Win 94AE known issues?

[Rayzor]

Well I bought my daughter a new winchester today. I think its a 1984 model as it has no safety button. The gun is still in the box so it should function well. I know there were some issue with the shell lifter with the post 64 models, but did the same go for the AE models? I want this gun to last her lifetime, so if there are any mods that should be done I would like to hear about them. Thanks

[Mikey]

The only problem with 94Aes and the shell lifter is with pistol cartridges, maybe; no problems that I know of with rifle cartridges and I have 3 94Aes in rifle calibers. 

[SHOOTALL]

Mine works fine . The front sight is dovetailed in and came lose . Its a 7X30 waters rifle and the bbl is thin at that point . Great shooter .

[Lloyd Smale]

ive owned a handfull of them through the years and have never had a problem with any of them.

[jlchucker]

I've got a 44 mag trapper that has seen very heavy use over the years--same pre-lawyersafety vintage as your 94.  The only problem I ever had was one common to trappers--magazine tube would come loose.  That was fixed by my gunsmith years ago, and it's never bothered since.  The plain-jane 30-30's are, from my experiences, pretty much trouble free.  The biggest post-64 lifter problems were pretty much solved  by Winchester when they changed to a cast-steel one instead of the tin stamping that they had from 1964 to around 1971 or thereabouts. I've never had a .357 version of a 94, so I can't relate any bad experience regarding lifter problems in this pistol-length cartridge, but my 44 mag feeds anything I load into it.

[Rayzor]

Good news then, I was hoping it would turn out well. Now the only upgrade I need to deal with is getting a peep sight to fit to it. I have a 5d williams laying around but its for a top eject I had. This gun is not drilled on the side. 

[jlchucker]

Good news then, I was hoping it would turn out well. Now the only upgrade I need to deal with is getting a peep sight to fit to it. I have a 5d williams laying around but its for a top eject I had. This gun is not drilled on the side. 

Williams makes a receiver sight for the angle eject.  It mounts into the two rear holes drilled and plugged on top of the receiver-originally put there for a rear scope mount.  Or, you could just have it drilled and tapped like top eject models were, and use your 5D in the regular way.  Check out sight offerings on the Midway or Midsouth websites.

[Rayzor]

I did just that, so I will have it drilled and tapped. The front sight on the angle guns is little more then a T post. Would like to get a post with a bead. Seems my old winchester had a gold one that was ok just not to easy to see in low lighted deep woods. what do you guys use? Is the ivory white a better choice for lower lighting? I have seen the fiber optic ones but if they work like my bows, then that wont do.

[SHOOTALL]

I had a peep on a big bore AE that mounted in the holes for the scope . It wasn't a williams . Can't remember the brand but it came from Brownells . It was good

[jlchucker]

I did just that, so I will have it drilled and tapped. The front sight on the angle guns is little more then a T post. Would like to get a post with a bead. Seems my old winchester had a gold one that was ok just not to easy to see in low lighted deep woods. what do you guys use? Is the ivory white a better choice for lower lighting? I have seen the fiber optic ones but if they work like my bows, then that wont do.

Some of those earlier angle ejects had front sights mounted into a dovetail, a few others were silver soldered on. Look before whacking away with your brass hammer.  Mine was the standard dovetail, and not long after buying the gun, I swapped that factory front sight for an ivory bead.  Diameter of bead is up to you, but if you use the Williams sight you might put their .125 dia. foolproof arperture in.  That's the one with the biggest hole, and it gives a nice ghost-ring effect.

[ScoutMan]

For a front sight, take a look at the XS sight with white stripe. Get it wide. Mine is 3/8"