Model 94 Top eject

I wouldn't worry too much about it. The carbines produced during the period will function and shoot just about as well and any before or after. The cost cutting changes were simply perceived by the public as a decline in over all quality, but the end result was more cosmetic than anything else--at least for the model 94. The more expensive model 70 bolt might be a different story. In some cases they substituted machine stamped wood checkering for what had previously been real hand cut checkering. While cosmetic stuff like this had no effect on the function, reliability, or performance of the gun, it still made them look cheaper. Public perception is everything and sometimes it's blind to basic facts.

Cheers

I took a picture of my 94AE .44 magnum today with scope mounted. Inexpensive older 2.5X Bushnell Banner...clear and bright at dawn and dusk. Most importantly I can see the cross hair!

I'll probably do some short range deer hunting with it out of the loft...

I saw no evidence of 94s during the '82-'90 period being some of the best produced since WWII.
I had two in that timeframe that were merely OK, and ran across a new one at a gunshow in '89 that wasn't even shootable.

The rattle (loose lever) continued on long after a return to forged receivers.
I had a 1994 example that had it.
Denis

The pre 64 had the lower trigger tang mortised into the receiver, the post 64 did not and relied on stock inlet to properly position the trigger tang. Just another of the pre 64s quality features!

Dennis, obviously, you have had difference experiences with your models than I have had with mine. I hope that you will agree that forming opinions simply based on anecdotal evidence is problematic. I got my first model 94 in 1961 when I was 16, which had been manufactured in the 50's, but over the years, I've bought, sold and traded at least 10 more from all periods. I still own 4.

The first post 64 model I ever owned and still own is a commemorative 1976 Bicentennial model. It's still in the box and has never had the action open. At the time I was working as a loan officer in a bank and one of my loan customers was the Winchester factory rep for my area of the South. He obtained the rifle for me at his cost. After getting it home and taking it out of the box, I noticed that even with the action closed, it rattled a bit.

I still had my 50's made version at the time which didn't rattle as much. So later when the Winchester rep came into the bank, I asked him about it. This was the first time I ever heard the explanation about the change in tolerances for the cast receivers and it was directly from a Winchester employee's mouth. This was eventually repeated in numerous articles I read over the years by respected gun writers and is reflected in the article I linked, which I have no reason to doubt since my personal experiences seem to bear those articles out.

Did you bother to read the gunsmith blog article I linked? It's evident that the writer seems to have done a lot of research into the subject

I also presently own two USRA mid 80's made model 94's and neither have the excessiver rattle associated with the cast receiver models.

Once again, my experiences are anecdotal also, but they have tended to simply reaffirm the linked article and the numerous other articles I have read about the subject over the years.

Cheers

There's anecdotal & there's personal experience.
You were right on most of what you said, and it was well-written.

I only dispute the areas I mentioned.
I saw no evidence of greatly superior domestic production during the years mentioned, and I encountered rattle after your "should have ended" cut-off date.
Denis

Probably off topic...but anyhow.

This model 94 is a thumper. Legendary Frontiersman .38-55 (1979)

^^^^
Very Nice!
My 94 is an old flat band carbine ,circa 1947, in 32 Special.

This is my 1995 vintage angle-eject model fitted with a Leupold 2-7X scope. This carbine has downed many big game animals for me. 30-30 is a keeper!

TR

I own 3 30-30's and one of them is my Winchester 94 and my dad bought it for me when I was 12 years old and its a ranger model angle eject plus I have a fixed 4-32 scope right on top with the raised mounts so I can use my Williams fire sights I installed years ago! I love shooting these 30-30's plus I reload jacketed and cast bullets and for me a good 30-30 is all you need to put food on the table plus even keep the thieves and threatning game etc away! I killed my first deer in 1994 at 140yrds he field dressed 132lbs and was a 12 point buck I was using 170gr jacketed bullets and one shot he walked 12 feet and dropped dead! so every since I only reload and use a sierra 170gr bullets with Winchester 760 powder at 33.6grs behind the sierra 170gr bullets and never lost any deer hogs etc! I try to shoot them in the neck which is best but have taken them in the heart lung area but all in all the 30-30 works very well and will do it out to 200 yards!!

well its a good start rhtwist once you see good groups starting there then try some at 50yrds and see how it groups there?