Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Tell me about the 375 Win 94.

I have been flirting with a (like new) Win 94 in 375 caliber. It is like mint and I can get it for about 600.00 or so. What do you guys think? My only setback are my eyes and the fact that it is not drilled for a scope. What do you say?

Even though I would like that rifle, I wouldn't like it that much. It is just money though.

for that many $,& if you wait while looking,you could find a darn nice Marlin in 375 W..Scope problem is gone !!..I Have both,plus a Sav.99 and a Ruger#3 in 375W..If you for sure need a scope to handle shots within the usable range of that cartridge, the Marlin is the practical choice... Enjoy

It should be a good shooter investment. If you don't want to drill it, you might think about checking out the "One Ragged Hole" peep that replaces the rear sight blade on the Mod 94's. Just save the original to restore. My old eyes have much better luck seeing with these sights than the originals. I'm not trying to talk you out of a Marlin and a Sav 99 would be even better. I have as many 336's as 94's, but I do think the 94 Big Bore may be worth quite a bit more in a few years. I have one that is unfired. Good luck.

I believe its the same as the old .38-55 cartridge.

I bought the Winchester 94 Big Bore in 375 Winchester, when they first came out. I'm giving away my age but I bought mine at K-Mart. It had a beautiful to look at stock and deep bluing on the metal (XTR version I think). I was much younger then and my eyesight was pretty good. I had no problem with keeping 3 shots in about a 6" group at 200 yds with the open sights (good enough for what and where I hunted at that time), using the Winchester 200 gr factory loading. The reason I sold it was because I couldn't bear the thought of getting it scratched in the woods. Needless to say, I never did deer hunt with this rifle. Later on I bought a used Marlin in 375 but, after remembering the Winchester I had in 375, I just could not warm up to the Marlin, though the Marlin was a reliable and hunting-accurate rifle.

That price is about what they are going for today and it is a greatly misunderstood caliber. I have two one that I left as the factory made it. The other one was in a fix it up condition and so I put a 26 inch octagon barrel on it, full tube mag and new wood and then duracoated all the steel and it shoots great.
You have to realize that now winchester only makes special runs of levers, this year it is 3 models of the model 92 and they are going for around $1000 plus each. If the condition is as you describe then that is a fair price for it.
As to sights I am an old guy and within the range of the rifle I do alright. Now if you think it is going to be a target rifle go buys something else. These are woods rifles and with hunting accuracy and nothing more or less.

doesn't somebody makd a no drill or tap mount for the 94 big bore? uses the lever pin screw and peep sight(?) holes?

That is a popular myth but they are NOT the same and not interchangeable as many seem to think.

I picked one up about ten years ago, 99% (no box)very nice grain. Included a new box of shells and a nice case. 200.00 bucks, wish I could have a few more for that price.

I've never shot mine, figured I might take it bear hunting some time?

If you want one you can mount a scope on I have a Marlin listed in the Classifieds here:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...rlin_375_Package_Rifle_Dies_#Post3217446

The M94 A/E pre safety is D/T for a scope, look right at the rear and front of the action.

That's what I was going to say. All the 375 Big Bores (to my knowledge) were Angle Eject models set up for centered scopes. Mounted with a bright 1.5-5X or so, it would make a superb woods gun.

My 375 is in a Contender pistol, but it is akin to Thor's hammer even in a 14" barrel. It outstrips the old 38-55 by as much as 700 fps even in factory loads.

I believe angle eject was introduced in 1983, whereas the Bigbore .375 was intorduced in 1978. I know I just picked up a 1979 vintage .375 and it is top eject with no provision (holes drilled and tapped) for a scope mount.

I sit corrected, thanks! Not being a lever-action fan, I'm not well up on them. I replied because the cartridge is a favorite of mine, and it caught my eye in the thread title. And the only 94 in 375 I ever saw and fired was D&T.

The 375 WIN is an updated and shortened version of the venerable 38-55.
38-55 bore diameters have run from .375 to over .381. Winchester dispensed with this variation by creating a high pressure cartridge using .375 dia. bullets. The 38-55 and the .375 are different cartridges. They are not interchangeable.
I don't know what condition the 94 Big Bore is truly in that you are thinking of purchasing, but examples with minimal field damage-nicks, dents, scratches with excellent bores and tight actions will easily fetch +$100 over this asking price.
The very first 94 Big Bores were chambered for the .375 round, in 1979. This was the traditional 94 action that sent the ejected cases up and out of the action. Scope users were relegated to the weaver side mount, a plate which used the three side screws on the left of the action.
A much better system is the Williams foolproof receiver sight, with either a marbles folding sight in the dovetail, or a sight blank tapped into place.
Unfortunately, Winchester only loads the 200 gr. flat nose. Quality Cartridge loads the 200 Sierra and the 220 Hornady, both good bullets. For loads with the 250-255 weight, its pretty much handloading only with either Hawk or Barnes. One of the best cast bullets available for the 375 is the Lyman 250. Like all leverguns using levergun cartridges, the 375 does just fine with cast projectiles.
The .375 WIN was discontinued in 1983, the first year of the angle eject. The easiest way to tell if you have an angle eject is to look at the receiver. If the right rail is lower than the left, you have an AE. Also, for the final year, 1983, the high comb monte carlo stock was standard issue.
The AE is designed for scope use, and for those who find iron sights impossible, and don't mind the big bulky tube on their once lively leverguns, its the only way to go.

Actually my Winchester BB 375 will chamber and fire a 38-55 cartridge. The only difference between the 375 and 38-55 is the 38-55 shell is .110" longer (2.120" vs. 2.010" for the 375). This is kind of like the .38 special vs. .357 mag; or .44 special vs. .44 mag. Why Winchester SHORTENED the 38-55 case to make a 375 case is unknown, as conceivably a 375 shell can be chambered and fired in an old 38-55 rifle, with dangerous results.
Here is my Winchester BB .375, 1979 vintage; and my 1983 vintage Winchester 94AE XTR .356 Winchester with scope. Both with NO crossbolt safety, and NO rebounding hammer:

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ken458, you are mis-informed. You say the only difference is case length, the bullet diameter is also different. Read MAK's post, it is NOT like a 38 in a 357, it is like a 270 in a 280 chamber or a 30-30 in a 32 special. Don't interchange them. The reason the 375 is shorter is to prevent the 38-55's chambering in a 375 although Bubba can do it with enough force. The 375 will fire in the 38-55 chamber but the smaller diameter bullet permits gas escape to prevent pressure build up and accuracy goes bad.

Two different cartridges not to be mixed.

Well that would explain why Winchester never worried about people firing a 375 in an old 38-55 rifle...smaller diameter bullet just enough so that gas escapes to prevent buildup of pressure. And I tell ya, a factory 38-55 shell drops into the chamber of my unmodified BB 375 and the bolt closes easily, no "Bubba" pressure required!

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Ken, you are correct, the 38-55 does drop into the 375 chamber in my rifle, too (I just tried it). No "Bubba" needed. And I apologize, I didn't intend to imply that you were a "Bubba". The Winchester marketing hype of the 70s and 80s claimed that the longer 38-55 would not chamber in a 375. So much for advertising BS. So the .380 bullet swages down to .375 and the higher pressure caused by the over sized bullet is a non issue in the higher operating pressure of the 375. Cool, I learned something new!

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