My first lever action rifle - 30-30

[Scooter22]

Nice find. THE FIRST thing I would start with cleaning the rust with a Big 45 pad. THESE THINGS WORK WONDER'S! It will leave what original finish it still has. Best thing ever on old guns and I have never read nothing but praise for them. Get it from the manufacture so you do not get a rebranded SS pot scrubber. You won't regret it. Good luck.

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[Pat Riot]

Nice find. THE FIRST thing I would start with cleaning the rust with a Big 45 pad. THESE THINGS WORK WONDER'S! It will leave what original finish it still has. Best thing ever on old guns and I have never read nothing but praise for them. Get it from the manufacture so you do not get a rebranded SS pot scrubber. You won't regret it. Good luck.

Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner | Remove Rust from Gun Bluing and Clean Dirty Gun Bores Easy!

A Must for Every Gun Dealer, Gunsmith, Shooter & Collector! Since 1967 - Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner is a must for every Gun Owner. Scientifically Alloyed - It is one of the best improvements in Gun Cleaning of the Century. &quotIt is one of the...

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I haven’t heard of Big 45 metal cleaner. It looks like some neat stuff. Thank you.

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[SwampWolf]

Taking them apart is easy, it’s reassembly that gets frustrating.

I find that's true when peeling an orange and even that's easy when compared to reassembling something like an automatic fly reel. How did they ever stuff twenty feet of spring into the inside of a fly reel? Some things are just made to stay dirty.

 

[ThomasT]

Congrats on your first 30-30 lever action. They are some of my favorite guns and rounds. They aren't really that hard to take apart but if its only been shot a few times there is really no need to disassemble them. I bought some Foaming Gun Cleaner at Walmart, I think its Outers brand and that stuff really works. I would remove the buttstock before using it though.

I had a Winchester made in 1981 that looked like your gun. I just cleaned it off the best I could and then used it. I made my first 30-30 deer kill with that rifle at around 70 yards. I wish I hadn't sold it. I still have two Marlins and am on the hunt for another Winchester. I have about 5 on my Gunbroker watch list now.

I hope you got some ammo with it. 30-30 ammo is stupid expensive now. Just before deer season Walmart used to sell Winchester and Remington 30-30 ammo for around $6 a box. I couldn't reload it for that. Its how I ended up with so much 30-30 brass. Now the stuff sells for $25 a box if you can find it on the shelf.

 

[Eugen]

OP congrats on your inheriting a Win 94 30-30. Im not very knowledgeable about these iconic lever action firearms, so i have little to contribute. Plus you received some great advice already and should be on your way to enjoying your rifle.

I will say that I inherited a 1940 Win 94 30-30 from my father-in-law a few years ago. I am very proud of it and find it is a delight to shoot at the range. Everyone should own one of these bad boys.

 

[Scooter22]

I haven’t heard of Big 45 metal cleaner. It looks like some neat stuff. Thank you.

Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner https://a.co/d/1xFeIbH

I would buy them from the makers to make sure it isn't a copy. They have 2 for 12.00 dollars so free shipping. I've used these on guns, tools, knives, car parts ect for probably 30 years. Steel wool these days is junk, coarse china crap the scratches, breaks and in beds in things. These pads for metal work are great and they last. If they get dirty just clean them with solvent. Good luck.

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[Weflyfast]

Once you get the lever bug.....look out....been collecting them for 20 years.....

 

[film495]

just put a treatment of oil on it and let it sit a while, don't get too much oil on the stock around the seams where the wood meets the metal. the 0000 steel wood and oil and wipe frequently with a cotton rag works well, just do it a bit once in a while and eventually all the brown will be gone. if you want to touch it up, I've used Oxpho Blue from Brownelles and it seems to work well enough, and easy enough. It doesn't look like new, but it blends in decent IMHO.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Someone made a BAD recommendation to attempt rebluing this Winchester...... DON'T. These post '64 model 94's use sintered metal for the reciever. If you use traditional bluing, it will turn the reciever purple. Again, DO NOT attempt to reblue the reciever of this classic Winchester.

Some cold-blue on the sintered receivers will turn it a nice dark grey.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

In the pictures I don't see much rust on the barrel. ?? But the receiver looks kind of bad. The butt-stock, and fore-stock are not hard to get off, very simple and taking them off you will know how to put them back on. Nothing like putting the receiver back together. (although that's not so tough) As I recall, where the screws go are pretty much common sense. On a 94 I don't think mixing up screws is a problem. But, no, you don't have to dismantle the receiver.

