Winchester Lever Action Rifles

"Get the Winchester!" At one time that was the same as saying:
"Get the rifle!" Even if the gun was actually another brand.
Winchester was often used as another word for rifle.

Enthusiasts and collectors of Winchester firearms only need to hear certain two-digit numbers to think about great Winchester guns. The best known today are probably the models 94, 70, & 12, but there are many more.

Winchester lever action rifles were 'the' rifles for years in our country. Young shooters may think: "The Gun That Won The West", and
"The Rifleman's Rifle" are just an advertising slogans. For many years
it was what people thought.
Pictured above a Winchester advertisement from 1898.

Other gun company names were respected, but none has been held in such high esteem by so many people in this country. (Yes, I am aware that the great John Browning designed many Winchesters.)

Winchester lever action rifles built the company's reputation. In earlier days a Winchester was considered 'the' rifle for reliable firepower, and accuracy.

"The Gun That Won The West." Some models of Winchester lever action rifles were the 1866, 1873, 1876, 1886, 1892, 1894, 1895, made the brand a legend. Calibers included the .44 Henry, .44-40, .38-40, .32-20, .45 Colt, .45-75 WCF, .45-70 Gov., .40-60, .45-60, .50-95 Express, .45-90, .50-110 Express, .33 WCF, .348 Winchester, .25-35 WCF, .32-40 WCF, .38-55, Winchester, .30-40 Krag (.30 US or .30 Army), .303 British, .30-03 Springfield, .30-06 Springfield, 7.62mm Russian, .405 Winchester, .32 Winchester Special, and the best known .30-30 Winchester.

More recently the model 9422 lever gun was made in .22 long rifle, .22 WMR, .17 Hornady, and the Winchester 94 has been chambered in .410 shotgun, .357 and .44 magnum handgun rounds if my memory serves correctly. The modern lever action model 88 was chambered in .243, .284, .308, and .358 Winchester. Wow! I probably left something out.

Theodore Roosevelt was one famous fan of some Winchester firearms. He took an 1895 in .405 caliber on safari in Africa. The original style Winchester lever action rifles have been popular for a very long time. Only in recent years have they began to loose favor.

When Winchester eventually built a bolt-action it had a fan club ready and waiting for it. The Winchester Model 54 quickly evolved into the justifiably famous Winchester Model 70. The dean of gun writers Jack O'Connor did much to teach us about the virtues of the Winchester Model 70.

I still compare every new bolt-action to the original Model 70s. Several new rifles beat it in one way or another, but I'm not sure any are better over-all hunting rifles.

One of the finest .22 rim-fires made was the high quality Winchester Model 52 bolt-action. It was American's best small-bore match target rifle for years, but the beautiful sportier model made my heart rate jump.

More popular .22 rimfires were the semi-auto Winchester Model 63, and the better known pumps; the Winchester Model 61 and Winchester Model 62.

The rifles helped "leverage" the brand when selling Winchester shotguns. My first real gun was a Winchester shotgun. A beat-up, handed down, Model 1897 That old 12 gauge pump was taller than I was when I first used it.

The 1897 was an early repeating shotgun, sold well, and some consider it a good gun. I never liked mine. When you pumped it, the shell carrier went out the bottom, and the breech slid back; it seemed to come apart with so many parts moving ever-which-of-way.

To be fair mine was worn-out. With the hammer on half-cock (safety) it would sometimes fire. It is the only gun I've ever discharged by accident.

Dad had replaced it with a Winchester Model 12, one of the finest pump shotguns ever made. I still have his great old "corn-shucker" and it is retired only because of respect for it and it's owner. It would still shoot with the best made today.

The Winchester Model 12 was made in 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauge, but the .410 is called a Winchester Model 42. I've never owned a 42 but have shot several; it's about the sweetest little repeating shotgun ever made. Were I not so practical, I'd have one.

I mentioned most of the Winchester lever action rifle models, but I've left out many other great Winchester rifles and shotguns. I want to get to the more recent Winchester history .

Many would say 1964 was the end of Winchester, but the company didn't close it's famous New Haven doors in 2006. You can still buy a new Winchester and some would say it's still going strong.

My thinking is, the real honest Winchester brand got sick, but it didn't die in 1964. In that year many of the Winchester guns, and specifically the Model 70 was "updated" to allow for more modern manufacturing and less expensive hand work.

But with that said! I sometimes hunt with a 1965 Winchester Model 70. It's a special gun, to me, it was my graduation gift, it took my first deer, and we won a bench rest shooting match. It's not as good as the older Model 70s, or some of the newer ones, but even my "worst year" Winchester is good rifle.

Winchester built great guns before 1964, and had the strongest name in the business. After 1964 the guns were not the same and the name began to loose it's legendary status.

I would say the heart of Winchester is still beating, but much of the spirit of the original Winchester lever action rifles is gone. The new Winchester guns don't have the brand's status and loyalty once enjoyed.

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