Winchester Model 64

[richhodg66]

Went shopping with the wife and dropped into an LGS and there sat a pretty good Model 64. I've always iked the 3/3 magazine tube and pistol grip stock. Priced at $875, which with the way everybody thinks any older Winchester is madeof solid gold, that isn't too bad. I may have to scrape together some trade fodder and go back.

 

[Michael]

What flavor?

 

[richhodg66]

It's a .30-30.

Some wear on it, under the balance point and on the tang where someone's hand had been a lot, but generally in pretty nice shape.

 

[Michael]

Sweet! Last weekend at the local GS, a gentleman had an unfired '94 Centennial in 30-30, 2/3 magazine tube, half round barrel, like the 64 a pistol grip stock, and gorgeous checkered wood. Be still my heart.

 

[fiver]

mmmm, bit more than i'd want to pay.

 

[richhodg66]

I have a Teddy Roosevelt commemorative, 26" octagon barrel. Not pristine, so not afraid to shoot it, but I'd rather have the 64.

 

[fiver]

i'd still want it,, but that's more than i'd want to pay for it.

i've come to favor my old beat up 94 carbine, i like it even better than the trapper i have in 44 [i kept the 44 over the 45 i had, which got swapped for a 32]
i haven't kept any of the fancy engraved or commemorative 94's that i've acquired through the years.
they all felt wrong, gave me some sort of trouble, or shot poorly, none of the older ones have ever gave me any trouble except for one extractor i had to do a little tuning on.

 

[Dimner]

I have a Teddy Roosevelt commemorative, 26" octagon barrel. Not pristine, so not afraid to shoot it, but I'd rather have the 64.

I have a TR94 as well. Love the balance and weight of the rifle. However, the barrel is trash. Cannot get it to shoot anything decently. Looks like a freight train of chatter in the bore. So in the spring it's going to JES for the 35/30-30 treatment.

 

[richhodg66]

Sweet! Last weekend at the local GS, a gentleman had an unfired '94 Centennial in 30-30, 2/3 magazine tube, half round barrel, like the 64 at pistol grip stock, and gorgeous checkered wood. Be still my heart.

I have a TR94 as well. Love the balance and weight of the rifle. However, the barrel is trash. Cannot get it to shoot anything decently. Looks like a freight train of chatter in the bore. So in the spring it's going to JES for the 35/30-30 treatment.

I haven't really shot it enough to know yet. I did determine the front sight was way too high for the kind of shooting I do. If it doesn't shoot well with cast, a .38-55 rebore sounds very intriguing. I have an old Waffle top Marling which has been rebarreled to .38-55. It has a Marbles tang sight and a globe front. I plan to eventually put a real receiver sight on it since it's drilled for it anyway and a gold bead front.

I have shot it a lot. After running a few pots of the Lee bullet through it, I stumbled onto a deal on Craigslist of all places, a young guy selling off his grandpa's loading stuff he wasn't gonna use. about 250 primed Winchester cases and 60-70 pounds of commercial cast bullets, so haven't cast for it in a while. Fun rifle to shoot. The .38-55 is super easy to load for, at least the 100 yard informal target loads I shoot.

 

[Bret4207]

Life changed for me the first day I saw a beat up 1970's Win 94 30-30 with almost no stock finish and very little bluing under the rust marked for over $275.00!!! Saw a similar example a few weeks back, prior to deer season, for over $400.00!!!!! No, just NO!!!

 

[Rushcreek]

Personally, I consider the 64 to be the best looking lever action rifle that Winchester made. Pre or Post 64 included.

 

[smokeywolf]

Dad had a model 64 in 219 Zipper. He traded it away because the the barrel would bend as it warmed up. Only Winchester I've ever run into that had a faulty barrel.

If your 30 WCF hasn't been refinished I'd jump on it quick. If it was in 38-55 (not many chambered in that cartridge) and had a Cody Letter that matched you could likely double that price point.

 

[Bret4207]

I would love a 219 in a lever gun. Just something about the combo appeals to me. I think I'd prefer a Marlin over a Winchester and a Savage 99 over both. But the Savage would be a bear to get feeding right with the rotary mag and 94's and 336's just aren't around for low bucks anymore.

 

[Glaciers]

Savage High Power comes to mind.

 

[richhodg66]

I would love a 219 in a lever gun. Just something about the combo appeals to me. I think I'd prefer a Marlin over a Winchester and a Savage 99 over both. But the Savage would be a bear to get feeding right with the rotary mag and 94's and 336's just aren't around for low bucks anymore.

Savage made and sold a surprising number of 99s in .22 High Power. Other than the use of a slightly over sized bullet, it is dimensionally very, very similar to the 219 Zipper. I have a 99 in .22 High Power, eventually going to take a deer with it. Never heard of a rotary mag in a 99 giving trouble, it's probably the best thing about the 99.

 

[RicinYakima]

Savage made and sold a surprising number of 99s in .22 High Power. Other than the use of a slightly over sized bullet, it is dimensionally very, very similar to the 219 Zipper. I have a 99 in .22 High Power, eventually going to take a deer with it. Never heard of a rotary mag in a 99 giving trouble, it's probably the best thing about the 99.

The problem is if you rebarrel the 99. Each brass rotor is made for only one (1) case and it is stamped on the rotor. Rebarreling to something else is always a problem.

 

[JustJim]

Getting a Savage mag to have problems isn't easy, but as RicinYakima pointed out, changing the cartridge means changing the rotor and headaches getting it tuned. My 30-30 was originally a take-down 303; previous owner had it re-barreled to 30-30 (with a fixed barrel) and never got it to work. I found a 30-30 rotor but getting it to work right is an ongoing problem.

 

[Glaciers]

Yeah I considered boring out an old 250 to 35 Remington. After doing a little research I quickly discarded that idea

 

[Bret4207]

Savage High Power comes to mind.

Yes, but it's not the cartridge the 219 is and that .228 barrel can make life difficult. Every 22HP I come across seems to be a take down that's loose as a goose and priced like it was solid gold on top of that. The days of affordable anything seem to be gone, around here at least.

The rotary mags work great for the cartridges they are designed for once you get the spring dialed in and if the cartridge stop is working right. But throw a different cartridge in and things go sideways. Brilliant design, but very specific IME.