See the full list of posts here
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Today you get 2-for-1. It was impossible to research one without researching the other.
See the Winchester model 61 here
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Winchester Model 62
In the beginning there was John Moses Browning…
The Winchester Model 62 (and later 62A) were the third and final iteration of the Winchester slide action rifles designed by the Browning brothers. Chambered in .22 Short, Long, and Long Rifle and produced from 1932 to 1958, the Model 62 was a replacement for the Model 1890 and Model 1906. Over the 3 main iterations, this patten had a combined continuous production span of 69 years.
The design heritage of the Model 62 can be traced back to a patent filed in 1888 by John Browning and his brother Matthew. This would be acquired by Winchester and become the Model 1890, Winchester's first pump rifle design. Winchester engineers, on viewing the patent drawings, expressed skepticism that the gun would actually work as billed. Normally, Browning would also send a working model, but because he was busy and in the interest of time, John sent only detailed drawings. The staff at Winchester wrote to him, indicating they thought he should cease work on this gun, because their engineers were convinced that it wouldn’t work. John’s response was to make a working model and send it back to Winchester with a note: “You said it wouldn’t work, but it seems to shoot pretty fair to me.” It certainly did work, and became the Winchester Model 1890. It was one of Winchester’s best-selling products for years.
In 1906, Winchester wanted to improve the design of the Model 1890 even further to cater to a slightly different market; by changing the barrel to a round one and marketing it at a lower price, this rifle would become the Model 1906. The Winchester Model 1906 was offered as a less expensive version of the gun that would compete with the Stevens Arms Company’s more economical “visible loader” slide action .22 rifles. The new Model 1906 would be priced at $10.50 compared to $16.00 for the 1890 (renamed Model 90), which remained in production. This lighter-weight gun would be standard with a 20-inch barrel, a gum-wood stock, and a composition buttplate. The newer gun proved to be very popular on the market. It was first chambered only for the .22 Short, but in 1908 it was configured to handle the Short, Long and Long Rifle cartridges interchangeably. This change occurred in the serial number 110,000 range. Early Models 1906 utilized the second variation Model 1890 receivers in which the locking ears of the breechbolt could not be seen from the sides. The receivers and guards were all blued, as the case-hardened option was discontinued.
In 1932,The Model 62 was introduced and offered as an improved version of the Models 90 and 06. The similar hammerless Model 61 was also introduced at the same time. Strangely enough, both the Models 90 and 06 were still being sold at this time although this didn’t last long as the Model 06 was discontinued in 1934 and the Model 90 followed in 1935. The new Model 62 used the Model 90 receiver, the Model 06 carrier assembly, a 23-inch round barrel, and a new buttstock and forearm. The magazine would hold 14 Long Rifle, 16 Long, or 20 Short cartridges. Some early guns were chambered for the .22 Short only. Winchester advertising touted the proven mechanism of the new gun as being already used by 1,500,000 owners. Some minor improvements to the locking system were implemented in 1938. A few serial numbers were suffixed with an “X” to correct inadvertent duplicate numbers.
From late 1938 and through 1939, the change from the Model 62 to the Model 62A took place. The major difference was that the hammer spring was of the coiled type instead of flat as before. Some related minor parts were also modified to accommodate the new spring system. These changes took time, and both Model 62s and Model 62As were made until about early 1940, when the older parts were finally used up. The hammer thumbpiece was changed from checkered to grooved in late 1945. There were some made in .22 Short-only configuration, most of them for gallery use. It’s important to know that the action cannot be opened until the hammer is fully forward, pressing against the firing pin, such as after a round is fired. If an unfired cartridge is still in the chamber with the hammer back, the head of the firing pin can be carefully pressed forward against moderate spring pressure to allow the action to open.
Over the years, externally-hammered slide-action rifles became less popular, and the internally-hammered Model 61 slide-action rifle became predominant in sales over the Model 62A. As a consequence, the Model 62A was discontinued in 1959 thereby ending the 1890 lineage.
This was not the end of this famous action however. Rossi later offered their Model 62 (a fairly faithful reproduction of the Winchester Model 62A) from 1970 to 1998. Rossi discontinued the Model 62 when they were acquired by Taurus. Taurus then offered their own model 62 from 1999 to 2007. You can learn more about that one here.
