A shop I've dealt with for a few years had a new Winchester model 1894 Trails End takedown levergun in 450 Marlin on for $1299.99 which is about $150 off the regular price so I bought one as a running mate for my BLR (also a takedown) in the same caliber.
Opened the box and checked the gun overall and then cycled the action..........smooth as a babys _ _ _ ! ....... what !!.......no cosmoline.......no metal grindings .......and w/m fit impeccable .......and the butt stock and forearm are the same color.
Stripping this gun apart will be a waste of time (but I'll do it anyway out of curiosity) as the smoothness of the action bespeaks silently to the fact that I won't find a single burr inside that receiver housing.
I think Winchester should have printed a warning on the guns barrel,
"Don't cycle this gun while driving, operating its ultra-smooth action may cause drowsiness."
The gun has a natural low luster natural walnut finish and not the usual glossy epoxy finish of the Miroku BLR.
The rifle weighs 6 pounds 12 ounces & I'm sure the Pachmayr recoil pad will be much appreciated when I squeeze the trigger on my next range visit.
At the same time I picked up a Leupold VX-2, 2-7x28mm Ultralight scope which is 2" shorter and 4 oz. lighter than the usual Leupold "Rifleman" scope I use on my heavy hitters.......a little over $500 (tax inc) was a bit pricey but you don't mount a pedestrian scope on an aristocrat gun.
I will post "after"pictures and pictures of the gun taken down when I get it set up with a Quake Claw sling with the choker loop on the barrel end which will necessitate one small pilot hole for the conventional sling swivel eye stud that goes in the butt stock.
Have the rings.......still waiting for the mounts.
The gun is an angle eject so I will mount the new compact scope on the receiver.
The gun itself is as light as my 20" Amadeo Rossi 92/454 and I'm guesstimating the factory ammo pushes a 350 grain Hornady FP around 2050 fps out the guns 20" barrel so they're about in the same ballpark power wise as my 335 grain hardcast lead bullets exit the 92/454 about 1950 fps.........not that a deer, hog or bear would ever feel the difference as it joined its ancestors in big game heaven.
One advantage of the 92/454 is that 100 rounds of its ammo takes up a whole lot less space in a rucksack that 100 rounds of the 450 Marlin cigar-like cartridges but then again I can "takedown" the Winchester 94/450 and store it in a briefcase.
