New favorite .22 - The Winchester Model 61 Gallery Gun

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Liberty.357

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Most of us grew up with .22's. Plinking around shooting pop cans and other trinkets. For me it was an old single shot bolt squirrel gun and when I got a little older, a Winchester bolt action repeater. I've always had a sweet spot in my heart for Winchester ever since. Like many on here, I think single shot and bolt actions are perfect for learning the art of marksmanship. I never even owned a semi auto until I was about 25.

So anyways after many years of trying all sorts of different .22's, many of them really cool, I think I've found the coolest one of them all. The Winchester 61, pump action .22, so cool.

Just had this old girl out today and it already feels like I had it for a lifetime. The beautiful lustrous blued steel and old school walnut stock. I love this gun. The sights take me back, I love the sights on these old winchesters. The front sight is a nice little dot same as on my other winchester. 22. You point that little dot on whatever you wanna plink and it picks it off.

I prefer shooting shorts with it. It fits about 19 or 20 shorts and 13 or 14 lr. Pumping rounds off, the familiar pings of the .22 cases and smoke swirling with a smell that immediately sends a rush of childhood memories through your mind. I'm on cloud nine. Ahh yes this is it, I can see how these rifles command the price they do now days. Aside from the unmatched craftsmenship of the old days, these really do inspire the days of yore or as most would say "the good old days".

Unfortunately I wasn't around back in the day when these were used as gallery guns at carnivals. I can only imagine they joy produced by kids paying pennies to win prizes. Days before the authoritarian safety farts that are so prevelant in our society now days had a chance to ruin all the children's fun. Probably again, in the name of securing their insecurities as an adult, but I digress.

For those who were around those days please share your stories. I'm guessing these carnival guns were only prevelant in the United States of America true and free. Canada, I'm guessing, not so much. Maybe I'm wrong.

However, I know I'm going to enjoy making memories with this gem. A true collectable heirloom to hand down to the kids and grandkids, if I ever decide to have one heh.

Also a thanks to Norman(NPhillips) for my first and seamless transaction on cgn. A great introduction to the EE. Thanks again, this little gem will always have a special spot in my safe.
 
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When I was a kid, carnivals had shooting galleries with .22 rifles. Don't remember 61s; saw 62s. Stationary and moving targets. Knock over a duck. .22 short, bullets were powdered iron, disintegrated on the vertical steel plate backstop. Ammunition was specially made for galleries, Kant Splash? or some such. 7 shots for 25 cents.

Got a 62 from a friend not too long ago. Great classic .22.
 
They used to have a gallery at Playland/PNE in Vancouver.
I remember shooting there in the late 60's early 70's .
They had Browning autos in 22 short (of course I own 2 of them now:rolleyes:)
I also vaguely remember at one time they had a couple 22 revolvers .
the revolvers had a ring attached to each side with a dowel through each ring (that was definitely in the 60's)
Fond memories of the good old days . (of course the weren't all good but I remember the good ones !);)
 
Great to hear (and interesting) that there were firearms in Canadian carnivals back in the day. Wish I had a time machine, that'd be really cool to see, like alotta things I guess. Some things never need to change. Like the fact they don't make these and pythons ect. Or the the 4 inch restrictions... I'm getting off topic heh. Thanks for the imput, way before my generation.
 
There were also shooting galleries in travelling carnivals/fairs, and on seaside resort town piers when I was a kid growing up in England in the 1950s.
I can't remember what brand of rifles were the most common, but they were .22 short pump-actions, attached to the galleries counters with lengths of light chain. Same as bank pens here.
Apparently no-one bothered to 'think of the children' in those semi-innocent days, and it's hard now to believe what England has deteriorated into.
 
My older cousin (70) ran away and joined the circus when he was in his late teens and stayed with it until about 10yrs ago. He ran several of the galleys and they used the Winchester pumps. He toured all over Canada and the US with those little rifles. Too bad he didnt keep some.
 
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