Hi, can anyone provide me with info on how to 'age' a .22 Winchester WRF 7764 SN.79628 Pump Action Single Barrel Rifle. Am trying to find out if it is over 100years old and if it would need to be listed on a firearms certificate if it is that old. Help would be greatfully appreciated

Jo.

Have you tried cutting off the barrel and counting the rings!!??!!

Seriously, great to see you on here - try posting to 'collecting' - you may get answers
there as well.

Good Luck

IanF

Joanne, the Winchester pump that was made in 22WRF that I am aware of was the 1890. It had an octagon barrel and a visible hammer. There should be a large "screw" head with a serated edge on the left hand side. It can be used to disassemble the rifle. Your serial number if that is the rifle, would have been produced between 12/11899 (serial #79,166) and 1/2/1900 (serial number 80,342). Mine was made in 1905.

Here is a photo of one that I found on the net.

Joanne,
Not all 1890's were of the takedown variety. Some earlier ones were not. I hope yours is one of these. :-) I think it should also have the model information on the tang if it's a Winchester.
There were other manufacturers of the WRF rifle I believe. Note the crescent buttplate in the picture also. M1906's were flat across the butt plate area.

Kywoodwkr,
The "first model" 1890 was a solid frame and not a takedown but it was only made until serial #15,552 (1892). The 1906 was only made in .22 short only, or in .22 short, long and long rifle interchangeably and never in .22 WRF. The solid frame is worth an arm and a leg but they are as rare as hens teeth.

The "Blue Book of Gun Values" only lists serial numbers begining in 1908.
They suggest for earlier rifles that you contact:
Buffolo Bill Historical Center
attn: Cody firearms Museum
P.O. Box 1000
Cody, WY 82414

Based on the sn's in the Blue book you sn seems too high ??

Good luck!

Chic,
I know about the solid frame 90's. I bought one a few years ago.
Bought it in a group of rifles which I paid about $16 @ for. That's why I hoped Joanne's was a solid frame.:-)
DaveP

If you haven't already, look at your other thread on this subject. Your question is answered if you will act...

sorry, semi duplicate post

[ 09-03-2003, 23:34: Message edited by: Customstox ]

Kywoodwkr, $16????? My god that is the buy of a lifetime. I only have one and it was built in 1906 and is in WRF. Condition is very good and my son and I shoot if often. I am still confused by Joanne's 7764 designation. Hope she comes back in soon.

Irv, am not sure what the blue book has for serial numbers but I would not put too much faith in them. I got my information out of the book, WINCHESTER SLIDE-ACTION RIFLES, VOLUME I: MODEL 1890 & MODEL 1906 by Ned Schwing, and it lists the production records for these two models on a month to month basis on pages 211 thru 214, from beginning of production to the end. I am sure Mr. Schwing got his information from the firearms museum in Cody as that is where the old Winchester data is stored. They do charge a fee of around $35 for info.

Guys.

I have seen Jo's rifle - it is the 1890 as suspected - the takedown version unfortunately!

Ian

Hi all, thannx so much for the info given. As Ian has said, it would seem to be th 1890 (unfortunately...? too right )

The big question im getting round to i guess it whether it has to be put onto a uk firearms ticket. I thought i heard somewhere that if a rifle is over 100 years it would be classed as an antique?

Jo

That is a darn fine rifle! I have a 1906 and a M62, the descendents of this model. Many a rabbit and many a squirrel have graced our dinner table by the grace of these fine guns. I might add a groundhog or two...

Good show.

BTW, I use the Winchester .22 WRF loading in my Contender 16" and it does a really wonderful job bringing down those squirrels, way out there too!

This is a pretty good site for looking up manufacturing dates ...

http://oldguns.net/cgi-bin/f2f/f2f.pl?http://oldguns.net/sn_php/winmods.htm

The question is: Is the rifle 100 yrs old. The number she provided (numbers?)
is higher than any listed. I also wonder what the second number (too low yo be a S?N)
means. ?????
Good luck!

Irv,

I understand your frustration with topics that diverge from the initial question...

I suggested the Cody Firearms Museum as they are the custodians of the Winchester records. Apparently this wasn't necessary. Ian checked and it is a Model 1890 Winchester. The 7764 is probably an assembly number, but I can't imagine where she got it. It isn't a SN because Ian has confirmed that it is a takedown, not a solid frame and, if I remember correctly, they were solid frame through 15,000 or thereabouts.

Now she's in the Small Game forum looking for recipes for rabbit. This is an excellent rabbit rifle and we're darn lucky that Joanne (or her husband/partner) are pursuing shooting in the UK.

Irv, I used the numbers that followed serial number for the search.

quote:

---

SN.79628

---

The range that I gave for serial numbers from December of 1899 through Jan 2 of 1900 encompassed that number. I did not feel it necessary to do the math to say yes it is over 100. There certainly was some confusion as to what the model even was and as hobie said, Lord knows where she got the 7724 number.

Hopefully as an antique (I am not familiar with the English registration laws) things will be a bit easier on her for registration. The father of a fellow I worked with had an old Winchester 1906 and due to the registration hassles he eventually just turned it in.

[ 09-04-2003, 19:42: Message edited by: Customstox ]

Hi all

Sorry for confusion guys, the number 7764 has been written on a piece of paper by someone who was looking at rifle when writing the info. unfortunately that person had as much idea as me so not at all sure where on the rifle they found it.

Customstox has worked out the aprox date for me from the SN 79628... which sounds close enough for me... thanx bud

As Hobie has worked out im interested in Rabbiting at mo so i think i may look at getting the rifle firing and see if i can knock over a few of those wabbies

Am using IanFs Krico at mo, its grrrrrrreat and hav fallen in love with it hav just ordered a cz brno style for myself, just hope i like it compared to Ians

Jo

Not to whip a dead horse but if some clerk in England is to be convinced ( I'm sure they are just like our clerks) a letter from the museum would be much more convincing than an E-mail
from "somebody". Also the letter would add value if that is important.
Question; The 22WRF was produced for the Mod 90, Does anyone know the year?.
Good Luck!

Blaze,

Thanks mate, youre a star. Went onto site u recommended, put in serial number... found out it was manufactured in 1899

Thanks again

Jo

Joanne,

Sorry to rain on your parade, but it really doesn't matter how old the thing is - if you intend to use live ammunition in it, then it has to be on an FAC, which must also specifically permit you to use it wherever you want to go to annihalate the local bunnies.

The only rifles which are deemed not to need an FAC would be those chambered for rounds which the Home Office considers are defunct, and it is therefore impossible to buy commercially made ammunition for them.

Patrick