Winchester Model 42 Shotgun Serial Number Question

[VaTom]

For vintage Winchester Shotgun folks:

Several days ago I was evaluating some firearms for a friend that were left to her by her late father. One was a Winchester Model 42 .410 gauge pump shotgun. Made in 1941 by the serial number on the receiver. It is a break down model like many Winchesters. The serial number on the receiver was different from the serial number on the barrel / magazine assembly. The two numbers were within 84 numbers of each other.

Is this usual for a breakdown shot gun of this vintage or should they match. If not usual I would assume the barrel/magazine assembly had been replaced.

The shotgun was in very good condition otherwise and shoots great. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[kscharlie]

They should match. As you suspected, if the serial numbers are different between the receiver and barrel assembly, then the assembly has been replaced.

 

[2152hq]

They matched when the shotgun left the factory.

What was somewhat common back in the day was for a dealer to have more than one NIB in stock. They may be all the same gun, the difference only being the choke.
Ser#'s on the group of shotguns could be fairly close when shipped in a group or a case-lot to a dealer.

So a customer picks one out that they like, (the wood may be to their fancy), but they want a more open or closed choke than the factory bbl assembly has.
The Dealer would look thru the others and if they had a one with an appropriate choke, they'd simply switch bbl assemblies.
Happy customer, sale made.

Matching numbers gone. But at the time people were buying a shotgun, not a collectible.

The bbl assembly may have simply been swapped with a like shotgun that a friend/family member purchased at the same time.
Wether a longterm swap or simply for a short term use,,things never got switched back and the guns and people get separated over time.

Win42 is fine shotgun. 1941 mfg date is a preWar built gun and holds some extra value just because of that simple point.