PRICE CHECK - Win 94 for a buddy?

[mnimrod45]

Hey guys,

Been watching this site for years but just recently joined. I have a question regarding a Win 94 30 WCF a buddy of mine has. He got it from a great-uncle and has no use for it so was thinking of getting rid of it and asked me what it was worth. I have a significant amount of firearms knowledge but as far as putting values on these old Winchesters, I know that little things can change the value dramatically so I thought I would throw it out to you guys who know more about them. He thinks he wants to sell it but wants to know what it's worth for now. Hoping you guys could give me a ballpark.

It looks like standard rifle to me with a 26" round barrel and full length mag tube. Serial number is 4180xx. I took some photos of it and I'll try to post them but I'm no professional photographer. Most of the bluing is gone and it has the regular bumps and dents of a rifle it's age. I cleaned the bore and the rifling looks pretty good with some light pitting throughout the bore. The biggest problem is that the tang is buggered right where the rear tang screw goes into the stock. Someone messed it up with a screwdriver and it has tons of deep nicks around the screw hole and they then sent a bolt all the way through the tang and stock to the bottom where they put a nut on it. The rear sight also seems as though someone took a file to it to open up the notch a touch so it's more of a V than a notch for the bead front.

The action seems great and everything seems to work. I was going to take it out and shoot it but just haven't had the time. I'll try to get some pictures up as soon as I get time and figure it out.

Thanks in advance,

mnimrod45

[mnimrod45]

[pwl44m]

Welcome to the Forum (is it ok if I just call You nimrod) Nimrod. Pretty rough,the wood doesn't seem to go with the Gun (looks too good). Someone had a field day with a hammer and chisel. someone posted the other day about how to get a tight Tang Screw out (this is NOT how to do it) I'm thinking the Butt plate is wrong also. If I had opportunity I would offer $200, might be pushed a little more but not much, after all it is an old Winchester.
Perry

[Hobie]

The gun is not correct but could be restored. RB rifles are actually less common than the octagon barrels despite being the "standard". Because so many changes and repairs would have to be done I'd pay $200 for it and send it to Mike Hunter...

[mnimrod45]

Thanks guys.

I'm not sure if I would buy it or not. He just wants to sell it and I told him the prices on these vary a lot so I would check around. I like these rifles but have a couple more modern ones in great shape and am trying to save some money lately-it's not going well..... Told him I might find someone who wants it online since I probably wouldn't be buying it. It would be pretty cool to restore though.

[pricedo]

That old gun has been hunted hard & put away wet a few time by the looks of it.

The "sawhorse & sledgehammer" gunsmiths that messed with it over the years really did a number on it.

$150-$200

[Griff]

The gun is not correct but could be restored. RB rifles are actually less common than the octagon barrels despite being the "standard". Because so many changes and repairs would have to be done I'd pay $200 for it and send it to Mike Hunter...

+1

[J Miller]

Weeeelllllllllll ............ I'd actually go $250 for it. Skip Mike Hunter, do the refurbishing myself and just enjoy it a lot. I got an extra tang screw. And I much prefer the shotgun stocks to the crescent type.

Joe

[gak]

As Hobie says, the RB is less common, which I always found odd, as to.me it's the superior configuration--my favorite, especially in something as small a bore--and long a barrel--as the .30-30/rifle. The 26" .30 cal octagonal is a hefty piece.

This is one of those times a relative rare aspect (of the round barrel in this case) likely would not bring it more value by itself (maybe in another 20 years?) as the majority really seems to flock to the "antique" nature of an octagonal,...so I would agree $200-250 tops. But I also agree with the poster that suggested it should or could be a keeper. The functionality of the RB .30 WCF rifle is tops IMO, and always at or near the top of my list in the ever popular fantasy (?) poll "if you could only have one rifle..."

[Tycer]

Grab a box of 30-30 and go shoot it. If it shoots well, buy it.

