Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General winchester 94 barrel

I picked up a winchester Model 94 today that is so rusted it just comes off on your hands.It has to be totally taken apart striped to bare metal and maybe just maybe it can be salvaged.Does anyone know if the barrel unscrews from the receiver?

yes, but an action wrench and barrels blocks are needed. if the bore is shootable the gun may be worth saving. parts for pre or post 64 models may or may not be easy to come by. brownells is out and other parts outfits are in a similar situation.

I am not sure what a action wrench or barrel blocks are so maybe this is not a job for me. I enjoy restoring firearms but this one is worse than any I have come across,usually I just do minor touch ups & stock jobs. Am not opposed to labor intensive work .I will try to reblue most of this myself but thought if I could get barrel off it would be a lot easier. Thanks for your input!

Because of the difficulties in removing a barrel and the indexing and headspacing involved in replacing a barrel, I believe it's a job for the gunsmith.

.

I am not interested in replacing the barrel as much as taking it off to clean it up. The most I would be willing to do is re-blue it if it is not compromised by the rust.I am not aware of any problems of screwing it off then putting back on. Am I wrong in my thinking

most all rifle barrels are tightly screwed in. when the are removed and replaced with the proper tools, they gotta be put in so that the sights are straight up and down at top dead center. you are correct in that the barreled action will be easier to clean if the barrel can be removed - like most shotguns with interchangeable (removable)barrels. but in this case it would be best to leave the barrel attached to the receiver. using proper eye protection and other safeguards, a wire wheel would probably work best after soaking the metal parts. fyi, when i reblue or parkerize rifles or shotguns, i do not seperate screwed in barrels and receivers.

thanks for your advice ,I will take it.I was advised to soak it in diesel fuel ,would you agree?

FWIW, 1964 to 1983 Model 94's cannot be successfully reblued via conventional methods, as the receivers are comprised of sintered metal which was then iron plated to take what looks like bluing by Winchester - unless it was a commemorative, in which case it was plated in black chrome, pewter, or gold ILO blue.

You might consider a simple dip 'n strip, followed by a coating-type finish, like the bake-on ones offered by Brownell's, Cerrokote, etc, etc.

.

thanks for the info no wonder I love this site,so much good advise. What's your take on some of the spray on finishes offered by Brownell's?

Are you asking about stock finish? I don't know of any spray on blue process.

.

I've had good results with GunKote - but be aware that acces to an oven large enough for the metal part(s) is needed to bake-on the finish.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1150/Product/GUN_KOTE_trade__OVEN_CURE__GUN_FINISH



.

spray on like alumahide i or ii? they might work but so will bake on enamel. check with a gun tech at brownells.

I don't know if I would use diesel fuel but kroil will do what you need and get some 0000 steel wool and clean it up and see just what you have, might even see it will shoot, but then again might just clean it and take it to gunsmith to see what is what and take it from there.
I have seen some pretty bad firearms clean up good and with some work you would never know they once looked like they were ready for the scrap pile.
Remember rust expands at 22 times the depth of the metal so if you can get rust on your hands it just might be only a few thousands deep which will clean up just fine. If it is flaking then you have a little more trouble but still you are talking thousands of an inch in depth. If you can get large chunks then you most likely have a firearm that should be cleaned up and used as a wall hanger.
Just me but this is kind of how I judge rust and so far it has worked for me.
time for milk and cookies