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Hi, noob here....never owned a levergun until now. Over Christmas while we were down at the inlaws the FIL and I were talking 'bout hunting and such. He hasn't been in real good health here of late. He hasn't hunted since he was a young man. But he always talked about having a 30-30. Well that gun got brought up as we were talking. He said it's been in a case in the back of the closet for years I told him that may not be the best of places to store it. At least if it wasn't oiled up every now and then. I told him I'd clean it up for him and get her oiled up. As I pulled it out of the case he started telling me the story behind the rifle. He was going on a deer hunting trip to Mich. and needed a rifle. He bought it brand new for $50 in 1951 at a gas station-gunstore. And shot a few shells thru it to sight it in. Well, as I cleaned he told me he even had shells for it. As I pulled them out I noticed that there were 10 shells missing from the full box. He said that was the box he bought back in '51 and those were the only shells fired in the rifle. As I finished oiling it up and was putting it back in the case, he told me he wanted me to have it! Wow, I wasn't expecting that. I told him that I would take great care of it, but I planned on putting it to good use. So I got a few boxes of rounds for it and have started practicing with the gun. I have had a problem loading the magizine. It will take 2 rounds...then no more. Everything seems fine up to that point. Surely this rifle will hold more than 2+1. What am I doing wrong?
Tube obstruction. Rounds already in the tube, rust keeping the spring/follower from moving forward, dent in tube doing same. Disassemble the tube from the muzzle end. (open the action to be safe) take out the spring and follower. Check for issues in the travel of these items in the tube. Don't let the cap or screw fly across the room when you disassemble.
Are you pushing each round into the mag and letting the loading gate close? If yes, try leaving the end of the shell in the loading port and pushing it in with the next round. You should be able to get 5 or 6 in easily this way. You should be able to down load a manual that will explain things for you. Also check the mag tube as the others have suggested.
Happiness is a comfortable stump on a sunny south facing mountain.
There could be a plug in the magazine. At one time, some states used to restrict a rifle to having only 3-rounds loaded while hunting just like shotguns. VA was one state that did that back in the 60s/70s when I hunted there. I don't know if they or other states still have a requirement like that. An unusual rule for a rifle.
I hadn't had time to take the mag apart yet. I wanted to get in there anyway and run a brush/solvent thru there and get a light coat of F10 on everything in the tube.
Usually, I'll make some smart-a** comment about how I'll take that junker off your hands. But his time, I have to say you got a treasure there! Take care of it and enjoy it, brother!
Don't feel like an idiot. I've owned and used Mdl 94 Winchesters for over 40 years and I had never heard that some states required a plug to reduce the mag capacity to 2 rounds in rifles. Shot guns, yes ... rifles, no. Totally new to me.
By the way your carbine looks to be a twin to mine. I have a nice, well really nice 1950 I got here in Springfield, some years back. Don't get to shoot it much as there's no place close to shoot real rifles.
Joe
***Be sneaky, get closer, bust the cap on him when you can put the ball where it counts .***
Be careful of what kind of oil you leave in the mag tube. If it's any type of penetrating oil, and you leave a couple/three bullets in the mag tube for any length of time, the oil can migrate past the primer through the primer pocket or between the bullet and case and foul the primer or powder or both and cause a misfire when you least want one.
Glad to hear that you figured out the "problem" with your new Winchester 94. Excellent story, and wonderful FIL. You're a lucky man. Welcome to the Forum... hope you tell us some of your stories with your new carbine!
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
I hope I will be able to harvest something with it sometime soon. Till that time I hope a lot of range time will make me a better rifleman. Unfortunely, I live in Illinois...so it's shotgun only here. I sure would like to go somewhere and take a hog with it in the near future. I've always wanted to do some hog hunting.
Modoc ED wrote:Be careful of what kind of oil you leave in the mag tube. If it's any type of penetrating oil, and you leave a couple/three bullets in the mag tube for any length of time, the oil can migrate past the primer through the primer pocket or between the bullet and case and foul the primer or powder or both and cause a misfire when you least want one.
Thanks for the heads up. I don't think it will be a problem. I just cleaned it real well and put a very lightly oiled patch of FP10 thru it.
I told him that may not be the best of places to store it. At least if it wasn't oiled up every now and then. I told him I'd clean it up for him and get her oiled up. As I pulled it out of the case he started telling me the story behind the rifle. He was going on a deer hunting trip to Mich. and needed a rifle. He bought it brand new for $50 in 1951 at a gas station-gunstore. And shot a few shells thru it to sight it in. Well, as I cleaned he told me he even had shells for it. As I pulled them out I noticed that there were 10 shells missing from the full box. He said that was the box he bought back in '51 and those were the only shells fired in the rifle. As I finished oiling it up and was putting it back in the case, he told me he wanted me to have it! Wow, I wasn't expecting that. I told him that I would take great care of it, but I planned on putting it to good use. So I got a few boxes of rounds for it and have started practicing with the gun. I have had a problem loading the magizine. It will take 2 rounds...then no more. Everything seems fine up to that point. Surely this rifle will hold more than 2+1. What am I doing wrong?
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