Went to a local gun shop yesterday and they had just got in two old '94's. They were brought in by the same guy, a man who inherited them from his father in law a long time ago. Both were carbines in .30-30, one from 1910 and the other from the 1940's. Both came with old, generic looking leather scabbards; one of which had a cattle brand that looked like it was carved with a pocket knife.
Anyways, the reason I bring this up is because it gave me the chance to try the actions on these old guns. The 1910 had a real smooth, easy action, the one from the 1940's was smooth too but stiffer. On the 1910 the locking bolts were a little bit loose and when engaged you could press then down about 1/8". The locking bolts on the 1940's one were rock solid.
Compared the above with my rifle. My action has a distinct hitch in it. The lever goes down smooth but when you are bringing it back up there is a point where it feels like it's hitting something. If you cycle it fast you don't notice it but if you cycle it slowly you can definitely feel a hitch. The locking bolts can also be pressed down a tiny bit like on the old 1910 described above.