Guys,

I recently acquired a Model 94 made in 1950 in good condition. It's a great example, showing little wear and the "long wood" on a gun that likely sat in someone's cabinet or behind the farmhouse door for 60 years. That said, I've seen an issue pop up when cycling rounds through the action. When inserting cartridges into the loading gate, pushing one in all the way will prevent others from being inserted. I can't push the loading gate down if there's a round in the tube. I know this is well-documented and the Winchester-suggested "fix" for this is to not insert a round all the way and use the subsequent round to seat it. That's not how the rifle was designed to work and isn't something I'm likely going to follow.

I know others have experienced this, but I haven't seen what the definitive fix is for it. Anyone experience the same and fixed it?

Thanks in advance.

From memory it's to do with the cartridge not going into the magazine tube to the right position fully enough.

And that means that the small square block on the stop that holds the cartridges in is worn.

It's and easy simple fix. Apply weld and then take down to the correct size.

Problem is it is really fiddly as its final stage is literally file one stroke, assemble, try. File one stroke, assemble, try.

Now if that's the fix for another problem please accept my apologies.

Pushing the round into the mag tube does nothing; there is nothing to keep it there. Not sure where that info came from. And it is one inch in front of the loading gate. If you are inserting a cartridge into the loading port, and then you can't insert another one, then the boss on the lever that keeps the rounds forward, might be worn. The loading gate will be hard to push down anyway as it must cam a round forward 1 1/6th inch.
There is a tab (the mag cut off) on the bottom link that holds rounds in the mag tube when cycling the action, but it does not function during loading.
If using the following round to push the first one in, works, then you should load it that way; it is easier on the fingers anyway.
Enfield is correctly describing the fix when a cartridge comes out of the mag whilst you are cycling the lever, thereby jamming up the action. Caused by a worn mag cut off. But you are not describing that.

Thanks, guys. DPCD, you're describing what's happening with my rifle. I hear what you're saying about the fix, but this would be the first lever rifle I've fired that won't let you top off the magazine if there are rounds in it. My Marlin works fine in that regard. I know that's not how the rifle is supposed to function.

For the fix you recommend, is that a replacement part or what enfieldspares mentions - file, test, file, test, etc.?

Also there is a cam/angle on the bottom of the loading gate that pushes the first round forward; that could be worn. If you are saying you can't push the gate in at all then it could be one, or both of the things I mentioned.
Yes, they should allow you to depress the gate with a round in it.
The part that Enfield is describing is not your problem.
The fix is for someone who knows model 94s to look at it, diagnose it, and repair it. Perhaps by welding up a worn lever and machining it back to spec.
The"parts replacement" fix is a new lever, and or, a new loading gate, both of which are not available anyway.
When you load a round, where is the rim sitting? The loading gate has to push it forward a bit to load another one.

Just on the philosophical aspect, Clayman: who says the rifles were not supposed to be loaded by pushing one cartridge in with the next one?

While Hollywood may not be part of the company, all the loading in movies I've seen has used that method and I reckon Winchester would have got in the ear of the producers/arms consultants if it was no good.

Whenever I try to push a single round all the way in there's a chance the gate might nip my finger, so I use the other method assuming it is approved.

As long as the last one in engages correctly with the lifter and feeds into the action OK, why worry? Obviously, if after feeding that last cartridge (or more) into the chamber you still can't open the gate, you have a problem that needs dealing with.

Ok, please don't start buying parts before knowing what the problem is. All we know up to now are Symptoms. Not problems.
And these are still used parts; might not be better than yours.
And yes, loading by pushing the first round with the second is the easy way to do it (on the fingers) but the OP does not want to do it. And, all lever action rifles should allow loading the hard way.

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If I recall, The nub on the link catches the second round coming out of the mag tube after the leaver is moved down half way to prevent a double feed. In loading, the round installed first in the feed system is caught by a portion of the leaver. The loading gate has a crescent shaped cut in it at the front and a slight bevel on the underside. By pushing on the loading gate hard the bevel on the bottom of the loading gate pushes the first round forward a bit allowing the loading gate to open to accept the next round in. Most people force the loading gate by pressing the side of the nose of the round they want to insert next with their thumb. It is possible to change the angle on the gate a bit and polish it to make it work better. But you have to know what you're doing.

That is correct.

Thanks for all the replies, guys. I just brought the rifle home and have been using snap caps to test the feeding. The whole thing is in need of a disassembly and thorough cleaning before use, so I will pay particular attention to the upper parts of the lever in the action and the back of the loading gate to see if I can see any obvious wear or something out of sorts. I'll post pictures if anything shows up. The problem might just be 66 years worth of grime in the action!

speerchucker, the description you give is something I've heard mentioned in other discussions about this. I'm not ordering parts or jumping to conclusions just yet, but we'll see.

I had a 94 come in for service today so I snapped a picture. That is with the action closed. The cartridge is interrupted on the leaver until the leaver is pulled down. It shows the taper on the bottom of the loading gate that pushes the first cartridge forward when you go to insert a second round. You can try polishing the taper with 600 wet and dry but I wouldn't get to crazy if you don't know what you are doing. Ive bought a few loading gates over the years after cutting them too far.


94 by Rod Henrickson, on Flickr

Thanks for the picture, Rod. I see exactly what you mean with your description in the above posts. When I strip it down (probably next weekend), I'll see if anything looks worn.

Just out of curiosity, what happens when you polish the taper on that loading gate too far or too much?

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When you make the angle steeper to make it push down easier you run the risk of shortening the gate. It depends on the year and type of loading gate, but commonly if you lose to much material on those two tits on the front of the gate, it will pop right up through the port and jam the gate closed against the front of the port or even on the top edges of the front of the port. There's not a lot of material to play with there.

When I do them I put them in the mill and use a 1/2 inch carbide end mill coming in at about a 45 degree angle to steepen up the angle just a touch. I only get a 1/32nd cut at best before I start to get close to the tits. Then I polish the cut to a mirror finish with a hard felt wheel.