The alternatives for scope mounting are an offset side mount, or a "scout type" mount forward of the receiver. This precludes a scope mounted to the top of the receiver. Pre '64 Model 94s eject fired cases up and over the shooter's shoulder when the lever is operated. (The classic definition of a bargain is something you don't need at a price you can't refuse.) I wasn't looking for a Model 94, but the price was more than reasonable. I happened across this rifle at a gun show a year or so back. The barreled action is finished in a polished blue, and the black walnut stock wears its original gloss lacquer finish. It shows practically no wear, inside or out. Which brings us to the subject of this classic gun test, a Model 94 carbine manufactured in 1961. Most of the shortcomings of the post 1963 Model 94s were eventually corrected, but the pre '64 versions remain the most desirable of all Winchester Model 94s. The new guns still worked and shot just fine despite their aesthetic flaws, but the credibility of the Model 94 took a serious hit, and examples manufactured prior to the 1964 changes became instant classics. The steel buttplate became plastic and a less durable metal finish was substituted for the traditional bluing. To save the Model 94 and restore a reasonable profit margin, Winchester redesigned the action for cheaper manufacture, substituting stamped sheet metal and roll pins for parts previously machined from forged steel. This is exactly the fate that befell the classic Mannlicher-Schoenauer carbine, and eventually spelled its doom. Winchester executives realized that soon the Model 94 would have to be priced beyond the reach of the average hunter. Unfortunately, by the early 1960s the production costs of the traditional Model 94 with all of its forged steel parts had risen dramatically. With nearly perfect lines and balance, they became the best selling sporting rifles of all time. These graceful little rifles are a study in functional walnut and steel. Surely among the most beloved firearms of all time are the Winchester pre 1964 Model 94 carbines. Winchester Pre '64 Model 94 Classic Gun Review
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