Gun Unused for 40+ years.

[goochman]

I have a Winchester Model 94, 30-30 that has been in a gun case unused for many years. It was purchased in 1961. I just never sold or gave it away and now may be interested in keeping it and occasionally firing it. If it was cleaned and oiled after the last firing, what should I expect from storage in an attic wrapped in a blanket? Should it be professionally looked at or is there a chance it may just need a good cleaning? Also, can any of the ammo stored with it still be used?

[Garycw]

IMO it would need a complete cleaning, oil & lube and a through inspection, function test should be fine. As far as the ammo? A good visual inspection for corrosion & if it looks good, try it. If it looks really bad take to a police dept. or somewhere for proper disposal.


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[AllenJ]

If the gun is in operating condition (action, trigger and hammer all work, stocks are not falling off) give it a good cleaning and it should be fine to shoot. The ammo I'd be very careful about. If your attic gets really hot in the summer that could cause issues with the powder over such a long period of time.

If the ammo is in their original boxes they may have some collectors value to them, depending on condition of course. Also you may want to do a google search for "pre 1964 model 94" and read up on your rifle, they are considered much better than those produced after 1964.

[PawPaw]

I'd wipe the dust off it, oik it, give it a good function check, and use good ammo. Have fun with that Winchester! They don't make them like that any more.

[steveNChunter]

I wouldnt bother trying the ammo. 40 years of attic heat and humidity surely had to affect the powder inside the ammo. If it does fire the groups will probably have some bad vertical stringing. As AllenJ said, the ammo could be worth something if its in the original box.

The gun should be fine as long as its not rusted too bad. oil it a little, run a patch down the barrel with a little rem oil (or equivalent) on it, followed by a dry patch, followed by one with bore cleaner on it, wait a couple minutes, followed by a brush, followed by a few dry patches until they come out clean, and go shoot it. But get some new ammo. I recommend Hornady LEVERevolution, if you can find any right now.

You have one of the finest lever actions ever made

[Garycw]

Post some pics of it


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[alex0535]

I would clean, get a look through the barrel to make sure there are no obstructions from bugs and stuff. After cleaning, oil . Function check it. If everything seems to be in working order I would consider it fine to shoot.

Buy some new ammo like the others have suggested. 40 years in an attic is not in any sense ideal storage conditions.

[DarcyPotter1]

I would strip it down and clean and oil everything . The rifle is a treasure treat it well . I was at a estait sale last week and wached 4 guys scrap it out over a new unfired 1963 30-30 model 94 the man who sold it got $1800 bucks for it . If you dont work on rifles take it to a good gun shop and have them go over it . You have a very fine rifle

[-Xero-]

"Stored in the attic, wrapped in a blanket -- "

I'm guessing that it's both reasonably clean and dry. I'd have a look down the bore for dead animals (spiders, centipedes, probably no snakes ) dust, obstructions.

Beyond that, unless it was put away filthy, dry, and uncared for, it's ready to shoot.

Be aware that it's a Pre-64 and eminently collectable! I have a 1958 mfg. that's silver-grey patina, honest wear on the wood from being stowed in the window rack on the truck.

In my five decades of shooting, this is the only rifle I've ever purchased where I was buying more than one firearm at a time. (The other buy that day was a Marlin 1894, 44 mag. -- pawn shop finds.)

Ammo stored in the attic is probably OK, but it wouldn't hurt to pull a bullet and have a smell of the powder. If it smells acrid the powder has deteriorated. Otherwise you're probably fine -- BUT I wouldn't shoot stale old ammo in this gun because the gun is a collectable piece and deserves some care.

[Metal god]

I would not shoot it and send it as soon as you can to

Metal God
1234 shooter st
San Diego CA 5150
.

.

[Ronbert]

A few years ago I came into possession of my father's .270 which had been "loaned" by my grandmother to my uncle (dad's brother in law) after dad went to flight training in 1955.

My uncle never took it deer hunting and it had been in several closets over the decades. My uncle lives in Colorado now so dad asked him to surrender the rifle to me. (He did. No fuss :-)

A good cleaning and oiling and now I have a barely used Remington 721 in .270 with a Lyman peep sight. Dad had to carve the stock a bit to accommodate the peep sight.

[valleyforge.1777]

Few things:
1. Is this thing rusty? You have not said what it looks like. Is it pitted or rusty? How's the bore? Is it pitted? You mention cleaning it up, so I assume it is rusty or pitted. I can't see how it would not be rusty if it was in a gun case wrapped in a blanket. Any surface protection would have been wicked off by all that stuff and you had this thing in an attic. Forget about it. It's probably long lost to corrosion.

2. Folks are recommending that you take it apart and clean it, oil it, etc. Don't take it apart unless you know, a lot, about how to disassemble and properly reassemble a model 94. It is NOT for beginners. It is very complicated. You can take it to a gunsmith to do the work, but if the outside is rusty, forget about it. Save yourself some time and money and junk it.

3. Best thing you can do with this if it is rusty and corroded is to take it to one of those big city gun buy back things where the do-gooder politicians will pay you $100 for guns that are turned in. Those things are usually "no questions asked" and they will usually either give you a cash card or food store gift cards. Just act really suspicious, keep looking over your shoulder and muttering and stuff to make them think you are "turning in" an old crime gun. They don't ask questions, they don't require ID, and they give you money. Can't beat that with a rusted up rifle.

