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Sling eye attachment?
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Robert Jambrosic
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January 26, 2026 - 5:50 pm
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I wondered if anyone could please show a photograph of how the sling eye is attached inside the fore end cap of a 1894 Winchester rifle? I want to install sling eyes on my rifle and want to make sure I do it correctly, Thanks Bob.

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Zebulon
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January 27, 2026 - 1:03 am
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Bob, I don’t have a direct answer but several books and vintage parts catalogs I’ve seen illustrate the swivel stud with a barrel-shaped attachment nut threaded onto the shank. Until somebody with direct knowledge chimes in,  if the nose cap is pre-drilled,  insert the shank, thread and tighten the nut down and making sure the shank doesn’t need shortening so it doesn’t bear on the barrel. A drop of blue Loctite wouldn’t be amiss.

Here’s a link to another post that llustrates what may be a factory hole. https://winchestercollector.org/wp-content/sp-resources/forum-image-uploads/robertdeantxgmail-com/2022/06/6552A18D-53EC-420E-9CED-4235852F58AE.jpeg

Also, I pulled this off the Web ti show what I think you are talking about. 

Winchester-1873-Atlanta-Police-44-40-WCF-Antique_101485333_323_4952010F0FCF5DAD.jpgImage Enlarger

- Bill 

 

WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist

"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

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1873man
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January 27, 2026 - 3:02 am
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Bob,

Here are some pictures from one of mine.

Bob

IMG_4980.JPGImage Enlarger

IMG_4982.JPGImage Enlarger
IMG_4983.JPGImage Enlarger
IMG_4984.JPGImage Enlarger

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86Win
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January 27, 2026 - 5:05 am
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Bob, if you want period correct WINCHESTER sling eye you will probably have to haunt gun shows. That was where I found mine and not cheap. My 1894 came with an original sling eye in butt-stock and a hole in the fore-cap. I found the eye and peened it in place. Somewhere (i don’tknow where) I read they were peened in fore-cap.

Good luck, Don

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1873man
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January 27, 2026 - 5:13 am
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If you look at the first picture you can see they are peened in. I had another guy wanting to make one so I made a drawing for him. 

Bob 

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Robert Jambrosic
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January 27, 2026 - 6:37 am
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Thanks to all for the replies, I have been trying to set this 1913 vintage 1894 up as my period correct deer rifle. I have been able to purchase a new old stock Lyman 21 DA sight ( less front screw washer ) , a Lyman. 12 sight slot blank, and a Lyman number 4 ivory  front sight. Once I  finish locating the remaining sling  parts she will be ready to hunt! Thanks again Bob.

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Bert H.
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January 27, 2026 - 6:38 am
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1873man said
If you look at the first picture you can see they are peened in. I had another guy wanting to make one so I made a drawing for him. 
Bob 
  

I think it might be more correct to say that they are swaged into place.

Bert

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Zebulon
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January 27, 2026 - 1:55 pm
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But there’s more to it, according to some m.e. resources. 
I suppose distorting the shank’s end holds it in place but allows the swivel to rotate without a more complicated assembly?
 

Overview of Swaging and Peening

Swaging and peening are both metalworking processes used to reshape metal, but they differ in technique and application.

Swaging

Definition

  • Swaging is a forging process that alters the dimensions of a metal item by forcing it into a die.

Characteristics

  • Typically a cold working process, but can also be hot worked.
  • Involves moving metal throughout its thickness without removing material.
  • Commonly used for creating precise shapes, such as tubes and pins.

Applications

  • Used in manufacturing components like pipes, cables, and automotive parts.
  • Ideal for high-volume production due to its efficiency and minimal material waste.

Peening

Definition

  • Peening is a process that involves stretching the surface of metal, usually with a hammer or a specialized tool.

Characteristics

  • Primarily focuses on surface treatment rather than altering the overall shape.
  • Involves impacting the metal to improve its strength and fatigue resistance.

Applications

  • Commonly used in processes like shot peening to enhance the durability of components.
  • Often applied in aerospace and automotive industries to strengthen parts.

Key Differences

Feature Swaging Peening
Process Type Forging Surface Treatment
Material Movement Moves metal throughout thickness Stretches surface metal
Primary Use Shaping and forming Strengthening and finishing
Common Tools Dies and swaging machines Hammers and peening tools

- Bill 

 

WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist

"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

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1873man
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January 27, 2026 - 3:07 pm
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The more I think about it, I would say the its riveted over since your swelling the end so it can’t pull out but not enough to make it too tight that it does not turn.

Bob

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Zebulon
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January 27, 2026 - 4:02 pm
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Yeah, “riveting” nails it but it doesn’t look like the sturdiest method. I’ve seen a lot of nose caps with holes. I would think steel soft enough to deform would also wear from abrasive contact with the nose cap. 

- Bill 

 

WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist

"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

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Bert H.
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January 27, 2026 - 5:07 pm
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Zebulon said
Yeah, “riveting” nails it but it doesn’t look like the sturdiest method. I’ve seen a lot of nose caps with holes. I would think steel soft enough to deform would also wear from abrasive contact with the nose cap. 
  

Another method that could have been used is “staking” the sling-eye stud in place.  I am not of the opinion that Winchester intended the forward sling eye to rotate. Just like the rear sling eye that was screwed into the butt stock and was “fixed” in its location and orientation, I believe the front sling eye was intended to be “fixed” in its original north-south orientation.

Bert

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