Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General 94 feeding problem

I recently got a winchester centenial 30-30 (its the gold plated one with the long octagon) made in 1966 and unfired. I didn't intend to keep it unfired. It shoots good for my old eyes, I get consistent 2-3 inch groups at 100 with open sights. I have probably fired 100 rounds thru it.
One time a round came out of the mag and got under the lever. I was able to get it out and thought it might be a fluke. I took it hunting this year for one of my mule deer doe tags. The same thing happened in the field. I feel pretty knowledgeable about bolt guns but I admit I don't know much about levers. I have a 39, 336, and a win 92 that all function just fine. What should I look to fix this one?

Dog.

I had a 94 Timber carbine with the same problem. I only shot factory ammo and it did this jam almost always. It went back to Winchester 2 times and came back worse.

I had missed a nice whitetail buck and it jammed on the second shot. The buck watched me for 5 minutes trying to dig the round out from the follower and finally just walked away.

The gun shop worked a deal and took it back and supposedly got some pre 64 parts and got it working.


Last Winchester I ever owned.


Lefty C

Those post 63 Winchesters (for several ways) were really bad. The first Post 63 Winchester was a 1964 model. My cousin brought it over and My brother and I took it out to our range. 12" group was about the best we could do with factory ammo.

Pre-64's and the later (I think maybe maybe around 1980) post 63's were fine. And I've had a few post 63's that were fine. But I'd be leary of anything made in the later 60's.

dog i will pm you

The problem doesn't just happen to post 64's but happens to pre 64's that are worn as well. It is the cartridge cuttoff. Most pump and tube fed magazine guns have this device to stop cartridges from entering the guns "works" until needed. On Winchester 94's this is just a "bump" on the lever itself. On the newer guns apparently the fit was too loose and allowed a cartridge to slip past the cuttoff. Easy fix though but as stated it has cost quite a few game animals. I am a great admirer of this model but it is one design flaw in an otherwise great firearm.

Thanks guys, it sounds like a pretty easy fix. I don't want to get rid of it because it shoots good and seems to have a really good trigger for a lever gun. If anyone has a pic of the "bump" on the lever I would appreciate it.

Dog, I am quite helpless when posting pictures, ect online. If you google 94 Winchester cartridge cut off and search images, a schematic of a 94 from the shooters forum should be one of the first images to appear. It is an artists rendition of the internal workings of the 94. It shows the cut off location.

I put up these images a few years ago on the Shooters forum.
With the action closed you can see the cartridge back against the lever cut out. As the lever is lowered and the the sliding bolt moves back the cartridge moves to the rear and the lift raises it and the rim is captured under the extractor.
About this time the lever has lowered enough the link has tilted downwards and the cartridge stop catches the rim of the next cartridge in line in the magazine.

If the cartridge stop is a bit short of shaped incorrectly the rim can jump the stop and the cartridge slides under the lifter and jams the action. With a full magazine there is more tension on the cartridges and they tend to find a way over the cartridge stop when they might not if there is only one cartridge in the magazine.

This is an easy if somewhat time consuming fix. The hardest part is taking the rifle apart for the first time as it is not uncommon for screws to be tight or stuck. Take your time the first time.
You can the set the cartridge stop portion of the link on a steel block and use a flat punch which just covers the tip of the cartridge stop. Two or three mild slaps with a 2lb. hammer is a good start.
Look at the cartridge stop first for shiny or wear spots which which will indicate the direction to wish to push metal. It does not take much metal.
The hard part is the try and fit whichmay take two or three tries.

Winchester Model 94 cutaway action closed


Winchester Model 94 cutaway action open

Thats it William.

take it to a welding shop and have then tig weld about 1/8 in of steel tig rod to the tip do not beat on it it will brake off . then use a file to reshape it . i have fixed a bunch that was peened to make longer. then broke off dont be that guy

I am not a gunsmith but have done two on Angle Eject rifles.
It did not take much.
On the Angle. Eject rifles I believe the link is a casting. It has that look.

It is only on Angle Eject rifles that I have heard of lifters breaking.

you spray weld it if it is cast. i dont like to beat on gun parts just bulldozers