Seems like the guys over at the lever gun forum can't help me.

Since this is NOT a M98 which means that I don't know jack about the 1894 my question is.

Is the glob of silver solder on top of the magazine tube the factory/original way the tube was held in place or was it the little nib ( that doesn't engage the slot on the bottom of the barrel & neither does a new cap either) on the top of the magazine tube cap? One winnie collector tells me that the glob of silver solder is factory original.

Can't you swap that for a Mauser or something?

I've not seen one like that before. On all of the ones I've worked on the magazine tube is held on with a barrel band near the muzzle and a screw that holds the end cap on the magazine. There's two small half-round slots cut in the top of the mag tube, one at the barrel band and one at the forearm screw. with corresponding slots in the the bottom of the barrel. The forearm screw and barrel band screw go through the two holes these four slots make when mated together. The cap screw has an unthreaded end. The screw goes through the cap and mag tube and into a unthreaded hole in the bottom of the end of the barrel, putting the tube in slight tension.

Early '94s don't have a barrel band. They have a dovetail cut into the bottom of the barrel and a pin that locks the tube into the dovetail hanger, but those models have a cast tip on the forearm like the '92.

Hope that makes sense. I'm not saying the collector you talked to is wrong, but I'd talk to another one.

thanks for the info. There is only a half round slot on the bottom of the barrel for the barrel band screw to slide between the mag tube & barrel but the mag still slides forward when the rifle is fired; thus the glob of solder. I just can't see this as factory original.

quote:

Can't you swap that for a Mauser or something?

If it were mine I would!

It's almost like that rifle isn't original. The magazine tube looks too short. Anyways I highly doubt that Winchester did the silver solder. Tubes sliding forward during recoil is a common problems with all tube magazined lever actions.

You could possible have that area behind the slot cut (towards the action) beefed up with a mig or tig weld then file or grind to shape since it won't be seen under the forearm.

Having only seen one other like yours.......saddle ring/short magazine......I can't be sure. The attached is a 3/4 magazine......I've seen a 1/2.

But examining this picture, and looking at the mechanics of yours, I would guess the metal barrel band and the forearm wood should be in such a position to hold the tab on the cap securely in the slot on the barrel. Note the angle at which the magazine is held against the barrel in the attached picture.

I would first try some cardboard shims in the forearm channel to see if that applies enough pressure on the magazine tube to hold the tab more securely in the slot. It certainly is an easy test to accomplish. If it works......put in a more permanent shim there. It is also possible that either the slot or the tab are sufficiently worn to not have enough contact. Either fix would not be that expensive for a good smith.

I would be quite sure that the solder is not factory.

Your saddle ring rifle is a bit rare. Worth quite a bit more than a regular 94 full magazine.

Doug: Have you removed the cartridge follower to ensure the mag isn't being blocked back by it when you insert the tube? I am also wondering about the fit of the tube in the fore end. If it was sloppy I can see someone adding a drop of solder filler over top of the groove that is normally in the tube to give the screw something to butt against. That would also have the effect of holding the nub on the button further away from it's barrel recess so it didn't lock in.

I've pulled a few of these apart (c.1950's) and the mag tube has a similar cutout to the barrel, together they comprise the hole for the screw which is supposed to hold the together. Not an especially efficient design. Seems whenever I disassemble one it's very tough to get them aligned just right so the screw will thread correctly at the far side.

I agree with stocker, may have worn loose and the solder blob is a shim.