I am having buyers remorse big time.

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El Barto

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Feb 16, 2006
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Bell, CA
I believe that this is the only time that I bout a gun that I don't really like. I got my Winchester .44 rem mag Trapper last night and I am not impressed. The wooden stock was replaced by a ramline plastic pos and I have issues with the rebound hammer, it just don't look right. The wife flat out doesn't like it and we decided that its because it looks kind of like a toy. It has none of the beautiful wood and metal parts that my K31's have. Also the finish is a baked-on enamel paint looking thing.

The guy that I got it from says that it tends to jam up ever few rounds and he doesn't know the cause but there is a lot of grease and dirt in the action. Overall there is very little wear on the moving parts. He rated the barrel as only good, but again there is so much gunk in there it is hard to tell.

My first course of action is to clean the thing and take it for a test firing. If I start to like it, then I'll buy a real stock to go on it. If I don't love it by then, I'll get rid of it. I hope that I like my FN-49 better when it gets here.

Any suggestions on ammo that is less prone to jamming?
 

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I hope you at least got it cheap.

Real wood would improve it a lot, methinks.

But I know how you feel; I've bought a couple of firearms, and I just couldn't warm up to them. I've found it's best just to sell them and forget it.
 
offer it up for trade here, I am sure there are a few people who would swap it out with you.

I would, but I have nothing of equal vaule to offer, only an M44 and a Swiss K31
 
Holy Cow!

I saw that gun on Gunsamerica.com where it was listed for $225.00 as a fire restoration. The owner/restorer had put new springs inside, removed the cross-bolt safety, covered the metal in some sort of non-blued finish, put the synthetic furniture on it, and said the bore was only "fair". I didn't know somebody actually bought it! (Or another of the same) :what:

Listing here: http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976756216.htm
 
I've been busted by Gewehr98!

Yeah, that's it and I am the guy that bought it. :eek:

The seller is local to me so I exchanged a bunch of emails with him asking about the actual condition of it. I sure as heck didn't want to get something that was pulled glowing red from a blazing inferno and rebuilt. There was no actual fire damage or "heat treatment". Please don't imagine that the thing caught fire and the wood burned off so that is why the stock was replaced. I can see how someone would image that it looks good set up in black and grey.

In inspecting it, I can not find evidence that the gun even exposed to smoke; no smell, discoloration or anything out of the ordinary. There is a lot of grease in the action and barrel that I’m sure would have melted if it got warm. From the looks of it, this is not fresh grease as the thing looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in a while. It has a fair amount of lint and dust on it that you can imagine would be collected if you stored a rifle uncased in your closet. The finish is unblemished save for the usual handling marks and has not been touched up. Thanks for correcting the description of the barrel. I was expecting the worst but from the first look, it would seem that the only thing wrong is that the barrel needs a good cleaning. Rifling looks clean and sharp, muzzle is perfect.

I’m not saying that I feel that it was not as described or I got taken. The seller was very pleasant to deal with and very forthcoming concerning my questions. I just don’t like the stock, hammer and the Winchester finish. I can do something about the stock, but I can only curse Winchester about the other things.
 
return

A gun in a fire so hot that the stock burned off and the springs had to be replaced? Hmmmm, I think I'd touch the first round off in that one standing behind it pulling a loooong string tied to the trigger.
Is the 3 day inspection period over, if not, send it back.
 
$225.00 eh?

Tell you what, you decide you just can't stand it, I will give you $225.00 plus shipping and transfer for it.
 
Id, I was hoping to do an even swap for a Garanda.:D

But seriously, if I do find that I don't like it, I will offer it for sale on here.

I have made plans on taking it to a gunsmith familiar with Winchesters to have them give it a once over and test fire it for me, all for $10. That does lead into an interesting quandary.

Let's say that the 'smith gives it the ok and I keep it for a while and I put like 1,000 rounds through it and the aluminum receiver cracks/fails on round 1,001. Would I consider that to be a result of its history, or would it be comparable to a nib rifle that fails at round 500; just dumb luck and maybe a flaw in the metal?
 
forquidder A gun in a fire so hot that the stock burned off and the springs had to be replaced? Hmmmm, I think I'd touch the first round off in that one standing behind it pulling a loooong string tied to the trigger.
Is the 3 day inspection period over, if not, send it back.
Click to expand...

