Picked up a used WIN 94AE this afternoon and found a nasty surprise when I pulled the front scope base off.

Looks to me like someone tried to grind a flat into a broken screw with a dremel cutoff wheel and gouged the receiver, and then proceeded to drill it out with a regular drill bit so the hole is both oversized, and deeper than the factory hole (~1/16"), so the hole extends down into the barrel meat.

1. Does the hole extending slightly into the barrel make it unsafe?
2. Assuming its safe, any suggestions on how to fix? (retap for #8 screw? what about the gouge?)
3. Will Tig welding destroy the receiver heat treat?

My plan was to use a rear peep sight, so front of receiver will be open (cant hide the gouge under a base).

Appreciate any suggestions or recommendations.

Advice.
Remove the barrel, drill and tap for 8-40. The gouge will be covered by the base. I don't like to weld 94 receivers as they are made from sintered iron; not saying it can't be done. Hole in barrel is not a problem as long as you don't go too deep. I see you don't want a base on there; put one on anyway to cover up the gouge. If it was mine I would grind the receiver, or file, the gouge out. It is difficult if not impossible to blue post 64 94 receivers; I have polished them bright before.

Thanks for the input.

My plan was to hard chrome the entire rifle, so not too worried about re-blueing.

Any idea how much of a job is it to remove the barrel on a 94?

I'm trying to figure out whether to try to return the rifle to the seller and get a refund, or get fair $ to offset the repairs.

The barrel on a 94 screws in. So barrel vice and action wrench. As dpcd said I would cover it with a base. Since you are going to hard chrome it it doesn't look that deep and should be easy to remove the cut. I wouldn't weld on it.

Your seller might not have known unless he had removed the base or did the work himself..

FWIW, I've blued many post-64 94s. Brownels sell the salts; not a big deal at all.

quote:

Brownels sell the salts

Years ago when I was doing a lot of bluing I always had issues with the darn reciever having a red cast. Finally found better salts while it did take a little longer to cook got rid of the red.

Haven't see a 94 John has done but I love his other bluing.

Case harden is another option. Have trouble gitting a hard chrome 94 picture in my head.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:

quote:

Brownels sell the salts

Have trouble gitting a hard chrome 94 picture in my head.

Just imagine it with a Harley logo the chrome will come naturally.
I suggested Turnbull. But he's looking for a utility gun, some finish that will have a high rust resistance low maintenance kind of thing.

quote:

Just imagine it with a Harley logo the chrome will come naturally

After a glass of wine a bead blasted hard chrome wouldn't be too bad.

Turnbull won't color case a post 64 94; last time I asked them. 94 barrels are not on tightly at all; they come right off; not much of a shoulder to torque on so anyone can do it.

"...looking for a utility gun, some finish that will have a high rust resistance..."

Paint it.

A competent gunsmith can TIG that particular hole. That portion of the receiver doesn't do anything other than to help support the receiver threads. The area you want to avoid heating is back behind the bolt where the locking bolt engages the receiver. That is the critical area on this particular receiver.

And where it isn't in any danger of becoming valuable, I second the "Paint it" suggestion.

Strip the receiver of it's finish. No need for extensive polishing. A fine wire wheel w/oil or even a brightening up w/ scotchbrite will be sufficient.
You just want to remove the original blue, not change the contours, edges, ect.

Plug the holes with steel plugs. If done right they can be made invisable. The gouge can be dressed up with a slight recontour of the ring at the same time.
Match the polish of the ring in with what you've done to the rest of the frame.

Rust blue the frame.

No need to pull the bbl to do this unless you don't have a rust blue tank big enough to take the bbl'd action.
The bbl's come off easily (usually!). The frame and small parts can be rust blued (boiled) in a small container on the stove top.

Rust blue a post-64? Is that possible?

Rust blueing post 64 '94 Winchester receivers works very nicely. I don't know why everyone frets so much over them w/special hot blue salts and the like.
They do come out every bit as nice as any other using cold (slow) rust bluing technique.
Nothing special,,I'be been using Laurel Mtn soln for many years now on everything cold rust blued.
If I do quick rust blue something I use Mark Lee's soln.
Recently I've been putting one coat of Mark Lee's quick rust over the top of the last slow rust coat of L/M solution.
It has permanetly cured any after rust problems for good for me and gives the final finish a better 'blue' color'.
Just one quick light coat though right after you card the final slow rust coating off. The residual heat of the parts is usually enough to dry and rust it so it can go right back into the tank for 5 to 10 min. Then card again, hang and let cool.

I will admit I've not had as good of results trying to use quick rust blue for the entire process on frames and other pieces with large flat areas. Those seem to show small discoloration streeks,and marks at times from the quick rust operation that don't show up when slow rust bluing is used.
Seems I can get away with that one quick rust coating at the end w/o any damage and it enhances the looks and ends any after rust problems.

Appreciate all the input and suggestions. Will evaluate costs for the different options and hopefully have it up an running by the Spring.

I would take it back to who ever sold it to you AND if I found out that they knew about the missed up holes.....Well it wouldn't be pretty.