Action smoothing question, Win '94 Trapper

[Vt.birdhunter]

Hi all,
Been trying to clean up the action on a Winchester 94 trapper .357
(ser. # 6,000,000+) to use for CAS ( I hear its less than ideal... but its what I got to work with). After a couple hours of polishing with some 1000 grit and a 13# wolf spring, its much much better than it was when I got it used.

They heaviest resistance I can feel when I work the action is the initial resistance required to open the action the first inch or so, and the last bit to close the action. Can I safely reduce this resistance? How would I do it?

It makes sense to me to have the action "catch" firmly at this point in its action to lock up. I wouldn't want to go too far and end up with a loose action that popped open if jarred too suddenly.

Id appreciate any advice you can offer. Thank you in advance.

[drail]

Unless you have some gunsmithing credentials I would say you've gone about as far as you need to on that M94. I have done several of my own 94 Trappers and you can't really get rid of the resistance you described without compromising good breech lockup. Get the trigger pull where you like it and shoot it. The magazine spring can be shortened a little to ease loading. One warning, a lot of people seem to want to disable the lever safety that prevents firing unless the lever is held snugly against the frame - don't do it. It ensures the breech is fully closed and locked before the sear will release and fire the gun. I personally love these guns but a lot of the cowboy shooters prefer the M92 or a Marlin. I have a .44 Mag and a .357 Mag. The .357 is an amazingly flat shooter out past a hundred yards.

[Swampghost]

drail, I've removed all of those safety's on my Win.'s. Am I missing something here? I've been doing it since the first one that I bought with the feature (in the mid-70's) cost me two deer. Only one has moved, to my son. I do tend to collect.....everything.

[drail]

I would be a little concerned about removing the lever safety just in the chance that someone not familiar with the rifle would fire it without the bolt tightly locked up with the lever keeping pressure on it. It's a very strong gun but firing any gun out of battery could blow a case and send brass fragments up and out. Hold that lever up tight.

[Vt.birdhunter]

I appreciate the advice, I hunt with a 94 in .30-30; the safeties are comfortable to me.

I'm not a smith by any stretch of the term; I will shoot the trapper a bit, Im sure it will loosen up a bit after a few hundred rounds (gun was used, but still stiff as an out of the box 94)


On a different note.... just noticed the front sight is quite loose (drifts about 1/4" will just a tiny bit of finger pressure)
What is best way to firm this up?
Thanks again.