Bert or other Winchester guys
The local trading post has a 94 carbine that sports what appears to be a bronze wash on the frame. The owner of the shop says it was produced only in '65, yet the S/N (3,664,478) dates it to the early '70's.
What say you--authentic or not?
What say you--authentic or not?
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It does not appear to be factory original to me. The serial number indicates 1973 as the year of manufacture. 1965 was in the 2.8-million serial number range. 0 -
Bert,
Did Winchester actually produce a bronze-washed receiver on the 94?0 -
Sounds like maybe an aftermarket company or a custom job. I have never seen or heard of one. If you have a photo maybe we can tell. 0 -
I remember, in the late '60's, Winchester offered a 94 "Antique" Carbine with a Bronze-like finish on the receiver.. I believe it had light scrolled engraving, and a saddle ring.. Never paid much attention since it was post-63.. We sold a couple when they first came out.. I left for college in'68, so it was about that time.. 0 -
An attempt at rebluing the difficult to color alloy of post '64 guns, maybe.
I had a gun (not a '94) that came out of the bluing tank with a purple hue due to temperature or chemistry. It aged to a bronze tone with time. I had it reblued and it came back blue, but now wish I had left it alone, it was a distinctive "custom" finish.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Hangfire
I remember, in the late '60's, Winchester offered a 94 "Antique" Carbine with a Bronze-like finish on the receiver.. I believe it had light scrolled engraving, and a saddle ring.. Never paid much attention since it was post-63.. We sold a couple when they first came out.. I left for college in'68, so it was about that time..
This Antique model you speak of has a CCH (color case-hardened) receiver, a brass- or gold-plated saddle ring and trigger and the scrolled engraving you are talking about. Of course, they are of "post-1964" vintage. I think they began being offered in late 1964 or 1965, but not exactly sure for how long they were offered.0 -
Hawk,
It's for sure not discoloration from an attempt at reblue. There are small areas that the "wash" has flaked off and bare metal shows. I'm familiar with reblue attempts on different alloys.
Hangfire,
This gun is an "Eastern" carbine, i.e. no saddle ring, and no engraving.0 -
I suspect this is one of those '94s having a Pearlitic Malleable Cast Iron receiver.
That material was heavily promoted by foundries in the '60s as a substitute for some classes of steel forgings. I know Winchester was taken in.
Properly heat treated it was very strong but didn't take gun blue well.0 -
quote:Originally posted by laxcoach
Bert,
Did Winchester actually produce a bronze-washed receiver on the 94?
No, they did not... at least not on the regular production guns. The Commemoratives were offered with lots of different finishes depending on which specific one you are dealing with.
The variation that Hangfire mentioned (the "Antique") was case color finished used modern chemical methods, and it does have scroll (roll) engraving.0 -
Thanks everyone. 0
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