Model 94

[JKR]

I have an old model 94 rifle with an ugly bore. It’s a 32-40 and I’m considering re lining or re barreling it.
Has anyone had any dealings with winchesterbarrels.com for new barrels?
Any recommendations for someone to install a liner?
This rifle has me scratching my head because it shoots jacketed bullets way better than it should considering the bore condition. It’s pitted full length. I absolutely cannot get a clean patch out of it. Still it will shoot nearly MOA at 100 yards and holds about four inches at 200 yards with jacketed bullets. Lead bullets tumble at 25 yards. I haven’t tried gas check bullets yet.
JKR

[Semtav]

John Taylor rebarreled one for me. Not sure where he got the barrel.
Hes in Idaho now. Might check with him.

[Don McDowell]

You might see about sending KnobsMt a pm or an email, he had a couple of rifles lined and was happy with the outcome. But for the life of me i can't remember who it was he used. Most any gunsmith (not a gun parts changer) should be able to reline and chamber the barrel.

[beltfed]

Jim,
There is another option.
Have JES bore it out to 38-55
Arnie

[JKR]

Jim,
There is another option.
Have JES bore it out to 38-55
Arnie

Arnie,
I have thought of that. Have you had any experience with his work? Would that conversion require any changes in the action like a different lifter? It is the least expensive option I’ve checked on so far.
While I’m not real concerned about keeping the rifles originality, I do like the idea of the 32-40. My grandfather owned one when the family moved here in 1910. My dad said he would shoot the heads off grouse with it. It was lost in a house fire in 1918. He replaced it with a 351 auto loader which I recently past down to my oldest son.

Semtav,
I’ve read good things about John Taylor’s re lining work. Do you happen to have a phone number or email address for him?

JKR

[Semtav]

Johntaylormachine.com
It'll be on there.
He wouldn't reline mine.
Said the 219 zipper was too hot so just rebarreled it

[JKR]

Johntaylormachine.com
It'll be on there.
He wouldn't reline mine.
Said the 219 zipper was too hot so just rebarreled it

Thanks Brian. I’ll contact him. I think the old zipper is a cool little levergun cartridge.

Arnie,
The 38-55 is too fat to come up between the rails. I just tried it.

JKR m

[beltfed]

Jim,
The Win M94 weas first factory chambered for both the 32-40 AND the 38-55.
As you know they both have the same base diameter and length.

Probably just needs change out or modify the action guide rails and maybe the carrier

Also, a good friend of mine had a lever gun rebored by JES, turned out great.
Also have seen many other positives on line for JES work
Arnie

[Distant Thunder]

It has been 15 years or more since I converted an old Winchester '94 .30-30 to a .38-55. It was a real beater that had been Bubba'ed up. He didn't scratch his name into the side of the receiver so I can't give him credit here, but he did do all the other Bubba mods I can think of. I paid $150 for the rifle with the cheap 4X scope and recoil pad attached. I bought it for the purpose of converting to .38-55.

I bought a ready to screw on 24" barrel from Gun Parts for around $100. That was the easy part, unscrew the .30-30 barrel and screw on the .38-55 barrel. I did have to modify the guide rails and that I did by looking at the rails from my Big Bore .375 Win. and it worked out great. I didn't have to do anything to the carrier as I recall.

I bought some Marble arms sights at a gun show for a good price and put them on. I also bought a new buttstock to replace the one that had been hacksawed off about 2" to add the poorly done recoil pad. The forend I made. In the end I had a very shootable levergun in .38-55 that does very well with cast bullets for about $325. It still needs some finishing work but it is fun to shoot as it is now.

The way I did this was a fair amount of work and would require the same tools, skill level and patience as would building a muzzleloader rifle from a kit or purchased parts.

I have heard nothing but good things from all who have gone to JES for reboring and chambering. That is the best option if the rest of the rifle is serviceable.

Good luck with your project and let us know what you decide and how it goes. There are many rough old leverguns out there that deserve a second chance at life.

[JKR]

Arnie & Jim,
The conversion to 38-55 would be complicated somewhat by the age of this rifle.
My research finds that the 38-55 had it’s own unique cartridge guides. On rifles of this vintage (1907), the guide screws are inside the receiver. This means that cartridge guides from later models won’t interchange. Finding a set that would work in this rifle might be a problem.
Possibly the 32-40 guides could be modified, but this may be beyond my abilities and is more than I’m willing to risk.
As far as I know at this point, the lifters were the same for all the original calibers.
Jim