The advice to check out the magazine spring and tube is good. That kind of needs to be done, considering the condition of the receiver. Taking off the fore stock will allow you to do that. Also, you will want to see if there is any rust under the barrel and fore-stock. With both stocks off you can really go to work with your steel wool and oil, and really hose down the internals of the receiver. Carb-cleaner might be a good start. In fact, you could sit the receiver in a bucket of whatever for a day or so.

Re-bluing would not make much sense. It's probably pitted enough that it would take some serious polishing to get it smooth enough to do that. And if the sintered steel turns purple in a hot-blue, no you probably don't want a purple gun.

The "aged" look you'll get after removing the rust won't be bad. Kind of "antiqued". It's not a bad look, and goes well on a Winchester. It will also naturally age, if it turns out a bit shiney at first, and turn a nice grey over the years.

The 94 on the bottom has a sintered steel receiver/post-64. (top rifle is a pre-64) It was not rusted, but the blue was mostly worn off, scratched, etc. I took steel wool and oil to it, then put on some cold blue, and then lightly rubbed that off with steel wool. It came out as kind of a "satin grey". I think it looks okay.

 

[PO2Hammer]

I see she’s drilled and tapped for receiver sights.
Lyman #66LA iirc.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I see she’s drilled and tapped for receiver sights.
Lyman #66LA iirc.

The OP's rifle, or my half-magazine "trapper"? I picked mine up in a pawn shop, for a very low price. The peep on it is what attracted me to it. It was kind of a junker, and when I got it home discovered it did not feed/work. Hence the low price. Involved some welding of the little parts to fix it, I forget, but seems like I had to make the carrier longer.

Having it all apart, and not being a cherry condition rifle, I decided to "trapperize" it, and I always liked the half-magazine 94's. Still holds three in the magazine. Sure made it light. Perfect hiking/berry picking/exploring/map-n-compass fun little gun. Turned out to be very accurate too. With the peep and fiber-optic front bead, it's fast on target, take out the peep insert for a ghost ring, and it's even faster.

 

[PO2Hammer]

Both.
Nice Trapper.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Both.
Nice Trapper.

Oh, okay. !!! Thank you, I've never been big on "trappers", but had fun making that one, and again, it's a joy to use in the field. Also no loss as I have that un-molested pre-64 that's been in the family forever, and a couple single shot .30-30's, and a combination gun in .30WCF over 20 gauge. So it kind of "rounded out" the "collection".

 

[wesmonster]

I still have my Dad's early 70's mod. 94. It's been in the woods many times and he traded for it while he was stationed in Port Angeles WA (where I was born). A place so humid you had to hang a light bulb over your boots when you took em off or the mold would kill em. Mine has a nice patina of light rust spots on the receiver, but not the barrel. Seen quite a few with similar rust, seemed to be a common problem. But I keep her oiled and rust has never gotten past the surface.

On other older rifles with rust spots I'd take a pre-1982 penny and rub the edge on the rust, did a fine job of taking off the rust without harming the original blueing. On my 94 it's patina and I'll never refinish it.

 

[d2wing]

One of my all-time favorites is a Winchester 94 in 30-30. I think it is about a 1970 vintage but that is fine with me. I bought it from a buddy for $100 way back when for my kids to hunt with, but I found it ideal as a woods stalking rifle. Kinda reminds me of me treasured grade school Roy Rogers lunch box from the 1950's and when farmers shared hunting land.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I think it is about a 1970 vintage but that is fine with me.

On the pre and post 1964 thing, I've seen some angle-eject rifles that did not take second place to the pre-64 rifles, in build quality, or fit and finish. I have a friend that has one in .375, and it is beautiful. (I think it's angle-eject, for sure post 1964) We have a "death trade" going. If I die first, he gets my JM Marlin .45-70. If he dies first I get his .375 Winchester. The wives have been informed and instructed.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

My Model 94 is a post war, flat band, "Eastern" carbine in 32 Winchester Special. It has some honest wear on it from all those years.

 

[Mini30SS]

My Model 94 is a post war, flat band, "Eastern" carbine in 32 Winchester Special. It has some honest wear on it from all those years.

I have the exact same Winchester!!

 

[Chief TC]

I have model 94 that is a 30WCF 1941 carbine. I love shooting this rifle. Very accurate with 160gr FTX loads and feels like nothing. Truly is a great short range hunting rifle. Enjoy!!!