Winchester 94 AE tang safety

[flounderjig]

I ran across a Winchester 94 AE at the local gun store this am. It has a tang safety and is in 30-30. Is this a good Winchester rifle? I know it is a newer model. Wood to metal fit was good. Had a nice trigger on it. They want $600 but pretty much every Winchester 94 I have seen in town or the coastal bend is priced about this dependent on shape. This gun looks new.

[Modoc ED]

The Winchester 94AE is a decent rifle. It has all "steel" forged metal (receiver etc.) and is well made. Some do not like the tang safety but you can learn to live with it or try to find the parts to change it to the original "Half Cock" safety and get rid of the tang safety. $600.00 is high as far as I'm concerned for a post-64 Winchester. Around here, they go for between $400.00 to $500.00. I paid $395.00 for a .30-30 94AE a few month ago.

[Nath]

This is only my opinion but I will never buy a tang safty 94ae ever again. My last 94 was one and I had bad accuracy from it and tried everything to get to the bottom of it!
These were the last ones to be made before closure of the plant.
The other ae I had years ago was a cross bolt safety and shot very well indeed.

I hope I am wrong and only suffering from predjudice. It would be nice to be proven wrong!
Great handling gun though and once the trigger has been stoned.
Good luck.

Nath.

[Modoc ED]

I think that may have been an issue with maybe just your rifle Nath. I have two of the 94AEs now and they are both accurate. Both of them will shoot inside two inches all day long and one of them will shoot inside 1&1/2" all day long if I do my part. That's not to say that the 94AE was the cream of the crop of all rifles but they are good, durable, overall accurate rifles and are well suited for most hunting situatiions.

[TuPapito]

I'll agree that $600 is pretty high for that rifle. Whittle them down to $400 and they'll have themselves a deal.

[Nath]

Thanks Modoc, my old cross bolt I remember printing 1 1/2" groups too

Mine was just a lemon I think, it's just upset me thats all.

Nath.

[Modoc ED]

Thanks Modoc, my old cross bolt I remember printing 1 1/2" groups too

Mine was just a lemon I think, it's just upset me thats all.

Nath.

I hear ya Nath. It's always a bummer when we get a not so decent rifle. Upsets me too. Ya should of kept that old cross-bolt but then again, I'm famous for getting rid of perfectly good guns for not so great reasons too.

[flounderjig]

Thank you Gentlemen for your speedy reply. I slapped some money down and put it on layaway with hopes to use it to hunt in Jan. Will be shooting a old GC 168 gr. Lyman HP that belonged to my Father. Thanks again from the coastal bend.

[shawn_c992001]

Mine shoots really good! When I'm on stand I just cock the hammer and keep the safety on.

[El Chivo]

with mine I have had issues with misfiring and I think I have fixed it with methods described on this site. Let us know if you have that problem and we'll guide you onward.

Oh, one thing I noticed about the tang safety (which I like) is, you can dry-fire it with the tang safety on, and the trigger functions but the hammer never touches the firing pin. So I think that means you can dry-fire it without hurting the firing pin.

Other safeties, when on, lock the trigger.

Correct me if I'm wrong about the risk to the firing pin.

[J Miller]

with mine I have had issues with misfiring and I think I have fixed it with methods described on this site. Let us know if you have that problem and we'll guide you onward.

Oh, one thing I noticed about the tang safety (which I like) is, you can dry-fire it with the tang safety on, and the trigger functions but the hammer never touches the firing pin. So I think that means you can dry-fire it without hurting the firing pin.

Other safeties, when on, lock the trigger.

Correct me if I'm wrong about the risk to the firing pin.

But what of the safety parts themselves? When that hammer moves forward and it brought to a halt how much stress and strain does this put on the safety parts?
Just asking cos I don't know.

Joe

[Nath]

The tang safty is in it self quite sturdy Joe, I did check for that after the time I left the darn thing on and made a loud CLICK that should of sent a bullet to a fox!

Nath.

[Old Savage]

I have the tang safety and I like it - I would rather have it than not. Mine is very accurate in addition.

[Buck Elliott]

I've learned to live with the tang safety idea, and yes, the parts are robust enough to serve the purpose when dry-firing...

[J Miller]

Thanks for the info guys. I was just curious cos I've never had a good look at the tang safety parts.

Joe

[Buck Elliott]

The tang safety alone would not put me off the gun, but the Angle-Eject feature would...