Make: Winchester
Model: 61 Engraved Deluxe Gallery Gun
Serial Number: 260137
Year of Manufacture: 1957
Caliber: .22 Short
Action Type: Pump Action with Tubular Magazine
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “MADE IN NEW HAVEN, CONN. U.S. OF AMERICA / -WINCHESTER PROOF STEEL-”, “-WINCHESTER- / -TRADE MARK-”, and “MODEL 61-22 SHORT”. The top-rear of the barrel and the top-front of the receiver each have an oval “WP” proof. The serial number is marked on the bottom-front of the receiver and trigger guard assemblies. The sides of the receiver have Winchester No. 1 engraving.
Barrel Length: 24″ Round
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade dovetailed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a “U”-notch elevator sight dovetailed to the rear of the barrel. The top of the receiver has a male dovetail mount.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece checkered walnut with factory “E” deluxe carving, a round bottom slide handle, capped pistol grip, straight comb, and Winchester checkered black hard rubber buttplate. The stocks have light handling wear with a couple tiny compressions on the right side of the buttstock that will likely go unnoticed. The checkering is sharp. The LOP measures 13 3/8″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate has light wear at the heel and well defined checkering. Overall, the stocks are in about Excellent condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates a 10 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 99% of its metal finish. The barrel has faint wear just ahead of the mag tube from test firing at the factory, this is hardly noticeable but worth mentioning for the discerning collector. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in about Excellent condition.
Mechanics: Given the condition of this rifle, we’ve elected not to function test it, but guarantee correct function. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes in the original Winchester serial number matching factory cardboard box with brown wax paper packaging. The box is in Very Good condition, with some light edge and corner wear, and some light overall aging.
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. The rarest and most desirable Winchester Model 61s are the “Gallery Guns”. These were the pump action repeaters used by shooting galleries at amusement parks across the country, which offered the chance for boys and men to “step right up” and show off their marksmanship skills. Gallery Guns have a few distinct features. First, they were chambered for .22 Short, better suited for the short distances of shooting galleries and the crowded environments in which they were hosted. Second, the loading ports were of a triangular shape, as opposed to a cartridge shape on standard Model 61s. The triangular shape facilitated the use of speedloaders, which allowed the carnies to get the gallery guns into the hands of the next customer even faster. This Winchester Model 61 Rifle was made in 1957, remains in Excellent condition, and is a rare and desirable Gallery Gun. It’s chambered in .22 Short, features the triangular loading port, a 24” barrel, 99% of its crisp, original blued finish, classic Winchester No. 1 engraving at each side of the receiver, gorgeous factory “E” deluxe carved two-piece checkered walnut stocks, and a bright bore with sharp rifling, and comes complete in the original Winchester serial number matching factory cardboard box with brown wax paper packaging. This is a wonderful example of a very scarce Winchester 1950s Model 61 Engraved Deluxe Gallery Gun with box.
RIFLE