In House Shipping:
Make: Winchester
Model: 63
Serial Number: 15201
Year of Manufacture: 1936
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Action Type: Semi-Automatic with Tubular Magazine in Butt Stock
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “-WINCHESTER / PROOF STEEL”, “-MODEL 63-”, “WINCHESTER / -TRADE MARK-”, and “-22 LONG R. - SUPER SPEED & SUPER-X”. The underside of the receiver and the underside of the trigger guard portion are both marked with the serial number “15201”. The top of the barrel and receiver are marked with ovalled “WP” proof marks. The right side of the barrel is marked “MADE IN U.S.A. WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. / -NEW HAVEN. CONN.-PATENT PENDING-”.
Barrel Length: 23”, Round
Sights/Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade dovetailed into the barrel. The rear sight is a leaf and elevator “U”-notch dovetail set to the barrel.
Stock Configuration and Condition: The stocks are two-piece smooth walnut with a semi-pistol grip, straight comb, and sheet steel buttplate. Both pieces are slightly “proud” of the metal. There is a small 1/2" crack in the wrist that begins at the end of the tang reaching toward the comb. The LOP measures 13 3/8” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. Overall, the stocks rate in Fine 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 10/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 95% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows light operation wear, thinning at the muzzle and leading edges, particularly on the trigger guard, freckled oxidation on the receiver, and some patina on the tang and bottom metal where there is finish loss. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in Fine Condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The takedown works as it should. We have not fired 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’s Model 1903 was their first semi-automatic rifle to be chambered in a .22 rimfire cartridge, but the need for consistent ammunition for proper function led them to chamber the rifle in their own proprietary caliber known as .22 Winchester Automatic. By 1933, smokeless .22 Long Rifle ammunition had become both consistent and popular enough for Winchester to redesign the Model 1903 rifle to use the more widely available .22 LR, and that birthed the Model 63. Now considered a classic, the Model 63 was an attractive rifle, with the familiar squared receiver, a 10-round tubular magazine housed in the buttstock, a plunger on the nose of the forend to load the first round, and the ability to be “taken down” by unscrewing the knurled, captured screw at the back of the receiver, making for compact storage. The Model 63 was produced from 1933-1958 with a total of 174,962 made, and it remains as attractive today as the day it was introduced.
This Pre-War Winchester Model 63 .22 LR Semi-Auto Rifle was made in 1936 and is in Fine Condition. It features a 23” barrel, 95% of its original blued finish, gorgeous two-piece smooth walnut stocks (there is a small 1/2" crack in the wrist that begins at the end of the tang reaching toward the comb), and a bright bore with sharp rifling and no erosion. This rifle has been meticulously cared for since 1936, and with its excellent shooting capability and minty bore, it’ll make a wonderful addition to any Winchester or semi-auto .22 collection.