Author Topic: Life expectancy of the Winchester 94 30-30 barrel  (Read 1196 times)

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Offline cocojo

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Life expectancy of the Winchester 94 30-30 barrel
« on: October 16, 2003, 01:01:03 PM »
I just recently purchased a pre-64 94 in 30-30. The barrel was clean and smooth. The muzzle was blue and there were no nicks in the crown.
The gun shoot excellent. I have probably shot about 250 rounds through it already. It shoots 170 Winchester Silvertips into 1/2 groups at 50 yards with a williams peep sight. Buying this gun used, I have no idea how many rounds went through this gun. It was made in 1955 according to the serial number. The barrel has 53 on the inner underside when I removed the front stock for cleaning. I don't want to shoot the barrel out and have no idea how many rounds the Winchester barrel will take before it's gone.
I am trying to be very carefull on cleaning it from the muzzle but it's very hard not to hit the front. Anyone know if they make a flexible rod for cleaning from the rear? What do most of you do to clean from the front?

Offline jhm

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Life expectancy of the Winchester 94 30-30
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2003, 01:31:04 PM »
cocojo :  With proper care and the use of the OTIS gun cleaning system your 94 should be shooting well into your retirement years, provided you stay with the mild loaded factory ammo or its equivelent dont hot rod the gun wasnt made for it, and the OTIS cleaning system is a coated cable that you can clean your rifle from the chamber forward. :D    JIM

Offline Dand

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nearly forever
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2003, 09:27:41 PM »
follow jhm's advice, maybe use cast bullets for practice, don't over load it and the whole rifle should last at least a couple generations - well past your retirement.
NRA Life

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Offline Ron T.

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Life expectancy of the Winchester 94 30-30
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2003, 04:53:53 AM »
The .30/30 cartridge is a low-intensity round... I.E., a relatively low velocity round that does NOT have a large (powder) capacity cartridge case.  Therefore, due to it's mild loadings, it is NOT known as a cartridge that "burns out" barrels.

Your rifle wasn't designed to withstand EXTREMELY heavy loads, so stay with "reasonable" handloads or factory loaded rounds... and that barrel on your Model 94 will out-last YOU, your SON, his SON and HIS son!

Put your mind at ease, my friend!


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."  - Thomas Jefferson

Offline cocojo

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Life expectancy of the Winchester 94 30-30
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2003, 05:18:56 AM »
Thanks for the great advice. I ordered the coated flex rod from cabela's for all calibers, sounded like good advice. My days of hotrodding ammuniton ended years ago. I do reload but I look for accuarcy and at factory specs now. An extra 100 feet per second will do nothing more than beat my guns up. I laughed about retirement, geez I am almost there now. Funny the older I get the less I want heavy recoiling firarms. I have been drawn back to the 30-30, which is funny because I started with the 94 30-30 when I was eighteen. Same goes for my hair, I have about the same amount I started with. Thanks again.

Offline jhm

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Life expectancy of the Winchester 94 30-30
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2003, 12:06:40 PM »
Well speaking of hair I have the same amount I had when I was 16 I just dont remember where they all fell, :-D  :D    JIM