Found an old (1946) Winchester 61 pump-action .22 rifle

[armorer951]

Great find. Hope you enjoy it.

I have a Winchester model 61 that was gifted to me by a neighbor back in the mid 60's. The rifle dates to 1948. It has a 2.5 power Weaver scope attached. It's been re-finished along the way, and still shoots and functions great. Love these old pump and lever rimfires.

 

[SuperMan]

NICE find....those old pumps are works of art..

Not sure if I had a 61 back in the 1980s or not as a lot of guns came through my hands back then...just love .22 rifles... About 4 years ago I was in a shop in Connecticut and there on the rack was a mint looking early 61...of course being mint it had been refinished...

Looked like at one point someone had D&T two holes for a scope mount just ahead of the receiver on the top of the barrel. On the receiver was a small solid steel custom made scope base with a period correct 4X weaver scope...that was surprisingly clear. The two holes had been welded up and apparently the entire rifle reblued...but whoever did the work knew what they were doing. The stock was also 100% and the butt had beautiful wood...

But being D&T in two places and having been refinished the shop felt that it had no collector value and since it wasn't a "modern" .22 was only worth $175.00....I about sprained my wrist getting my wallet out...

Thing is a joy to shoot. I had my local old timey gunsmith make a new base for it so it will take any size scope and put on a nice clear Bushnell 3/4" tube scope...but still have the original setup...

...now if I could just fine a "decent" .22 Magnum for under a grand I would really be happy...

...if I remember correctly this is a 57xxx serial number...1939 maybe...too old to be worth anything to anybody... ;-)

Bob

 

[Geronimo Jim]

Just a great buy! Great gun and great and great price.
Another big plus is that you can use it and not worry about
a scratch or a ding.

 

[Gene L]

My Meriden is a Model 15, prior to WW1. Which is one reason I had to get the barrel relined...too much BP or 50-50 smokeless/black ruined the bore. I think this was called "Lesmoke." According to Phillip Sharp, "American Rifle" this was quite accurate.

 

[2152hq]

You are correct,,the Meriden pump is the Model (19) 15.
I'll correct my post, I had it as the Model (19)14.
AFAIK they never made a Model 14. They had a small single shot 22, Model 10, I believe.
I should have seen that as I had a nice deluxe Meriden Mod 15 pump at one time!

Meriden Firearms was gone by the end of WW1.
The US Govt backed conglomerate of New England-Westinghouse took them over some time during 1918 for WW1 production of I'd have to guess small parts. Much in the same way they took control of the Stevens Arms Co. (and I believe Hopkins & Allen too)

Neither survived after WW1.
Meriden bankrupt & never to return.
Stevens was bankrupt and the assets and factory sold to Savage Arms Co. in 1920.
Savage put the Stevens factory to use and continued to use the Stevens name.
Then Savage moved their orig Savage Arms/Utica NY operation to the old Stevens plant in Chicopee MA just after the end of WW2.

 

[TheHobbyist]

Nice gun and a great buy! I sold mine and am still kicking myself....maybe one to replace this year. As others have said, it is a lot of fun to shoot. Everyone at the range should have a pile of different .22's to enjoy. ;-)

 

[aimedfire]

Great find. Hope you enjoy it.

I have a Winchester model 61 that was gifted to me by a neighbor back in the mid 60's. The rifle dates to 1948. It has a 2.5 power Weaver scope attached. It's been re-finished along the way, and still shoots and functions great. Love these old pump and lever rimfires.

I thought the late 40s Winchester 61s didn't have a grooved receiver (like mine doesn't), so how were you able to attach a scope?

My gun doesn't have grooves, and no one drilled and tapped it, so I am left using iron sights.

 

[SuperMan]

Winchester didn't start grooving the receivers on 61s till 1954. Guns made before that were D&T on either the barrel or reciever for a scope mount...usually a small 3/4" tube scope.

In thinking about it, I had one back in the early 1990s that had a barrel mount and old Weaver scope.

Bob

 

[bulletslap]

Working for Meriden arms they also have their names on Meridens 12ga Pump shotgun sometimes called the Model 1912.

The Meriden pump 12ga shotgun I believe reappeared as the Savage model 1921 pump shotgun.
I have a Meriden 12ga pump and the Savage 1921 appears quite alike.
The Savage being designed and pat by Art.Savage' sons the other Meriden pat being sold off in auction may make some sense that the pump shotgun design could have ended up with Savage after WW1.
Often compared to the Win M12, it is more a hybrid of a Remington M10 bolt with a Win12 carrier & side ejection.

That is interesting, I have a Savage 1921 and have never found much about their history.

 

[Mr.Jones 1775]

I found a pump .22 with a merdian octogon barrel but has winchester stamped in the platr behind the hammer . is this mismacted or something that was made back then .

 

[Muley Gil]

I found a pump .22 with a merdian octogon barrel but has winchester stamped in the platr behind the hammer . is this mismacted or something that was made back then .

Welcome to the Forum.

Sounds like a Frankengun to me. Winchester action with a Meriden barrel.

 

[gregintenn]

If you like it now, just wait 'til you see how good it shoots!

 

[Mr.Jones 1775]

I was going to post some pictures but have not figured out how to do that yet.