 |
 |
I. History of the Model 61 | II. Determine Type Model | III. Factory Variations | IV. Condition of Gun | 61 Models (Outline) | Gun Parts Diagram | Timeline of Winchester Gun Production |Home
The Winchester Rifles and Shotguns Co. was established by Oliver F. Winchester on February 20, 1866. The first gun model produced under Winchester's name was the Model 1866, a lever-action .44 caliber rimfire rifle. There had been earlier rifles produced using lever action, including the Rocket Ball and Volition Repeater in 1848, Jennings Rifle (patent 1851), Smith and Wesson pistol, and Volcanic Repeating Arms (New Haven Arms Company and Henry Rifles). When the design was improved by B. Henry Tyler (shop foreman at the New Haven Arms Company), the .44 caliber metalic rimfire cartridge became powerful enough to compete with the single shot (e.g., rolling block) rifles of the day. Winchester Repeating Arms Company established itself as one of the world's leading firearms manufacturers of the world, and the subsequent rifles produced by Winchester are highly prized today by collectors all over the globe.
To See a Timeline of Winchester Gun Production, Click Here.
About Model 61 Winchester Rifles
The Winchester Model 61 was the fourth in a series of Slide-Action rifles that Winchester produced.
Unlike its predecessors, the Model 61 had no exposed hammer, an attempt by
Winchester to compete with other rifles of the day (e.g., Remington). The
Model 61 was the
hammerless replacement for 1890, 1906 and Model 62, especially when the former two models were dropped from
production in 1932. The Winchester Model 61 was produced from 1932
through 1963 with over 342,000 guns sold.
All Model 61 guns were of the take-down variety and fitted with a 24 inch round and tapered barrel. The gun had a straight-grip walnut stock and a grooved slide handle. The gun was chambered for short, long, and long-rifle interchangeably, continuing the standard set by the later 1906 Model, and this helped to assure the continued success of the Model 61. These guns could also be ordered from the factory in a variety of configurations. There was also a number of Model 61 that were chambered for single caliber .22 bullets, and these guns bring a premium. The Model 61 is often considered the companion to the model 12 and Model 42 Winchester shotguns.
Appraisal - How to determine a value for your gun
To determine the value of your firearm, you must first analyze it carefully.
There are three recognized (models) types of the 61 Winchester Rifle, and they
vary somewhat in value. In appraising the value of your gun, you must initially
determine if you have a pre-war or a post-war production gun, and then if it is a
Standard or Magnum model. Also, what type of .22 bullet the gun is
chambered. Then, if
the gun has any factory variations. After selecting the appropriate Model, you will be easily guided to the value range. There are 4 steps to this
process.
Step 1: Determine the Model of your 61 Winchester firearm
Step 2: Determine any Variation of the model type
Step 3: Determine Condition of your 61 Winchester firearm
Step 4: Determine the Book Value of your Model 61
Click Here to Begin at Step 1.
Introduction | I. Models | II. Variations | III. Condition |61 Models (Outline) | Gun Parts Diagram | Home
