Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters New Model 94?

Heard from a reliable source that Winchester is going to start making the 94 again. It will be made in Japan by Miroku in limited quantities and various grades. What do you guys think, and has anyone else heard anything along these lines?

I'm not a writer, but you don't hear of those Mossburg 94-clones sweeping the market in sales. I think the 7 million or so 94s that have sold did so because they were cheap, tough and utterly reliable. If they reintroduce them, they would need to be cheap,tough and utterly reliable to sell more than a few.
But what do I know.

Cheap, Tough, Utterly Reliable = Marlin.

The 94 lost a lot of luster through poor manufacturing practices. And Marlin took the market share.

A Miroku weapon is always a top notch product.

But an $800 Model 94 ain't gonna sell.

My vote is against its success.

BMT

If Winchester wants to get back into the lever action business they should use the 1886 action and build it in the US. The extra light weight model in 45-70 and .33 Win. would be great for a start. With modern machinery the cost shouldn't be a lot more than the 94. Besides, Marlins were the better 30-30's.

I certainly agree here, especially with "Cheap, Tough, Utterly Reliable = Marlin".

Can't argue against the Marlins as I own a few myself, but the 94 has a certain mystique that the Marlin lacks. Maybe if it was stamped made in Japan it would lose that also.

I'd buy one IF it was without the stupid safety and the rebounding trigger that sits in the middle of the trigger guard waiting to impale my trigger finger!

If you've got to have the safety, design it to prevent the hammer from releasing! For that matter, I was just reading about the Henry -- it apparently uses a transfer bar system and no safety. I could live with that. If our level of incompetence is such that we can safely handle single-action revolvers with only a transfer bar system, then it seems to me we're smart enough to safely operate the same system on a rifle.

All of this applies to Marlin as well. And no, I'm not a gun writer, just an easily-agitated gun user.

I think that limited editions and commeratives would sell just fine--after all, they only need to sell a few of them.

As to a general market 94, it's day is past. For those who want one, there are a few million out there to choose from.

I'd like to see them bring back the Model 64 instead.

A reasonably priced plane jane [non-collector] 86 would be a seller too. It's not like there isn't any interest in the 45/70. Not bad for a cartridge that's well over 100yrs old.

I have not heard of the Miroku M94 idea yet, but I have to agree...an $800 M94 isn't gonna move..
Now, a Model 64 for $800.....probably, especially if it didn't have the tang safety and rebounding hammer hokey krapp....
Doubt it though.....
Ingwe

I think Winchester is pretty much an also-ran

Yep, when you have to put in qualifiers like "no tang safety" etc, they are probably circling the drain...
Ingwe

Does anything without a short, fat, rimless, beltless cartridge sell these days?

Like many things, it's the messenger not the message.

+1

The Marlin has never equaled the sales of the 94, nor has any other make or model of firearm in history, and to state otherwise is just prejudice speaking out loud.

Never, in the history of firearms production, has anyone equaled the pre 64 Mod. 94 Win in 30-30 caliber and probably never will.

Every kid in the country cut there teeth on the 94, and many today still use them, self included..

I also like the Marlins, but they never have had the popularity of the 94 and they are no better or worse than a 94..actually the locking system of the Marlin is slightly weaker than the 94, but both are fine for the cartridges they are designed for. The Marlin has one advantage to some and that is you can scope it with an off set mount. IMO a scoped 30-30 is about like painting an aluminum barn, it serves no purpose.

Even in a period of poor production practices where the bean counters start counting production costs and who knows what else the 94 outsold most all rifles, but poor production has little to do with a firearm that has set the standard by which all firearms have been judged for centuries..It merely points out what greedy a$$holes can do with a great product prior to going broke, same as wall street, the banks and politicians can ruin a good thing...

They should bring back the 9422, not the 94. Used 94's are clogging up the dealers racks around here. 9422's are HOT! If you can find one, you will pay dearly!

The 1-10 twist is the Mossberg's biggest problem. A cast bullet shooter will hunt down a Winchester 94 with its cast friendly 1-12 twist.

I believe thats the Japanese company that made my Browning 92.Very well made,better than Winchester.

you have it backwards you need the side mount for the winnie