My dad just passed down his Winchester 94 to me. The last time this gun was fired was over 20 years ago. It has been a safe queen since then and I am planning on killing some does with it this year with open sights from a bow stand.

Once I got it home and started looking at it I noticed there is a decent size section of the barrel missing right where the round chambers. Is this gun still safe to shoot or do I need to re barrel it?

Just FYI here are some pics of three pre 64 Model 94's I have and the last pic is a 1894 built in 1898.
As you can see the extractor milled slot is the same in all four in position (12 o'clock) and all milled (shaped) the same.
I have never seen a Model 1894 or pre 1964 built Model 94 to look different than these. What year manufacture is your rifle? Perhaps they changed the extractor milled slot in newer rifles?

Yea I remember they brought out the Angle Eject like around 1984 or 1985? I don't mess with anything newer than 1964 on Winchester so don't really know what the ejector slot is supposed to look like on newer rifles or carbines.

I'm not a Winchester guy but I was thinking '86.

Anyway look where his receiver is drilled and tapped. Can't do that with a 12 o'clock extractor slot. Dead giveaway

Good eye. I didn't pay attention to that. Looked in a Winchester book I have just now and it said the Angle Eject was offered starting in 1984. If it's correct.

I just checked a 94AE .45LC Trapper I know I bought in 1988. Chamber looks the same as the OP.

This is the AE model but the piece of metal missing doesn't look milled. It looks like a chunk got blown out somehow

Mine looks like it was done freehand with a Dremel tool. Much less precise than the made in 1902 model I have.

Here is a pic of what I changed my front sight out to. Mine was a Williams but I think Lyman makes one just like it. Like this will work good with your rear Skinner peep.

Good luck with hunting with it this year! I'm sure your dad would like that. It's cool you know….your hands on it just like his.