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New Member w/ Winchester 94 30 WCF from 1948
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MMC818
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October 7, 2025 - 2:04 am
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Hello Everyone,

I hope that you all are doing well. I’m a new member who was fortunate enough to buy a Winchester 94 30 WCF (1948) from my grandmother in law. It belonged to my grand-father in law who was a WW2 paratrooper. A true hero who we miss dearly.

Happy to be here and to learn more about Winchester. Hope to build connections and my collection – next step is a pre-64 M70.

Best wishes,

MattIMG_0117.jpegImage Enlarger

IMG_0116.jpegImage Enlarger

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Bert H.
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October 7, 2025 - 2:09 am
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Hello Matt & welcome to WACA!

That is a very nice trio of old shooters, and a great start to a collection!

What is the serial number on the Model 94 Carbine?

Bert

WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
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MMC818
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October 7, 2025 - 10:19 am
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Bert H. said
Hello Matt & welcome to WACA!
That is a very nice trio of old shooters, and a great start to a collection!
What is the serial number on the Model 94 Carbine?
Bert
  

Thank you, Bert! You’re very excited to be here and learn from you all. 

The serial number is 1534816. It looks pristine and hardly used. I wish that I had time to talk with him about the 94 and his collection. I want to learn to hunt with the 94 to feel closer to him. It does seem like he used a finbear sako (30-06) for hunting which I also bought. 

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tionesta1
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October 7, 2025 - 11:42 am
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Welcome to WACA Matt, great start to your collection.

Al

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M64lvr
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October 7, 2025 - 2:03 pm
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Yes welcome, and that M94 looks to be in excellent condition! 

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Anthony
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October 7, 2025 - 6:10 pm
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Welcome Matt,

I’m in agreement with the others. We’ll let Bert tell you when you’re 94 was mfg. as he is the foremost authority here on the forum, as a few others are also. Some of us, like myself just ride they’re coat tails! LOL! Laugh

I myself enjoy hunting with M85, and try to keep my Winchesters in the condition, that you’re showing. Keep you’re standards up, and you’ll never regret it! Nothing wrong with taking that 94 for a walk and connect on some game with it, as you’ll admire it more, using it as it was intended. Great start to a collection.

Thanks for sharing.

Anthony

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Bert H.
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October 7, 2025 - 7:36 pm
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MMC818 said

Bert H. said
Hello Matt & welcome to WACA!
That is a very nice trio of old shooters, and a great start to a collection!
What is the serial number on the Model 94 Carbine?
Bert
  

Thank you, Bert! You’re very excited to be here and learn from you all. 
The serial number is 1534816. It looks pristine and hardly used. I wish that I had time to talk with him about the 94 and his collection. I want to learn to hunt with the 94 to feel closer to him. It does seem like he used a finbear sako (30-06) for hunting which I also bought. 
  

October 1948.

Does it have slotted, or a smooth magazine tube end cap?

Slotted-Mag-Cap-cropped.jpgImage Enlarger

Non-slotted-Mag-Cap.jpgImage Enlarger

 

Bert

WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
High-walls-1-002-C-reduced2.jpg

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MMC818
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October 7, 2025 - 7:56 pm
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Bert H. said

MMC818 said

Bert H. said
Hello Matt & welcome to WACA!
That is a very nice trio of old shooters, and a great start to a collection!
What is the serial number on the Model 94 Carbine?
Bert
  

Thank you, Bert! You’re very excited to be here and learn from you all. 
The serial number is 1534816. It looks pristine and hardly used. I wish that I had time to talk with him about the 94 and his collection. I want to learn to hunt with the 94 to feel closer to him. It does seem like he used a finbear sako (30-06) for hunting which I also bought. 
  

October 1948.
Does it have slotted, or a smooth magazine tube end cap?

 
Bert
  

Ah! I was incorrect (was looking at a fuzzy pic I took of the sn), it is in fact 1584816 with a smooth end cap and a hooded front sight.

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Bert H.
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October 7, 2025 - 8:03 pm
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MMC818 said

Bert H. said

MMC818 said

Bert H. said
Hello Matt & welcome to WACA!
That is a very nice trio of old shooters, and a great start to a collection!
What is the serial number on the Model 94 Carbine?
Bert
  

Thank you, Bert! You’re very excited to be here and learn from you all. 
The serial number is 1534816. It looks pristine and hardly used. I wish that I had time to talk with him about the 94 and his collection. I want to learn to hunt with the 94 to feel closer to him. It does seem like he used a finbear sako (30-06) for hunting which I also bought. 
  

October 1948.
Does it have slotted, or a smooth magazine tube end cap?
 
Bert
  

Ah! I was incorrect (was looking at a fuzzy pic I took of the sn), it is in fact 1584816 with a smooth end cap and a hooded front sight.
  

That moves the date of manufacture to April 1949.

WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
High-walls-1-002-C-reduced2.jpg

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MMC818
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October 7, 2025 - 8:13 pm
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Bert H. said

MMC818 said

Bert H. said

MMC818 said

Bert H. said
Hello Matt & welcome to WACA!
That is a very nice trio of old shooters, and a great start to a collection!
What is the serial number on the Model 94 Carbine?
Bert
  

Thank you, Bert! You’re very excited to be here and learn from you all. 
The serial number is 1534816. It looks pristine and hardly used. I wish that I had time to talk with him about the 94 and his collection. I want to learn to hunt with the 94 to feel closer to him. It does seem like he used a finbear sako (30-06) for hunting which I also bought. 
  

October 1948.
Does it have slotted, or a smooth magazine tube end cap?
 
Bert
  

Ah! I was incorrect (was looking at a fuzzy pic I took of the sn), it is in fact 1584816 with a smooth end cap and a hooded front sight.
  

That moves the date of manufacture to April 1949.
  

Wonderful! Thank you so much! I saw that you have recommendations/ tips on how to buy a pre-64 Winchester. If I really wanted a nice model70 (that was in good condition but also one I could take hunting on rare occasions) where would you recommend I look?

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Bert H.
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October 7, 2025 - 8:29 pm
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MMC818 said

Bert H. said

MMC818 said

Bert H. said

MMC818 said

Bert H. said
Hello Matt & welcome to WACA!
That is a very nice trio of old shooters, and a great start to a collection!
What is the serial number on the Model 94 Carbine?
Bert
  

Thank you, Bert! You’re very excited to be here and learn from you all. 
The serial number is 1534816. It looks pristine and hardly used. I wish that I had time to talk with him about the 94 and his collection. I want to learn to hunt with the 94 to feel closer to him. It does seem like he used a finbear sako (30-06) for hunting which I also bought. 
  

October 1948.
Does it have slotted, or a smooth magazine tube end cap?
 
Bert
  

Ah! I was incorrect (was looking at a fuzzy pic I took of the sn), it is in fact 1584816 with a smooth end cap and a hooded front sight.
  

That moves the date of manufacture to April 1949.
  

Wonderful! Thank you so much! I saw that you have recommendations/ tips on how to buy a pre-64 Winchester. If I really wanted a nice model70 (that was in good condition but also one I could take hunting on rare occasions) where would you recommend I look?
  

Model 70 rifles are found almost everywhere you want to look, especially those in 30-06 GOV’T and 270 WCF.  I personally would buy one from Pre64Win.com

Bert

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Louis Luttrell
Winchester, VA
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October 7, 2025 - 9:02 pm
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Hi MMC818-

As Bert said, there is no shortage of Pre-64 M70s on the market.  Assuming you want a correct/unaltered one and have not (yet) become familiar with all the nuances that define original/period correct, I’d suggest a few things:

First, stick with a Standard Grade rifle in a common/fairly common chambering, for example a Standard rifle in 30-06, 270 WIN, 257 ROBERTS or 220 SWIFT, or a Featherweight in 243 WIN, 270 WIN, 308 WIN or 30-06.  Those don’t tend to get faked or “upgraded” like Carbines, Super Grades, “rare” calibers, etc.

Second, if you want an unaltered gun, then BEFORE you buy or bid, ask somebody… Post pics or an auction link here, or contact me by PM.  Since I do the M70 survey, I can pretty much tell very quickly which parts are original and which have been replaced/altered. I can promise that I’m not going to bid against you on a gun you brought to my attention… Laugh

As for sellers, Dave Morris (Frontier Guns on GI) often has nice clean M70s as well, but like Justin Hale (Pre64win), he can be pricey. Even nice clean (unaltered) pre-war 30 GOV’T’06 Standard rifles can bring over $3K these days.  If you’re looking for something common you can usually find it in the bigger auction houses and sometimes get a decent price.

But again…  Ask questions before reaching for your wallet!!!

Good Luck,

Lou

WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters

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TXGunNut
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October 8, 2025 - 2:24 am
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Some very good advice from Louis and Bert above. All I can add is to look at and handle as many rifles as you can. Ask questions, do some reading. If one doesn’t feel or look right keep looking, another will come along in due time. I’m casually looking for the same rifle but won’t bid against you if you want to post a link to it here. 

 

Mike

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Missouri
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October 8, 2025 - 1:30 pm
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Nice rifle Matt!

 

Especially cool that it is a family heirloom.  

 

All these old Winchesters are special, for a number of reasons.

 

I have had at least one of mine out shooting, each of the past 10 days.  

 

As you search for a M70, don’t forget to keep your eyes open for M71 or M64.  They are my current addictions!  I have snagged 3 of each model in the past two years.

 

Welcome to the madness!

 

Tim

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TR
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October 8, 2025 - 3:51 pm
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   Matt,

 Welcome to the Forum.

 I like your two Colts, they are beautiful.

                                 T/R

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