[Shrapnel]

Only a letter would tell whether the gun came with a Shotgun butt or not. It was made in 1907 and the round barrel, though less common, was indeed the standard configuration. Still an octagon barrel will fetch more money, all other aspects being equal. The front sight is a replacement, but sights can be found for these guns quite easily. The tang is a bit buggered, but this is not a basket case. All the above estimates are quite low. I would guess it's value to be $600.00 and possibly more, depending on the buttstock. The wood to metal fit looks solid, I believe that gun is worth the risk at $600.00 even if the stock is wrong, it fits well and is Winchester.

[Malamute]

I would lean towards Shrapnels description and estimate. I dont see even post 64 beaters for $200 any more, and this gun is far more interesting than anything I've seen post 64, or post 1920's to be to the point.

If it was in decent mecahnical shape with a shootable bore, (minor pitting is OK, so long as it isnt bad and shoot decent), and I'd swap a pile of late model guns for it if we're simply talking a using gun with character and not strictly monetary value. I'd also pay more "real money" for such a gun than I would a new in the box late gun of any description. YMMV

A round barrel rifle with shotgun butt is about perfect as a using gun.

[pricedo]

Only a letter would tell whether the gun came with a Shotgun butt or not. It was made in 1907 and the round barrel, though less common, was indeed the standard configuration. Still an octagon barrel will fetch more money, all other aspects being equal. The front sight is a replacement, but sights can be found for these guns quite easily. The tang is a bit buggered, but this is not a basket case. All the above estimates are quite low. I would guess it's value to be $600.00 and possibly more, depending on the buttstock. The wood to metal fit looks solid, I believe that gun is worth the risk at $600.00 even if the stock is wrong, it fits well and is Winchester.

No disrespect intended but I wouldn't be emptying my cookie jar for a gun that no longer has the original parts & looks like it has been repaired by a country bumpkin with a claw hammer and a pipe wrench right after snorting a quart of Jim Beam down to the fumes.

That gun is gonna need a whole lota expert TLC to bring it back from the bone yard.

[Shrapnel]

Only a letter would tell whether the gun came with a Shotgun butt or not. It was made in 1907 and the round barrel, though less common, was indeed the standard configuration. Still an octagon barrel will fetch more money, all other aspects being equal. The front sight is a replacement, but sights can be found for these guns quite easily. The tang is a bit buggered, but this is not a basket case. All the above estimates are quite low. I would guess it's value to be $600.00 and possibly more, depending on the buttstock. The wood to metal fit looks solid, I believe that gun is worth the risk at $600.00 even if the stock is wrong, it fits well and is Winchester.

No disrespect intended but I wouldn't be emptying my cookie jar for a gun that no longer has the original parts & looks like it has been repaired by a country bumpkin with a claw hammer and a pipe wrench right after snorting a quart of Jim Beam down to the fumes.

That gun is gonna need a whole lota expert TLC to bring it back from the bone yard.

Mr. Clampett,

Your cookie jar must not hold much. To get a Winchester these days for under $1000.00 is relatively unheard of. Granted, this gun has a few issues, but what you have to realize is that a gun without any, in the overall condition this gun is in, would sell easily over $1000.00. The magazine tube alone from an original Winchester would probably bring $150.00. In parts alone the gun would get over $600.00.

Dealing in these guns over the years, I have seen plenty and rest assured, I would buy that gun myself for $600.00.

[oregon73]

I think a gun like that, in a retail store, would probably have a $499 price tag on it. Not saying that's what it's worth, but I'm regularly seeing pre-64, even pre-war, 94's for $500 in rough shape these days. And they are not flying off the racks, either.

Personally I agree with the above posters that the "amateur" gunsmithing, non-original parts, and general rough condition don't do this gun any favors, value-wise. It is a shooter and not a collector--definitely a good candidate for restoring but, as is, yikes.

I wouldn't want such a project gun but if I did have a hankering to buy something like this, I'd go no higher than $250.

Just my opinion.

