With the closing of Winchester announced, I decided it was high time for me to buy that Model 94 while I still can. However, since there is no gun shop anywhere near me that has any new 94's in stock, and everything on GunBroker is kinda high-priced, I figured I'd try my luck with a used model 94. I need the "hive mind" 's (I hate that phrase) guidance to help me know what to look for, though, since I know so little about them.
- I remember reading something about there being a period in time a number of years ago that saw some relatively crappy quality guns being put out by Winchester. Is there any way I can tell (perhaps from the serial number) if any given 94 is from this era?
- Which is most indicative of higher quality (or, alternatively, which is generally most sought after): tang safety, hammer block safety, or no safety at all?
- Is there anything in particular I should be especially careful to look out for when inspecting used 94's?
Thank you all very much.