I regret to say that my father in law passed away this past Saturday. He left me his beat up win 94. I know the guns not worth much in terms of monetary value but I do want to restore it nonetheless. Since the barrel is heavily pitted I ordered a new one from Numrich’s chambered in 375win (will load it to 38-55 levels). I have already stripped off the worn bluing on all the parts and am starting to polish out some of the pitting there. I want to engrave ‘in loving memory’ on the receiver and refinish all the parts. I don’t need an elaborate engraving just something simple. If anyone knows someone that is reasonable please let me know. The other question that I have is can the receiver be case colored? I read somewhere that they used an alloy that could only be painted on (the serial number is 5,400,xxx). If not then could I plate it?

What I would advise is to have any "375 WINCHESTER" markings on that replacement barrel removed...just so that a future family member or heir doesn't put the wrong ammunition in it!

FWIW engraved guns, with a dediction to a person, unless to a famous person, actually are worth less than non-engraved guns.

Maybe the simplest, most permanent and easiest solution is to put a small piece of paper, maybe with a picture, under the buttplate?

Or even to ink the dates of his life and his name on the back of the buttstock under the buttplate?

I have seen a few pistols that, when the grips are removed, have an owner's name so marked.

I would have kept it the way he left it. It is now no longer his gun.

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Originally posted by carpetman1:
I would have kept it the way he left it. It is now no longer his gun.

Respectfully, I will have to disagree with you there. It will always be his gun, nothing can change that. I am also not worried about value, the gun will never leave the family. This is supposed to be a commemorative piece for his honor, something concrete to show my children who their grandfather was.

It is very obvious you disagree with me--no problem-no flame. Just two different ways of thinking. My dad had an old Win mod 12 I think year 1921. Had "nickel steel" stamped on it. All his years of duck, goose and quail hunting he had it worn slick--no bluing. He also had an ugly poly choke on it. I could spot that gun. I gave it to a son in law and if he reblued it--it just wouldn't look like dad's gun to me. Reminds me of another story I have posted before. Dad had a Marlin 30-30 that was stolen out of his pickup. Over a year later (I was 16 year old kid) I went into a pawn shop and immediately spotted dad's gun on the shelf. He had a Lyman receiver sight installed on it, a military style sling and the recoil pad was embossed with the gunsmiths name. I recognized it from those three things. Had someone changed them I wouldn't have noticed it. I now own that gun.

I don't know the serial number runs on the Win 94's. I am not a collector at all. If you're dad's rifle is from the mid-late 70's, (I think), it is possible that it is a "sintered iron" frame gun. There was a run of years that Winchester was playing with ways to save money, and decided to use sintered iron to make frames. These frames can't be blued like normal steel, and I'm certain, can't be case colored.

I have no idea what the serial number run of the sintered iron frames are.

I have one sitting in the back of my safe that belonged to my Uncle. Kind of the same situation, I wanted to restore it, but had been told that the frame was a "no go". It can have a baked or painted on finish applied, and I never checked in to any of the high tech finishes, but I think some of the plating finishes can be applied as well.

I said forget it, and left it as is. A baked on or plated finish wouldn't look right to me.

Maybe someone who knows the serial number range can chime in on whether yours is steel, or sintered iron.

Just a question here, are you sure about that serial number and how long did your Father In Law own that gun?????

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
Just a question here, are you sure about that serial number and how long did your Father In Law own that gun?????

Double checked the serial number and it is correct. Gun was built in 77 wich fits for how long he had it.

Okay, the site I looked on only went up to 5,1xx,xxx and it listed those numbers from being made in the early 80's.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
Okay, the site I looked on only went up to 5,1xx,xxx and it listed those numbers from being made in the early 80's.

Sorry for the error, I meant 87', that is when he said that he bought it new.

I dont know how to contact Ken Hurst but he does excellent engraving and used to do it very reasonably.

You can get it Lazer engraved fairly reasonable.The Receiver is a alloy that does not take blueing very well,but can be case hardened.

If the rifle was made in '87 it has a forged steel receiver that will take bluing. Winchester dropped the sintered receivers with the introduction of the Angle Eject in the early '80's.

The 375 barrel will not screw into a 30-30 receiver. The threads on the barrel can be recut so it will fit.

quote:

I would have kept it the way he left it. It is now no longer his gun.

I'd disagree with that too.

My late father's 12 Bore SBS was bought for him in 1919 when he was twelve years old.

Now, over the years, it has had the old barrels re-sleeved (had to they were pitted to ruin and unsafe wall thickness) and I've had it re-stocked to my measurements and the old cracked fore-end wood also replaced at the same time.

So, apart from it's original fitted leather motor case, ALL that is really original from 1919 is the three inches at the breech/chamber end of the barrels and the action.

Oh, and it's also been re-blacked TWICE now (once when my father was alive after the re-sleeve) and once by me.

But it's still "dad's gun"...

Here in UK we "Brits" think nothing of re-sleeving a SBS if it needs it or, if we can afford it even re-barrelling.

And certainly for a SBS that passes down the generations no thought is given to re-stocking to the new heir's measurements if thought needed.

So I'd certainly not agree that it won't be "dad's gun".

The gun is your's now do with it what you want. Dad's old Noble 12, with the poly choke will go untouched.