Researching the Winchester Model 53, need help

Win 38-55

Win 38-55

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In preparing for the writing of two articles on the Winchester Model 53, I have been compiling a database of surviving Model 53's and have discovered some interesting things that do not entirely match the findings of George Madis.

1. First year of production was 1924, but I have been unable to find any Model 53's that were made later than 1929, and I estimate that the range of my sampling includes about 99% of the total range in production years.

2. Most Model 53’s are turning up in the USA, but almost 10% seem to have been shipped to Australia, later in production (1927 to 1929). I have only been able to find a total of four Model 53’s in Canada thus far, including one in 44 WCF and one in 25-20 (both owned by myself), and two in 32 WCF (32-20). I’ve heard a rumor of a fifth in 44 WCF takedown. I’m sure there has to be at least another 4 or 5 in Canada that have not surfaced yet.

Question: If you have a Winchester Model 53, or know of any Winchester collector who might have one, I would be very grateful if you could put that person in touch with me, so I could obtain certain data for my Model 53 database (serial number, caliber, configuration, barrel date, etc.).

For those of you who do not know what a Model 53 looks like, here’s a photo of my 44 WCF (44-40), made in 1928 ....

Mod-53-44.jpg
 
I know a guy who has a Model 65 and it seems to me I saw a Model 53 at a gun show a number of years ago.As you know the Model 53 and 65 were based on the Model 92 action.

The Model 55 and 64 were based on the Model 94 action.I see quite a few Model 64 rifles but not so many Model 55 rifles.
 
You are right, 28 Gauge, about the model 92, Model 53 and Model 65 all having identical actions. In fact, a large number of Model 53's were assembled with Model 92 serial numbered receivers, beginning late in the fall of 1927. You hear about Model 65's quite a bit, especially the 218 Bee, which was the most common chambering for the Model 65, but I pretty much never hear about the Model 53, even though there were more Model 53's made than Model 65's. The Model 53 was the last model that chambered the 44 WCF (44-40), with previous 44 WCF models being the Models 1873, 1892 and 92. Even then, very few Model 53's were chambered in 44 WCF. If you ever come across a Model 53 chambered in 44 WCF, buy it right now. My database is indicating that the chamberings of 25-20 and 32 WCF were approximately the same, percentage-wise, contrary to Madis' numbers.
 
I have heard of late years that Midis was off on quite a number of things.Most likely with the scanty information available when he wrote his book he did a fair bit of speculation.

Seems to me the Model 53 that fellow had was a .44-40.In the same case he had a Model 99 Thumb Trigger as well.

My favourite of the Model 53,55,64 and 65 was the Model 55.
 
Oooops! Sorry .
I was just yesterday thinking about that article on the '53 that I promised to send to you....did you find the article from another source, or do you still want me to send it ?
 
I wonder if the 44-40 I have now is the same one that you saw a couple years ago? I bought/traded it from another collector.

The Keepa, another fellow sent me the article around the same time, so I have it. Thank you anyway for the offer.
 
I got my Model 53 44-40 this past spring from a collector in the Ottawa area who had obtained it about a year and a half ago, if I recall correctly. I am very happy to have it ..... it's one of those old Winchesters that I never plan to part with, as the chances of finding another one would be very slim. This past year, in constantly patrolling about a dozen websites looking for Model 53's for my database, I only saw one 44-40 for sale in the US, but it was completely refinished, and cost a dang site more. When I see how common 1886's, 1873's and 1892's are in comparison to Model 53's, I think that there is a lot of room for prices to go up once more collectors become aware of the situation. Currently, there are several Model 53s for sale in the USA, but almost all of them have issues or have sanded stocks, or reblued metal, and have been for sale for half a year or more. I'd like to acquire a Model 53 in 32 WCF, but it would mean purchasing one in the USA for a hefty price in $US, then paying a FFL dealer in the USA to get the US export permit, and then paying GST/PST when it came through Canada customs. All this raises the price considerably, but I may just bite the bullet and go for it later this winter.
 
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I had a '65 in 218Bee. It had a bolt peep and was almost new. There were only 1100 made in this caliber making it one of the most rare models of Winchester. I have a 25-20 Model 65 close to me here which may come for sale as the owner has passed. Nice rifles.
 
I started working on a database for the Winchester Model 65 last year, but passed it over to Bert Hartman in the USA. The Winchester Model 65 is, indeed, one of the rarest Winchester models. The 218 Bee is by far the most common caliber, but from the database I was gathering, it looks like the 25-20 might be the rarest caliber in the Model 65, followed by the 32-20. If you can find a Model 65 in either of those two calibers, and it is in original condition, it is a keeper. I don't know why it is so hard to find Model 53's. I wonder if it is because it is because they are less well known, so don't surface as often. In other words, maybe there are more of them still sitting in the attics of old farms.

