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Winchester 94 Issue I have a late Winchester Model 94 End of Trail chambered in 357 Magnum that has feeding issues. The link is apparently worn and will not always prevent cartridges in the magazine tube from dumping under the carrier, locking up the action and making it difficult to clear. Research indicates this is fairly common which may explain why I can’t seem to find a replacement anywhere. Could you recommend a source for a replacement link or describe an effective repair?

A loose or worn loading gate creates this issue. If the screw is tight that secures the loading gate to the receiver, it may be that the cartridge stop located on the inside of the loading gate is worn and allowing cartridges from the magazine to slip past when feeding via the lever. You might want to begin by replacing that first before addressing any worn link possibilities.

Since it is a late model Winchester 94, the loading gate (formally known as the "Spring Cover") can be to find today, as are bullets for reloading. The cases, however, are generally available although you might have to search for them. As it turns out the 348 Win. is the largest rimmed cartridge ever made in the U. S. and guys like me buy the cases to convert to other hard-tofind oddball calibers. I have personally reformed 348 Win. cases to 8mm Lebel, 41 Swiss, and 11mm Gras.

It can also be used as the parent for 450 Alaskan, 50 Alaskan, 50-70, 12.7X44R (Swedish Rolling Block), 56-50 Spencer, 43 Spanish, and a host of wildcats. Some are easy conversions and some will require one or more of the following: Cutting to length, fire forming, annealing, turning the base, removing the rim, cutting an extractor groove, and any number of other found at a number of parts companies; Midwest Gunworks lists them for $21 and they show they have link pins and other parts for the 94 available.

Another option, depending on how worn the part is, is to remove and heat it just a little and then beat it with a mallet to make the part a little longer. This is a stop gap only if a replacement can’t be found. Shotgun Chokes I am considering taking on internal choke tubes for 12 gauge shotgun barrels and trying to determine which "system" to go with. I’ve had little luck narrowing down specifics like wall thickness considerations and choke tube availability.

I’d like to go with a system that would allow the thread pattern of the Mossberg 500/Win Choke series as these tubes Kris machinations, all depending on what you are trying to make. It can be a lot of work but it beats having a rifle that you can’t shoot. I took my Model 71 on a trip to the range to shoot some handloads with 200 grain cast bullets and reduced loads designed to keep velocity down to about 2,000 fps.

The combination using both IMR3031 and H4895 produced a bruise on my shoulder and some respectable 1-1.5 inch groups at 50 yards. That is pretty good results with anew (to me) rifle and the first loads I tried. It is by no means a target rifle and the results show it to be exactly what you expect from a lever rifle: a fine hunting companion you can take to the woods with you and rely on to take any big game inhabiting North America. AG and variable screw-in units are quite popular.

I can’t seem to get answers from the tool manufactures as to what it would take or even if it is possible to bore and thread a conventional barrel to the Moss/ Win Choke size. I have requests to choke the thick walled Mossberg 590 series and can’t imagine the wall thickness would be of issue. Should wall thickness preclude a choke system from Moss/Win for everyday jobs, what would make a good practical "everyday" choke system be? I see a lot of "pickle chokes" that customers really want redone.

Personally, I think they should be left as they were, but that is just me. Right now, the Mossberg heavy barrel is a local "hot ticket item" I would like to service. David Allen Dumeah

From Mark Hollensen. I stopped doing these many years ago due mostly to the wide variety of chokes out there that people wanted (tooling costs) and, more importantly, the liability insurance costs. Back in the early 1990s, we installed primarily Win Chokes and Rem Chokes. I think the Win Choke might be a better choice if you choose only one as that choke pattern will also fit Mossberg, Browning Invector, Weatherby chokes, and maybe a couple others.

Brownells sells the tooling and reamers and they can be done by hand or by lathe, but the lathe is the best way to go. I looked in my files and I couldn’t locate my old wall thickness chart, but I found one on the Brownells website. Just make sure you aren’t choking a back-bored barrel and don’t go below 0.018" on any barrel even though their chart says you can go to down to 0.015".

I agree that Poly Chokes are ugly but they work very well when hunting as a turn of the dial is all that’s needed; just don’t shoot slugs through them! Glass Bedding Removal Do you know of a method to remove glass bedding? I have a rifle to work or post a letter to Falls Church, VA 22041. subscription For questions or mailing problems contact American Gunsmith