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This one was abused more than once, the sad part, if it was just left alone, it would be in the $4K to $5K value. Made in 1905, the full model designation is, "Model 1894 Saddle Ring Carbine, Special Order, Half Magazine". In 1905, Winchester was turning out an average of 115 rifles a day. Some, like a take down, took a month to get from the Polishing Room date stamp, to being received in the warehouse. They were pretty much a production line rifle. The half octagon, half magazine rifle was too.
The Special Order Half Magazine started out as a Saddle Ring Carbine, and then fitted with a special barrel, and a half mag, and all of that was hand fitted. I found that out the hard way. I didn't have the factory parts bins to cherry pick through either!
The only thing worse than Bubba with a Dremel tool, is Bubba with a vertical mill, that he doesn't know how to use. The first Bubba attack was a re-blue. Then he decided he wanted a full length mag tube, but didn't want the front sight or saddle ring. Milled off the Carbine front sight, and cut it for a dovetailed sight. A mag tube ring had to be dovetailed in the bottom of the barrel. That's when he realized he was in over his head.
The dovetail cut wasn't clocked true with the receiver, and not quite 90 degrees to the barrel. He tried to correct it, gave up, and silver soldered it in place. That's as far as he got.
Fast forward, the current owner brings it to me like that, with just the forearm taped to the barrel. Instructions were to make it shoot, and as cheap as possible. I didn't know what it was, until I see a small cut just forward of the forearm. Damage was done, best course was to finish it up into a full mag carbine. Get the parts to do it, and then I discover the tube ring is close, but no where close enough.
Plan B, make it back into a half mag. I've done numerous mag tube replacements, repairs, and fabrications, but never did a half mag on a 94 from scratch. I won't be doing another one any time soon. None of the experts could tell me how long the mag spring was. Pure luck, and calibrated eyeball measurement, I got it the first cut. Lots of measurements before I cut the tube to length, then stoned for the exact fit, and it has to be "exact".
Ground off the borked mag ring, and profiled it to the barrel. Everything fitted and back together, ...and the loading gate won't move. Hanging up on the carrier, I pull it apart and find the carrier is bent like a rocker on a chair. I have no clue how you could even bend one like that. A $100 replacement wasn't in the budget, so I took a chance at making it straight, and it didn't break!
When I got it:
No beauty queen, but back in action.
The Special Order Half Magazine started out as a Saddle Ring Carbine, and then fitted with a special barrel, and a half mag, and all of that was hand fitted. I found that out the hard way. I didn't have the factory parts bins to cherry pick through either!
The only thing worse than Bubba with a Dremel tool, is Bubba with a vertical mill, that he doesn't know how to use. The first Bubba attack was a re-blue. Then he decided he wanted a full length mag tube, but didn't want the front sight or saddle ring. Milled off the Carbine front sight, and cut it for a dovetailed sight. A mag tube ring had to be dovetailed in the bottom of the barrel. That's when he realized he was in over his head.
The dovetail cut wasn't clocked true with the receiver, and not quite 90 degrees to the barrel. He tried to correct it, gave up, and silver soldered it in place. That's as far as he got.
Fast forward, the current owner brings it to me like that, with just the forearm taped to the barrel. Instructions were to make it shoot, and as cheap as possible. I didn't know what it was, until I see a small cut just forward of the forearm. Damage was done, best course was to finish it up into a full mag carbine. Get the parts to do it, and then I discover the tube ring is close, but no where close enough.
Plan B, make it back into a half mag. I've done numerous mag tube replacements, repairs, and fabrications, but never did a half mag on a 94 from scratch. I won't be doing another one any time soon. None of the experts could tell me how long the mag spring was. Pure luck, and calibrated eyeball measurement, I got it the first cut. Lots of measurements before I cut the tube to length, then stoned for the exact fit, and it has to be "exact".
Ground off the borked mag ring, and profiled it to the barrel. Everything fitted and back together, ...and the loading gate won't move. Hanging up on the carrier, I pull it apart and find the carrier is bent like a rocker on a chair. I have no clue how you could even bend one like that. A $100 replacement wasn't in the budget, so I took a chance at making it straight, and it didn't break!
When I got it:
No beauty queen, but back in action.
I have no words....
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