I was looking around at a Cabelas last week. I entered the Gun library and saw a well used Winchester lever action in 30-30 in the rack.
It was priced at $299.
I don't follow this rifle, but it seemed like a very low price for a Winchester. It has been "gnawing" at me since, maybe I should have one, and this might be a good price for admission.
There was another next to it in better condition for about $100 more.

that is a pretty good price, depending on the condition and when it was made. pre-64 winchesters are $500+ around here. a well-loved (used) post-64 could be around that price, though. Cabela's has a short test-period warranty against defects, so if you buy it, be sure you can go try it out soon thereafter.

I too have been considering a lever action rifle. More specifically, a Marlin in 45-70, which I believe is based off of the 1893 Winchester design.

If you look in the right places, these guns can be had brand new for under $600.00. You won't pay too much more, but you get a warranty. Food for thought.

My first gun was a Winchester 30-30. Still have it and love to shoot it. As noted above, that's a pretty good price for Cabelas. How 'well used' is it? If it's a beat up post 64, you may want to pass and go for the other one.

Pre 64 serial numbers are 2586xxx.

Winchester had a few rough years, so be weary of that (80's era finish issues, bad trigger pull on early rebounding hammer actions, poor cast on some 70's action components). There are good rifles from this time that get reduced prices due to the noted issues, you just need to be aware of what to look for.

I ended up bying my son a mid (1992) "AE" model in 30-30 that he could scope, yet doesn't have that ugly safety on it. Put a leather cheek pad and 3x9 scope on it, and that thing shoots beautifully!

quote:

Originally posted by Billy346:
I too have been considering a lever action rifle. More specifically, a Marlin in 45-70, which I believe is based off of the 1893 Winchester design.

Billy,
No, the Marlin is totally different and much simpler design. They also eject to the side, and not out the top. This makes mounting optics much easier.

$300 is on the low side so I assume it wasn't one of the more desired ones.

"Winchester 30-30" is almost like saying a gun is "a revolver" in terms of what variation it could be and what makes it cost more less or be a better than another or why it's priced one way or another. There's a lot of little difference that effect their value.

Around here it would have to be really bad to not have sold the first day.

quote:

Originally posted by Rolan_Kraps:

Billy,
No, the Marlin is totally different and much simpler design. They also eject to the side, and not out the top. This makes mounting optics much easier.

Thank you! I did not know that.

It sounds about right for a post-64 but pre-angle eject.

I like a decent mid-late 70's gun for a shooter, as long as you are not interested in a scope. They had fixed a lot of the stuff they messed up in 64, but they are less-pricey than pre-64's.

I guess a really nice pre-64 is the most desirable, but they tend to be in the $6-800 range, or higher.

quote:

Originally posted by dbuck47:

I guess a really nice pre-64 is the most desirable..

Pre-war (WW2) being more so.

It all depends what you wan out of it, what you want to do with it.

Still, for $300, if it didn't have rust, I'd do that all day long.

If the rifle looks "well used" it might not be...from 1972 till 1981 (actually even in the 1960s) Winchester used a funky steel alloy often referred to as "mystery metal", that did not hold a blued finish and looked old fast. I had one I bought around 1974 at Zayers (anyone remember Zayers dept. stores ) and after a couple of years in the woods it looked like an antique (I kinda liked the way it looked)...it started looking used just from sighting it in and being cleaned afterwards. I tried to cold blue it once and it made it look worse.

Other than the blotchy spotty grey receiver and straight grain walnut stock the rifle was a great shooter and functioned perfectly...I never fretted about using it in crappy weather...it was an overall good and reliable gun...

I ended up selling it to family who eventually sold or traded it away...honestly, if I could buy it back for $300 today, I would do it in a heartbeat...

Here is a link with pictures on the finishes through the years as well as the changes...mine pretty much looked like this even though it was regularly cleaned and wiped down after use...

http://tincanbandit.blogspot.c...model-94-rifles.html

If you are looking for a bargain, seek out the Sears or Montgomery Ward branded Winchesters. Same gun, but often much cheaper than the Winchester branded gun.

I bought my 1959 last year from a retired guy in Michigan. He makes decent side money scouring the LGSs in upper Michigan, and re-selling on GB. He said there were so many sold there in the 50s-70s during the years when Detroit was operating at full tilt, and all the factory workers bought 30-30s for deer hunting. He said many were used a few times and then put in the closet. Now the rifles are being passed down to the kids, but they want ARs, so they trade them in at the LGS. You might make some calls in that area if you want to chase one down. He said they are easy to find.