Winchester Model 69
Encyclopedia
The Winchester Model 69 was a bolt-action
.22 caliber
repeating rifle first produced in 1935 by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company
. It was marketed as Winchester's mid-priced bolt-action rimfire sporting rifle, positioned above inexpensive single-shot
rifles such as the Model 68
and beneath the prestigious Model 52
. An uncommon Model 69 variant, the Model 697, was offered with a telescopic sight
and no provisions for iron sights
. Production ended in 1963.
too short and the rifles' prices too high. The Model 69 was conceived as a lower-priced replacement with a longer 25 in (635 mm) barrel. The rifle was designed in 1934 by Winchester employee Frank F. Burton, production was announced with the release of Winchester's new price list on 1 January 1935, and the first completed rifles were shipped in March of the same year.
The striker of the Model 69 was cocked by the closing motion of the bolt
, and the safety
was actuated by grasping the cocking piece at the rear of the bolt, drawing it back, and rotating it, an arrangement similar to the Mosin-Nagant
. The Model 69 used the same standard 5-round box magazine as the Models 52, 56, 57 and 75, allowing optional 10-round magazines and single-shot
adapters to be shared. The magazine was released by depressing a spring-loaded button on the left-hand side of the stock
, which was made of plain uncheckered walnut
and had a pronounced pistol grip. The rifle was a takedown
design; the barreled action
was easily removed by turning a screw under the stock using a penny. A removable sheetmetal hood for the front sight was available. Rear sight choices included a barrel-mounted buckhorn sight that was drift-adjustable for windage
and a more sophisticated receiver
-mounted peep sight. A composition buttplate was used on all models.
In August 1935, the bolt was redesigned to incorporate a rebounding firing pin
in compliance with Canadian
import regulations. In October 1937, the stock was enlarged so the takedown screw would fit flush with the bottom, the forearm was changed to a semi-beavertail shape, and the pistol grip was made more pronounced.
Winchester-branded telescopic sight
s were first offered in 1937. Options were a 2¾-power scope with crosshairs or a vertical aiming post and a 5-power scope with crosshairs. Open sights were retained; the scopes were boxed separately and attached to integral bases on the barrel by the rifle's buyer.
The Model 69 was originally marketed primarily for hunting
and informal plinking
rather than formal target shooting
. However, December 1940 saw the introduction of "Target" and "Match" versions of the Model 69, intended to fill out Winchester's target-rifle lineup beneath the top-of-the-line Model 52 and the mid-priced Model 75. Both new Model 69 variants had a slightly larger stock than the standard rifle and were chambered in .22 Long Rifle only. The Target model was advertised with a Winchester #80A aperture sight and a post front sight, while the Match model had a Lyman #57E peep sight, a hooded front sight, and a 1 in (25.4 mm) wide leather
sling; the sling width was changed to 1¼ in (32 mm) in 1947.
The generally unpopular factory telescopic sight options were dropped in 1941.
. The bolt handle was changed from a straight to a slightly swept-back shape, a grooved trigger was introduced, and the receiver became available with grooves for aftermarket scope mounts. Late in the production run, chromed
bolts, trigger guards, and magazine guard plates were introduced.
Production ended in 1963 after approximately 355,363 examples of all types were sold. Model 69s were never produced with serial number
s, which were not required on American firearms prior to the Gun Control Act of 1968
. The Model 69 was retired without a direct replacement; all other mid-priced .22 bolt-action repeaters had already been dropped from the Winchester lineup, leaving the Model 52 standing alone in the catalog until the introduction of the Model 131 in 1967.
Bolt-action
Bolt action is a type of firearm action in which the weapon's bolt is operated manually by the opening and closing of the breech with a small handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon...
.22 caliber
.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...
repeating rifle first produced in 1935 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.-...
