Custom Model 94s

[KentuckyLevrgunr]

From time to time, you'll see custom Marlins with large loop levers, scout scopes, slicked actions, aftermarket ported barrels and other various upgrades and ornamentation, but most of the 94s you see have little to no customization. Maybe a the occasional large loop lever or a peep sight, but not much else. Any reson for this? Am I missing something? I'd like to do something with my 94 to make it a little different, but other than a reciever sight and a leather buttstock cartridge carrier, I don't know what to do. Also, if you have a custom 94 to disprove my theory, please post pics

[rafter-7]

cant help ya bud... I am from the old school

^
7

[kimwcook]

Here's one for ya:

[71fan]

That's because Winchesters don't need any bling

[KentuckyLevrgunr]

Yeah, I hear you on that, 71. The modifications I mentioned earlier really aren't great examples because if you use a peep sight, you won't need a scout scope and if you have a 30-30, you don't need a ported barrel and I don't like large loop levers anyway. I just think it's odd that there's gunsmiths that specialize on customizing Marlins, but you don't really see that with Winchesters.

[John in MS]

I'm not too good with pics, but I can describe mine for you... it's a c. 1975 top eject, given to me by my parents for Christmas, and it's very accurate. I had the barrel shortened to 16.5",
which eliminates the cut for the front barrel band, and a short Williams ramp front sight installed. We also shortened the mag tube to 3-round capacity. The mag tube cap is an original Winchester pre-war rounded cap as used on short-magazine rifles. The rear sight is a Lyman 41R (originally intended for a Rem. Model 8 ) which uses a rack & pinion gear and a lever lock for elevation, plus screw adjustment for windage.

My gunsmith had to mill the back of the sight flat to fit on the flat side of the receiver, and it makes a VERY compact, classy sight with no knobs for windage/elevation hanging off it. (It looks like the smaller, identical Lyman 45 sight for the Win 63 or '03, if you've seen those, and exactly fits the Win 94 receiver.) It has sling swivels, and length of pull shortened a bit to make it easy to fullly cycle the lever from the shoulder.

Extensive use has slicked up the action considerably, and the trigger is excellent. Buttpad is a Pachmayr old english rifle pad, which gives it traction on the shoulder or when sitting up in a rack, etc. It's short, light, easy to carry, and you hardly know you have a rifle in your hand until it comes time to use it.

Very nice little rifle!!

John

[Griff]

I have two:

1979 .30-30 carbine made into a rifle with a 26" bull barrel (.850" across the flats for the entire length of the barrel), Fajen XXX wood, crescent buttplate, "one-off" tang peep and globe front sight. Frame, forend cap and lower tang are bone & charcoal color case hardened.



1967 Canadian Centennial rifle remade into a "trapper". 16" barrel, Winchester Custom Shop XXX wood, silver plated curved steel buttplate and barrel bands, with a semi-buckhorn rear & blade front sights.



But, like 71fan said, Winchesters don't "NEED" bling. But, it doesn't hurt them any! Give it a couple of days, but some others have done some other things to "customize" their '94s... some of which are far from being "bling"!

[bsaride]

So far I've only customized the sights and added a sling.



Post of what I did is here:

http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =1&t=21545

[El Chivo]

well they're not all that easy to take apart, mine's intimidating me right now

[Leverluver]

Dale Story in Casper used to specialize in custom 94s. Beautiful work. If you have ever followed Sam Fadala's writings, you have seen them. He's retired now but there is some of his work floating around. Good thing he retired before anyone asked for a picatinny rail. As fine of a gentleman as he was, he would have shot you with your own gun

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

I did this one for a feller awhile back.

Besides my action work it got Gunstock,Inc black and grey laminate stocks with a .5" pac pad and sling stubs, Rogard black for the metal, and for sights a Williams FP reciever sight and a red Fiber op front.

[greyowl]

I don't have a Winchester with any special mod's. I did see one not long ago in a gun shop that had a scout scope set up on it. It had a leupold scope, not sure of the model. It had a ghost ring on the back of the receiver also. With the compact, low set scope it looked OK. I see Marlins set up like this often, mostly guide guns. That's the only 94 I think I've seen set up like that. I have a Marlin 1894 in 44 mag. set up like it, only with a red dot sight. I'm forever pulling it off and putting it on though. It's handy for eyes that aren't so good anymore, but I like my receiver sights and just can't give them up. I would not mind setting up a 94 in 30-30 with a scout set up though. It would be easier to load direct into the chamber than a Marlin. Also I think the lower mounted scope looks better than one set up on the see through mounts. Just my opinion.