Big Bore 94 ?

[GreeneHunter]

I seem to remember a Winchester Big Bore 94 quite a few years ago , I never had one but was always interested in buying one or at least shooting one ! Opinions ?

[Marti375]

If you notice my screen name. I owned a 94 in 375 win mag. Never shot anything other than targets but I loved that gun and wish I still had it. I was young and had some issues, needed money so I had to sell it.

[Grouse]

I had one for a little while, but sold it because I wasn't really impressed with the gun, or it's cartridge's performance. The .375 Win is a maxed out version of the old anemic .38-55 round. It is a big improvement on that round, but not very much better than other rounds already in my gun safe. It is relatively slow and not a real flat shooter, but it will work well on deer at closer ranges. If you like big and slow bullets that don't have a whole lot of recoil, it's OK. I already have a Marlin 336 in .35 Rem and found I used that gun a lot more anyway.

As far as the rifle goes, I could never get used to the look of the receiver with all of that extra metal at the rear to beef it up. Just looked kinda funky and ruins the profile of the 94. But that's just my personal preference. The rifle worked just fine, as all Winchesters do.

[noahmstone]

my grandfather has a 94 in .45 colt it is the only gun he will hunt deer with. I have never shot it but it would probably end up sitting in the gun safe just like my 30-30 i prefer a gun with a little more effective range.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

weren't there 3 that were considered their Big Bore guns. Were they the 358/375/458? I can't remember. I had a buddy that sought them out in good condition. that is what he collected.

[Marti375]

There was more than one, I can't remember the cal.

[hunter]

I think one was 307

[Pygmy]

There was the .307 Win , which was basically a semi-rimless .308, the .356 which was a semi-rimless .358 Win and the .375 Win, which was a modernized 38-55.

Obviously they filled a niche that the shooting public felt didn't need filling.

I suspect it may involve the fact that lever gun shooters tend to be tradtionalists, and traditionalist shooters prefer tried and true chamberings, such as the .30-30, .35 Rem and 45-70...

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Gotta love a solution to a problem that doesn't exist..lol. Wasn't there a 458 lever gun too?

[Pygmy]

Gotta love a solution to a problem that doesn't exist..lol. Wasn't there a 458 lever gun too?

The only modern one that I am aware of is the .450 Marlin... I may have missed one, though. There have been so many calibers that have come and gone.

There were a number of 45 cals back in the black powder days, such as 45-70, 45-90, and others.

[Marti375]

As with any gun maker they will do just about anything to sell more guns. There are a lot of model 94 collecters that bought them up just to have in there collection.

[hunter]

I read an article about the big bores that claimed part of the problem was the rounds needed a scope to best use them and the 94 wasn't really a good platform for a scope because of the top eject. I think there was a 95 in 405 that Teddy Roosevelt used in Africa on safari. Iron sights.

[Marti375]

I had the 375, at a 100 yrds with open sights it was fantastic. I recently found one I excelent at a local gun shop along side an old 94 in 32 win special which I have always wanted. I just have no use for either one at this point. Wish I had the money just to buy them for collecting purposes.

[Larry]

winchester for a long time had a 348 win. in the Model 71. The .348 was one of the most powerful rimmed rounds ever used in a lever rifle.

[Pygmy]

I read an article about the big bores that claimed part of the problem was the rounds needed a scope to best use them and the 94 wasn't really a good platform for a scope because of the top eject. I think there was a 95 in 405 that Teddy Roosevelt used in Africa on safari. Iron sights.

I believe the M94 big bores were made on the AE (angle eject) side ejection platform, so scopes could be mounted conventionally.

And, yes indeed, Teddy used a M95 in .405 Win. to good effect in Africa. I believe he called it his "Big Medicine" gun...

[Pygmy]

I did a little research and learned that some M94 Big Bores in .375 were made top eject, and some were made angle eject. The AE models tend to bring more money.

As far as I can learn, all of the .307 and .356 models were AE.

Back in the early 80s I hunted a couple of times in PA with a fellow who used a M94 .375. I can't remember if he had a scope on it or whether it was top eject or AE..