. It was marketed as Winchester's mid-priced bolt-action rimfire sporting rifle, positioned above inexpensive single-shot
Single-shot
Single-shot firearms are firearms that hold only a single round of ammunition, and must be reloaded after each shot. The history of firearms began with single-shot designs, and many centuries passed before multi-shot designs became commonplace...
rifles such as the Model 68
Winchester Model 68
The Winchester Model 68 was a single-shot, bolt-action .22 caliber rimfire rifle sold from 1934 to 1945 by Winchester Repeating Arms Company. While almost identical to the slightly cheaper Winchester Model 67, it offered an aperture sight....
and beneath the prestigious Model 52
Winchester Model 52
The Winchester Model 52 was a bolt-action .22-caliber target rifle introduced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1920. For many years it was the premier smallbore match rifle in the United States, if not the world...
. An uncommon Model 69 variant, the Model 697, was offered with a telescopic sight
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
and no provisions for iron sights
Iron sights
Iron sights are a system of shaped alignment markers used as a sighting device to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in telescopic sights or reflector sights...
. Production ended in 1963.
Origins and design
During the early 1930s, Winchester management was disappointed with the slow sales of the Model 56 and Model 57. Potential buyers considered the Model 56 and 57's 22 in (558.8 mm) barrelsGun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
too short and the rifles' prices too high. The Model 69 was conceived as a lower-priced replacement with a longer 25 in (635 mm) barrel. The rifle was designed in 1934 by Winchester employee Frank F. Burton, production was announced with the release of Winchester's new price list on 1 January 1935, and the first completed rifles were shipped in March of the same year.
The striker of the Model 69 was cocked by the closing motion of the bolt
Bolt (firearm)
A bolt is a mechanical part of a firearm that blocks the rear of the chamber while the propellant burns.In manually-operated firearms, such as bolt-action, lever-action, and pump-action rifles and shotguns, the bolt is held fixed by its locking lugs during firing, forcing all the expanding gas...
, and the safety
Safety (firearms)
In firearms, a safety or safety catch is a mechanism used to help prevent the accidental discharge of a firearm, helping to ensure safer handling....
was actuated by grasping the cocking piece at the rear of the bolt, drawing it back, and rotating it, an arrangement similar to the Mosin-Nagant
Mosin-Nagant
The Mosin–Nagant is a bolt-action, internal magazine-fed, military rifle invented under the government commission by Russian and Belgian inventors, and used by the armed forces of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and various other nations....
. The Model 69 used the same standard 5-round box magazine as the Models 52, 56, 57 and 75, allowing optional 10-round magazines and single-shot
Single-shot
Single-shot firearms are firearms that hold only a single round of ammunition, and must be reloaded after each shot. The history of firearms began with single-shot designs, and many centuries passed before multi-shot designs became commonplace...
adapters to be shared. The magazine was released by depressing a spring-loaded button on the left-hand side of the stock
Stock (firearm)
A stock, also known as a buttstock or shoulder stock, is a part of a rifle or other firearm, to which the barrel and firing mechanism are attached, that is held against one's shoulder when firing the gun. Stocks are also found on crossbows though a crossbow stock is more properly referred to as a...
, which was made of plain uncheckered walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
and had a pronounced pistol grip. The rifle was 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...
design; the barreled action
Firearm action
In firearms terminology, an action is the physical mechanism that manipulates cartridges and/or seals the breech. The term is also used to describe the method in which cartridges are loaded, locked, and extracted from the mechanism. Actions are generally categorized by the type of mechanism used...
was easily removed by turning a screw under the stock using a penny. A removable sheetmetal hood for the front sight was available. Rear sight choices included a barrel-mounted buckhorn sight that was drift-adjustable for windage
Windage
Windage is a force created on an object by friction when there is relative movement between air and the object.There are two causes of windage:# the object is moving and being slowed by resistance from the air...
and a more sophisticated receiver
Receiver (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the receiver is the part of a firearm that houses the operating parts. The receiver usually contains the bolt carrier group, trigger group, and magazine port. In most handguns, the receiver, or frame, holds the magazine well or rotary magazine as well as the trigger mechanism...
