The Model 64 was a tricked-out Model 1894, which is basically the same thing as a Model 94 and a Model 55. Winchester was really good at copying their own homework. [Morphy’s] I’ve written before on the .30-30 Winchester cartridge, and I’ll probably do it again, because for my money it is one of the greatest sporting rounds of all time, and there have been a few very good hunting rifles chambered in this round—specifically, lever-actions (I’ve never seen a .30-30 semi-auto, my .30-30 pump-action was a missed shot by Savage, and my .30-30 bolt rifles shot well but were kind of janky).But which .30-30 rifle was the best of them all? You could make a pretty good argument for the Winchester Model 64, as it has almost every desirable feature in a woods rifle. Lever-action hunting rifles @ TFB:Custom & Collectable Firearms' New Hog-Bustin' Marlin Lever-Action Winchester's new 1895 & 1886 rifles Fudd Friday: Building A BLR Into A Better Fudd Rifle Ruger Reintroduces the Marlin Trapper Series Model 1894 in .357 Magnum Winchester family historyThe Winchester Model 64 was introduced in 1933, but its story actually begins with a John Browning project in the 1890s. That’s because the Model 64 is really just a gussied-up version of the Model 1894/Model 94 lever-action, the best-selling sporting rifle of all time (at least in the North American market).The Model 1894 hit the market as the first sporting rifle developed for smokeless powder, firing the .30-30 round that was developed for the rifle (a .30-caliber bullet pushed by 30 grains of propellant). The rifle was an immediate success; competitors Savage and Remington tried to replicate the formula and succeeded somewhat with the .303 Savage and .30 Remington rounds, but ultimately, the combination of Browning’s design and the .30-30’s popularity drove the copycat cartridges into the dirt, while the Model 1894/94 went on to sell more than 7.5 million rifles. That pistol-grip stock was supposedly designed with input from the great rifleman Colonel Townsend Whelen. [Morphy’s] Everyone used these rifles; they were the ARs of their day. Hunters. Homesteaders. Ranchers. Policemen. Criminals. Prospectors. Explorers. Trappers. Jail guards. Until the 1960s, Winchester’s .30-30 rifles were the default setting for American rifles, and even in the second half of the 20th century they were seen as the starting point for a lot of hunters, and often the only rifle they ever owned. In my corner of the Northeast, almost every hunter owned a Winchester .30-30 at some point, sometimes bought new for them at a hardware store in the 1980s, sometimes handed down from their grandfather, who’d bought it in the 1950s.The rifle obviously worked well and had acceptable accuracy for most hunters, but some outdoorsmen wanted something more refined. That’s where the Model 64 came along in the 1930s. It combined ideas of the Model 55 (itself an upgraded Model 1894) with a new stockset that was reportedly designed with input from Colonel Townsend Whelen himself. As a pre’64 standard top-eject model, this one isn’t easily scoped, but you can put a receiver sight on it. [Morphy’s] Whelen was known for his work with high-power bolt-action rifles, but in the early 1900s, as a young man, he’d spent a lot of time living off the land in the wilderness, using a Winchester .30-30 to feed himself. He knew the round was all that a skilled outdoorsman needed, but could appreciate the desire for a finer rifle than a standard Model 1894. While pistol-gripped stocks were optional on the Winchester’s lever guns for years, the new design came standard on the Model 64. It theoretically helped manage recoil more easily (the shotgun butt helped here too). Most Model 64 rifles also came with a 24-inch barrel and a short-length magazine tube. The longer barrel allowed for a better sight radius when using iron sights, while the shorter five-round mag kept the rifle’s weight down. The shotgun butt on the stock meant the rifle was quick to shoulder. Combine that with the long barrel and short mag, and many hunters felt the Model 64 swung well for shots on moving game, handling like a good bird gun—just what a deer hunter wanted in the woods, back then. In fact, Winchester marketed some versions of this rifle under the name Deer Rifle.Although the Great Depression was in full force when this gun hit the market, there was enough demand to keep Model 64 rifles in production through World War II and beyond, eventually ending in the late 1950s. Factory records show they made at least 66,783 of these rifles, but some collectors think the numbers are higher. What we can say for sure is that Winchester basically recreated the Model 64 when they made the NRA Centennial .30-30 in 1971, and they used a very similar design on the Model 64A, which was built through the 1970s. Of course, those later designs have cheaper post-’64 internals and alloy receivers, and the 64A stock design is somewhat different from the original 64. Stocks from the Model 64 and the Model 64A will not interchange due to differences in the receivers. The last of the Model 64 copycats that I’m aware of was the Model 94AE Black Shadow. This has the advantage of easily mounting a scope, but the plastic stocks might not work for buyers (they’re not my preference, for sure). But it would be a practical woods gun. Georgia-based Classic Firearms had this one for sale on GunsInternational. [Classic Firearms] When Winchester was winding down its Stateside lever-action production, they also made a synthetic-stocked copy of this design, known as the Black Shadow. I’ve only ever seen one for sale in my life, and it wouldn’t be my first choice for a classic lever rifle, but they would work well if you don’t mind the feel of a plastic stock. Buying a Model 64These rifles carry a pricing premium over a standard Model 1894 or Model 94, but it’s usually not too terrible if you’re just looking for a hunting gun. These were sold as outdoorsmen’s rifles, and that means you can usually easily find one with a few bumps and bruises, which drive collectors’ pricing down, but won’t bother you in the backwoods. They typically carry a slightly higher price than a Marlin 336A with a 24-inch barrel, but there isn’t a crazy difference. A Winchester advert from 1943. The Model 94 was their go-to for most shooters, and the Model 64 (seen here in an unusual configuration) was for outdoorsmen with more refined taste—but basically the same thing. You can also find Model 64 rifles in other chamberings; mostly the .219 Zipper, but Winchester did make them in some other calibers too. These tend to be collector rifles and you have to be careful in that world, because there are fakes on the market. Just the thing for the Great North Woods, or the Upper Peninsula, come deer season. [Morphy’s] This rifle hereThe rifle seen here in the photos is a Model 64 Carbine, with only a 20-inch barrel. I’d prefer a longer barrel, but some hunters wanted the pistol-grip stock but also a shorter barrel for woods hunting. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and user, I guess! Behold, John Browning’s classic lever-action design that conquered North America’s hunting world. [Morphy’s] It’s for sale at Morphy’s September 15-17 auction, with the following description:Pre-64 Winchester Model 64 carbine with scarce 20" carbine barrel. Varnished walnut stocks with pistol grip and checkered steel buttplate. Manufactured 1946 with hooded and ramped integral front sight and elevation adjustable sporting rear sight. Traditional 2 line Winchester barrel address with "30 W.C.F.". The immediate post-War model 64 was extremely popular with hunters in the northern areas of the US and used extensively. The scarce carbine variations are not commonly encountered. CONDITION: Very good with metal finish remaining very good with some light oxidation and finish loss on barrel. Slight edge wear on the receiver and lever. Bore is very good and sharp. Stocks are very fine with some light bruises and a very small sliver absent on left side of upper tang. Mechanically excellent. A very nice Pre-64 carbine.See more info here.