GOD!!! I wish people would read a whole thread before popping off....

There was no actual fire damage or "heat treatment". Please don't imagine that the thing caught fire and the wood burned off so that is why the stock was replaced. I can see how someone would image that it looks good set up in black and grey.
Click to expand...
 
You know, for $225 that could be a pretty good little gun, and one you wouldn't mind knocking around in the field with. I'd give it a good cleaning and leave it as is....except for getting a peep sight for it.
 
Don't have any remorse.

You can't find those trappers at a good price. I think for $225 you did ok.

You might have a nice .44 magnum/special plinker there. I'd have given it a hard look for that price.
 
The receiver's not aluminum.

But it's not the usual style of gun steel, either. It won't take a standard blued finish, but requires a Winchester-specific process because of the iron alloy they used. That's why the seller used a baked-on finish.

Although, I wonder if it would take a parkerizing job... Make the whole gun all black, including lever, hammer, barrel band, saddle ring, etc.

Clean the barrel well, have it checked out for safety, then shoot it. If it does well, you can always have it refinished and put wood furniture on it to fix the cosmetics. If not, I have .44 Special dies and reloading components for my .44 Special handguns, and a nice spot in the gun safe for a .44 Magnum/Special levergun. ;)
 
.44 Mag is a great hunting round for short to medium range. There is very little chance of having to track a deer very far. If you don't want it, try to sell it before modern gun deer season.
Richard
Schennberg.com
 
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Tarpley,

Did you look at the times when both entries were made? I was writing and submitting mine while El Barto was doing the same.
It also seems as though he does have some doubts as to whether it was overheated and I say good for him.
 
If he [the seller] had feeding problems , it may be do to short stroking the lever. :eek: That rifle is made for long cartridges, but it will work fine if you always work the lever all the way.
I had one and it was very accurate, but the safety fell out of it.:cuss:
I liked that gun .:(
Good luck whatever you do
Longboard
 
Just thought I'd let everyone know that I will at least get the 'smith to check it out and I will be listening to him. If he says it’s unsafe, then I will get rid of it. If it is good to go, then I'll shoot it a little and if I like it I will keep it. If not, I will post for sale.

The one thing I will do is get rid of that unholy abomination of a stock, whether or not I keep it. I just can’t in good conscience allow something like that to exist. When I do get rid of it, I offer it free to anyone here, just pay postage.

And as with anything I shoot, if it is good to go, anyone of you brave souls will be welcomed to take a few shots with it when I am at the range. That offer extends to the FN-49 I will be getting next week.
 
El Barto, not trying to rub it in or anything, but I was extremely fortunate to buy a Win. model 94AE (just the standard one) in .44 mag. from another forum acquaintance for $250, shipping and all, with not a mark on it. Sorry you're disappointed in your purchase.

Once upon a time I had a Marlin 336 in .35 Rem. that I sold to my cousin for $75. This was only a few years ago. He had had his hunting guns stolen and I had only given $125 for the rifle in '87 in kind of rough, but very shootable shape, and while I had it disassembled once my sister moved it and lost the hammer spring so I figured it would cost him about $50 to get it fixed. The wood was mismatched (light colored stock and dark colored forearm) and the bluing had tons of wear and even a little light pitting. It was and still is very accurate and my cousin has killed at least half a dozen deer with it.

I told him if he ever decided to get rid of it I wanted first option on buying it back. I've often thought that a nice restoration on it would be a good quality synthetic stock set like a Bell & Carlson in camo, and a flat black finish on all the metal like Wheeler's "Cerama-coat".

I know you'd hate to feel like you're throwing good money after bad, but maybe the situation is more salvageable than you think.

:)
 
IMO, I think this would make a great platform that you can use to try your hand at a little rudimentary gunsmithing (full disassembly, parts replacement, maybe a little buffing,grinding, filing, etc.). It will also give you an education on the internal workings of the 94.
 
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