Make: Winchester
Model: 61 Straight Smoothbore
Serial Number: 217068
Year of Manufacture: 1957
Caliber: .22 LR Shot Only
Action Type: Takedown Pump Action Rifle fed by Tubular Magazine
Barrel Length: 24” Round, Straight Smoothbore
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a bead fixed to the barrel above the muzzle.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece walnut with a flat-bottom grooved slide handle, smooth semi-pistol grip, straight comb, and checkered black hard rubber Winchester buttplate. The wood shows some compressions and draglines. The LOP measures 13 3/8” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stocks are in Fine overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The smooth bore is bright. There is noerosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 10 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 97% of its original metal finish. The balance of the finish shows light wear with light finish loss on the mag tube and a few faint marks throughout. There is faint thinning on the leading edges. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are crisp. Overall, this rifle rates in about Fine Plus condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly, as does the safety. We have not fired this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork, and Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: Winchester was the first American company to offer a practical .22 pump-action rifle, the Model 1890. Designed by gunmaking genius John Moses Browning, the Model 1890 was patterned after Winchester's iconic lever-actions with a tubular magazine under the barrel, an exposed hammer, and top ejection. It was an instant success and set the standard for all .22 repeaters that followed. In 1909, Remington introduced a pump-action .22 that used an internal hammer, allowing the receiver to be streamlined and well sealed against moisture and debris. In 1915, Marlin introduced a similar hammerless .22 rifle. The innovative designs made Winchester's pump guns look a bit "old fashioned", and in an attempt to attract new customers during the depths of the Great Depression, Winchester decided to introduce their own "modern" hammerless .22 pump-action. The resulting Model 61 hammerless rifle was released in 1932, and produced until 1963.
This Winchester Model 61 was made in 1957 and is in Fine Plus condition. Most notably, it’s a scarce Straight Smoothbore Model 61 chambered for .22 Long Rifle Shot Only; these smoothbore 61s were designed as “garden guns”, the perfect rifle for pesky birds, varmints, and snakes. It features 97% of its original lustrous blued finish, gorgeous walnut stocks, a 24” barrel, strong mechanics, and a bright bore with sharp rifling. This rare straight smoothbore Model 61 “garden gun” could be the jewel of any Winchester slide-action collection.
RIFLE