Make: Winchester
Model: 62
Serial Number: 21480A. The “A” at the end of the serial number denotes that this Model 62 has been factory upgraded from the three-pin to the one-pin locking system, it’s NOT affiliated with the modifications that denote the Model 62A.
Year of Manufacture: 1935
Caliber: .22 Short
Action Type: Pump-Action Rifle fed by a Tubular Magazine
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “-MODEL 62-", "WINCHESTER / -TRADE MARK-”, ".22 SHORT-". The top of the barrel and receiver have Winchester proofs. The bottom of the receiver is marked “21480 / A” and the bottom tang is marked “21480”.
Barrel Length: 23” 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 tang is drilled, tapped, and filled for a tang sight (none present).
Stock Configuration and Condition: The stocks are two-piece walnut with a round-bottom, “corn cob” grooved slide handle, straight wrist, straight comb, and Winchester checkered black hard rubber buttplate. The left side of the buttstock is carved with “ “5” / SPOT” in a circle with red and white paint fill. There is no significant wear present. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP is 13 1/4” from the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate has some minor discoloration. Overall, the stocks are in about Excellent condition as professionally restored.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Professionally Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There are only a couple spots of minor erosion in the bore. There is a slight bulge about 3” down from the muzzle, which is common for gallery guns as a result of misfires; it cannot be felt or seen on the barrel.
Overall Condition: The rifle retains about 99% of its professionally restored metal finish. There are a few faint marks near the muzzle and a faint rub on the top of the bolt. These blemishes would easily go unnoticed. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Excellent condition as professionally restored and refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer has a half-cock safety position. We did not fire 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, including Winchester's Model 1906 and Model 62. The Model 62 was produced from 1932-1958 (a change in the breech bolt mechanism in 1940 brought about the redesignation from Model 62 to 62A) with about 310,000 manufactured in total, and featured flat-sided receivers, round barrels, and outstanding wood to metal fit. The craftsmanship that went into those rifles was appreciated by the shooters at the time, and remains valued by collectors today. The rarest and most desirable Winchester Model 62s 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 62s. 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 Restored Pre-War Winchester Model 62 Gallery Gun was made in 1935 and is in Excellent condition as professionally restored and refinished. Most notably, it’s carved with “ “5” / SPOT” in a circle with red and white paint fill on the left side of the butt stock, relating to a large shooting operation in Michigan that was named the 5 Spot shooting gallery. The gun has been professionally restored at some point, though we do not know by whom. All told, this is a beautiful example of a Restored Pre-War Winchester Model 62 Gallery Gun.
RIFLE