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Winchester Forend stocks

old-dog
I have two Winchester Model 94's One from 1955 and another from 1956, both in 30-30 WIN Caliber Both are 37 1/2" overall length. Both butt stocks are 13" in length. However, the forend from the 55 is 9" in length and the forend from the 56 is 8" in length. The 55 is outfitted with a carry strap and both stocks, the butt and the forend, are drilled for this purpose.

Can anyone provide an explanation for the difference between the two forends? Both rifles seem exactly the same except for this anomoly.

Thanks for your input here.
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Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • Bert H.
    Are you absolutely sure that the Carbine with the longer 9-1/8" forend stock is a 1955 vintage gun? Winchester made the change from the longer 9-1/8" to the shorter 7-7/8" forend stock in the latter part of the year 1950. If it truly is a 1955 vintage gun, the forend stock is not original to the gun.
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  • old-dog
    quote:Originally posted by Bert H.
    Are you absolutely sure that the Carbine with the longer 9-1/8" forend stock is a 1955 vintage gun? Winchester made the change from the longer 9-1/8" to the shorter 7-7/8" forend stock in the latter part of the year 1950. If it truly is a 1955 vintage gun, the forend stock is not original to the gun.




    Yes I am absolutely sure about the dates since I looked the Serial Numbers up on the Winchester serial number site. So could I swap the stocks of each gun?
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  • Bert H.
    The dates of manufacture found on the "Winchester" website are not accurate! The so called "Winchester" website is not actually the true "Winchester" company... instead, it is a division of the Browning Arms Company, which has been owned by Fabrique National (FN) since 1977. Neither FN or Browning (the Winchester division) has access to the original WINCHESTER factory production records. When the true Winchester (Olin Industries) decided to get out of the firearms manufacturing business in late 1980, what survived of the records was sent to the Cody Firearms Museum (CFM). Most of the records and Winchester Museum inventory was transferred to the the CFM in the mid to late 1970s. The only entity that can provide accurate Winchester dates of manufacture is the CFM. I personally have spent a few thousand hours conducting research of those records at the CFM, and in the past, worked in the research office as an official volunteer research assistant.

    For further background information, you might be interested in reading the following Sticky topics here on the GB Ask the Experts forum;

    http://forums.GunBroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=245213

    http://forums.GunBroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=317678

    http://forums.GunBroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=325084

    In additional to my participation on those topics, I have written several articles (published in the "Winchester Collector" magazine), and I am currently the WACA (Winchester Arms Collectors Association) historian.
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  • Bert H.
    In regards to swapping the stocks, that is your choice to make. No matter what you decide to do, they will never be factory original again.
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  • old-dog
    WOW Thanks Bert. Indeed I respect your expertise here. Holding a degree in US History from Rutgers University, I very much respect the amount of time you have invested in research to be the expert you are in Winchester. Seems like I swerved into the right place here. You have helped me a great deal.I will check my SN's and see if I can solve the riddle of the birth year. Thanks again and I will now go to the links you provided me. Once again, thank you OD

    Follow up:

    Ok according to your SN research the 9 1/8' stock is a 1953 and the 7 7/8" stock is 1956. So we do have a replacement stock om the 1953 and so be it. I have a buyer for it and will disclose what you have supplied me here. Thanks again Bert.
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  • Bert H.
    One other thing that you can do to confirm the year of manufacture is to check the 2-digit year number stamped on the bottom of the barrel (under the forend stock and magazine tube). You will find the year number stamped in the concave part of the barrel right next to where it screws into the receiver frame ring.

    I have a long running research survey that I am working on that covers all of the Model 94s manufactured between 1927 - 1963. If you are interested in participating, send me a PM.

    If you will provide me with the serial numbers on your pair of 94s, I can most likely pin down a more precise date of manufacture.

    The history of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company is a real deep passion of mine. I have spent countless hours researching and studying everything that I find, and in recent years, writing articles and books about it. I will again be assisting Robert C. Renneberg (with his 3rd edition reference book detailing the Models 1894, 55, and 64.
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