Model 62A from 1947
To date a Winchester Model 62 you can use this online lookup tool.
https://oldguns.net/sn_php/windateslookup.php?file=winxx62.dat
(Note: This is NOT the same as the model 61 link)
Specifications:
Pre-war Model 62 (built 1932-1940)
• Takedown
• 23 inch Round Barrel
• Straight-grip Walnut Stock
• Barrel and Receiver Blued
• Forearm (slide handle) 10-grooved and smaller (<6")
• Gun shoots .22 Short, Long and/or Long-rifle
• Removable and Adjustable Rear Sight
• Locking Cut present on the front top of the receiver to allow the breech bolt to lock externally
• Early style breech bolt
• Numbered on Receiver and lower tang but number did not contain an 'A'.
• Serial numbered 1 to ~98,200
• Several "extra-cost" options were offered
Post-war Model 62A (built 1940-1958)
• Takedown
• 23 inch Round Barrel
• Pistol-grip Walnut Stock
• Barrel and Receiver Blued
• Forearm (slide handle) 17-grooved and larger (~8")
• .22 Short, Long and/or Long-rifle
• Removable and Adjustable Rear Sight
• Locking Cut present on the front top of the receiver to allow the breech bolt to lock externally
• Later style of breech bolt
• Numbered on Receiver and lower tang and number contained an 'A'.
• Serial numbered within 98,200 and ~ 409,000
• Several "extra-cost" options were offered
.22 Short-only Model 62 Gallery
• Takedown
• 23 inch Round Barrel
• Straight-grip Walnut Stock
• Barrel and Receiver Blued
• Forearm (slide handle) 10- or 17-grooved and either smaller (<6") or larger (~8")
• .22 Short (only)
• Removable and Adjustable Rear Sight
• Locking Cut present on the front top of the receiver to allow the breech bolt to lock externally
• Early or later style of breech bolt
• Numbered on Receiver and lower tang with or without an 'A'.
• All guns with a triangular loading port in the outer magazine tube
• Several "extra-cost" options were offered
The original box
Parts list
------------------------------
Today you get 2-for-1. It was impossible to research one without researching the other.
See the Winchester model 61 here
--------------------------
Winchester Model 62
In the beginning there was John Moses Browning…
The Winchester Model 62 (and later 62A) were the third and final iteration of the Winchester slide action rifles designed by the Browning brothers. Chambered in .22 Short, Long, and Long Rifle and produced from 1932 to 1958, the Model 62 was a replacement for the Model 1890 and Model 1906. Over the 3 main iterations, this patten had a combined continuous production span of 69 years.
The design heritage of the Model 62 can be traced back to a patent filed in 1888 by John Browning and his brother Matthew. This would be acquired by Winchester and become the Model 1890, Winchester's first pump rifle design. Winchester engineers, on viewing the patent drawings, expressed skepticism that the gun would actually work as billed. Normally, Browning would also send a working model, but because he was busy and in the interest of time, John sent only detailed drawings. The staff at Winchester wrote to him, indicating they thought he should cease work on this gun, because their engineers were convinced that it wouldn’t work. John’s response was to make a working model and send it back to Winchester with a note: “You said it wouldn’t work, but it seems to shoot pretty fair to me.” It certainly did work, and became the Winchester Model 1890. It was one of Winchester’s best-selling products for years.
In 1906, Winchester wanted to improve the design of the Model 1890 even further to cater to a slightly different market; by changing the barrel to a round one and marketing it at a lower price, this rifle would become the Model 1906. The Winchester Model 1906 was offered as a less expensive version of the gun that would compete with the Stevens Arms Company’s more economical “visible loader” slide action .22 rifles. The new Model 1906 would be priced at $10.50 compared to $16.00 for the 1890 (renamed Model 90), which remained in production. This lighter-weight gun would be standard with a 20-inch barrel, a gum-wood stock, and a composition buttplate. The newer gun proved to be very popular on the market. It was first chambered only for the .22 Short, but in 1908 it was configured to handle the Short, Long and Long Rifle cartridges interchangeably. This change occurred in the serial number 110,000 range. Early Models 1906 utilized the second variation Model 1890 receivers in which the locking ears of the breechbolt could not be seen from the sides. The receivers and guards were all blued, as the case-hardened option was discontinued.
