However, in this case, Winchester chose a pre-war letter which was not already used by an individual inspector (since they were currently using numbers), ironically (and confusing 75+ years later), it happened to be a lower case “w”, which has muddied this issue for the layman since in many minds/instances “W” means Winchester. It does get confusing a bit since the pre-war inspection stamps were generally (but not always) numbers and the post-war inspection stamps were letters (but again, not always). The “W” was struck after the bluing process was complete to verify that it did not flake off the receiver frames.īert, as usual, is exactly correct. In that era, the bluing did not adhere very well to the steel on the receiver frames, and when struck or even handled, it popped off the steel in ugly looking spots & blotches. Winchester had just adopted a brand new bluing technique & formula to alleviate the flaking problem that plagued all of the firearms manufactured from the late 19-teens through most of the 1930s. Repeating Arms, and may be off one year, especially for the years 71, 72, 74,75, 76, and 79.It was simply a quality control test. Later figures from 1948 on are from records at U.S. Production figures for 1943 19 are unknown. Model 18 serial numbers overlap in 1897-1899. Approximately 84,555 models 1893 were serially numbered.
The Model 65 was numbered in the 1892 Model series.įrom 1897 to 1899, Models 1897 were serially numbered with the Model 1893. George Watrous, a Winchester employee, counted total production at 764,215 in 1944 when he made a count. After 1932 serial numbers were chosen at random many numbers were skipped and the highest serial number recorded is 849,100. At 64,856 serials of the Model 1901, a continuation of the Model 1887, begin.Īctual production of guns reached serial number 752,044.
Some Models 86 remained on hand until 1936. No further production or numbering took place. Records indicate that serials reached 159,994 in 1932. Winchester Model 94 rifles manufactured before 1964 had serial numbers that can be correlated to the year of production, while post-1964 rifles typically do not provide this information. Winder muskets, made in 19, were given the designation "Model 87", but serials were in the single shot range. Determining the age of your firearm can be accomplished by examining the serial number. Records in the writer's possession show that two years production was recorded in 1890-1891, 1894-1895, 1912-1913.Ī large number of serial numbers were skipped after number 115,170. Many serial numbers were skipped total production was near 70,100. Serial numbers reached 84,584, but not all of the 17,380 gun production of 1893 were made. Serial numbers range from one to around 10,000 a few guns do not have serial numbers. Only 18 guns were shipped in 1873 108 were shipped in 1874. Number 174,100 and up assigned to repair department.Total production 170,100. Serial numbers of the Henry rifle overlap those of the model 1866 from 1865 to 1866. 31 caliber style with superposed loads, made from 1860 to 1861. Winchester contracted to produce 3,000 revolvers for Cyrus Manville. In an attempt to raise operating capital the New Haven Arms Company and Oliver F. About 3,200 were made, but many of these remained on hand for almost 100 years until they were sold to employees for as little as one dollar in Winchester's surplus store. In 18, the New Haven Arms Company repeaters were in production. VOLCANIC ARMSįrom 1855 to 1857 the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company made about 3,000 guns. Smith and Wesson lever action arms were made from 1853 to 1855. Total production of about 1,600 guns, 600 were transferred to the Volcanic Company for assembly, according to remaining Winchester records. Guy Hubbard, a historian of Windsor, Vermont where Robbins and Lawrence made the Jennings repeater, stated in 1924 that he had been informed by principals of the company that only 1,000 Jennings and Smith Jennings rifles were made between 18 and of this number many were converted to single shots and many more were scrapped for parts. The Hunt repeater, generally regarded as the forerunner of the Winchester, was made only as a patent model in 1849.