Changing out a 94 reciever

[Creedmoor]

I should have known better!  I let a friend who "knows what he's doing" drill the tang on my 1970 Winchester 94 to install a Lyman # 2 tang sight.  My rifle is no officially "Bubba'd"  The hole is way off center.  My options are to spend about $80 to have the hole welded, ground and drilled/tapped correctly. Then another $150 to have the receiver Gunkoted and the rest of the metal matte blued.  Apparently for a rifle made in 1970, the metal used was an alloy that doesn't take blueing well so Gunkoting is supposed to be the best option.  At any rate, to correct this I am looking to spend almost what the rifle is worth.  So....

Would it be more cost effective to just locate and buy another receiver and transfer everything over to it?  Does it have to be a receiver from the same time period?  Along those lines, since the rifle is now Bubba'd would it be possible to obtain an angle eject receiver and us it with pre-angle eject internals?  What is the best (affordable) course of actions?  Thanks for any advice.

[SHOOTALL]

guns and ammo tv ( I think ) had a guy on who had some extra holes in a reciever , he had a screw that was just a little long , screwed it in with loc-tite and cut the head off then took a ballpeen hammer and worked down and upset the metal around it , filed it smoth then worked it with different grit papers until it was smooth as it was when new , then touched it up with cold blue . I realize you will most likely want to drill a new hole so it may or may not work , but if you decide to switch recievers , ya might try it to see if it works since the old rec. will be of no use anyway ! GOOD LUCK !

[gunnut69]

Replacing the receiver is going to be pretty expensive, why not just install a plug screw and sell or trade it off? Then simply buy a different rifle. It may cost a few bucks but likely a lot less than what you have proposed. If it were mine I'd likely run in a soft steel screw and peen the ends over. Then relocate and drill the hole correctly. If the hole is too close simply drill a hole large enough to cover both the offset and the correct location. Then redrill the 'sleeve' to the correct diameter. Remember the holes should be covered by the sight's base and for the most part not visible..

[Creedmoor]

Well, Numrich lists a used receiver for about $42 - unfortunately, they also say this item is currently out of stock.  If I can find a decent receiver for a reasonable price, wouldn't that be the best way to go?  Will the internal parts be a straight transfer - say from an angle eject to a pre-angle eject?

gunnut69, I like your idea.  When you say "peen the ends over" are you referring to the screw slot?  Would it work to install the screw from the underside and then not have a visible slot?  Where do you get "soft" steel screws of the correct size?  Brownells?  Thanks.

[Bug]

Creedmore,
 Here's how to do it. Was done over at the 24 Hr. Campfire, by Weagle.
He did a dang fine job, if I do say so.
Read the WHOLE thread!.......................Bug.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=22&Number=1094721&Searchpage=2&Main=101559&Words=holes&topic=0&Search=true#Post1094721

[Creedmoor]

Bug,
That was MOST helpful!  I think I'll give it a try.  The only bad thing is that the metal used in this vintage of 94 won't take regular bluing.  If I'm real careful with the filing and stoning process (what grit/grade of stone should I be using for this?) I may be able to keep the de-blued area under where the tang sight will sit.  Anyone know of a recipe or method to bluing a 1970 94 receiver?

Thanks again Bug!   

[coyotejoe]

Since the base of the sight is very nearly the same width as the receiver tang, it should hide the repair very well. I'd not worry much about getting it perfectly smooth, just file it to contour, touch up with cold blue and go shooting.

[gunnut69]

Actually I'd just lightly chamfer the hole and insert a tightly fitting rod. This would be peened so as to fill the chamfer. If using a screw always heat the screw to a high red and allowed to cool slowly. This will allow the screw to be successfully peened over. You should still lightly chamfer the hole and cut the screw off after it passes thru the tang. To aviod buying a stone, wet-or-dry sand paper wrapped around a file will clean the wound nicely.

[Creedmoor]

Thanks gunnut69,
Your suggestion more or less echoes the info Bugs passed along.  I think that'll be my plan of action.  Although I will tap the hole and use annealed screws with the threads either coated with JB or permanent Locktite.  This all is because about half the diameter of the plug is going to have to be drilled and tapped to correctly locate the screw for the tang sight.  The only fly in the ointment is that filing/stoning/sanding the screw stub to blend in will be next to impossible to do without removing bluing from an area of the tang that will show once the tang sight is installed

[SHOOTALL]

Creedmore I just picked up a mod 94 that looked new other than an area that covered about 4 inches of bbl. bbl. band and sight base ,looked like some one may have left in in a case and either it rusted or wore the blue off ,  the ser. # put it as being made around 1979 , after getting all the oil and grease off i used cold blueing on it .The first time it looked bad , so i cleaned it and tried again , it looked the same as the first time so i just kept putting the cold blue on and wiipeing it off , after about 8-10 times ( didn't keep count ) it started to look good so on went the gun oil , next morning it looked pretty bad so off came the oil and more cold blue when it looked nice  once more i put 3 & 1 oil on it and it still looks good after about 10 days , you might want to try a few different screws to see how they take cold blue if you decide to use it , good luck !

[Creedmoor]

Well, the repair came out pretty well, better than I expected.  Shootall, I tried what you suggested with just reapplying the cold blue (used Oxpho blue) after about 10-12 applications it looked acceptable and with the tang site in place you have to look real close to see it is off at all.  I can vouch for the repair method used for this Bubba Fix.  It was really amazing to see the screw and hole sort of just disappear as you sanded it down!  Thanks to everyone who contributed advice.  Instead of close to two hundred bucks to have a smith do this repair I ended up spending exactly nine cents for a single 10-32 hardware store screw!  Yippeeeeeeeeee!

[SHOOTALL]

Glad it worked out !
Now , i have a newer 94 with the push thru, safety , and since you have been into yours more than i have maybe ya can steer me in the right direction ! My  94 when the trigger is pulled will release the hammer , the lever can be in any position , open closed or anywhere in between ! i looked at an older one and the trigger is solid where it engauges the trigger safety , the new one has a square cut into it where the trigger safety would contact it , that being said the contact point on the trigger hits the top of the safety and pushes it down like the loop does when the rifle is correctly held to shoot ! any ideas ?
hope you don't mind my ? on your space and thank you !

[Creedmoor]

SHOOTALL,
I don't rightly know what could be causing your problem.  You would be better served by starting a new topic.  There are definately some much more knowledgable folks here who could surely help you out.  Sorry I can't be of much help.  Good luck.

[SHOOTALL]

Never started one , thanks !

[gunnut69]

It's been a while since I've worked a M94 but the trigger block you're talking about is pushed UP by the lever. The link below may help some. The safety catch (45) restrains the motion of the trigger until the lever pushes the safety catch up and clear of the trigger. Perhaps a broken sear/safety catch spring (46).  Incorrect assembly is also a possibility.
http://stevespages.com/ipb-winchester-94.html

[SHOOTALL]

Thanks alot !