Winchester 490
- Thread starter boss-hog2
- Start date
Londonshooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
I have had a couple. Still have one in excellent condition. Made in Canada as I suspect you know. Nice as a companion to a model 100. Very solid construction with man-size dimensions, one piece stock similar to a bolt, and machined steel receiver. Only negative comment I have is that it takes quite a lot of pressure to pull the trigger. Gunsmith told me there's not a lot he could do with that trigger.
Probably will sell mine and the 100 this year as going back to bolt actions in all my hunting rifles.
Probably will sell mine and the 100 this year as going back to bolt actions in all my hunting rifles.
gunrunner100
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- NW Ontario
I've had a couple. Just recently picked up another one with a bulged barrel. Thankfully I had a spare!
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
About the same for me. I got mine while I was still a teenager & that rifle was dragged all over hell's creation until it found it's true home shooting gophers and hunting snowshoe hares on the South Saskatchewan prairies.
(And the odd errant chicken eating fox)
Literally shot out the barrel, because I was merciless with it and two factory original mags finally blew out their spot welds and were scrapped. Eleven years of hard use!
Loaned it out many times and it's steel Weaver Challenger 4X32 was just about a perfect match for it.
BTW, the inside of the trigger mechanism is the exact same as the Cooey Model 64 but otherwise the similarity ends right there.
A fine rifle, but one thing the Ruger 10-22 has over it, the Ruger can take much more ammo discharge before jamming up from burnt carbon.
The 490 had a superior barrel accuracy wise too. A better factory trigger as well.
Had to teardown and clean it every 350-400 rounds. Mostly a pain in the gopher target rich environment.
Otherwise a superb rimfire rifle. Carry's nice and hangs well in the off hand. Feels like a man's rifle.
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Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
^Mine loosened up just fine with more frequent use in the western provinces.
I kind of suspect he was really hesitant to mess with the trigger because, 'they tended to slip' if you know what I mean.
The factory modified rifles had a little asterisk star added to the serial number to denote the rifle had factory warranty work done, to make it safe(er)
my 2 bits only
PS: If it does 'slip' by accident, you'll have to count the empties to discover the real truth between one and/or two discharges!
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Londonshooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
There's one on EE now for $350. Not going to do better than that if condition ok.
gunrunner100
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- NW Ontario
I have one with a slight bulge if interested. Not sure how it shoots.
I have had mine for just about 40 years. My dad gave it to me as a gift. It was my hunting/plinking/everyday use rifle for many, many years and I shot innumerable ground hogs with it over the years. Like others have said, it is a truly well made, full size, high quality rifle. It does need to be disassembled every 3-400 rounds to clean all the carbon junk out of it; the trigger gets kind of gritty until you do.
About a year after Dad gave it to me, I found a brand new, in box 10 round mag for it at my LGS. I bought it, still have it in that box. I also have the original Canadian, bilingual manual for it. It looks like Winchester had Gaetan type up the French on his Olivetti and they just photocopied the pages and stuck them in there
. I also had kept the original box but moved overseas in the 90's, stored my guns at my parents' place, and I think Mom pitched this old empty rifle box that was taking up space under the stairs while I was away; too bad.
Anyway, fine, fine rifle; not my most accurate but certainly good enough for effective hunting. I take it out to the range once in a while for nostalgia, but generally shoot my 452 these days and just pull the 490 out of the safe to reminisce about my Dad's kindness and all the good memories that old gun gave me. I will keep it forever and pass it on in my family.
I should add that Williams Arms in Port Perry has had one in excellent condition on their rack for at least a year. I saw it again just the other day; $495.
About a year after Dad gave it to me, I found a brand new, in box 10 round mag for it at my LGS. I bought it, still have it in that box. I also have the original Canadian, bilingual manual for it. It looks like Winchester had Gaetan type up the French on his Olivetti and they just photocopied the pages and stuck them in there
. I also had kept the original box but moved overseas in the 90's, stored my guns at my parents' place, and I think Mom pitched this old empty rifle box that was taking up space under the stairs while I was away; too bad.Anyway, fine, fine rifle; not my most accurate but certainly good enough for effective hunting. I take it out to the range once in a while for nostalgia, but generally shoot my 452 these days and just pull the 490 out of the safe to reminisce about my Dad's kindness and all the good memories that old gun gave me. I will keep it forever and pass it on in my family.
I should add that Williams Arms in Port Perry has had one in excellent condition on their rack for at least a year. I saw it again just the other day; $495.
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I really enjoy this little rifle. Bought it at the Calgary gunshow, looked unfired
Pretty wood in that one, although they all have nice walnut. A lot of them that are on the market are unfired; this is because they were only made for about 3-4 years(roughly '76-'79), and they were put on sale to liquidate them. About that time there was one of the well known gunwriters in one of the big American magazines (can't remember which writer or rag, but remember the article very well) that did a review of the 490 and said that it had all the makings of a gun that would become very collectible.
A lot of people bought them and just put them away and left them as new. They were inexpensive because they were being liquidated, and besides the magazines were saying they'd be worth some money some day. Well, it turns out that for whatever reason they never did catch on as collectible and so I think people have been starting to sell them off in the last few years, much like what happened with the Win 94 special editions. The difference being, of course, that there were only ever 30,000 490s made. The market was saturated with the 94s, and they just ended up feeling contrived.
As you know, the Winchester 490 is an extremely refined rifle made the old-school way. You're fortunate to have one.
BTW, don't shoot hyper-velocity loads in it; the spring wasn't designed for them and you'll end up peening the end of the bolt handle slot (ask me how I know).
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Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Perhaps try Western Gun Parts in Edmonton. Sometimes they will have a small inventory or unusual parts that are too small in number to place in their catalouge.
That's how I got my newer 490 barrel and ejector about a decade back. The ejector with spring and attaching hinge pin are mated to the barrel breech face btw.
one possible source......
Numrich Arms has barrels for your 490, they ship to Canada , $ 55.90 US
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
There you go Scott70!
Londonshooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
A .308 and its companion .22
Curse you photobucket, for wrecking our threads.
Thought I would post a head-to-head series of 490 vs. model 100.
Curse you photobucket, for wrecking our threads.
Thought I would post a head-to-head series of 490 vs. model 100.
I had one in very nice shape for a number of years; kick myself for selling. It was a refined version of a basic, simple design, the Cooey 64. Handsome rifle. Nicer looking than a 10/22 for sure. Not a great trigger, and the other weakness was the barrel/receiver joint.
I wouldn't turn one down if one wandered my way.
I wouldn't turn one down if one wandered my way.
yes, a very nice looking .22, and you are right about the trigger, my Cooey 600 has a nicer trigger, and stripping to clean, is a pain
