Loose Foregrip?

[jkbrea]

I only own one Winchester, a newer model 94 30-30, and I noticed when I got it, the foregrip moves very slightly forward and back to where it makes a light "click". The screw is tight. I was wondering if this is common with Winchester or is it just mine. I have four other levers of different makes, Mossberg, Marlin, Henry, and Puma, and none have done this. It doesn't affect anything when shooting, just mildly irritating.

[J Miller]

jkbrea,

I have one that does it. Not only is the clicking sound irritating the inertia of the stock under recoil will bend and eventually break the rear barrel band screw. Eventually I'm going to build up the rear of my forearm with epoxy and see if I can cure that.

Joe

[John Y Cannuck]

That slight movement means there is little pressure being exerted on the barrel, and you will likely have tighter groups as a result.
If you check out threads on accurizing the '94, one of the first thing s we do, is to loosen that forend up.
As to the screw breaking, I think you best give your head a shake. I've fired thousands of rounds from my '94's with no such issue. Recoil from a 30-30 just isn't going to do it, unless you have some other issue, like a bad screw.
My suggestion, get used to it.

[J Miller]

That slight movement means there is little pressure being exerted on the barrel, and you will likely have tighter groups as a result.
If you check out threads on accurizing the '94, one of the first thing s we do, is to loosen that forend up.
As to the screw breaking, I think you best give your head a shake. I've fired thousands of rounds from my '94's with no such issue. Recoil from a 30-30 just isn't going to do it, unless you have some other issue, like a bad screw.
My suggestion, get used to it.

I beg to disagree with almost everything you said. Especially the insinuation that I'm lying about the broken screw. The Win 94AE with the loose forearm has bent the forearm screw twice. The first time I straightened it up and put it back in, the second time I replaced it. When a piece of metal such as that is constantly worked it WILL eventually break.

Of all the Win 94s I've had, and it's been a bunch, NOT ONE needed the forearm or the band or the band screw loosened up to shoot better.
As a matter of fact all of they shot better with the screws snug to tight.

What you have done with your 94s is not necessarily true will every body elses 94s.

And I specifically get annoyed when somebody glibly tells me to "get used to it" when something is wrong. I think not. When something is wrong it needs to be fixed, not gotten used to.

Joe

[KirkD]

If it is only very slight, you can sometimes tighten it by removing the tenon out of the dovetail slot under the barrel and turning it end for end. If the threaded hole is off-center, this can either tighten or loosen your forearm. Another thing I've done is to cut some tape very thin and fit it around the rear part of the stock that fits into the receiver. This can tighten it up nicely and is not visible.

[AJMD429]

My one Marlin had that problem, (endcap style forend) and the hanger kept chewing deeper into the forend, so we built it up with Accraglass and it is now snug. I wouldn't leave it alone, because any slippage just wears out more parts in my opinion. Couldn't tell a difference in how the gun shot though, before or after; it just annoyed me less.

[J Miller]

In the case of my 94AE Trapper, Winchester cut a square slot crosswise on the bottom of the barrel for the forearm band screw to pass through. This slot is probably half again wider than the diameter of the screw. Every time the rifle recoils the forearm moves forward smacking the band screw against the front of this slot. After a while the screw bends and the forearm moves more and more. The last time I almost couldn't get the screw out it was bent so bad.
I've been trying to figure out how to fix this without altering any of the major parts.

I have come up with two ideas:
The first is to inlet the forearm and epoxy a small square piece of aluminum or brass tubing at the exact place the slot in the barrel is to take up the slack. So far I haven't done this as I haven't found any square tubing small enough to use.

The second is to bed the rear of the forearm so that the band screw is all the way forward against the slot in the barrel. If it can't move there's no battering forces to bend it.

I'll probably try the second cure first, it's easier, I already have the bedding compound.



Joe

[Modoc ED]

In the case of my 94AE Trapper, Winchester cut a square slot crosswise on the bottom of the barrel for the forearm band screw to pass through. This slot is probably half again wider than the diameter of the screw. Every time the rifle recoils the forearm moves forward smacking the band screw against the front of this slot. After a while the screw bends and the forearm moves more and more. The last time I almost couldn't get the screw out it was bent so bad.
I've been trying to figure out how to fix this without altering any of the major parts.

I have come up with two ideas:
The first is to inlet the forearm and epoxy a small square piece of aluminum or brass tubing at the exact place the slot in the barrel is to take up the slack. So far I haven't done this as I haven't found any square tubing small enough to use.

Joe

Joe - Don't worry about finding a piece of tubing (square or round) to fit the slot in the barrel. You've already got it. Cut a small piece from the bent screw you removed and use that to epoxy in the slot that the screw passes through. If necessary, file/sand it to the correct size needed.

[J Miller]

In the case of my 94AE Trapper, Winchester cut a square slot crosswise on the bottom of the barrel for the forearm band screw to pass through. This slot is probably half again wider than the diameter of the screw. Every time the rifle recoils the forearm moves forward smacking the band screw against the front of this slot. After a while the screw bends and the forearm moves more and more. The last time I almost couldn't get the screw out it was bent so bad.
I've been trying to figure out how to fix this without altering any of the major parts.

I have come up with two ideas:
The first is to inlet the forearm and epoxy a small square piece of aluminum or brass tubing at the exact place the slot in the barrel is to take up the slack. So far I haven't done this as I haven't found any square tubing small enough to use.

Joe

Joe - Don't worry about finding a piece of tubing (square or round) to fit the slot in the barrel. You've already got it. Cut a small piece from the bent screw you removed and use that to epoxy in the slot that the screw passes through. If necessary, file/sand it to the correct size needed.

Sometimes you just can't see the forest for the trees. What a simple idea. I guess I was over thinking the thing.

Thanks for the idea.

Joe