Is there any future for the Winchester 94?

[Dave Dembinski]

As anyone with a wallet knows, Winchester 94s have skyrocketed in price since the announcement of the New Haven plant closing. There was a press release recently to the effect that Browning had bought the rights to make new Winchester guns, but I don't see anything in the text that suggests they are going to pick up any existing lines.

I'd like to pick up a beater 94 to fix up for my girlfriend for Christmas, but at the prices I'm seeing it's looking tougher than I thought. Is there any reason to hope that Browning (or anyone) will start making 94s again and bring the prices back down to something reasonable?

 

[kennedy]

asking prices are high, but no one is buying from what i have seen at gun shows, seems everyone has one for sale, so no demand, I think prices will come back down for awhile than go up when demand is more than supply.

 

[ugaarguy]

Is there any reason to hope that Browning (or anyone) will start making 94s again and bring the prices back down to something reasonable?

If Browning (FN) wasn't going to start back with Winchester production I don't see why they would have spent the money to renew the lease of the name from Olin. If you're gonna make a profit you're gonna make the guns that sell - the 70 and 94. If they shift production overseas you can bet US made post '64 Winchesters will climb in value, and the pre '64 guns will increase even further. On the other hand if the 94s are made overseas they better be VERY high quality and offered at a VERY low price. If not, the US made Marlin 94s and 336s will finish running Winchester lever guns out of the market. The Italians are currently having great success selling very well made replicas of almost all the Winchester lever guns other than the 94. Without a US made '94 folks may turn to a higher quality Italian replica without the Winchester name over a lower quality gun with the Winchester name made elsewhere overseas. Only time will tell at this point.

If you want to get your girlfriend a nice levergun at a good price this Christmas I'd look to the offerings from Marlin. If you are, or she is, dead set on a Winchester then wait till the demand drops on the large supply of US made Winchesters. That should lower asking prices, but it may take a while to happen.

 

[Dave Dembinski]

If you are, or she is, dead set on a Winchester then wait till the demand drops on the large supply of US made Winchesters.

She is. I prefer Marlins, actually, but she believes any lever gun that doesn't eject out the top is an affront to all that is good and holy.

 

[sterling180]

There will be in the UK,because of our handgun ban.The Winchester and Marlin,lever-action rifles,in pistol calibres,are huge sellers amongst the ex-handgunners and newbies,who joined after the ban.

Im sure that it still has a way to go yet,in terms of its production life.

Of course,its up to Browning to make these changes,but they will be pretty stupid,not to anyway.Can you imagine if Colt decided,not to make their Peacemakers,Pythons and of course,their 1911s anymore?

Probably would cause quite a stir,amongst shooters.

 

[db_tanker]

Dogwielder, you got a good woman there...get her what she asks for!


And she is right...if it don't pop out the top, then it ain't right.

Is she wanting a 30 WCF or is she wanting one of the more odd calibers like a 25-35 or such?

You can always check the pawn shops for a decent lever-gun...might get lucky...

D

 

[Dave Dembinski]

Dogwielder, you got a good woman there...get her what she asks for!

I know it, man.

Thankfully she's a fan of 30-30, so this shouldn't be as hard as it might otherwise. Just want to give her something to hunt with so she can hang the one she's had since she was a little girl up on a wall and not shoot it apart.

Pawn shops might be the way to go, thanks.

 

[Kestrel]

I would expect prices to come down, somewhat. The current opportunistic pricing, will probably give way to the reality that there are MILLIONS of those things around. It's not a matter of supply and demand.

 

[MechAg94]

Yeah, I think everyone and their dog was buying up Winchesters in the last 6 months.
Same with the Garands IMHO. You see lots of Garands at gun shows for really high prices, but I rarely see anyone buy one. The cheaper ones get bought.