Winchester 94AE Big Bore Question

T

turkeestalker

New member
Winchester, or at the time US Repeating Arms under the Winchester name, produced four rifles with the designation of a model 94 Angle Eject Big Bore in the 20 inch carbine configuration in just four calibers back around the early to mid eighties.

I own the .307 and .356 Winchester, and the .444 Marlin versions. Each of these has that fugly cross bolt safety on them with straight comb stocks.

The fourth caliber that was produced in the Angle Eject Big Bore was the .375 Winchester. From what I can tell it was only produced for one year in the Angle Eject vs. the traditional top eject that had preceded the others and had been in production for several years. I also understand that this particular one year production rifle came with the canoe paddle style of buttstock rather than the straight comb like the other three, ick.

I am curious if anyone here knows whether or not that particular production was bastardized by the cross bolt safety like most all of the others, (some of the very early .307 and .356 models did not in fact have it), or was it unmarred by it?
 
J

jmr40

New member
I remember them, had a friend with one, but it's been so long I couldn't remember timelines. My sources say 1978 for this one. Safeties didn't happen till late 80's IIRC.

I wouldn't call it a "boat paddle" stock. I've never seen any traditional lever with a straight stock. The standard rifles made by Marlin and Winchester have lots of drop making it difficult to see through a scope. Since the Big Bore AE's were meant to be scoped they had a raised cheek piece that "straightened " the stock quite a bit for scope use.
 
T

turkeestalker

New member
My terminology is probably wrong regarding the stocks I'll admit.
The three that I have sport what looks to me like a traditional cut 94 buttstock.

attachment.php


The one I'm talking about on the .375 is the one with the hump back look to it like they were trying to adapt a monte carlo looking style to a lever action.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20161020_200628969.jpg
    IMG_20161020_200628969.jpg
    234.5 KB · Views: 1,346
E

eastbank

New member
i have one they called the timber carbine with a short barrel and 3/4 magizine tube and pistol grip butt stock in 444 marlin and i love it,short,powerfull and accurett. eastbank.
 
F

FrankenMauser

New member
I've only seen one of the .375 94AEs in person, and a couple in photos. All that I have seen have had the modern, low, 'straight' comb.

If there are some out there with more of a Monte Carlo stock (like the mid- to late-'60s Marlin 444s), they may be modified or originally from the custom shop.


I'm assuming it' something like this that you're asking about:
(Custom shape designed by another party, using a Winchester stock with extra width and the Marlin 'shotgun' Monte Carlo stock as a guide. [Shaped for my face on a 336 converted to .444 Marlin.])

attachment.php
 
O

oldscot3

New member
Mine was the early version in 307. It had no crossbolt safey, the raised hump comb on the butt stock(it was original from the factory), and a heavy barrel. The hump was a help when shooting with a scope, but I agree it looked a bit out of place. IDK much about the later ones including the 375.

I made the switch to a Savage 99 in 308. Now all I have of the Winchester is a little leftover ammo and brass.
 
Last edited:
D

dgludwig

New member
QUOTE: "...The hump was a help when shooting with a scope, but I agree it looked a bit out of place..."

The scope or the hump? They both look a lot out of place to me on a classic lever-action carbine, as well as detracting from the exceptional carbine handling qualities. Personal and subjective opinion, of course, but all of mine have William "FoolProof" receiver sights mounted on them.
 
S

Strafer Gott

New member
I was fortunate to find 3 big bore model 94s. A .307 AE no safety, a .356 AE, no safety, and a .375 top eject, no safety. Those crossbolts are on a .357 and .44 magnum AE trappers that I also own, and yes, they are ugly, especially next to a saddle ring.
 
T

turkeestalker

New member
I'll not claim to be absolutely correct but I'm pretty certain that what I've learned was true.

The first 94 Big bore to be introduced was the .375 back in 1978 or 79 in the traditional top eject configuration without the cross bolt safety.

These were touted as having hand checkered premium walnut stocks and had XTR in the model number to indicate that.

These also had serial numbers which began with BB signifying Big Bore.

Around 1983 or 84, the .307 and .356 came onto the scene in the Angle Eject version instead of top eject.

