Winchester 94 Trapper - "Gunsmith"?

[Thump]

Hello: (I'm very active on the forum so forgive me if this topic has been answered before.)

I want to have a 'professional' gunsmith convert my 45LC Trapper to 454 Casull. I hope it can be done within allowable pressure limits for the action:
1. Has anyone done this?
2. Is there a good gunsmith that would do the conversion for me?

Many Thanks - "Thump"

[C. Cash]

Welcome Thump!

I would say a most definite no on the 454 Conversion. The Win. 94 action was not intended for anything near the 60,000+ CUP of the 454 Casul. In fact a member of our group here, Buck Elliott who I believe worked as an engineer for Freedom Arms, mounted a 454 Casul barrel onto about 20 or so donated Mod. 94 recievers. His purpose was to show that the action was unacceptable because many were considering the conversion and he didn't want to see folks get hurt. I don't believe many made it past the 20 shot mark in terms of being safe to fire anymore(headspace and peening of metal surfaces). The Marlin 336's gave up the ghost even sooner.

The only suitable Lever action for the 454 Casul is the Mod. 92 Win., which has the vertical twin locking lugs(not angled like the Mod. 94 Win.'s single locking lug, which makes the bolt want to climb up and out of the action rails). There's even controversy around whether some of these modern 92's offered in 454 Casul will handle the cartridge over the long run.

I'll bet you can safely conconct some real stomper loads for the 45 Colt, though.

[Hobie]

Mr. Cash has it right. However, the .45 Colt rifle can about equal the .454 revolver due to the difference in barrel length. The Trapper, a little less so. There is likely enough value in that .45 Colt trapper to get you a long ways towards a .454 Rossi 92.

[J Miller]

I agree with the above comments. However to put it into a different context, from the Win 94 AE the 45 Colt using H110 powder and a 300gr bullet can be loaded to equal the old 45-90 black powder load. 45-300-1500. That is nothing to sneer at. If the shooter can put the bullet where it needs to go he can take any game animal on this continent.

Joe

[Hobie]

I agree with the above comments. However to put it into a different context, from the Win 94 AE the 45 Colt using H110 powder and a 300gr bullet can be loaded to equal the old 45-90 black powder load. 45-300-1500. That is nothing to sneer at. If the shooter can put the bullet where it needs to go he can take any game animal on this continent.

Joe

JOE IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT AND I HAVE SAID THE SAME MANY TIMES. (Darn, I was channeling Terry there for a minute...) In fact, I so load my .45 Colt carbine (20" barrel).

[MrMurphy]

If you wanna go that big, drop the cash on that new .500 Magnum levergun.

At least it's designed for it up front.

[markinalpine]

I'm not trying to spend your money, but Marlin makes a .450 guide gun. 18" or so barrel.
Just a thought.
Mark

[Griff]

... And Welcome. I'll get to my answer in a second... 1st, I'm confused... is there an adverb missing here?

Posts: 1
...(I'm very active on the forum so forgive me if this topic has been answered before.)

Back to our regularly scheduled question -

I want to have a 'professional' gunsmith convert my 45LC Trapper to 454 Casull. I hope it can be done within allowable pressure limits for the action:
1. Has anyone done this?
2. Is there a good gunsmith that would do the conversion for me?
Many Thanks - "Thump"

When describing gunsmiths, "good" and "professional" are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but neither are they necessarily accurate in all cases. However, you probably won't find one that fits both those words willing to do that rechambering. And if you do, run like the devil is after ya!

The .45Colt is really in its element in a modern clone of the 1892 Winchester... (read Rossi). But, to reach those levels, Rossi did some additional enhancements to their standard rifle in order to sustain the recoil of that round. (threaded mag tube, to name one). And there's no differences between the 94 & 1892 Winchesters when it comes to fitting magazine tubes. They are attached in the same fashion, with for all intents & purposes, the same parts. (I ain't sure about the bands... they might even be the same).

But... if you do go ahead... don't expect to see that post could go up. There, was that plain?

[Thump]

Hello: (I'm Not very active on the forum so forgive me if this topic has been answered before.)

Sorry guys but I left out the "NOT" in my original post, and then I had to travel this past weekend and missed the replys that many of you were courteous enough to send. - - My thanks to all.

I think I'll put my .45 lc Win. Trapper in the safe... - - I do like hunting with large caliber leverguns. In 2008, I took my WWG "Co-Pilot" (45/70) to SA and Mozambique. Using Randy Garrett's 540 grain Hammerhead loading as my ammo of choice, I brought down everything I went after. Cape buffalo, Eland, Kudu, Waterbuck, Reedbuck, and an ~8,000# bull Hippo. Only one "Hammerhead required for everything but the buffalo, he took several and still tried to get in my face.

My original plan was to use the 'Trapper' as a short, easy to carry, whitetail deer rifle. Now I'll just stay with my 45/70. This year I took one four point for meat with the 45/70. Overkill, but I don't think I'll ever have to shoot more than once...

[Hobie]

Well, the Trapper .45 Colt can be loaded to respectable levels, i.e. the aforementioned BP .45-90 Winchester level of 300 at 1500-1600 fps, but not to .454 Casull pressures. It is a good lightweight deer rifle. It is not a candidate for a DGR makeover.

[poisonivie]

The 45 colt in the 94 will shoot through both sides of any deer you'll likely encounter and that's with factory loading.(I've yet to recover a bullet) I shot a 135# feral pig with a 300gr cast Buffalo Bore. Entry was in the face, exit was through the left hip taking out the bone also. That's about 2' +/- of meat and bone. You will rarely have a bullet to look at. Don't feel undergunned with the old 45.

[Griff]

My original plan was to use the 'Trapper' as a short, easy to carry, whitetail deer rifle. Now I'll just stay with my 45/70. This year I took one four point for meat with the 45/70. Overkill, but I don't think I'll ever have to shoot more than once...

Thump,

Forgive my teasin' ya about that... sometimes I don't think how something might be taken, 'fore I've opened my trap. I intended that with good humor... and readily recognize not typing what I mean! Witness:

...Rossi did some additional enhancements to their standard rifle in order to sustain the recoil of that round. (threaded mag tube, to name one).

As, oy vey! I do it myself! "That round" was meant to refer to the 454 Casull, not the .45Colt! And yer .45Colt would be every bit as good a whitetail round with the right bullet. The .44-40 has accounted for its fair share of deer, and I think the Colt round has a far better selection of excellent bullets ideally suited for almost this exact purpose.