date of manufacture winchester model 94 ranger

Also in the eighties USRAC introduced 'Angle Eject', where the right side of the receiver is relieved a little bit and instead of ejecting cases straight up, it more or less tosses them sideways to the right. If you can get a good deal on a 1980's or later M94, it's probably worth it and you can maybe get a better price because 'it ain't a Pre-64'.

I believe when the Winchester line was bought out by USRAC (late seventies?), they went back to a machined steel receiver. That said, I don't think they had any issues other than looks. Those that have the 'anodized' like black finished receiver were made from sintered metal, I believe. They all work and shoot! Suppose I'd rather take a newer 94 to the woods that operated flawless as opposed to a worn out 20's vintage SRC! And I've worked on some wore out old dogs!!!Īny of y'all ever see any of those 94's that came out of Mexico back in the 80's? Old mexican rev guns. But we bought the oldest son a 94 late 60's early 70's vintage that has accounted for more deer than any other rifle he owns. And they are generally easier to locate on the market. Now having said that if given my choice when 94 to buy I'd go with anything built from wartime 1942 thru about 1960. Winchester was in pretty dire financial straits I the 60's and came out with a lot of cost cutting manufacturing procedures and new firearm designs to get money in the coffers. But the he main thing is they all work and shoot. Then there are differences in the manufacturing and parts even among the post 64 models. There are big differences in the manufacturing procedures vs the pre and post 64 everything from winchester. They all do what they were designed to do. But given a decent example of either, they'll both kill stuff just the same. The pre-64s sell for nutty prices these days, while perfectly good post-64s sit there gathering dust with way smaller price tags on them. But if it shoots straight, I think you'll get more gun for the money with a post-64.

Given the choice I'd have still chosen mine, but for silly inconsequential reasons (I just really disliked the sharp horizontal stippling on his hammer, vs the smooth square stippling on mine).Īs with any gun, I'd make sure there's nothing wrong and/or weird with it before forking over the money. His gun was more accurate than mine (but then again his was significantly less clapped out, too), but mine had fewer sharp edges. Honestly, I think that a lot of the pre- vs post-64 stuff gets blown a little out of proportion. I had a school buddy that I hunted with a good bit who used a post-64 model 94, also chambered in. 30-30 for shooting everything larger than and including groundhogs. When I was a kid, I used a pre-64 model 94 in.

Date of manufacture winchester model 94 ranger