My fiancée told me to go visit a gun shop when she was going out of town, so I would have something to do. So inside the first shop, I spotted this Winchester 1894 in .30 WCF (Winchester Center Fire) aka: .30-.30 or thuty-thuty to us olde tymers. When Marlin came out in this caliber, they didn't want people using the Winchester name, so they called it the .30-.30.
My Winchester was manufactured in 1908 prior to July. It is a Sporting Rifle with a 26" Nickel Steel Octagon Barrel. The barrel has a plum patina, but it was made that way thanks to a poor job of cold bluing. The barrel is in good shape and good to shoot. I fired three rounds thru it, but the metal Crescent shaped butt stock hurt my shoulder. I later found out, one is supposed to hold the butt stock outside of the shoulder on the arm, with elbow raised perpendicular to the ground. Weird huh?
The receiver is in great shape except that it had two holes drilled and tapped to accept two mounting screws for a scope. I bought two screws that are similar to the others on the receiver and it looks great. I did not like semi-buckhorn rear sight and got a square notch that is found on most pistols.
The lever is too small for my hand/glove, so I ordered a Chuck Connors sized lever. Not that I am going to be twirling it. I would have preferred a more manageable lever like the one Henry makes, but theirs do not fit a Winchester.
The wood stock had gouges and scratches, so I refinished it. There were too many changes made to the rifle to keep as a collector's piece. I wanted it for shootin'!
My Winchester was manufactured in 1908 prior to July. It is a Sporting Rifle with a 26" Nickel Steel Octagon Barrel. The barrel has a plum patina, but it was made that way thanks to a poor job of cold bluing. The barrel is in good shape and good to shoot. I fired three rounds thru it, but the metal Crescent shaped butt stock hurt my shoulder. I later found out, one is supposed to hold the butt stock outside of the shoulder on the arm, with elbow raised perpendicular to the ground. Weird huh?
The receiver is in great shape except that it had two holes drilled and tapped to accept two mounting screws for a scope. I bought two screws that are similar to the others on the receiver and it looks great. I did not like semi-buckhorn rear sight and got a square notch that is found on most pistols.
The lever is too small for my hand/glove, so I ordered a Chuck Connors sized lever. Not that I am going to be twirling it. I would have preferred a more manageable lever like the one Henry makes, but theirs do not fit a Winchester.
The wood stock had gouges and scratches, so I refinished it. There were too many changes made to the rifle to keep as a collector's piece. I wanted it for shootin'!
