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Levergun love ~ 35-30! #7105668 03/09/18 02:51 AM
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Ranch Dog Offline OP
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Not much related to leverguns as of late, but I finally finished a project that I've been working on now for several years.

My dad bought a NIB '66 Win M94 Antique in 1968 for $25 at Gibson's in Corpus. Immediately after '64, an M94 was a tough sell, but he liked the saddle ring carbine and even back then you could not argue the price. Since then he has used this rifle on both mule and whitetail deer, pronghorn, javelina, and hog. He is a one rifle guy, and this was his rifle. Some 20 years later, I put a B-Square "no drill" side mount on the rifle for him as his eyes with the "irons" were giving him problems. After our pronghorn season at Marathon in 2005, he told me that the side mount vs. his vision was just not working anymore.



I wanted him to have a nice levergun, so I offered him a Marlin 336ER chambered in 356 Win, but no, if he couldn't shoot a 30-30 Win, he would quit hunting. That is the only cartridge he has hunted with during his 80 years of hunting. So I gave him a Glenfield 30GT, and he was happy as a clam, and I later sold that ER for $2500!



His M94 has sat in my safe since 2005; I haven't shot it as I have five other 30-30 Wins. I asked him what he wanted to do with it and he said: "it's your's, I thought we traded." I didn't want to sell it because of his history with it, so I thought I would turn it into something that I could put a bit more hunting history into for my grandson down the road.

I had the barrel rebored-rechambered to a 35-30 for starters. I like scout rifles and level scouts in particular, so I found a '60s vintage Redfield Jr. scout base. That took awhile but it is a cool, quick release base that incorporates an adjustable rear sight that is regulated to the factory Winchester M94 front sight. The Redfield kit included a piloted drill, tap, and template so a fellow could do the work himself! The stock had a slightly curved buttstock, and I needed a little more length of pull, so I cut it square and installed a spacer and Decelerator. Finally, I refinished the walnut stock but was careful to keep any wear my father has placed on the rifle. For instance, he wore a ring on his right hand, and he shot the rifle enough that it wore a mark at the grip. He gave me that ring when I went into the Army.

Anyway, I think it turned out good, and it shoots a 190-grain cast bullet of my design very well. The case hardened receiver on this model makes it pop!









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Re: Levergun love ~ 35-30! [Re: Ranch Dog] #7105677 03/09/18 02:56 AM
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If you have never seen a 35-30 cartridge, here is one. CH4D makes dies for it and cases are formed from 30-30 Win brass. The picture shows the three cartridges that I shoot with the 190-grain bullet. The cartridge in the center is for my Rossi 92. I must use 38 Spl brass to make the cartridge OAL work out and I load it to 40.0K PSI for 1785 FPS. It will thump the heck out of a whitetail or hog.



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Re: Levergun love ~ 35-30! [Re: Ranch Dog] #7105679 03/09/18 02:58 AM
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kmon11 Online Shocked
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Great looking rifle, use it with pride and pass it on some day.


lf the saying "Liar, Liar your pants on fire" were true
Mainstream news might be fun to watch
Re: Levergun love ~ 35-30! [Re: Ranch Dog] #7105681 03/09/18 03:00 AM
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That’s beautiful friend. I don’t agree with a lot of people who say you should never touch up or refinish a rifle with family history. I think it’s adds to its pedigree that you loved it so much you wanted to add to its life by giving it a refinish.


The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference. -George Washington
Re: Levergun love ~ 35-30! [Re: Ranch Dog] #7105692 03/09/18 03:07 AM
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This was a great read and coolpics

Re: Levergun love ~ 35-30! [Re: Ranch Dog] #7105694 03/09/18 03:10 AM
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Great story and a good looking Winchester!


�The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.�
Mark Twain
Re: Levergun love ~ 35-30! [Re: Ranch Dog] #7105705 03/09/18 03:19 AM
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Good story and it shows all this gun talk about shooting everything over 600 yards or nothing with a 300 zip a dee or a 6.5 whoopee is—just talk. You and your dad made great memories with a classic wood gun. Good job.

Re: Levergun love ~ 35-30! [Re: Huntmaster] #7105716 03/09/18 03:30 AM
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Originally Posted By: Huntmaster
Good story and it shows all this gun talk about shooting everything over 600 yards or nothing with a 300 zip a dee or a 6.5 whoopee is—just talk. You and your dad made great memories with a classic wood gun. Good job.


That’s really not fair. It’s not all talk, people do it all the time. But it’s not the only way. You can make great memories with a rifle in a chassis to. Doesn’t make it wrong, just different than the way you did it.


The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference. -George Washington
Re: Levergun love ~ 35-30! [Re: Ranch Dog] #7105718 03/09/18 03:31 AM
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That's a neat story, RD. I didn't realize a 94 could be bought so cheap in the mid-60s.

That .35-30 has a business like look to it. Looks darned close to .38-55/.375 for some odd reason. smile

A little off subject...what bullet do you cast for .38-55/.375?


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Re: Levergun love ~ 35-30! [Re: Ranch Dog] #7105730 03/09/18 03:38 AM
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Beautiful rifle and one heck of a story behind it.


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Re: Levergun love ~ 35-30! [Re: RiverRider] #7105736 03/09/18 03:47 AM
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Thanks, guys! Yeah with all the talk about pre & post '64 Winchesters, you could not give a 1966 M94 away. I was a teenager and was surprised my dad bought the rifle as he was using a 1930 something M94. Said he just couldn't stand seeing that rifle sit there for two years.

Originally Posted By: RiverRider
That's a neat story, RD. I didn't realize a 94 could be bought so cheap in the mid-60s.

That .35-30 has a business like look to it. Looks darned close to .38-55/.375 for some odd reason. smile

A little off subject...what bullet do you cast for .38-55/.375?


Yes, I have a Rossi Rio Grande 30-30 that I bought NIB and sent it straight to JES to be rebore-rechambered to 38-55 with the 375 Win bore & groove specs. I also have a Marlin 375, actually, have owned three of these rifles.



The little pigtail thingy on the Rossi is a strain gauge for my pressure trace equipment. I use 38-55 brass with both the "long" Starline with the 375 Win and the standard length Starline with the 38-55. Here are those cartridges.





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Re: Levergun love ~ 35-30! [Re: Ranch Dog] #7106336 03/09/18 08:22 PM
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Beautiful rifle and great story. Thanks for sharing. My favorite rifle is the pre-64 M94 30-30 my Grandpa gave me. He didn’t hunt but it was his truck gun he carried with him on the farm and ranch. Saw him take quite a few coyotes with it.

Re: Levergun love ~ 35-30! [Re: Ranch Dog] #7106361 03/09/18 08:48 PM
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Nice. Always wanted a .375.

Re: Levergun love ~ 35-30! [Re: Ranch Dog] #7106741 03/10/18 04:15 AM
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Great rifle and great story. People sometimes forget that one of Col. Coopers first Scout rifles was a Savage 99.

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