A friend of mine has a 1949 model 94 in .32 wcf (I think...or .32 special maybe?) I'm not too sure of the condition but I'm pretty sure it's in good working order. He wants to sell it with a Lawrence leather scabbard for $500. He's not sure about the specifics at the moment it could be a carbine or rifle. It's tucked away in his safe, I'll go check it out later.
Any opinions? I've been lurking on this site for a bit now and now I think I NEED a pre-64! :rolleyes:

Although $500 sounds perhaps a little high, it all depends upon the condition and model, I've seen run-of-the-mill pre-64 model 94's out here actually sell rather quickly at gun shows for $500 and up, with regularity. I think part of the price issue has to do with geographic area as well, for some reason.

Hey, if you go look at it and it simply cries out to you, well, just consider they haven't made pre-64 model 94's for at least 40 years :D They probably won't become more plentiful either :)

Let us know what you find!

God Bless,

I have a 1950 vintage 94 in .32 Special that I picked up for $279.00 which at that price should have been in 70% condition . In my eyes the gun easily grades 85'ish% and should have commanded a higher price but I'm not one to tell a retailer he's made a mistake in grading a gun , I was too busy rapidly peeling green backs out of my wallet before a nearby samaritan alerted him to the error of his ways, (May God Forgive Me).


444fitch

At the way prices are now it seems like a fair price.
although the last Winchester 30/30 i bought was new and under 100.00
but then again that was some time ago .
It seems like i have been freezed dried for the last 25 or 30 years and am just now unthawing into a market were ever thing in the way of gun prices
has going out of this world.
If i remmber right i payed about 130.00 for my 444 marlin
I payed 99.00 for my Frist S&W mod 28 New
Abit more for the sec one and so on
My Ruger /06 was 98.00 new a disc sporting good
And you could buy most any Rifle out of the Herters catolog for under 130.00 that is the barl/acti/ 375 ..458..Were have i been?
That gun prices have gone up so fast ...When i went down town the other day and asked for my fav/gun powder for the 357 mag thay told me that thay had never heard of GRAY B ? ..And that i could buy some of this other powder /win 296... for somthing like 16.00 a can ...A CAN!!
gezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz some one refreeze me and send me back

thanks for hearing me out //Signed Frozen Hard

If it is a 1949, its a carbine, rifles were phased out circa 1932, although there were rifles built later with left over stock. $500 is high for a 32 Winchester Special in our part of the country, they normally do not bring as much as other caliber's. How much is the scabbard worth? As Mr. Stanton said, they ain't making 'em anymore and they will only go up in price. Look at it this way, you wouldn't be paying to much, just to soon. There were only 2,600,011 pre-64s made, compared to four times that many post-64s.

Edited for correction: it is two and one half times as many, the Model 94 is just now a little over 6,500,000 produced.

Hello Clint, your probably looking at a 32 special as the 32WCF, should be a 32-20. A model 94 in 32 special, in nice shape should be able to be got for around $300 - $375. Altough i agree completely about the crazy gun prices, going nowhere but up,way up.If it`s nice,original and comes with the scabbord, i`d consider it.

I'll be checking it out this weekend.

The scabbard is a Lawrence made locally here in Oregon, very high quality (new, I believe). I did a search on the net and found nothing on it. I'm guessing it'd be in the $100-$150 category.

I went through 44 pages of posts on the Leverguns forum and only found mention of the .32 spl. once or twice. Were there less of them made? Is there a reason why it's not popular?

I think I'll just see if it speaks to me. I've handled many guns and if it has something to say, I should hear it!

Clint,

Usually folks pay bigger money for 25/35, 38/55, 32/40, then the 30/30 and finally the 32WS. There is nothing wrong with the 32WS, it's a great cartridge. It is very close ballistically to the 30/30 which was introduced 7 years earlier, many believe that is what hurt the 32WS popularity. I have a 1939 32WS and love it.

BTW, does this 94 happen to be a Flatband? They will, at times, bring more money than pre-64s.

I'm not familiar with the flat band. I'm assuming it has to do with the barrel band being...well...flat instead of slightly rounded?

This could become addicting! And I don't even have my first one yet!

You're correct sir, the front band was flat as you guessed and it is one of the lower production variations of the Model 94 (circa 1943 to 1949). You are also correct that it is highly addictive and can get complicated too!

That gentlemen is the price we pay for cowboys and their leverguns as heroes. Something that is in our heritage, our parents loved westerns and we grew up on them (us ole coots 2/18/46) It'll get better as there is many westerns coming out and a new batch of kids to see the bad guys bite the dust at the hands of the good guy with a winchester.

Just checked it out. Serial # 159XXXX

I don't know much about grading a gun but it is all original, only has one spot of wear on the reciever. The barrel and tube have good bluing. The front and rear stock have what appears to be original finish with no wear. They have what appears to be normal handling marks?
The front site and hood are there as well as the rear buckhorn site. The butt plate looks original, metal with a checkered appearance. The action is tight, the bore is bright! Nothing loose on this gun. I don't think it has been fired much at all. No flatband though, it's slightly rounded.
If I were to grade it with my limited knowledge of grading, I'd say it's 80-85%

The scabbard is in like new condition, very nice. Don't know it's value but I'd say around $100.

He was in a hurry heading out of town so we'll work it out later, but I think it'll come home with me! When I shoulderd that gun it felt like an old friend. ;)

We also handled his Win. 1895 30-06. I was surprised at the wieght of that brute! That's a whole different animal then the '94!

Congrats Clint!

Sounds like a nice one, serial puts at late '49. That's why it has the contoured barrel band, reintroduced near serial 1,550,000.

Does the wear happen to be on the bottom of the receiver? If so, that's normal, its were most people held them when carrying 'em.

The wear on the receiver is exactly where the cupped hand would cradle it. I hadn't thought of that.

I was surprised when I worked the action, it was tight like you'd expect from a new gun.

It may not be in NIB condition but it sure has a lot of character! It's funny, I've never bought a gun before that seemed to have a personality. ;)

I really love the older guns that have been cared for well. I picked up a 1950's M70 in 300 H&H over the holidays. It was in great used condition. I wonder what stories the rifle could tell?

Sounds like you made quite a find. Good luck with it and enjoy it.

Clint,

Thats one reason I love the 94s. They handle like a living thing and are as comfortable as a favorite pair of jeans. About two years ago I took 2 does about 20 minutes apart with my grandfathers 1950s vintage 94 30/30.

It was the first time it had been shot at a deer in probably 30 years. It is nearly perfect with only a slight hair sized scratch on the reciever put there by a clumsy 14 year old (me decades ago).

This rifle was used by my grandfather and went to Germany with him in the early 50s. My father and an uncle also used it and so have I. When my son is a bit older he will use it as well. Four generations using the same rifle. There are no longer very many things that last and connect us in such a way.

Ah, the history of an old gun! And the history they have yet to make!

Reb

Those are the hierlooms that really have some meaning! Some day your grandson can say that his great, great grand dad hunted with the very rifle he is using.
I love those stories!

Just picked up a 1952 model 94 in a 32 special and a marlin 336 in a 30-30-----325 for both out the door. This is my second 32 special and both were made in '52. I am very pleased with my purchase even tho it is not in quite as good a shape as the gun previously talked about. Wood and barrel are great tho. Never broke down a 94 but sure would like to thoroughly clean it and lightly lubricate-----it is pretty dirty inside. Those of you who have done---do you think I can do it without putting my tail between legs with the parts to a local gunsmith??

cochran,

Your first time can be intimidating, after that you shouldn't have any trouble. This may be of help; http://members.fortunecity.com/oldvalkyry/winch.html