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Model 61 Prod Survey / Interim Results

21K views 104 replies 33 participants last post by  ronsunni 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello all,

Tomorrow will make exactly one year since I began working on a production survey of the Model 61 rifles in order to determine the percentage of production for the various chamber and barrel configurations of this fine little rifle. http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=485813

As is the norm for lots of things I get started on, they tend to expand and grow in scope. As I was progressing I would get questions as to at what point a certain modification occurred. I have expanded the effort a few times to include trying to define when the upper tang quit being drilled for a peep sight, when the butt plate changed from checkered steel to hard rubber, at what point did the receiver top begin to be grooved to accept a scope mount, and when did changes occur for the Magnum calibers and the "A" suffix appear under the serial number. I now have 1,821 rifle catalogued and felt that I have a fairly decent handle on when the above mentioned changes took place relative to the serial number sequence during production. This information is offered simply as an addition or compliment to the excellent work done by fellow Texan, Ned Schwing and in no way is an attempt to "correct" anything or an implication of poor previous work.

In each of the portions shown below only those rifles for which I had the relevant information are included. In the complete survey there are many more rifles included that I had not included the specific information. Feel free to contact me if you have a rifle in the displayed SN range that does not appear. PLEASE!

Updates to the original list will be added and the serial number of the new rifles are listed in red font.
(Dec 9, 2014 Updates)

Upper Tang Change
This is pretty much a pre war/post war change over but the collected data so far shows some variation as is typical with Winchester. It is obvious that some receivers were D&T but not used until following the war. At the same time the data suggest that there were receiver serialized during 1942, not D&T, and possible then not utilized until after the war when the tang was produced without the holes. Therefore, these "pre war" rifles are not capable of having a peep sight attached to them. Y = Drilled & Tapped upper tang

SN
60648 Y 1941
60934 Y 1941
61479 Y 1941
61490 Y 1941
61635 1941 Last SN of Year
61911 Y 1942
61972 Y 1942
62815 Y 1942
62868 N 1942
62895 Y 1942
62993 Y 1942
63066 Y 1942
63167 N 1942
63408 Y 1942
63568 Y 1942
63678 Y 1942
63893 Y 1942
63933 Y 1942
64275 Y 1942
64378 N 1942
64472 Y 1942
65003 Y 1942
65091 N 1942
65203 Y 1942
65605 Y 1942
66607 N 1942
67160 N 1942
67198 N 1942
67662 Y 1942
67889 Y 1942
67892 Y 1942
67965 1942 Last SN of Year
68197 Y 1946
68263 Y 1946
68272 N 1946
68523 N 1946
68977 N 1946
69098 N 1946
69261 N 1946
69905 Y 1946
70335 Y 1946
70415 N 1946
70431 N 1946
71442 N 1946
71664 N 1946
72144 N 1946
72568 N 1946
72589 N 1946
72592 N 1946
72724 N 1946
72886 N 1946
73315 N 1946
73382 N 1946
73411 N 1946
74047 N 1946

Grooved Top Receiver
Here the collected data shows a much more dramatic change occurred for the beginning of production with grooved top receivers. During early 1954 at approximately serial number 215,000 the change occurred. It is interesting that that pretty much fits the calendar date referenced by Schwing on page 31 but is off by some 10,000 serial numbers. It makes me wonder if the SN 225,000 referenced on the same page is a typo error since in the same book he references that SN 225,000 would be a 1955 production time period.

