WINCHESTER 94 AE 45LC question?

[Koyote]

Howdy pards;
 I have a Winchester 94AE in 45LC. Trapper. A nice saddle ring carbine. I have owned this for years, one of my favorite levers.
I was planing on using it for CAS. I just realized that it only holds 9 rounds cowboy ammo.
Can I use this for CAS seeing most stages call for 10 rounds?
 I have a Marlin 1894CB .357 and thatis not a problem as it takes 10 rounds!~!
How does one handle that issue???
Hope you can help..or ??
KK~!~

[Shotgun Franklin]

It's been a few years but as I remember you are allowed to load 9 then the tenth round at the end to finish that phase of the stage. I doubt that that has changed. It will slow you a bit but allows you to use that gun. Years ago lots of lever actions only held 9 rounds, or so it seemed.
It might be possible to load your round with a lighter slightly shorter bullet then shorten the magazine follower to actually get 10 in the mag. I knew some that did that but I don't remember the round being used.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

A Word of Warning ...

Because of the slanted feeding of the Model 94 AE, it is VERY selective about .45 Ammo length.

I own a Model 94 AE that I started to shoot with: it does not like much longer or shorter ammo than what it is made for. It will jam!

I also own a Model 73 Uberti that, although it was made to shoot .45 LC, it does quite nicely on .45 Schofield (about a quarter inch shorter). I hav been told that it is possible to do that because of the horizontal carrier block.

BTW, Mohave Gambler has an excellent article on using the Model 94 in a CAS situation. The website is:

time-slice.com/mohave.gambler/ favorites/.../Winchester94.htm

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[Abilene]

The first rifle I bought for CAS was exactly what you have, the trapper '94 in 45LC.  Why?  Because I didn't know any better  

It is fairly easy to drop that tenth round into the top of the action for the last shot, so yeah you can use it if you want to.  I do know some folks have used .45 Schofield rounds to get ten rounds in the tube.  They may or may not work in your gun.  See if you can find someone to loan you some ammo to try it out.

Mine broke two extractors (and it was NOT easy to work on) and would throw a live round out with the empty every so often.  You will hear folks say the reason it is finicky with pistol calibers is that the action is too long as it was designed for 30-30.  Most other models out there (excepting some of the pump guns, I suppose) will be better for CAS, but if you wanna shoot it and you aren't worried about going kinda slow, go for it.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Koyote Ken,

Please, by all means, use the 94AE!  It is a great gun.

And starting out, it will be fast enough; you will find that you spend far more time and points doing slow little things than you would ever loose to the 94! I certainly do ... still!

But start a penny (dime, quarter, half dollar, dollar, etc) jar ... cause eventually you will run into that deal you can't refuse ... might be for a tricked out gun cart, a nice '73, or some slicked up pistols.

It will happen!

[Jefro]

Howdy Koyote, sure you can use it and load the 10th round on the clock, but it will be slow. You already have one of the best rifles for CAS, the Marlin, so my suggestion would be to use it. The 94 is not the best choice for this game, even if it held 10. Good Luck.

Jefro

[Koyote]

Howdy Koyote, sure you can use it and load the 10th round on the clock, but it will be slow. You already have one of the best rifles for CAS, the Marlin, so my suggestion would be to use it. The 94 is not the best choice for this game, even if it held 10. Good Luck.

Jefro

 Thanks pards;
 I will be using my Marlin 1894CB .357 this year as I am new to CAS. I have had the Winchester in 45LC for qutie a while and just picked up a used Ruger New Vaquero in .45LC . I thought I would try the 45's as I have reloading dies for that caliber, but I see now I would need another Vaquero and then another rifle too!!!
 Have to get some 38 special dies and reload next winter. Hope to be pileing brass this summer.
JUST HAVE TO WAIT FOR MORE CASH$$$

Great site here, lots of help.
KK~!~

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Ken,

Just get out there and shoot!

If you feel the Model 94 is your best bet, use it until you run into a '73 deal that you just can't turn down!

And someone will always be willing to let you borrow a Ruger until you pic one up ... and Cabela' has adequate Oklahoma Leather holsters cheap.

But my guess is that if you let your needs be known, someone in your local shooting group will have a Ruger Vaquero that they want/need to sell (possibly even let you make payments). And usually, if they are selling the weapon they want to sell the leather that goes along with it ... possibly a crossdraw or left holster... I would also let the Ruger Forum in here know that you are looking ... some have four to six Vaqueros and only use two to compete

But getting back to the Model 94, if it feeds and fires .45 comfortably, use it! Believe me, if you are like many of us, the speed of a Model 73 would probably be lost on you for the first six months ...

[Koyote]

Ken,

Just get out there and shoot!

If you feel the Model 94 is your best bet, use it until you run into a '73 deal that you just can't turn down!

And someone will always be willing to let you borrow a Ruger until you pic one up ... and Cabela' has adequate Oklahoma Leather holsters cheap.

But my guess is that if you let your needs be known, someone in your local shooting group will have a Ruger Vaquero that they want/need to sell (possibly even let you make payments). And usually, if they are selling the weapon they want to sell the leather that goes along with it ... possibly a crossdraw or left holster... I would also let the Ruger Forum in here know that you are looking ... some have four to six Vaqueros and only use two to compete

But getting back to the Model 94, if it feeds and fires .45 comfortably, use it! Believe me, if you are like many of us, the speed of a Model 73 would probably be lost on you for the first six months ...

 I am allready on the lookout for another used New Vaquero in .45LC. but I live in Mass.That poses another whole problem with used handguns & transfers and Mass compliant issues.
I actually first bought the .45 LC Vaquero so my friend could use it till he gets another Old Army. Then I was going to use it myself. A second .45 LC  was Just not high on my priority list at the moment. BUT if one turns up???
Thanks for feedback.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

My thought (and it was my thought when I was starting six months ago), was spend the money on good pistols ... as long as I had a lever action that fired and I could compete with, I could shoot ... and it gave me a built-in excuse for being one of the slowest shooters .... 'Well I would be faster, you know, if I wasn't dealing with this Model 94' ...

I got a kind of a boost in a strange way ... I was watching my AIG 401K plummet each month, and I realized that I could pull the money out, buy the guns that I wanted, and probably resell them when I wanted for about the same amount of money that would be left in the 401K ... *VBS* ... sad, but if you can't laugh at life you are in real trouble ... LOL.

So now, I have the all the guns that I will need (not want; need to compete *S*), plus a couple of black powder things ... my only problem is waiting for my Baikal SXS to be fixed ... and that is another entire thread!