by pitted bore » Fri Aug 13, 2010 6:07 pm
Mike-
Wildcatter is correct (of course). Depending on condition, your Model 94 may be worth 20X what you paid for it. Spend some time poking around on AuctionArms and gunbroker to find out what asking and selling prices might be for your rifle.
Unless you have a tame gunsmith that works for minimum wage, the cost of converting your 30-30 is likely to be high. what barrel are you thinking of installing? Let me know if you reach the stage of needing a chambering reamer.
As nearly as I can find, the 450B and 30-30 operate at about the same pressures. However, the 450B produces more recoil than the 30-30. The 30-30 170-grain bullet has a muzzle velocity that is about the same as the 250-grain bullet from the 450B. While the rifle might contain the pressure, it also would be subject to more mechanical battering, which may lead to stressed or broken parts. Some lever guns are being produced in 454 Cassul, and the durability of these is still an open question.
Among lever guns, the 336 Marlin and the Winchester/Browning Model 71s could likely handle the 450 factory pressures.
If you're serious about pursuing this, you might ask the question in the forum over at levergunscommunity.com.
--Bob