SN
212726 N 1953
212731 N 1953
212900 N 1953
212963 N 1953
213031 N 1953
213473 N 1953
213700 1953 Last SN of Year
213935 N 1954
214026 N 1954
214159 Y 1954
214557 N 1954
214636 N 1954
214853 N 1954
215059 N 1954
215545 Y 1954
215678 Y 1954
216126 Y 1954
216305 Y 1954
216993 Y 1954
217310 Y 1954
217627 Y 1954
217878 Y 1954
218325 Y 1954
218342 Y 1954
218406 Y 1954
218511 Y 1954
218537 Y 1954
219077 Y 1954
219131 Y 1954
219258 Y 1954
219295 Y 1954
219325 Y 1954
219327 Y 1954
219504 Y 1954
219985 Y 1954
220118 1954 Last SN of Year

Butt Plate Changes
The change over from the checkered steel style to the composition style occurred during 1958 and is drawn out over a 5000 rifle interval. I did encounter one rifle with a checkered steel stock which was produced during 1959. There is the possibility that the plate is a replacement and not in fact factory original. CS = Checkered Steel

SN
253146 CS 1957
253338 CS 1957
253441 CS 1957
255017 CS 1957
255049 CS 1957
255141 CS 1957
255499 CS 1957
255728 CS 1957
255785 CS 1957
256011 CS 1957
256239 Comp 1958
256538 1957 Last SN of Year
256618 Comp 1958
256953 CS 1958
257053 CS 1958
257055 CS 1958
257056 Comp 1958
257089 CS 1958
257990 CS 1958
258086 CS 1958
258760 CS 1958
259311 CS 1958
259339 Comp 1958
260167 CS 1958
260373 Comp 1958
261004 CS 1958
261165 CS 1958
261610 Comp 1958
261787 Comp 1958
262403 Comp 1958
262680 Comp 1958
262684 Comp 1958
262685 CS 1958
262781 1958 Last SN of Year
262962 Comp 1959
263236 Comp 1959
263237 Comp 1959
263248 CS 1959
263416 Comp 1959
263429 Comp 1959
264390 Comp 1959
264645 Comp 1959
264725 Comp 1959
264820 Comp 1959
265080 Comp 1959
265648 Comp 1959
266211 Comp 1959
266395 Comp 1959

Win Mag RF Bolt Change
Schwing notes on page 34 of his book that Winchester slightly altered the design of the bolt and firing pin during late 1960. This change made its way into production right at the beginning of 1961 in the mid 310,000 SN range. The change is abrupt and show almost no "transition" time as is often the case with Winchester.

SN
303609 N 1960
304074 N 1960
304529 N 1960
304640 N 1960
304828 N 1960
305510 N 1960
305652 N 1960
306180 N 1960
307437 N 1960
307659 A 1960
308344 1960 Last SN of Year
308729 N 1961
310381 N 1961
310624 N 1961
311043 A 1961
311210 A 1961
311323 A 1961
312436 A 1961
312712 A 1961
314202 A 1961
314380 A 1961
314464 N 1961
314494 A 1961
314530 A 1961
314826 A 1961
314972 A 1961
315506 N 1961
315745 A 1961
315957 N 1961
316292 A 1961
316709 A 1961
317920 N 1961
318699 A 1961
319287 A 1961
320009 A 1961
320761 A 1961
322796 A 1961
323328 A 1961
323356 A 1961
323733 A 1961
323766 A 1961
324355 A 1961
324359 A 1961
324469 A 1961
324483 A 1961
324647 A 1961
324747 A 1961
324760 A 1961
324951 A 1961
324956 A 1961
325308 A 1961
325368 A 1961
325447 A 1961
325483 1961 Last SN of Year
325611 A 1962

It is my hope that you all find this data useful for you collecting needs. I will be glad to discuss any of this and I appreciate your feedback and input. My eventual goal is to gather data on approximately another 1200 rifles or so and then do the math to determine the primary goal of this survey, to define the chamber and barrel configuration percentages of production.

Updates to the original list will be added and the serial number listed in red font.

Thanks for all your help, support, and information on your rifles.
Michael
 
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#100 · (Edited)
Old thread, but Im looking for some help dating a Model 61 I recently came across.

It is serial number 31684, with an A stamped right below it. But it is chambered in 22 WIN. MAG. R.F.

According to this winchesterguns page that serial number would put the manufacture date as 1937? But thats 23 years before the 22win mag was available... Right? Where these guns commonly rebarreled? Could a 22win mag barrel have been fitted to an earlier receiver? Any idea on pricing for a modified gun like this?

Thanks for any help.
 
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