Well boys, there has been an empty spot in my small collection of old lever guns. My favourite small game caliber, and my favourite caliber for introducing young people to shooting, is the 32 W.C.F., also known as the 32-20. The last 32-20 I had was an original Model 53 in almost mint condition. I just couldn't enjoy shooting it, because it was in just too high a condition, so I sold it. Been on the hunt ever since for a replacement.
A couple weeks ago, I got a call from a Winchester collector friend of mine. He knew I was looking for a 32-20 and he had spotted a beauty in a gun shop about five hours drive from here. There were only about 15,000 Model 53's ever made which makes them pretty rare, but those with upgraded wood are extremely rare. I got on the phone to the shop, asked some detailed questions, and by the time I hung up, I had bought the gun.
It arrived yesterday and am I ever pleased. It is an original Winchester Model 53, the final, lightweight version of the Model 1892. The barrel date is '29'. According to other barrel dates I have, this one would was probably made early in the year of 1929. Better still, it has upgraded wood. I have 276 Winchester Model 53's in my database as part of my research for an article I am starting to write this winter. Out of that number, there are only five that have upgraded, fancy, or deluxe wood. When I removed the forearm to see the barrel date, I saw some letters stamped on the butt end of the forearm wood, the part that fits into the receiver. They appear to be 'LT' and 'XX'. I wanted to remove the buttstock, but just in case the Lyman tang site was perfectly sighted in for windage, decided not to mess with it. I would say the barrel is in about 95% condition, the finish on the wood is in about 90% condition or better. The receiver has a fair amount of flaking which is the norm for Model 53 receivers and other receivers of the late 1920's. The bore is mint, and I mean 10 out of 10, all the way from the chamber to the muzzle.
I decided to try it out, but the only 32-20 cartridges I have loaded up were a few with .312" bullets. My other Model 53 32-20 slugged at .314" groove diameter, so I figured these bullets would not be that accurate and start leading up the bore if I shot too many of them. Not knowing exactly where the tang sight shot, I set up a target at 15 yards and fired three rounds. The result was a ragged hole with a 1/4" group size. I then set up a target at 30 yards and took three more shots. The result was a 15/16" group and that was achieved with a 20 mph cross wind and a muzzle velocity of about 1,200 fps. I'm looking forward to trying out some .314" bullets, which I have lots of.
Well, you never know what might be sitting on the rack of a gun shop off the beaten track. Here are some photos of the beauty ....
Here is a close up of the rear fold down Marbles sight ....
and here is the Lyman tang sight, which I am very grateful for with my old eyes ....
A couple weeks ago, I got a call from a Winchester collector friend of mine. He knew I was looking for a 32-20 and he had spotted a beauty in a gun shop about five hours drive from here. There were only about 15,000 Model 53's ever made which makes them pretty rare, but those with upgraded wood are extremely rare. I got on the phone to the shop, asked some detailed questions, and by the time I hung up, I had bought the gun.
It arrived yesterday and am I ever pleased. It is an original Winchester Model 53, the final, lightweight version of the Model 1892. The barrel date is '29'. According to other barrel dates I have, this one would was probably made early in the year of 1929. Better still, it has upgraded wood. I have 276 Winchester Model 53's in my database as part of my research for an article I am starting to write this winter. Out of that number, there are only five that have upgraded, fancy, or deluxe wood. When I removed the forearm to see the barrel date, I saw some letters stamped on the butt end of the forearm wood, the part that fits into the receiver. They appear to be 'LT' and 'XX'. I wanted to remove the buttstock, but just in case the Lyman tang site was perfectly sighted in for windage, decided not to mess with it. I would say the barrel is in about 95% condition, the finish on the wood is in about 90% condition or better. The receiver has a fair amount of flaking which is the norm for Model 53 receivers and other receivers of the late 1920's. The bore is mint, and I mean 10 out of 10, all the way from the chamber to the muzzle.
I decided to try it out, but the only 32-20 cartridges I have loaded up were a few with .312" bullets. My other Model 53 32-20 slugged at .314" groove diameter, so I figured these bullets would not be that accurate and start leading up the bore if I shot too many of them. Not knowing exactly where the tang sight shot, I set up a target at 15 yards and fired three rounds. The result was a ragged hole with a 1/4" group size. I then set up a target at 30 yards and took three more shots. The result was a 15/16" group and that was achieved with a 20 mph cross wind and a muzzle velocity of about 1,200 fps. I'm looking forward to trying out some .314" bullets, which I have lots of.
Well, you never know what might be sitting on the rack of a gun shop off the beaten track. Here are some photos of the beauty ....
Here is a close up of the rear fold down Marbles sight ....
and here is the Lyman tang sight, which I am very grateful for with my old eyes ....
