Win. Model 94 ??

[Moondawg]

Maybe a silly question. I have a model 94 carbine, 20" barrel, born in 1951. My question, how can I tell by looking at the left side of the receiver if it is drilled for Williams or Lyman receiver sights.
Thanks,

[Terry Murbach]

EITHER FIT THE SAME SCREW SPACING.

[Tomcatt57]

It will have 2 small screws about an inch apart in the upper right hand corner. They are about the size of scope base mounting screws/holes.
Tomcatt

[Bruce Scott]

It will have 2 small screws about an inch apart in the upper right hand corner. They are about the size of scope base mounting screws/holes.
Tomcatt

Pic borrowed from: http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=6&f=2&t=299111

[Griff]

Maybe a silly question. I have a model 94 carbine, 20" barrel, born in 1951. My question, how can I tell by looking at the left side of the receiver if it is drilled for Williams or Lyman receiver sights.
Thanks,

But, IIRC, they weren't so drilled & tapped by the factory until '52. However, both the serial number records and how they did other things ain't cut 'n dried.

[Moondawg]

Thanks Guys
It looks like my carbine has not been drilled for receiver sights. I guess that is something I will have to get done. My old eyeballs work a lot better looking througha peep sight.

[Griff]

Thanks Guys
It looks like my carbine has not been drilled for receiver sights. I guess that is something I will have to get done. My old eyeballs work a lot better looking througha peep sight.

EEEE GADS! You're going to VIOLATE a pristine pre-64 to mount a receiver sight? There's some 5 million of the suckers that ARE already D&T'd by the factory to go and RUIN a collectible piece.

But, it is YOUR gun, do what you want... I'll get over it.

[J Miller]

Griff,

Moondawg ain't the only one whose gonna drill holes in a nice pristine 94.
As soon as get a wrench big enough I'm gonna swap barrels on mine and drill it too.
How's that?

So far I haven't found a wrench the right size. Can't find nuthin around here.

Joe

[J Miller]

Not only that I got a side mount scope base for it too. I just might put one of the 9-35 X 75mm sniper scopes on it. You know I ain't getting any younger. These old eyes just don't see too good no more.

Joe

[1894c]

no silly questions here--this is the place to sit back read and learn--love this forun

[M. M. Wright]

Drilling and tapping a fairly late 94 doesn't seem too bad to me but a while back I saw an early 92 in 32-20 hanging on the wall at a friends shop. It was in excellent condition, still wearing most of it's blue. I asked the price and was told it was a customers gun in to get a scope mount. Side mount with 3 or 4 holes to be drilled and tapped. I begged him to not do it but to no avail.

[Griff]

My only point is that there were far more of them made with a provision for a receiver sight, so why change even a not-so-pristine original? Plenty were made with provisions for both receiver sights... and well, them Marlins are perfect for scopin'... and they made them in the perfect caliber also!

While my guns are “mine”, and I’m free to use them as I will, I am really loathe to alter them in a fashion that might not be generally considered an improvement. I look at my possession as more like a “stewardship”, as it’s likely someone will possess them after me. It’s not that I believe that any particular modification is “bad”, just that one which reflects a change from what was offered is wrong for me. Which is why I won’t remove a saddle ring from my carbines that came with them. Why I won’t put a saddle ring on a carbine made during the time they were not offered. I also won’t fill holes that the factory put there, nor will I drill any, with the sole exception of a second tang hole for installing a tang peep. Many, many early Winchesters were fitted with this hole and a plug screw for the convenience of the buyer. It was only in the late ‘20s that this was dropped from the standard carbine and rifle.

Now… my project guns are guns that were otherwise ruined; either from neglect, misuse or other cause. Some were just stripped down to sell the parts, otherwise perfectly serviceable guns. This, to my way of thinking was just plain wrong thinking. But, as they were already dismantled, there’s no restoring their former glory, and being just parts guns, there’s nothing wrong with changing the course of their history, that was done before they came to me. So… I have what I know were carbines that I’m building as rifles in a couple of different configurations. During the ‘70s Winchester didn’t offer “rifles”, except for the “Classic” and certain commemoratives. So, while my project rifles don’t reflect what was, they do, I hope, reflect what might have been if Winchester wasn’t so set on just capitalizing on one model. I understand that one could special order, even into the ‘70s a custom made Winchester 94 in most any configuration thru the custom shop. It is what I hope my project rifles reflect.

Which is probably why I own so many. I recognize that as I age, my ability to shoot a Winchester 94 with the open sights that originally graced these guns will degrade, and I’ll have to settle for only shooting the ones with either tang sights or full buckhorns, at targets or things that don’t matter if my shot is less than perfect.

Those are my personal thoughts on the subject. Ya’ll are welcome to yours as well… so what does it matter if you’re wrong and I’m right? And I’m sure that you can turn that around as well…

I sure ain't ready to find a tree and get a rope... hope ya'll ain't either!

[earlmck]

My only point is that there were far more of them made with a provision for a receiver sight, so why change even a not-so-pristine original? Plenty were made with provisions for both receiver sights...

But all along you could, if you desired, order one from the factory with receiver sight already installed. So I fail to see how a properly installed receiver sight done afterwards is such a violation. Sure doesn't hurt my sensibilities. But that said Griff, I like your thoughts on the subject: fellows thinking like you will not be bidding against me with as much enthusiasm on one of these old guns that have been so butchered.

[Griff]

But all along you could, if you desired, order one from the factory with receiver sight already installed. So I fail to see how a properly installed receiver sight done afterwards is such a violation. Sure doesn't hurt my sensibilities.

1st time I heard that. I know you could get the tang sight. But I've never heard or seen that a recvr sight would be done at the factory. Pre '52 that is.

[ollogger]

i have a 73 win made in 1886 it came with a old lyman tang sight on it
one day i took it off & much to my surpize right thru the 73 was a bore hole, that takes the cake
ollogger

[J Miller]

Moondawg,

It's a tool. It's yours. D&T it if you want. Who gives a pelosi about what someone else thinks years down the road? I don't. I'm not a collector, I'm a shooter. I want the darn things to shoot good for me, not some snot nosed collector that's gonna handle it with white gloves as he puts it in the back of his safe to never see the light of day again.

Rant off .....

Joe

[rjohns94]

I"m with you on this one Griff. No rope either way.