-mounted peep sight. A composition buttplate was used on all models.
In August 1935, the bolt was redesigned to incorporate a rebounding firing pin
Firing pin
A firing pin or striker is part of the firing mechanism used in a firearm or explosive device e.g. an M14 landmine or bomb fuze. Firing pins may take many forms, though the types used in landmines, bombs, grenade fuzes or other single-use devices generally have a sharpened point...
in compliance with Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
import regulations. In October 1937, the stock was enlarged so the takedown screw would fit flush with the bottom, the forearm was changed to a semi-beavertail shape, and the pistol grip was made more pronounced.
Winchester-branded telescopic sight
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
s were first offered in 1937. Options were a 2¾-power scope with crosshairs or a vertical aiming post and a 5-power scope with crosshairs. Open sights were retained; the scopes were boxed separately and attached to integral bases on the barrel by the rifle's buyer.
Model 69A introduced
In November 1937, several substantial design changes were made. The bolt was redesigned to cock on opening, the safety was changed to a sliding lever on the right-hand side of the receiver, the prominent rear cocking piece was eliminated, and the barrel was given a constant-diameter round contour rather than the previous slightly tapered contour, increasing the weight of the rifle slightly. The trigger mechanism also incorporated an internal screw adjustment, allowing the owner to adjust the trigger pull weight to some degree. The improved rifle was designated as the Model 69A.The Model 69 was originally marketed primarily for hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and informal plinking
Plinking
Plinking refers to informal target shooting done at non-traditional targets such as tin cans, glass bottles, and balloons filled with water. The term is an onomatopoeia of the sound a bullet or other projectile makes when hitting a tin can, or other similar target, referring to the sharp, metallic...
rather than formal target shooting
Shooting sports
A shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...
. However, December 1940 saw the introduction of "Target" and "Match" versions of the Model 69, intended to fill out Winchester's target-rifle lineup beneath the top-of-the-line Model 52 and the mid-priced Model 75. Both new Model 69 variants had a slightly larger stock than the standard rifle and were chambered in .22 Long Rifle only. The Target model was advertised with a Winchester #80A aperture sight and a post front sight, while the Match model had a Lyman #57E peep sight, a hooded front sight, and a 1 in (25.4 mm) wide leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
sling; the sling width was changed to 1¼ in (32 mm) in 1947.
The generally unpopular factory telescopic sight options were dropped in 1941.
Model 697
In January 1937, Winchester introduced the Model 697, a Model 69 variant with the same telescopic sight options as the standard model but without any provisions for open sights. The new model was first shipped in June 1937 and was soon updated to the improved Model 69A standard. The Model 697 was unpopular due to dissatisfaction with the factory scope mounts and was permanently discontinued in 1941. The uncommon Model 697 commands several times the value of a standard Model 69 amongst modern-day collectors.Later changes
A few minor changes were made to the Model 69A after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The bolt handle was changed from a straight to a slightly swept-back shape, a grooved trigger was introduced, and the receiver became available with grooves for aftermarket scope mounts. Late in the production run, chromed
Chrome plating
Chrome plating, often referred to simply as chrome, is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease cleaning procedures, or increase surface hardness.-Process:A component to be chrome plated will...
bolts, trigger guards, and magazine guard plates were introduced.
Production ended in 1963 after approximately 355,363 examples of all types were sold. Model 69s were never produced with serial number
Serial number
A serial number is a unique number assigned for identification which varies from its successor or predecessor by a fixed discrete integer value...
s, which were not required on American firearms prior to the Gun Control Act of 1968
Gun Control Act of 1968
The Gun Control Act of 1968 , by president Lyndon Johnson, is a federal law in the United States that broadly regulates the firearms industry and firearms owners...
. The Model 69 was retired without a direct replacement; all other mid-priced .22 bolt-action repeaters had already been dropped from the Winchester lineup, leaving the Model 52 standing alone in the catalog until the introduction of the Model 131 in 1967.