[Scorch]

Huh? Win 94 difficult to disassemble? I did mine when I was 15. Rust and corrosion? Possible, I suppose, but I have seen guns stored in a garage for 40 years that did not look bad. Gun buyback? I'll give him $100 for it sight unseen if that is what he intends to do with it.

Clean it, shoot it. It's a gun!

[Pathfinder45]

Please show us some pictures of the rifle AND the ammo boxes. If the ammo and ammo boxes are in good condition they may be worth something. I've bought old vintage Silver-Tip ammo for my 30-30 and replaced powder and primers and brass just recently. The box with the Grizzly Bear on it. Interestingly, the more recent Silver-Tips have aluminum nose caps but my older ones have nickel-silver or cupro-nickel tips. They say a picture is worth a thousand words.....so how 'bout some?

[cvc944]

Great gun you have there. You haven't mentioned how the metal fared being stored in a blanket (or gun case?) in an attic. It's good that it was put away oiled, even better if the oil kept the rust off of it. I would not shoot the ammo, but I would absolutely keep and shoot that rifle after cleaning it. Birchwood-Casey makes a great cleaner in a spray can that you can use to clean the action and trigger. Clean the bore in conventional fashion and you should be good to go. Old un-restored and cared-for Winchesters in original condition are, as mentioned, very desirable.

[Rifleman1776]

Lubricants 40 years ago were not as good as what we have today. I would clean completely and use something like WD-40 to loosen and clean up the old lube. Then relube with a good oil of your choice and go out and shoot it.
However, as pointed out, it may have some real value as a pre-1964.

[steveNChunter]

@ valleyforge.1777- I dont care if its nothing more than a rusted, rotten inoperable pile of crap, I wouldn't take it to one of those buy-back programs if they paid me $100 or $1000. Thats playing right into the politicians and anti-gunner's hands. If its in such bad condition that it can't be made to shoot again, (I doubt its that bad if it was cleaned and oiled prior to storage) hang it over the mantle and have some great decoration and a conversation peice. For cryin' out loud, its a PRE '64 WINCHESTER 94. Show it some love!

Taking a gun to a buy-back program (unless you stole it) is firearms enthusiasts treason.

[valleyforge.1777]

Scorch: There's a big difference between oiled and greased. A rifle that is thoroughly greased with the intention of avoiding rust during a long storage can come through without rust. A rifle that was cleaned and oiled after shooting, then wrapped in gun case and blanket and left in an attic is going to be rusted and corroded, and is going to be USELESS for anything other than a police/politician buy-back. (SteveNChunter, I don't agree with you about the buy-back programs, but it is OK for people to have different views. I understand your points about playing into their hands, but I look at it differently. I think anything that sets a price floor for firearms just helps me to have a more valuable collection.)

As for dis-assembly and reassembly of a model 94, whatever. Give the man useful advice, though, and saying it is easy is not being helpful to this man. I don't care what you did when you were 15. People who know model 94 Winchesters know they are not easy to disassemble and reassemble. But like I said, whatever. It is not my rifle and I know enough not to rely on bad advice.

I like the guy who says, "show it some love". Yeah, whatever. I love Winchester lever rifles with all my heart, but the time to have shown this particular one some love was 40 years ago! The time has come and gone, long ago for this rifle.

Anyway, the lack of posted pictures speaks loudly about the condition of the rifle. Obviously, it is a mess.

[Sarge]

IF it was oiled and wrapped in cloth it should be fine. I'd run an oily patch through the bore and shoot the heck out of it.

[steveNChunter]

To the OP, if you are considering the $100 buyback idea, I will give you $125+pay the shipping to my FFL.

[valleyforge.1777]

To the OP, if you are considering the $100 buyback idea, I will give you $125+pay the shipping to my FFL.

Steve,
See what I mean?
The buy back programs establish a minimum price floor for firearms, regardless of make, model, or condition. Proves my point, exactly.

[tynman]

I got one from my uncle a few months ago. I have never shot a 30 30 before or have I ever handled one before. I took it apart and cleaned it and oiled it without any problems... I would give it a good cleaning and go have fun!!! I know I did....

[WIN1886]

A picture or two would be nice.....let's see that old 94 !

[steveNChunter]

I agree with you Valley Forge, it does establish a price floor. Thats irrelevant to the fact that handing guns over to the gov't is never a good idea no matter how much they want to pay you. The more volunteers they get, the easier it would be (in their eyes) to make it mandatory.

I actually heard a local liberal anti gunner say once: "it would be in your best interest to turn your guns in now for $100 a piece rather than have them confiscated in the future and face fines and/or jail time."

I believe that is the mindset of most of the people behind these buyback programs. Let the buyback serve as a price floor, and nothing else. Unless its a stolen gun, please don't take it to a buyback. And if it is stolen, take it back to the rightful owner. Now there's an idea!

I wanna see some pictures of this gun too! We have talked about its mystery enough!

[berettaprofessor]

Don't know about a Winchester 94, but I recently came across a H&R Autoeject pistol that had been sitting in a box in a closet since probably 1916. It functioned and shot just fine