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Hi all,
the gun I will be presenting sold in France a couple of days ago. It is out of the usual collecting scope of this forum, but I thought model 94 afficionadoes might find it interesting.
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As you can see, its serial number is in the right position for an Angle Eject model, and the serial is in the AE range (although an early one), but it is obviously a top eject and so marked (or more precisely not marked AE on the barrel). (other interesting details are it’s in excellent condition and has a somewhat rare (?) post front sight instead of the ramp one.
Page 101 of the 94 Trilogy, Robert says that after 5.35M, all 94 are AE. This one is 20k guns later and is not.
Part clearance as usual?
What do you think of it?
Has anyone noticed other guns in the same 5.3m range with the mis aligned 3?
 A most interesting piece.Looking forward to what knowledgeable people in the Model 94 field have to say.
Can’t help with the AE questions, but imo the misaligned 3 is not significant.
Hello Freebird,
It’s a variation that I had no idea existed. Not sure what to make of it unless, as you mentioned it’s a parts gun that only went out of the country. I never encountered one before — thanks for bringing it to my attention. I’m entering it into my future (?) revision material.
What do you mean by 20K later? The one pictured is in the 5.3M range — is the picture the actual gun or another? It could be a parts gun or a model in transition that was not offered in the U.S. — as you will notice the Big Bore has a “similar” situation with serial numbers during the top eject-AE changeover.
I have no idea about the misaligned “3” or the post front sight. Earlier Post front sights were almost all behind the barrelband. Some trapper models were ahead of the band — misalignment of numbers is not uncommon.  Â
I have never seen the “diamond” marking ahead of the link either – perhaps a foreign sale indicator – does it have French proofing (??).
Thanks, and Regards, keep us apprised,
Bob
Hi Bob,
What I meant was that you mention that all guns after 5.35M serial are AE. This one is 5.37M, which puts it roughly 20 000 guns later than the changeover date. So quite near that date, hence my hypothesis that it might be a clearance of stocked parts.
Alternatively, it could be that Top Eject made after the changeover to use old stock were specifically sold in foreign countries.
And yes, this gun has been proofed in France at Saint Étienne and was first imported specifically in France (as per the documents hereafter)
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I will soon regreat not having bought this gun myself 
Freebird
Keep looking for another. It would be interesting to note this practice and would be an asset to my research — other countries as well — perhaps???
BÂ
Good morning (day, evening, depending where you are 🙂 )
A second one has surfaced, Top Eject, 5 374 707, hence 639 guns apart from the previous one, with the same diamond stamp. Bought in France in 1987 (but could have stayed in stock for a few years…)
This stamp is not an official French proof stamp that I know of. Could be an importer stamp, of a Winchester stamp for guns destined to foreign sales only ?
Same post front sight in front of the barrel band, and misaligned 3. We may have a pattern there 
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