Rob

[Griff]

I'm basing my valuation on the assumption (not always good basis) that one would have to sleeve the lower tang to get an original stock screw to work again. That, and the flat appearing crown. Too bad a letter isn't available for that high of a serial number (IIRC, it's topped out somewhere near 383,xxx), as if that were an original shotgun butt, it's raise the value a goodly bit. I know this has been discussed before, but most round 26" barrels I've seen don't have a flat crown. Before I'd offer any where near $600 (which for me, is a decent price for a pre-war beater (if it's intact). That gun would probably take more than the difference in parts to get it into shape.

And, for the record, the main reason that octagon barrels fetch more dollars is that in general, they are more accurate than rounds... that stiffness thing, ya know?

[pricedo]

I think a gun like that, in a retail store, would probably have a $499 price tag on it. Not saying that's what it's worth, but I'm regularly seeing pre-64, even pre-war, 94's for $500 in rough shape these days. And they are not flying off the racks, either.

Personally I agree with the above posters that the "amateur" gunsmithing, non-original parts, and general rough condition don't do this gun any favors, value-wise. It is a shooter and not a collector--definitely a good candidate for restoring but, as is, yikes.

I wouldn't want such a project gun but if I did have a hankering to buy something like this, I'd go no higher than $250.

Just my opinion.

Rob

For $499 I could buy a brand spanking new Rossi 92 in .44 Mag or Rio Grande in .30-30 pr .45-70 & still have enough left over for a couple of boxes of economy (Core-Lokts, Power Points, whatever) ammo & have a lean, mean, deer shootin machine in the ground blind the next morning.

When you see a badly used & abused old timer like the OPs gun on the used rack it's usually there for a reason.......that reason possibly being the click of a hammer on a cold opening morning & a dream buck heading for the tree line on full throttle instead of laying on the ground waiting for the skinning knife.

When parts start to fail on a much used & abused gun it usually isn't an isolated affair but rather a chain reaction of a number of parts throwing in the towel one after the other.

Nostalgia is a nice cuddly warm feeling but filling the freezer is #1 on my priority list.

[Streetstar]

For $499 I could buy a brand spanking new Rossi 92 in .44 Mag or Rio Grande in .30-30 pr .45-70 & still have enough left over for a couple of boxes of economy (Core-Lokts, Power Points, whatever) ammo & have a lean, mean, deer shootin machine in the ground blind the next morning.

------------
Nostalgia is a nice cuddly warm feeling but filling the freezer is #1 on my priority list.

True on the new guns if you just need a tool to take out of the box and go shootin' --- but none of those rifles will ever be a 1907 Winchester. It doesnt really matter what the rifle is worth to you or me as a shooter, (because i would have trouble unfolding $600 for it too, that doesnt mean it is worth less though, it probably is worth 5-600 bucks like it is )

Regarding nostalgia, except for the collective membership of this forum, using leverguns for hunting in general just isn't very common anymore, so by nature, we are all a little bit nostalgic, even if we are using a brand new Miroku made Winchester.
-- Rifles like the OP's buddy has are wall hangers and range queens now by nature -- it needs a solid restoration and after that, it will be a somewhat valuable rifle -- one that i would cringe if i slipped in the field and jammed it muzzle first into a muddy creek bank

I see jacked up sintered metal model 94's from the 70's selling for $250 from time to time -- the market has certainly changed because the younger generation is hunting with $300 bolt gun "packages" from big box stores and they think their granddad's 30 year old Model 94 or 336 Marlin is somehow worth a fortune because its an "antique" (to them at least)

[Hobie]

I respect Malamute and Shrapnel's opinions. However, I think we'd be hard pressed to find a buyer around here for that gun at $600.00.

[pricedo]

I respect Malamute and Shrapnel's opinions. However, I think we'd be hard pressed to find a buyer around here for that gun at $600.00.

$600 ?

Prime me with half a quart of Jack & throw in that fancy $250+ Caldwell® Fire Control Full Length Shooting Rest that I've been wanting & I'll think about it.

Not a iron clad promise......I'll just think about it.