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Make: Winchester
Model: 61 Winchester Counter-Bore Smoothbore
Serial Number: 277602
Year of Manufacture: 1959 (C&R)
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle, For Shot Only
Action Type: Pump Action Tubular Magazine Fed
Barrel Length: 24" Round
Sights / Optics: There is a bead at the front of the barrel. The receiver is scope grooved.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece walnut with a flat-bottom 17-groove slide handle, semi-pistol grip, straight comb, and second variation checkered Winchester black composition buttplate. There is minor wear on the heel and toe of the buttplate. There are some minor compression marks, primarily on the left side of the buttstock. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13 5/8" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. Overall, the stocks rate in about Fine Condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original, the oval “P” indicates that the barrel is a replacement installed outside the factory.
Bore Condition: The Winchester Counter-Bore smooth bore is bright. 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 97% of its metal finish. There is light operational wear, some edge-thinning, and a few scattered faint marks. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Most notably, however, the barrel lacks the expected Winchester oval “WP” proof mark at the rear, but instead carries only an oval “P” proof mark, denoting a Winchester mail order replacement barrel that was installed outside of the Winchester factory. Based on the receiver and stock condition, it’s hard to imagine the original barrel was shot out and needed replacement, but it’s possible the original barrel was damaged in a concentrated area, or this piece was crafted as a special order rifle by a smalltown gunsmith or gun shop that already had the parts on hand. Overall, this rifle rates in about Fine Plus Condition as not parts-original.
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: 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 Custom Winchester Model 61 Pump Action Rifle was made in 1959 and is in Fine Plus Condition as not parts-original. Most notably, it’s a scarce Custom Winchester Counter-Bore Smoothbore Model 61 chambered for .22 Long Rifle Shot Only. In 1938, trap shooter Fred Routledge developed a counter-bore barrel using a standard 24" Winchester Model 61. The "Routledge Bore" had 10 1/2" of smooth bore starting at the chamber with a diameter of .217", that opened up to 13 1/2" of counter-bore with a bore diameter measuring .375”. Winchester made very few Model 61s with this type of barrel. By 1940, Winchester developed its own counter-bore barrel design to avoid paying royalties to Mr. Routledge. The new Winchester Counter-Bore barrel had 16" of smooth bore measuring .217" and only 8" of counter-bore with a diameter of .265”. One of the distinguishing features of those counterbored Model 61s was a matted top frame, but in 1954, the design was changed to a grooved receiver and the matting was dropped. These were essentially small caliber shotguns, with a counter bored portion of the barrel to spread the shot, and they could be used for “Mo-Skeet-O” backyard miniature trap shooting, or for pesky birds. This rifle features a 24” mail order replacement barrel installed outside of the Winchester factory, as distinguished by the lack of the expected “WP” proof mark at the rear of the barrel and the presence of solely the oval “P” mail order proof mark, 97% of its lustrous, original blued finish, elegant two-piece walnut stocks with a flat-bottom 17-groove slide handle and a second variation checkered Winchester black composition buttplate, a single bead at the muzzle, a scope grooved receiver, strong mechanics, and a bright Winchester Counter-Bore smooth bore with no erosion. This configuration was offered from 1954-1959, and is the last receiver variation of the Model 61 Smoothbore, found within the serial range of 215,000 to 280,000.