In 1932,The Model 62 was introduced and offered as an improved version of the Models 90 and 06. The similar hammerless Model 61 was also introduced at the same time. Strangely enough, both the Models 90 and 06 were still being sold at this time although this didn’t last long as the Model 06 was discontinued in 1934 and the Model 90 followed in 1935. The new Model 62 used the Model 90 receiver, the Model 06 carrier assembly, a 23-inch round barrel, and a new buttstock and forearm. The magazine would hold 14 Long Rifle, 16 Long, or 20 Short cartridges. Some early guns were chambered for the .22 Short only. Winchester advertising touted the proven mechanism of the new gun as being already used by 1,500,000 owners. Some minor improvements to the locking system were implemented in 1938. A few serial numbers were suffixed with an “X” to correct inadvertent duplicate numbers.
From late 1938 and through 1939, the change from the Model 62 to the Model 62A took place. The major difference was that the hammer spring was of the coiled type instead of flat as before. Some related minor parts were also modified to accommodate the new spring system. These changes took time, and both Model 62s and Model 62As were made until about early 1940, when the older parts were finally used up. The hammer thumbpiece was changed from checkered to grooved in late 1945. There were some made in .22 Short-only configuration, most of them for gallery use. It’s important to know that the action cannot be opened until the hammer is fully forward, pressing against the firing pin, such as after a round is fired. If an unfired cartridge is still in the chamber with the hammer back, the head of the firing pin can be carefully pressed forward against moderate spring pressure to allow the action to open.
Over the years, externally-hammered slide-action rifles became less popular, and the internally-hammered Model 61 slide-action rifle became predominant in sales over the Model 62A. As a consequence, the Model 62A was discontinued in 1959 thereby ending the 1890 lineage.
This was not the end of this famous action however. Rossi later offered their Model 62 (a fairly faithful reproduction of the Winchester Model 62A) from 1970 to 1998. Rossi discontinued the Model 62 when they were acquired by Taurus. Taurus then offered their own model 62 from 1999 to 2007. You can learn more about that one here.
Model 62A from 1947
To date a Winchester Model 62 you can use this online lookup tool.
https://oldguns.net/sn_php/windateslookup.php?file=winxx62.dat
(Note: This is NOT the same as the model 61 link)
Specifications:
Pre-war Model 62 (built 1932-1940)
• Takedown
• 23 inch Round Barrel
• Straight-grip Walnut Stock
• Barrel and Receiver Blued
• Forearm (slide handle) 10-grooved and smaller (<6")
• Gun shoots .22 Short, Long and/or Long-rifle
• Removable and Adjustable Rear Sight
• Locking Cut present on the front top of the receiver to allow the breech bolt to lock externally
• Early style breech bolt
• Numbered on Receiver and lower tang but number did not contain an 'A'.
• Serial numbered 1 to ~98,200
• Several "extra-cost" options were offered
Post-war Model 62A (built 1940-1958)
• Takedown
• 23 inch Round Barrel
• Pistol-grip Walnut Stock
• Barrel and Receiver Blued
• Forearm (slide handle) 17-grooved and larger (~8")
• .22 Short, Long and/or Long-rifle
• Removable and Adjustable Rear Sight
• Locking Cut present on the front top of the receiver to allow the breech bolt to lock externally
• Later style of breech bolt
• Numbered on Receiver and lower tang and number contained an 'A'.
• Serial numbered within 98,200 and ~ 409,000
• Several "extra-cost" options were offered
.22 Short-only Model 62 Gallery
• Takedown
• 23 inch Round Barrel
• Straight-grip Walnut Stock
• Barrel and Receiver Blued
• Forearm (slide handle) 10- or 17-grooved and either smaller (<6") or larger (~8")
• .22 Short (only)
• Removable and Adjustable Rear Sight
• Locking Cut present on the front top of the receiver to allow the breech bolt to lock externally
• Early or later style of breech bolt
• Numbered on Receiver and lower tang with or without an 'A'.
• All guns with a triangular loading port in the outer magazine tube
• Several "extra-cost" options were offered
The original box
Parts list
