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Make: Winchester
Model: 1907
Serial Number: 26807
Year of Manufacture: 1912
Caliber: .351 Winchester Self Loading (.351 W.S.L.)
Action Type: Blowback Operated Semi-Automatic with 5-Round Removable Magazine
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “MANUFACTURED BY THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. / NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A. SELF LOADING. MODEL 1907. PAT. AUG. 27. / DEC 10. 01. FEB. 25. 02. FEB. 17. DEC. 22. 03. AUG. 21. OCT. 30. 06. JULY 5. 10.”, “-351 CAL.”, and “-NICKEL STEEL BARREL- / ESPECIALLY FOR SMOKELESS POWDER”. The top of the barrel and receiver are marked with ovalled “WP” proofs. The left side of the receiver and the left side of the bottom metal above the trigger are marked with the serial number “26807”. The top tang is marked “WINCHESTER / TRADE MARK / REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. / MOD.1907.S.L.”.
Barrel Length: 20”, Round
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetail set to a base on the front of the barrel. The front sight is marked “PAT. / NOV. 4. 1902”. The rear sight is a “V”-notched elevator sight dovetailed into the rear of the barrel. The notch is fine-adjustable for elevation.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut with a flat-bottom half-pistol grip, straight comb, and checkered Winchester composition buttplate. The stocks have a few scattered minor marks. The wood has darkened at the metal. There is a small 1/4” crack at the bottom right side of the wrist near the corner of the receiver. There is a thin crack on the right side of the forend at the cap, and another on the left side of the forend near the bottom. The LOP measures 14" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate shows minor wear around the edges, primarily at the heel and toe, with defined checkering. There is some excess lacquer that was applied to the stocks that have extended over onto the sides of the barrel and the metal around the wrist. Overall, the stocks are in Fine Condition as Refinished.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is minor pinprick pitting in the muzzle. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates at 9/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 40% of its metal finish. Most of the finish on the receiver has gone to white with some of the original finish remaining in the protected areas. There is thinning on the muzzle, top of the barrel, and around the receiver with finish loss on the leading edges. Most of the blue remaining resides on the barrel. There are a few minor and intermittent spots of erosion on the right side of the receiver. The action shows light operational wear. Otherwise, there are only light handling marks. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good Condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired 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 blued 5-round box magazine correctly, solely marked “-.351 CAL-” on the bottom. Most of the bluing has worn away, and the magazine has operational wear and infrequent faint surface oxidation. It features intact feed lips and a very strong spring.
Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 1907 is a blowback-operated, semi-automatic rifle chambered exclusively in .351 Winchester Self-Loading, and fed from a detachable box magazine located immediately forward of the trigger guard. Made from 1907-1957 with less than 50,000 produced, it remains a fairly rare rifle today. The .351 WSL chambering pushed a 180 grain bullet out of the barrel at about 1850 fps, more than twice the energy of a modern .357 Magnum shot out of a pistol. The Model 1907 followed the semi-automatic Model 1903 (rimfire) and 1905 (.32 or .35 WSL), both designed by Thomas Johnson, a key designer for Winchester who also designed the Model 12 shotgun. France ordered 2,800 of these rifles from Winchester during WW1, modified them to fire in full automatic, and issued them with larger magazines to their troops for trench raiding.
This Winchester Model 1907 Rifle was made in 1912 and is in Very Good Condition. It features a 20” barrel, 40% of its original blued finish, elegantly refinished two-piece smooth walnut stocks (there’s a small 1/4” crack at the bottom right side of the wrist, a thin crack on the right side of the forend at the cap, and another thin crack on the left side of the forend near the bottom), a correct, original 5-round mag, strong mechanics, and a bright bore with sharp rifling and just minor pinprick pitting in the muzzle. If this one isn’t gobbled up by collectors, it will make a nice camp rifle that would be excellent against predators and deer.