There is another possible reason the Model 53's are hard to find. I have found at least one Model 92, and possibly two more, that were assembled using Model 53 receivers. Model 53 receivers are absolutely identical to Model 92 receivers, except for the serial number of many of them is numbered in its own Model 53 range. The one confirmed example is right here in Canada (Winnipeg). At first I thought someone had stripped down a Model 53 and then used the receiver to build a Model 92 (why someone would do that, I've no idea). Then the owner took off the forearm and checked the barrel date. It turned out to be the same year as the polishing room date for the receiver, strong confirmation that the Model 53 receiver was built as a Model 92. The other two possible examples are in the US and I do not have their barrel dates (stamped under the barrel near the receiver). It may be the case that when the Model 53 wasn't selling as well as Winchester had hoped, that they simply used the receivers with a Model 53 serial number for building Model 92's. Extrapolating from these few cases, there could be thousands less Model 53's than what Madis estimated, making them much harder to find than Madis' numbers would seem to indicate. These Model 92's will be identical to a normal Model 92 in every way except they will have a four-digit serial number but 'Model 92' on the tang. Although there are many 4-digit serial numbered Model 1892's, the Model 92's came far too late to have a 4-digit serial number, unless the receiver was actually intended to be used for a Model 53. The number of these Model 92's with a Model 53 serial number may be far, far higher than my Model 53 database shows, since I am not looking for Model 92's with a 4-digit serial number. It is only by a stroke of luck that I've come across the one confirmed example in Winnipeg.

Perhaps it is a combination of both theories mentioned above. As I build the database, more answers may emerge. I'm may be making a decision on another Model 53 in 32-20 (32 WCF) caliber in a couple weeks, a US gun that is going to be a pain to get up here, but that's the way things go sometimes. Here's a photo of my other Model 53, a first year (1924) rifle in 25-20 caliber in completely original condition ...

Mod-53-25-20.jpg
 
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If it's of any use:
A friend has a '53 with a 3 digit serial under 500, 25-20, take-down. I'd like to put you in contact with him but I've been working on a deal for this gun for quite a while;)
 
Hi Kirk,

That 53 44WCF I sold yto ou came out of Accuracy Plus when I bought it. Not sure who they picked it up from. Not sure if you know, but that 53/92 hybrid you mention in Winnipeg (If we're talking about the same one) was also purchased from me. If so, I had also removed the forearm when it was mine, and came to the sae conclusion. I share your affinity for the 53. They are a sweet little gun.
Cheers,
Matt
 
Thanks, Matt, for that extra info. I mentioned the Model 53/Model 92 hybrid to Bert Hartman and he agreed that it was a model 92 built on a model 53 receiver.
 
Seems that using up parts from different rifles at the end of a production run was a common thing for Winchester to do.Guess they did not want to waste perfectly good parts that could be used on a rifle that was almost the same except for a little difference in wood or magazine lenght.

The Model 53 I saw was a number of years ago at a gunshow in southern Nova Scotia.

Have you ever done any research on the Winchester Model 55?It is my understanding that it is the only Winchester that is rarer in solid version than take down.
 
I'm only researching the Model 53. The data I've gathered thus far seems to put the percentage of takedown Model 53's at just over 28%. I don't like the look of takedowns, personally, but I think a lot of collectors prefer them.
 
I think a lot of collectors like the take downs because in all Winchesters except the Model 55 the take down is rarer.
 
28 gauge said:
I think a lot of collectors like the take downs because in all Winchesters except the Model 55 the take down is rarer.
Click to expand...

No put down intended, but any serious collector is more of an investor than a collector. The more rarer the option the more the return down the road. There are few owners of 15K-20K Winchesters and sharpes rifles out around here and they won't see the light of day, although I am working on the Sharpes:D
I do believe there are a couple of 53's around here IIRC but will half to check, it's been years and they might be 65's. There is a 218 that got scorched in a fire and the owner had it refinished to remove the rust :(
 
I think there are different types of collectors. There are collectors who are more investors than collectors, and a major consideration is what the gun will be worth down the road. A different sort of collector is not motivated so much by investment as by the urge to preserve history. For me, the motivation is much more subjective .... it is a connection with the past, the old timers and a way of life that is gone. The look of the rifle or carbine is important to me. I only collect an old firearm if it has a lot of appeal to me, which I admit is quite subjective. The caliber is also a major factor for me, again a subjective factor. For me, it is often something in my past that determines what I like ...... I heard my grandfather once talk about the 44-40 when I was a kid and another old fellow spoke about the 38-55. A neighbour had an old Marlin 32-20. As a result, I find that these cartridges have a special appeal to me. I know that the takedown option is rarer, but for me it destroys the aesthetic lines of the rifle, so I don't collect them, with one exception ... an original 1886 extra light takedown in .45-70, I do like that one for some reason, so I don't ever plan to sell it. Thank goodness we all don't have the same tastes, or we'd all be converging on the same rifles.

The Model 53 is far rarer than the 1873, 1886 or 1892. For example, if one does a search on GunBroker for a standard configuration in any of these Models, there is usually a plethora of 1873's, 1886's, and 1892's available but usually only 2 or 3 Model 53's. Yet, the price of the Model 53 standard configuration rifle will usually be less than the other models in the same condition and in standard configuration. So rarity is not the only factor at play here, but I suspect that age is as well, along with other subjective factors perhaps. I do believe that will change in the upcoming years, however.
 
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I think for me, the history of some is important and for others, particularly english shotguns, the craftsmanship that went into them is the appeal. At the same time, being able to shoot the gun is more important than its outer finish and I would rather have an accurate rifle with the finish worn off than a factory perfect one that I was afraid to shoot for fear of reducing its value.

cheers mooncoon
 
The Winchester Models 53,55,64 and 65 are all versions of either the Model 92 or 94.Perhaps one of the factors holding down the value on them is the fact that someone wanting one can often find a 92 or 94 much cheaper with the same action.I to have wondered why their value has not risen compared to their numbers manufactured.
 
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