have had the opposite experiece.

The pre-64's are the most over rated, overpriced of the Winchesters. Good enough guns, but not anywhere near worth the price. The 1964-1980 guns are all over the place. Some good, some pretty bad. Not worth taking the risk for me. When USRAC took over in the 80's quality made a giant leap forward. Those guns are some of the most under rated, under valued guns on the used market. You can often pick up very good rifles at bargain prices. I prefer CRF, but if going PF, this is the rifle I'll buy. A much better chance of getting a good gun compared to the 64-80 guns and at the same price.

The early Classics in CRF are also great guns. If you got a good one, then you may well have one of the best Winchesters ever made. Problem is that quality started going downhill fast after around 2000 and any Winchester made from 2000-2006 is VERY risky as to quality.

I have 2 of the pushfeed 1980's guns that are great, I've owned 4 of the Classics. One of the 4 has been perfect. Two worked out great after being worked over by gunsmiths who corrected minor problems that should have been corrected at the factory. The 4th was a dog that I quickly got rid of. If you like the old style trigger, and are willing to take a chance on one of the Classics (or don't mind paying a gunsmith to correct problems), you will end up with arguably the best hunting rifle ever made.

I also own one of the FN guns and have had a chance to use several more. Out of the box, they put even the pre 64's to shame. Much better quality, and accuracy. The pre-64 were never known for either accuracy or great workmanship. They were popular simply because some guys (myself included) prefer CRF, and they were the only USA made gun available.
 
I also own one of the FN guns and have had a chance to use several more. Out of the box, they put even the pre 64's to shame. Much better quality, and accuracy. The pre-64 were never known for either accuracy or great workmanship. They were popular simply because some guys (myself included) prefer CRF, and they were the only USA made gun available.
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Pre 64's never known for accuracy or workmanship??? I have heard it all now....:rolleyes:
 
I dont get this, are todays winchester rifles made in south carolina or in japan?
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In a word, yes. Sort of. Winchester Model 70 rifles are made in South Carolina. They are quite nice and competitively priced.

As far as I'm concerned the 94 is out of production and Miroku is making nostalgic replicas, much as the 1885, 1892 and 1895 are out of production, but you can buy a replica if you want one. Very well made and nicely finished, but not the real thing.
 
As far as I'm concerned the 94 is out of production and Miroku is making nostalgic replicas, much as the 1885, 1892 and 1895 are out of production, but you can buy a replica if you want one. Very well made and nicely finished, but not the real thing.
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I do agree with this statement.....;)
 
If you go to the Winchester website and look under FAQs, they are upfront about the fact that Olin owns the "Winchester" Brand and whoever pays Olin for the brand gets to use it. USRAC used to pay for it, now BACO does. In that regard, Winchester has been a rented brand name for quite some time.

I'll note that, as a Garand M1 enthusiast, while "Winchester" M1s are highly sought after (for their relative rarity as they were only produced during WWII)), IMHO their workmanship was of lesser quality than Springfield Armory. I am primarily a shooter and so I have been using post-Korean War SAs and HRAs...and think the HRAs probably show the better workmanship in late examples (I have 4 correct grades of M1s from CMP).

Now, all that said, one of my go-to hunting rifles is a recent Win M70 Extreme Weather in .30-06. It is absolutely perfect functionally to date, sub-one MOA as to accuracy and I really prefer CRF for hunting. I was just looking at a Super Grade in .300 Win Mag yesterday and it is beautifully finished with excellent wood. It may not be everyone else's idea of a "Winchester", but I like them just fine.

BTW, for those of you who never flew in the military, you call "Winchester" when you're out of ammo (rockets, guns, cannon, etc) and returning to base.

FH, not "WInchester"
 
Keg,
I own my Grandpa's '51 Model 94, much of the finish is gone, but it's still in great usable shape. Zero lever rattle, tight & right.

I bought one of the first 94s when USRAC was formed in the late 1980s, not a junker by any means, but no comparison.

Shortly after, I saw a brand new 94 at a gunshow that couldn't even be fired. The trigger block couldn't be depressed far enough by the lever to allow the trigger to be pulled.

Since then, I've bought and/or worked with at least four other New Haven new 94s.
I still have one.

I've owned or worked with Japanese 86s & 92s, and hefted their newer 94s at SHOT.
The finish is much nicer on the Mirokus, the overall wood to metal fit is better, the guns are tighter.
Their prices reflect that, but.... :)

I'd bet cash money if you took an average sample of a new Connecticut 94 made anytime in the past 20 years & compared it side by side with a new Miroku 94, you'd notice the difference immediately.
Denis
 
Dpris...I own 2 pre 64 94 Winchesters...They are almost perfect...The Japanese made 94..I doubt compares to either of them....As far as 94's I prefer the pre 64's....I wonder how much a Japanese 94 costs? I bet I bought these for less..maybe half as much as one Japanese 94.... Anyway..like was said before..the Winchester name is synonymous with Made in USA......
 
DPris said,
"I own my Grandpa's '51 Model 94, much of the finish is gone, but it's still in great usable shape. Zero lever rattle, tight & right.I bought one of the first 94s when USRAC was formed in the late 1980s, not a junker by any means, but no comparison.Shortly after, I saw a brand new 94 at a gunshow that couldn't even be fired. The trigger block couldn't be depressed far enough by the lever to allow the trigger to be pulled.Since then, I've bought and/or worked with at least four other New Haven new 94s.I still have one.I've owned or worked with Japanese 86s & 92s, and hefted their newer 94s at SHOT.The finish is much nicer on the Mirokus, the overall wood to metal fit is better, the guns are tighter. Their prices reflect that, but.... I'd bet cash money if you took an average sample of a new Connecticut 94 made anytime in the past 20 years & compared it side by side with a new Miroku 94, you'd notice the difference immediately."

+1 Denis, you speak the truth as usual. My Pre 64 '94s have all been much better than most any USRACs I've run across, save for a few XTR gems like a pair of 7-30 Waters a friend lets me fondle occasionally. I won't argue with the 64-80 comments some have made, a difficult period for Winchester, except that the last of the Winchester (pre USRAC) 94s--78-80 or so, were at long last much nicer one again, at least hinting at Pre 64 levels of goodness. My 79-80 carbine and trapper are a sweet pair. As far as the Mirokuchesters go, they seem to be gems also, just like the stellar Browning 92s of yore--unfortunate lawyerly devices aside.
 
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Keg,
If you'll read my post again, you'll see I'm not comparing Mirokus to Pre-64 New Havens.
But, until you've personally handled the Mirokus, you're not in much of a position to compare them anyway. :)

Regardless of your feelings on where the Winchester leverguns SHOULD be made, the current Japanese levers are top quality & more so than recent domestic production was.

Gak,
Thanks, check's in the mail, as usual. :)
Denis
 
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