# Winchester 94 help



## mhayes (Jan 3, 2014)

Ok guys. My son just inherited his Grandads 94. My father in law is now 63 and he bought this gun used when he was 15. After he got married he left the gun in his moms attic. We just pulled it out last week. It works fine, bore looks good. But the barrel is NOT safe from rust. I have a few questions before I decide what to do. We would like to know a guesstimate at the age just for my father in law inquiring mind. The next is how would I proceeded to restore this gun to a good operating I rust free firearm? I have done some blueing "repair" to some of my rifles. But this one needs to be redone completely. Would you do it or just leave it? My so would love to hunt with this gun one day. So I am thinking it is worth it. The stock would not be a problem as far as ding damage goes. But what finish should I use to refinish? The old finish is "flanking"off. thanks for your opinions in advance. What part of the serial number do I need to post for someone to help with age?


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## mhayes (Jan 3, 2014)

*Pics*

Pic of stock


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## mhayes (Jan 3, 2014)

*Pic 2*

Gun


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## 7Mag Hunter (Jan 3, 2014)

If it were mine, I would refinish the wood myself, and take
hardware to gunsmith to do hot blue finish and check/lap
barrel to remove rust......Then enjoy for another 50 yrs....


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## Bamafan4life (Jan 3, 2014)

The first gunstock I ever restored was a 94 and it was a true father son project when I was 14, god I wish I still had the gun since my dad ended up passing when I was 17 but me And had fun trading guns over the years as well, whatever you do I suggest making it a father son project


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## Resica (Jan 3, 2014)

Plug your gun's serial number in the box. Ought to spit out a year.



http://www.savage99.com/winchester1894_dates.htm


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## mhayes (Jan 4, 2014)

Resica said:


> Plug your gun's serial number in the box. Ought to spit out a year.
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.savage99.com/winchester1894_dates.htm



Thanks for that Resica. It appears it is a 1961 model. I don't want to put this thing back to a Org condition or nothing. My father in law would like to see my son actually use the gun as was intended. But I would like it to look better. Whats the best home remedy for rebluing?


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## Whiteeagle (Jan 4, 2014)

mhayes said:


> Thanks for that Resica. It appears it is a 1961 model. I don't want to put this thing back to a Org condition or nothing. My father in law would like to see my son actually use the gun as was intended. But I would like it to look better. Whats the best home remedy for rebluing?



mhayes, if it were my rifle and my father(now gone) wanted my son to have it, I would simply take off the wood and go over the metal with some 0000 steel wool soaked in LOTS of quality gun oil and clean the wood with some good furniture oil and re-assemble! If you refinish and re-blue, you are taking away some of the "MEMORIES" of the great times this rifle has given to the former owner and passes on to the new! just my thoughts!


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## dotties cutter (Jan 4, 2014)

I would go with Whiteeagle"s advice and leave as much of the past with the gun as possible. the inside of the barrel and firing mechanism would be my concern if I planned to use the gun. if all is well there you should be good for many more years to come and a lot of new memories to add to all the great old ones. A model 94 was my first purchase in 1962 for a deer rifle and the gun I first took a buck with at lake Butler WMA in Florida the following year.


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## mhayes (Jan 4, 2014)

Whiteeagle said:


> mhayes, if it were my rifle and my father(now gone) wanted my son to have it, I would simply take off the wood and go over the metal with some 0000 steel wool soaked in LOTS of quality gun oil and clean the wood with some good furniture oil and re-assemble! If you refinish and re-blue, you are taking away some of the "MEMORIES" of the great times this rifle has given to the former owner and passes on to the new! just my thoughts!



Thanks Whiteeagle, My concern is the rust is pretty bad. If I work it all the way off or down to a smooth finish, I will believe that I would be left with bare metal. How far would you go with this? The workings of the gun are in good condition.


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## 021 (Jan 4, 2014)

Try a "Frontier 45 pad" to remove the rust. They seem to do that quite well and leave the bluing intact. You can find them online, and they are inexpensive. The fellas over at Rimfire Central swear by them, although I have not personally tried them myself.


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## Whiteeagle (Jan 4, 2014)

mhayes, I have not used the Frontier 45 pad that 021 recommends, but sounds interesting, but the 0000 steel wool with plenty of light oil will "slick up" the finish without removing the blue. It's like cleaning chrome wheels with a Brillo pad, the soap in the pad keeps the steel wool from scratching the wheel. I am going to try the Frontier 45 pad since I have heard some GOOD reports about it.


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## 021 (Jan 5, 2014)

Big Frontier 45 is the proper name, sorry. I just slung that on here off the top of my head, and apparently, there's  not much up there...


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## mhayes (Jan 5, 2014)

Thanks guys! I am looking into it.


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