Resident Model 94 gurus: pre 64 question

[HanzMcFeely]

Picked up a 50-51 production 94. Round barrel, 24” with half buckhorn sight. Trying to compare/date it in relation to the one i used growing up, since id like to buy one just like it eventually. It had full buckhorns, saddle rings, and a round barrel.

Round barrel from what i can tell puts it ‘34 or later when they discontinued octagon on factory production. What about the full buckhorns and saddle rings though? Cant seem to find a date on when they phased in/out

[Emptymag]

[Noah_Zark]

Picked up a 50-51 production 94. Round barrel, 24* with half buckhorn sight. Trying to compare/date it in relation to the one i used growing up, since id like to buy one just like it eventually. It had full buckhorns, saddle rings, and a round barrel.

Round barrel from what i can tell puts it *34 or later when they discontinued octagon on factory production. What about the full buckhorns and saddle rings though? Cant seem to find a date on when they phased in/out

The saddle ring was a special order option on Model 94s after s/n 950,000 (ca. 1924). However the factory installed saddle rings on special runs of Model 94s for various distributors through end of domestic production in the mid 2000s. There were 16" "Trapper" models in a variety of chamberings made in the 1990s through 2006. Some commemoratives had saddle rings, too.

Style 24 and 32 full (California) buckhorn rear sights were always a special order option.

Your best option to duplicate the rifle you used in your youth would be to find a round-barrel pre-64 Model 94 already with a factory saddle ring, and then buy a full buckhorn rear sight from a vendor specializing in old sights. The rifle will be four-digit $$$$, and the rear sight will be three-digit $$$.

Noah

[HanzMcFeely]

The saddle ring was a special order option on Model 94s after s/n 950,000 (ca. 1924). However the factory installed saddle rings on special runs of Model 94s for various distributors through end of domestic production in the mid 2000s. There were 16" "Trapper" models in a variety of chamberings made in the 1990s through 2006. Some commemoratives had saddle rings, too.

Style 24 and 32 full (California) buckhorn rear sights were always a special order option.

Your best option to duplicate the rifle you used in your youth would be to find a round-barrel pre-64 Model 94 already with a factory saddle ring, and then buy a full buckhorn rear sight from a vendor specializing in old sights. The rifle will be four-digit $$$$, and the rear sight will be three-digit $$$.

Noah

Thanks Noah. Kind of what i was thinking.

I did find an aftermarket company with a full buckhorn sight for a reasonable price. Also another company that has a bolt on rear sight plate to convert to peep sights.

Id like to change the front sight to fiberoptic on this one...i cant see/focus on that tiny dot in the rear half buckhorns

I’ll play with it. Found out theres no collectors value in this rifle since its been re-blued and has a SS# engraved on it. Maybe i’ll build it out to be a period correct cav scout rifle. Its a 20” barrel and not a 24” too fwiw. Need to see how it patterns first though

[Noah_Zark]

Try a dab of almond colored appliance touch up paint on the front sight brass bead. It's inexpensive and does wonders for visibility. Use a q-tip dipped in isopropyl alcohol, carb or brake cleaner, or acetone to clean oil off the brass bead first.

Noah

[HanzMcFeely]

Try a dab of almond colored appliance touch up paint on the front sight brass bead. It's inexpensive and does wonders for visibility. Use a q-tip dipped in isopropyl alcohol, carb or brake cleaner, or acetone to clean oil off the brass bead first.

Noah

I was going to try red nail polish but that may work better. If neither cheap option works, a fiber optic front sight is pretty inexpensive. Just need to figure out what size dovetail my rifle uses

Rear sight option:

https://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/prod/006800

Theres another product i found that mounts to the factory sight using the screws on the bladr, i cant seem to find it again though

May just grab a set of truglo sights at cabelas and call it good enough. Or just get a fiber front and figure out a ghost ring/peep rear. I want this to be a shooter, not a safe queen.

[HanzMcFeely]

FWIW: first trip to the range. 2 fouling shots off paper and 2x 3shot groups @25yd. Under an inch on the first 3 shot group (6” target). Opened up to about 1.25” on a 3” target. Good enough for a deer at 100yd

Sights are getting worked. I cant see that front sight very well with the semi buckhorn sight

[edritchey]

You might want to try some 170gr. ammo most of my pre-64 94s seem to group better with the heavier bullets for some reason and the ballistics make it a better Deer cartridge. I know they are getting hard to find but the Winchester 170gr. Silvertip bullets are a really good option.

A good product for site paint is some stuff I get from Brownell's it's not cheap but it will stay on there forever if you follow the direction and prep it correctly. Click here to view product

[HanzMcFeely]

Got some old school core lokt 170gr i want to try out. Its at the LGS getting a HiViz f/o front sight and hammer extension installed.

Looking at the williams 5D rear peep with the shroud removed. I’ll have receiver tapped. Snap on scout mount rail for a rec dot might happen yet too

[Gunplummer]

Corlokt. The best low velocity expanding bullet made. Period. They expand hitting bone and they expand hitting soft spots. I even load their 150 grain 30-30 SPCL in my 7.62x39 for deer.