Very interesting. A few months ago I gave my Sister a nice M72. I kept my M72-A which has the grooved receiver, chrome bolt and trigger guard. It is also not marked like either of your examples. The legend on mine also states "made in U.S.A.". Both the pre A and the A were two of my best 22 rifles. Right up there with my non grooved M69A with the straight handle bolt and my 1947 vintage M74. All three have totally different bbl. legends. I will look at some 22 Winchesters at the upcoming Reno show. When you had the bbls. off the stocks, did you encounter and dates of mfg.? Big Larry

 

22AGS

I will go home and look at both of mine...72s...I will get some photos. This is a great thread...for as you know the 72 is a favorite model for me....

 

Thanks Bloodhound, haven't seen all that much light cast on this particular model and it's a favorite of mine too. The stock has a graceful and thinner than usual grip area that fits my hands perfectly, and it is a very accurate rifle.
Hopefully somebody will come along shortly with a Genuine 72A and give us the scoop in how it compares as well.
Big Larry,
I'll have to look closer, the magazine tube blocks the underside of the barrel, but next time I get the stock and action apart I'll take a closer look. I'm guessing mine's from the late '40s, maybe very early 50's.

 

As the 72's were made in two batches,1938-43 and 1946-49.Do you think the caliber roll mark might assign yours with the long script to the earlier run? This is little to do with your 72 vs 72A question but I recall reading on RFC that the 72's sister,the 69A caliber roll mark changed to the abbreviated version, post war.If a fact,big if,this might explain the difference in your rifle and your pal's 72.

 

Thanks Boley, I didn't know that information. Your theory sounds good to me about the long scroll. I haven't been able to detect any mechanical fault with mine, yet that loading problem is out of character for Winchester--something that I am sure once they noticed as a common problem they would have rapidly corrected, and that may be the origins of the later models with the changes. I need to see the internals underneath the receivers with stocks removed, so will attempt to get another look at my buddy's model soon and compare them.

 

He's keeping his for now,it's the "A" of the two above, with the improved feed system. He wants to take 'em both out thursday and see what he sees. For some reason he is having some trouble planting his cheek on his while the sights are aligned, and with that peep sight the question remains as to whether or not it can be made to shoot to point of aim.
Another question that Boley made me just think of was the transition from the early "slowlock" 69 bolt to the "speedlock" on the 69A. It would seem that the 69 and 75 paralleled each other, yet the 75 does not to my knowledge ever come with a slow lock. And the 72 is merely the tube mag version of those clip feeders, yet I have never seen a 72 with a slowlock bolt either. Plenty of questions.

slowlock 69, with combination rotating safety integral to the knurled knob

speedlock 69A, with bolt similar to the 72, separate sliding safety

72 Bolt with speedlock and straight bolt

 

Perusing the Blue Book this morning I came across a couple of items that add to the jigsaw puzzle of manufacturing dates for the 72 and 72A. According to Fjestad, the 72A has some "minor internal improvements" which I would assume meant the above photographed changes. More interesting to me at least, there is a premium, as usual, for a grooved receiver model, but it states that this feature only came on the A version. Contrary to what Madis states, and in line with Boley's info, this is a strong suggestion that the 72 was discontinued sometime before 1954 or so, which is when the grooves became a part of most of the Winchester rimfire lineup.

 

I seem to remember a Sporter in this rifle as well and it was a $3,500 rifle. I never knew they even made one. A tad bbl. heavy fully loaded, it does not balance as well as a M69A, but then again, the M69 does not balance as well as a M56. Accuracy is super on these old rifles, and the later rifles with the grooved receivers can be scoped for full potential without ruining a fine rifle by D&Ting it. Yep, the M72 or M72A are great rifles. Big Larry

 

I couldn't get the camera to work last night(been having problems) But I do have this pic...

The top one is the older of the two, it has a more squared stock, and according to ASA and his help with the roll stamp looks to be a from the first 4 years of production. I am looking for the link to the thread.

I will try to get the camera working for more detailed pics tonight

 

A couple pics of the scroll marks on my 72.

Still haven't welded the bolt on . . . in the middle of putting in a garden.
Mi apologia....

 

Bloodhound & Dawg, looks like you two have the older ones like me. Bloodhound, I see your earlier one has a shorter squared off forearm.
Remember also, they only made 161,000 of these in total, and for comparison the 69 was made up to around 365,000. BigLarry, Madis says that you could even get them with factory scopes in different powers at one time, wow!
I just finished doing some research in the 1957 Winchester catalog. The 72 (they don't call it the 72A, but they also don't distinguish the 69 as being an "A" either though it is) is listed as only coming with grooved receiver, but the exploded parts diagram, though it only has a picture of the 72A, has in its parts list breakdown several duplicate parts such as the magazine tube and follower, the carrier (what I called the lifter up there), and the magazine throat, all listed twice, one time with just the number, and then repeated but with an A suffix. So in 1957 you could still get either the early or late parts, and you had to know which one since there is no footnote denoting the difference. Slowly we're putting the picture together for this fine rifle. I wish someone would come along with nice photographs of a bonafide, scroll mark listed 72A!

