Winchester 94 mag capacity

[Carlsen Highway]

I can fit and feed seven rounds from the mag of my 1978 Winchester 94 carbine in 30-30 with no issue or difficulty. Making a total of 8 rounds carrying capacity, 7 + 1 up. The other two 94's I had ( a pre'64 and another '70's vintage) could only hold six down, which is what I always thought was correct for the standard carbine.
How common is this?

[J Miller]

Of the 15 or so Win 94s in 30-30 I've had I think only one of them would take 7 in the magazine. The rest 6. I'd bet 7 is from a compressed or shortened mag spring.

Joe

[Pete44ru]

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I've seen multiple gents complaining that their levergun's magazines were too hard to load easily, and then have subsequently cut some coils from their magazine spring, which allows (besides a tad easier loading) more space in the magazine tube.


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[Booger Bill]

I think my 1956 94 30/30 holds 6. I haven't often bothered to load that many. Years ago when I was a kid in Wisconsin I recall seeing quite a percentage of 94`s with the mag tube cut back for weight and speed of handling to hold about three. That`s all you need 99.9 % of the time unless it`s red dawn.

[Griff]

My 1979 carbine holds 7 150 grainers. My 2 Trappers (16" bbl), hold 5. My '73, '50, '23, & '13 year mdls. also hold 6 150 grainers. I have a '29 mdl year that holds 7. My ¾mag rifles only hold 5. 26" fl mag rifles hold 9 or 10, although they're only advertised to hold 8. Catalogs I have show 6 as mag capacity for 20" carbines across the years.

It's a matter of compressed mag spring length + follower + mag plug. Also, I've found some factory mag springs where one end of the spring is of a smaller diameter and allows the spring to compress to a shorter length... or maybe to fit inside the follower. All you need is about 3-3-½" longer than the tube. Flat nose vs round nose ammo can also affect capacity. 7 170 grain FN cartridges loaded w/an OAL of 2.540" take up 17.78", so depending on how long the stack of mag plug, compressed spring & follower is determines whether the rim of that seventh cartridge can slip past the spring cover and onto the carrier.

[Carlsen Highway]

I just never knew you might get more than six, so I was surprised. I thought I had miscounted at first.
Oh well. The rifle is probably unfired, although old stock, and I am reasonably sure it has has not been tampered with. I am the first person to make a mark on the loading gate.
It is not a weak spring, and not ridiculously stiff either, just feels like its strong and 'normal'.
Very good.

[Dave B]

An XTR in 7x30 Waters with a 24" barrel will hold 8 in the tube. (Federal factory loads)

Dave B