The earliest versions did not have the cross bolt safety and some did in fact come with the monte carlo shaped buttstock.

At some unknown point during their production the XTR designation was dropped though the wood was still hand cut checkering and seemingly premium quality. Also the BB was dropped from the serial numbers.

The Big Bore line was discontinued within about a decade in the mid to late 80s.

Though I don't know the exact last year that the .375 was offered, I do know that the last year was the only year that it was offered in an Angle Eject rather than the top eject and came sporting the monte carlo style stock.

It was that year or the year after that it was also offered in .444 Marlin, but only for one year.

The following year the only one still in production was the Timber Carbine version in .444 Marlin rather than the traditional 20 inch carbine configuration.

I'm curious if the last offering of the .375 Big Bore 94AE had the cross bolt safety, that's all.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty well certain that my timeline is correct though maybe a bit vague.
 
F

FrankenMauser

New member
Thanks.
Oh, and the scope does not belong - it was just there for load development. The rifle, including the high comb stock, was built around Skinner Winged Sights.


And thanks for the basic timeline.
I prefer Marlins, but it's always nice to learn more about the Winchesters.
 
R

RIDE-RED 350r

New member
I have a 94BB in 375, (just made some ammo for it a couple hours ago :)).. It does not have the cross-bolt safety, has a traditional stock (checkered) and is top eject. There is a 94BB thread on another shooting forum I frequent that people are trying to compile serial numbers and features along with DOM's in an attempt to make some sense of it all. From what I learned there it is likely that my 94BB was made in about 1980.

I have not yet seen a 94BB in 375 with the "wart" and angle eject in pictures or for sale on places like GB. And conversely, I have seen precious few 307 and 356 chambered BB's without the wart and without angle eject. I believe you are right in saying only a few BB's chambered 307 and 356 got out in the traditional configuration. Seems as though I have come across a couple on GB but they are the extreme minority.

There is some good reading on the BB's on that thread, but I will not post a link without permission from the staff here.
 
O

oldscot3

New member
Dgludwig- you missed an important point here, the Big Bores were not the old "classic" lever-action carbines of the past. They were changed specifically to make them scope friendly, and beefed up to handle cartridges with more omph and/or longer range than the classic old 30 30. When they came out you could still have a 30 30 your way, just like John Wayne's, but the Big Bores were intended to expand the line not replace it.
 
T

turkeestalker

New member
I realize that there really is nothing old or classic about them.
The calibers developed for them are pretty interesting and a real 'kick' to me. Sadly they just never caught much interest in general at the time and faded pretty quickly.
Most real Winchester guys don't think too highly of them and they don't really hold much value to serious collectors.

You're right R-R 350, I've participated some on that forum and learned quite a bit from those folks on several different topics, the same as I have here.
I stumbled onto your thread on yet another forum where you acquired your BB, congrats. I like it when the world seems a little bit smaller.

Understood and agreed FrankenMauser.
The 6x currently on the .307 in my photo has been on all three at various times for the same reason, but they've all got the Foolproof peep sights that were made to specifically fit the Big Bore as on the other two.

I've only seen two .375s in AE, and I could have sworn the first had the safety but the second one is on GB now and it doesn't.
I'm sure that the first one I saw had it.
Unfortunately the second one is in pretty sad shape as far as the metal finish goes, seems to have been abused some.
It's lack of the safety is what prompted my question here, hoping that there may be a few examples out there amongst the members.
 
Last edited:
D

dgludwig

New member
QUOTE: "Dgludwig- you missed an important point here, the Big Bores were not the old "classic" lever-action carbines of the past. They were changed specifically to make them scope friendly, and beefed up to handle cartridges with more omph and/or longer range than the classic old 30 30..."

I understand what you're saying, oldscot3, but my only point was and is, I don't like the looks of lever-action carbines, regardless of caliber, having Monte Carlo style stocks and/or having a scope screwed to the receiver, no matter how more utilitarian optics and stock humps make them. And, no matter the caliber, I think a scope detracts from the handling of any rifle, but especially so when mounted on a short, light carbine.

As I explained earlier, I'm only expressing my very subjective opinion; I don't expect anyone to agree with me and concede that my opinion is doubtless a very lonely one. :eek:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top