Breaking in a "new" 1894|General Discussions & Questions|Forum|Winchester Collector

Hello all,

I have been reading the site for a while as a guest now and have decided to register.

By way of introduction, my name is Ramy and I live in Sydney, Australia – I was hopeful some of the knowledgeable gentlemen on this site might be able to help me with a question I have.

I am the proud new owner of a Model 1894 Antlered Game – this is my first lever rifle although I have shot plenty of them. When I say new owner, the rifle is currently unfired, with the original box and tags. The overall condition of the rifle does not warrant retaining it as a collectable as far as I can see (there is what looks like some bubbling or cast marks on the front of the receiver block) and I really purchased the rifle to shoot anyway.

The two questions that I have are:

1. Does anyone have any knowledge of manufacturing defects in this model including any cast marks on the front of the receiver on the non loading side?
2. What is the correct “break in” or “run in” procedure for a new unfired rifle of this age?

Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance guys.