One of these days . . .

[Steelbanger]

. . I'm going to buy an R92 in 357. It has been on my list since RD started this forum. Let me relate my last attempt of ordering it. Last week I was at my dealers shop having him ship a rifle for me. I was going to see if he could locate a Rossi for me after we finished the shipping business. On the used rack was a Winchester Big Bore 375 in really nice condition. I asked to check it and it sure was a beauty. I didn't make a commitment but that rifle was really eating at me. The next day I drove back with the intention of getting the Winchester. Bad luck showed up before that. First, the 375 had been sold and second, a like-new Marlin 39A Century Limited showed up. Nicely fitted wood and a 20" octagon barrel. This 39A is over 40 years old and if the brass fittings were polished it would look brand new. So I brought that one home instead. Both groups were 10 shots each fired at 25 yds. Top chicken shots are with Federal High Power LR and bottom tgt. was fired with CCI Mini Mag LR HP. Very happy with these groups because regular open sights to me are constructed of fuzz! And, NO, I am not embarrassed with my crab grass showing as it is the only grass that the dog can't kill.

The R92 will have to wait, again.

39A, CL, First groups.jpg

[Ranch Dog]

Dude, good for you but I could not have passed up the 375! I wish leverguns came into the shops in South Texas but they are few and far between.

[Maximumbob54]

Have we been bad and that is why you are punishing us with no pictures???

[Model 52]

Winchester Big Bore 94s are getting harder to find in nice condition at reasonable money. Even with some dings, they'll bring $600-$650 and in excellent condition they'll go for $800 in .375 and more in .356 and .307. The worst part is that it's hard to find them at a reasonable price as sellers really are often asking for more than they are worth in the $1000 range. So if and when you find one priced to sell, buy it immediately as it will sell fast.

I got this one for $500 a couple years ago and it's become my favorite rifle caliber lever gun:



It's great fun with full house 220 gr jacketed bullet loads and full power 280 gr gas checked cast bullet loads with RL-7, or mild 250 gr plain based cast bullet loads with Unique.

[akuser47]

Yes, I love those ol 39a rifles, My uncle had a 39ADl that was so pretty and new in the box I had offered alot of cash for it many time he would not sell then he had a break in and all his heirlooms were stolen He then wished he had sold it so then at least that would had been in our family still. I liked it so much the marlin scope and the sqiurrel cutout in the stock looked so nice,

[pricedo]

Dude, good for you but I could not have passed up the 375! I wish leverguns came into the shops in South Texas but they are few and far between.

It's a safe assumption that Texas is scoped bolt action country.

[Steelbanger]

Michael,
Having owned several Winchesters over the last 15 years or so I am a bit "gun shy" to get another in spite of their good looks. The first I had I bought new, a Legacy 357 mag for silhouette with a 24" round barrel. That rifle was an accurate machine but developed recurrent problems that the big W couldn't fix. That one went toward my first 38-55 Marlin. Next one I bought was a 1976 M94. That is the only one that I let slip through my fingers and I still miss it. That rifle had a great trigger, was accurate, and never gave me any troubles. I briefly held an NRA Cowboy Silhouette National Senior Record with that gun, 48 X 60. Next up was one of the last 20" 38-55's from the old Win. plant. That thing was so rough loading, shooting, ejecting. I bet the lever required 25 pounds of squeeze to allow the trigger to be used. I sold that one at a gun show and people were tapping me on the shoulder, asking to buy it until I finally gave in. Last one I bought was a commemorative, T. Roosevelt model. It had a long barrel, nickeled receiver and hardware but it was only a flash in the pan. Cleaning it I would always find flakes of plating and wondered how long before the receiver starts to peel so off she went.

Probably a real Winchester man could have fixed some of my problems but even Winchester in CT couldn't repair my 357 and they were gone before I even owned the 38-55.

[pricedo]

I tend to shy away from the 1964 - 2006 Winchesters from the New Haven factory and am always interested in pre-64 94s of which I own 2 or post 2010 94s (Miroku built) when the price is right. I own 1 post 2010 Winchester which is a model 94 Trails End in 450 Marlin.
The quality of some of the later 94s I handled that were manufactured just before the New Haven factory closing in 2006 was atrocious.
The pre-64 and post-2010 94s are very high quality and slick functioning rifles.

[Model 52]

Personally I think the mid 1970s to 1982 are the sweet spot for "shooter" Model 94s. Most of the faults in the 1964 models were ironed out by then and the quality was very good and it was pre-angle eject.

There is too much casual collector interest in the pre-64s to keep the prices reasonable. That's ironic as the major decline on quality was in the post war Model 94s. 1964 was just a lighting rod as some of the changes such as using roll pins and a stamped steel lifter were so egregious.

I also like the Miroku built rifles. Winchester purists are offended by Miroku rifles, but they build a really nice firearms, as good as or even better than any Winchester built lever gun since WWII.

On the other hand for the $1100-1300 they want for a new Miroku built lever gun, you can find a pretty decent post war to 1964 Model 94 as long as you stay with .30-30.

[Ranch Dog]

It's a safe assumption that Texas is scoped bolt action country.

Yes, that is a safe assumption. A lot of hunters own them but few hunt with them.

I did venture into a shop yesterday to kill some time and found a nice Remington 600 Mohawk chambered in 308 Win for $500. I pondered this for a bit as I have wanted the straight up 600 chambered in 35 Rem for quite some time but don't want to pay the $1300 to $2500 it will take to get one. I've thought about taking a 600 in 308 and having it rebored/rechambered to 358 Win so this Mohawk was a close consideration.

In my youth the 600 and 660 were very popular brush country hunting rifles. I still see a lot of old timers toting their 660s chambered in 6.5 Rem Mag. Back in the day, a lot of fellows gave up their long barreled 264 Win Mags and 7mm Rem Mags in favor of this rifle and it seems to continue to be strong. Ammo is still on the shelf down here for the 6.5 Rem Mag and I assume that is because of the demand. These short barreled rifles proved worthy of the box tower blind sendero hunting that remains the mainstay of killing South Texas bucks.

This would do for me but... Gunbroker Rem 600 35 Rem with Extras