Old family heirloom

[Scarey]

I spent this last weekend in Montana with some of my family I haven't seen in almost 20 years. While having dinner with my favourite uncle, he left the room for a moment and returned with an old family heirloom that has been passed down in our family for generations. He handed me a model 94 Winchester 30-30 that had belonged to his great grandfather. He said that this was to be my inheritance and it was now mine to care for. He had tried to take it in to see just how old the rifle was, but no one knew. So I guess its now up to me to find the history on the beautiful rifle.
Anyone have any ideas where to start???

 

[Wildabeest]

I was hoping to retrieve a similar gun from my recent mission jaunt back to OH, but it wasn’t there. Super cool gun and I’m sure it has a lot of sentimental value to you. Shoot it and hand it down. That’s what will keep the “value” alive!

 

[Scarey]

I was hoping to retrieve a similar gun from my recent mission jaunt back to OH, but it wasn’t there. Super cool gun and I’m sure it has a lot of sentimental value to you. Shoot it and hand it down. That’s what will keep the “value” alive!

My uncle said he took 3 deer with it while he had it.

 

[Nathanj]

https://www.winchesterguns.com/content/dam/winchester-repeating-arms/support/faq/serial-number-reference/Winchester-Manufacture-Dates-by-Year-2012-Scanned-Documents.pdf

This should be a place to start

 

[Durango Mike]

I spent this last weekend in Montana with some of my family I haven't seen in almost 20 years. While having dinner with my favourite uncle, he left the room for a moment and returned with an old family heirloom that has been passed down in our family for generations. He handed me a model 94 Winchester 30-30 that had belonged to his great grandfather. He said that this was to be my inheritance and it was now mine to care for. He had tried to take it in to see just how old the rifle was, but no one knew. So I guess its now up to me to find the history on the beautiful rifle. View attachment 157491

I spent this last weekend in Montana with some of my family I haven't seen in almost 20 years. While having dinner with my favourite uncle, he left the room for a moment and returned with an old family heirloom that has been passed down in our family for generations. He handed me a model 94 Winchester 30-30 that had belonged to his great grandfather. He said that this was to be my inheritance and it was now mine to care for. He had tried to take it in to see just how old the rifle was, but no one knew. So I guess its now up to me to find the history on the beautiful rifle. View attachment 157491View attachment 157492
Anyone have any ideas where to start???

I spent this last weekend in Montana with some of my family I haven't seen in almost 20 years. While having dinner with my favourite uncle, he left the room for a moment and returned with an old family heirloom that has been passed down in our family for generations. He handed me a model 94 Winchester 30-30 that had belonged to his great grandfather. He said that this was to be my inheritance and it was now mine to care for. He had tried to take it in to see just how old the rifle was, but no one knew. So I guess its now up to me to find the history on the beautiful rifle. View attachment 157491View attachment 157492
Anyone have any ideas where to start???

I spent this last weekend in Montana with some of my family I haven't seen in almost 20 years. While having dinner with my favourite uncle, he left the room for a moment and returned with an old family heirloom that has been passed down in our family for generations. He handed me a model 94 Winchester 30-30 that had belonged to his great grandfather. He said that this was to be my inheritance and it was now mine to care for. He had tried to take it in to see just how old the rifle was, but no one knew. So I guess its now up to me to find the history on the beautiful rifle. View attachment 157491View attachment 157492
Anyone have any ideas where to start???

View attachment 157492
Anyone have any ideas where to start???

Serial number? Give me a range and I can check my Winchester books. The sight is the old style elevator one that came on saddle ring carbines, blue looks about 90%, nice piece of family history to have.

 

[Scarey]

Serial number? Give me a range and I can check my Winchester books. The sight is the old style elevator one that came on saddle ring carbines, blue looks about 90%, nice piece of family history to have.

The serial #1055901

 

[JaegerRex]

1929 Manufacture date

Dates -

winchestercollector.org

 

[Durango Mike]

1929 Manufacture date

Dates -

winchestercollector.org

Yes that is in correct ange, by the way the rear sight was an extra $1.50

 

[tzone]

Awesome gun.

 

[44hunter45]

Congrats!

We have one of these in the S/N 8XX,XXX (January 1916) range and it's worth more than you would think. My got ours in payment for a tile job he did in the 1960s.
Ours is the "Eastern Carbine" variant. Factory tang sight, no saddle ring.

Your is in much better condition than ours.

Like Gemstones, Rifles are never worth what it says in the book, but in truth are worth what someone is will to give you for it. I could never part with ours.

Ours has put a lot of venison in the freezer, put down livestock and coyotes, and taught a lot of young hunters how to shoot and move in the woods.
Even with a safe full of bolt rifles, there is something special about taking the 30/30 out for a walk. Just a rifle and a belt knife.

Our bore is a pitted mess, but it shoots really well if I clean the bore after each session. It is rifled 1-10 and will handle any bullet from 150-170 grains really well.
I stay in the lower middle of the loads in my manuals for it.

I know thousands of hunters have taken running shots with these rifles, but I have found it is best to stick with a decent broadside shoot if you don't want a tracking job.

The Winchester Museum in Cody, WY can tell you just about everything you could ever want to know about your rifle.

 

[JLS]

Awesome rifle.

 

[mtmuley]

I have one my Grandfather bought brand new when he was 13 years old. mtmuley

 

[Woodrow F Call]

Awesome. I got my dad's 94 and it is well worn. It was made the year I was born. I've taken some deer with it.

Great guns. .30-30 is a great caliber.

 

[Scarey]

Thanks for the help. I know this gun has been through allot and has been taken very good care of. It was a total surprise to me when it was handed over because I had never seen it before that I can remember. My Uncle had this rifle since before I was born, so more than 43 years. Unfortunately he is not a man of many words unless you want to talk elk hunting. He did have a few pictures of his grandpa holding the rifle next to a dandy whitetail and a big Mulie. All I know is it came down from Alaska and has been passed down through the family for generations and I was made to promise to pass it on to my son with the same requirement. Thank you all again for your help.

 

[BrentD]

I guarantee, any elk or whatever you kill with it will taste better and be remembered better.

 

[Scarey]

Thanks, I definitely want to use it to get a nice northern Idaho whitetail. I might just have to pack it with me next year. I'd like to practice with it first. It would be nice to add another picture to the history.

 

[morgaj1]

I love seeing guns passed from generation to generation!

 

[Nick87]

So cool!

 

[MJE2083]

Wonderful rifle. I have a similar one from the early 50's that's in pristine shape. My Dad bought it off an old veteran who took really good care of it. I've taken it out for deer a few times, but haven't had an opportunity to pull the trigger yet.