In House Shipping:
Make: Winchester
Model: 69
Serial Number: No Serial Number Visible (NSNV)
Year of Manufacture: Ca. 1935
Caliber: .22 S/L/LR
Action Type: Bolt Action, Fed By Detachable Magazine
Barrel Length: 25” Round
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a hooded beaded blade fixed to the barrel. The rear of the receiver is dovetailed with a Humeston premium rear peep sight.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is one-piece smooth walnut with a pistol grip, straight comb, checkered Winchester composite buttplate, and spring loaded button on the left side of the stock. There are compression lines and minor scratches. The LOP measures 13 3/8” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. There are no chips or cracks. The stock rates in Fine Condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is exceptionally bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 10 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 98% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows little to no operation wear. The markings are crisp. The screw heads are tool marked with serviceable slots. There is minor oxidation throughout, but concentrated on the bottom metal with some rust freckling. There is faint thinning on the leading edges. Overall, the rifle is in Fine Condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle includes one vintage original Winchester Model 69 blued 5-round magazine stamped "MADE IN U.S.A. / WINCHESTER -69 / TRADE MARK / PAT. NOV. 25, 1919" on the bottom floorplate; the presence of the patent information dates manufacture to ca. 1935-1945. The mag is in Excellent Condition with only light operation wear.
Our Assessment: Winchester introduced the Model 69 bolt action .22 rifle in January 1935 during the depths of the Great Depression, mainly in response to sluggish sales of their Model 56 and 57 rifles, which were criticized for their short barrels and high prices. Designed by Frank F. Burton, the Model 69 featured a 25” barrel, high quality walnut stock, and standard 5-round box magazine, and it quickly became the ideal mid-price .22. The standard Model 69 came with a barrel mounted buckhorn rear sight, but during the early years of production, Winchester also offered a receiver mounted adjustable Humeston rear sight as an upgrade option. Any original Model 69 with a factory Humeston rear sight remains highly desirable to collectors today.
This First Year Winchester Model 69 Bolt Action Mag-Fed Rifle was made in 1935 and is in Fine Condition. It features a 25” barrel, 98% of its crisp, original blued finish, a factory Humeston premium rear peep sight, an elegant one-piece smooth walnut stock with a spring-loaded mag release button on the left side and a protruding takedown “penny” slot screw at the middle bottom, a beautiful original Winchester Model 69 blued 5-round mag that dates to ca. 1935-1945, and an exceptionally bright bore with sharp rifling and no erosion. In August 1935, the Model 69’s bolt was redesigned to incorporate a rebounding firing pin to comply with Canadian import regulations. This is an early example with a non-rebounding firing pin, making it an exceptionally rare piece.