Winchester Model 1890
Encyclopedia
The Winchester Model 1890 is a slide-action repeating rifle
produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company
in the late 19th and early 20th century.
to design a replacement for the Model 1873 rifle, since the rim fire version of the Model 1873 had never achieved any great popularity. On June 26, 1888, a patent for the new design was issued to John and Matthew Browning. Under this patent, Winchester created the first repeating slide action .22 rifle ever successfully developed and manufactured.
The Model 1890 would prove to be the most successful repeating rim fire rifle for general all around shooting ever made by Winchester. Approximately 849,000 Model 1890 rifles were produced between 1890 and 1932, after which the Model 1890 was replaced by the Winchester Model 62 rifle. A final cleanup of stock on hand was completed in 1941.
For many years, the Model 1890 was considered to be the standard for use in shooting galleries.
Caliber
s for the rifle include .22 Short
, .22 Long
, .22 Long Rifle
, .22 Winchester Rimfire
. The Model 1890 will only fire the round specific to that gun (e.g. a Model 1890 stamped ".22 Short" on the barrel will not fire .22 Long, .22 Long Rifle, or .22 WRF; despite there being other 1890's chambered in those calibers). The .22 Long Rifle version was added in 1919.
Pistol grip stocks were available on later rifles.
The first model had a solid frame, a case hardened receiver, and a fixed rear sight. Approximately 15,000 of these were produced between 1890 and 1892.
The second model was designed as a takedown
rifle. It also had a case hardened receiver, but had an adjustable rear sight. In August 1901, the case hardened receiver was changed to a blued version. Approximately 100,000 second model rifles were produced with case hardened receivers, and 200,000 were produced with blued receivers. A deluxe version was offered, which featured a fancy checkered walnut stock available in either straight or pistol grip and a grooved slide handle.
The third model was also produced as a takedown rifle, and featured a modified receiver that allowed the breech bolt to lock externally. The third model was also available in a deluxe version, which, similar to the second model, featured a fancy checkered walnut stock available in either straight or pistol grip and a grooved slide handle.
Repeating rifle
A repeating rifle is a single barreled rifle containing multiple rounds of ammunition. These rounds are loaded from a magazine by means of a manual or automatic mechanism, and the action that reloads the rifle also typically recocks the firing action...
produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company
Winchester Repeating Arms Company
The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American maker of repeating firearms, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The Winchester brand is today used under license by two subsidiaries of the Herstal Group, Fabrique Nationale of Belgium and the Browning Arms Company of Morgan, Utah.-...
in the late 19th and early 20th century.
History
In the late 1880s, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company asked John BrowningJohn Browning
John Moses Browning , born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms, many of which are still in use around the world...
to design a replacement for the Model 1873 rifle, since the rim fire version of the Model 1873 had never achieved any great popularity. On June 26, 1888, a patent for the new design was issued to John and Matthew Browning. Under this patent, Winchester created the first repeating slide action .22 rifle ever successfully developed and manufactured.
The Model 1890 would prove to be the most successful repeating rim fire rifle for general all around shooting ever made by Winchester. Approximately 849,000 Model 1890 rifles were produced between 1890 and 1932, after which the Model 1890 was replaced by the Winchester Model 62 rifle. A final cleanup of stock on hand was completed in 1941.
For many years, the Model 1890 was considered to be the standard for use in shooting galleries.
Design and Features
The Model 1890 was a slide action, top ejecting rifle with an 18 inch magazine tube under the barrel. It had a 24 inch octagonal barrel, a plain walnut stock, and an overall weight of approximately 6 lbs.Caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
s for the rifle include .22 Short
.22 Short
.22 Short is a variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition. Developed in 1857 for the first Smith and Wesson revolver, the .22 rimfire was the first American metallic cartridge....
, .22 Long
.22 Long
.22 Long is a variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition. The .22 Long is the second oldest of the surviving rimfire cartridges, dating back to 1871, when it was loaded with a 29 grain bullet and 5 grains of black powder, 25% more than the .22 Short it was based on...
, .22 Long Rifle
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
, .22 Winchester Rimfire
.22 Winchester Rimfire
The .22 Winchester Rimfire is an American rimfire rifle cartridge.Introduced in the Winchester M1890 slide rifle, it had a flat-nose slug, and is identical to the .22 Remington Special...
. The Model 1890 will only fire the round specific to that gun (e.g. a Model 1890 stamped ".22 Short" on the barrel will not fire .22 Long, .22 Long Rifle, or .22 WRF; despite there being other 1890's chambered in those calibers). The .22 Long Rifle version was added in 1919.
Pistol grip stocks were available on later rifles.
Variants
The Model 1890 was produced in three distinct versions.The first model had a solid frame, a case hardened receiver, and a fixed rear sight. Approximately 15,000 of these were produced between 1890 and 1892.
The second model was designed as a takedown
Takedown gun
A takedown gun is a long gun designed to be taken apart significantly reducing its length, making it easier to store, pack, transport and conceal. A variety of barrel, stock, and receiver designs have been invented to facilitate takedown. For example, the hinged design of many break-action...
rifle. It also had a case hardened receiver, but had an adjustable rear sight. In August 1901, the case hardened receiver was changed to a blued version. Approximately 100,000 second model rifles were produced with case hardened receivers, and 200,000 were produced with blued receivers. A deluxe version was offered, which featured a fancy checkered walnut stock available in either straight or pistol grip and a grooved slide handle.
The third model was also produced as a takedown rifle, and featured a modified receiver that allowed the breech bolt to lock externally. The third model was also available in a deluxe version, which, similar to the second model, featured a fancy checkered walnut stock available in either straight or pistol grip and a grooved slide handle.