 

great thread. i have a 72a when you say scrollmark 72a what are you looking for?

 

M72a

Here is a pic of the markings on a M72A. Do you need a pic of the whole rifle? Big Larry

 

BigLarry comes through! Can you verify that your A has the updated parts as above? The follower and magazine tube, the carrier, and anything else that comes to mind. I would really like to see what the undercarriage parts inside the stock look like if I can ask you to do that sometime. You are a good photographer I see, put those skills to good use!

thanks Larry

 

M72a

I will take some pics tomorrow and post them. The mag. tube and carrier are the same as the later ones posted. This particular rifle has a chrome bolt and trigger guard. The trigger is chrome also. Big Larry

 

Ive got an older one pictured here. Just for the fun of it.

 

this is a pic of my older guns roll stamp

This is the newer gun

This is the two side by side to show the bolt style

The gun with the scope was a range rifle at a police range in Huntington Beach at the Police Range, and was used by the range manager to keep the gopher population down...the rings are cool, one fits in the dovetail for the rear sight, and the other ring is screwed on to the hole that was drilled and tapped...certainly not factory, but very well done...the scope is a Weaver J-4 way cool unit.

 

Winchester 72A

 

Good information guys, love those pictures, Be-ay-U-tiful rifles!! Wouldn't you just love to be at a police range and be able to shoot at varmints all day? Lilbucksht, your rifle is the same configuration, on the outside, as my friend's, down to the rear peep, though his bluing is not as deep and vibrant.
Notice that all chrome number from Sheffieldshootr--guard, trigger, and bolt, a very late model.

 

Short question here.

Since my 72 was purchased with the bolt brazed on - which promptly broke off - I'm not sure whether it should go straight down or sweep back toward the rear.

Along those same lines, the knob was touching the wood lightly and I was wondering how far off the wood it should be.?

The sweep back looks nice, but I'd rather get the bolt back to looking like it's supposed to.

 

Nice wood indeed WDN.
Dawg,
It's a very safe bet that if you have the early carrier and magazine tube, you have a straight bolt, specially if it says 72 not "A" on it. Though my friend's rifle in the photos also says 72 not "A", it has the newer parts and a swept back bolt. Also, I believe that all swept bolts came with grooved triggers, another clue for you. I'll pull out my rifle tonight and see what kinda gap exists between bolt knob and wood. I guess considering your other hobby, I will have to measure it with a feeler gauge.

I appreciate all of you guys adding your two cents worth on this model, I would really like us to make this thread a very deep well of information on the 72 as a future reference work for it. Thanks for your help.

 

I'm not where I can look at the roll marks on my 72A just now, but I can't pass up the chance to post it's picture. I'm particulary proud of the wood.

 

I'm lovin' this thread.....:bthumb:

 

Here is my 72.

greetings,

Great thread guys. I haven't fired this yet since purchasing it last year. It's probably one of my favorite 22's I have in my stable. I'll post a few pictures here just for fun but I don't have any technical information to provide for this thread. Hopefully I will down the road.

Great thread!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Eric

 

Eric

Here's mine, the old style. Same as yours but open not peep sights receiver. We need a 72A!!!

 

Eric,
Nice!! I notice yours is a 72 not "A", but with a swept bolt. Is the trigger grooved? I'd appreciate also finding out if you have the newer magazine follower, and what type carrier yours has also. With this information, we can hopefully establish the pattern of features in the two types. According to what I'm looking at with your rifle, since it has the swept bolt, it should theoretically also have a grooved trigger, the new style long thin mag follower, and the solid carrier. Thanks for that picture of the undercarriage. I am going to retake some pictures of mine today, they appear to be the same, which will throw a monkey in the wrench. Need that info!

These are the chief distinguishing features we're looking for so far guys:
1.Grooved or smooth trigger
2.Bolt- straight or swept
3.Carrier split in the middle or solid
4.Inner magazine tube old style or new, with different followers
5. "72" or "72A" rollmark on barrel

 

HARTMN. That is a very pretty rifle and I would be willing to bet it shoots as good as it looks. Mine has open sights and I very seldom miss what I aim at with it. Saw it at a local gun show and convinced the seller that the sling holes had ruined it and bought it for $240 7 years ago. I had it scoped with an old Weaver B4, but sold that scope and I

shoot it with open sights now. Big Larry

 

22AGS & Biglarry,

The magazine follower is the solid type. like the one on the right from page one of this post. The trigger is smooth and has no groves.

biglarry, I wish I could have talked the dealer into believing that the rifle was worth less because of the swivels. I paid $500.00 bucks to own this fine rifle here in the peoples republic of kalifornia.

I'll be moving out of here sometime in the future! I'll be sure to remove my license plates off my vehicles before I drive up the drive of my new digs so the neighbors don't go bug **** crazy seeing more kalifornia Adam Henry's moving into the neighbor hood!

22AGS I'm still paying for that 1954 Winchester 52C at the FFL dealer. Only $1251.29 to go! I can't wait to get it home and find a nice Unertl scope for it.

I hope the above information helps. Not the information about Kalifornia you all already knew that Kalifonia sucks! Did mention that Kalifornia sucks!

Eric

And one or two for the 52C