Make: Winchester

Model: 1890 (Second Model)

Serial Number: 45443

Year of Manufacture: 1896

Caliber: .22 Short

Action Type: Pump Action Rifle

Barrel Length: 24” Octagon

Sights / Optics: The front sight is blade dovetailed to the barrel. The rear sight is a fixed V-notch dovetailed to the barrel. The tang is drilled, tapped, and filled for a tang sight (none present).

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are beautiful oil finished walnut. The wood to metal fit is great, with the wood “proud” of the metal. There are scattered compressions and minor nicks that have darkened. The left side of the wrist has a small crack that measures .5” in length. The bottom front of the slide grip has a few gouges and a crack that runs halfway down the length. The LOP measures 12 7/8” from the front of the trigger to the back of the case colored crescent buttplate. The case color on the buttplate has gone mostly mute with only some faint traces detectable. Most of the buttplate has taken some light corrosion and mottled patina. Overall, the stocks rate in about Very Good Condition as Antique.

Type of Finish: Case Color & Blue

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp where not interrupted by erosion. There is intermittent erosion throughout with minor pits here and there. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 8/10 for Antique.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 50% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows light operation wear. The case color on the left side of the receiver is strong, however the rest of the receiver, including the tangs, have gone mostly mute, including the buttplate. There is finish loss on the leading edges. There is spotted corrosion on the right side of the receiver and bottom metal. There are a couple spots of minor pinprick erosion on the barrel exterior. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good Condition as Antique.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment:Winchester was the first American company to offer a practical .22 pump-action rifle, the Model 1890. Designed by gunmaking genius John Moses Browning, the Model 1890 was patterned after Winchester's iconic lever-actions with a tubular magazine under the barrel, an exposed hammer, and top ejection. Winchester had asked Browning to design the rifle as a replacement for the rimfire versions of the Model 1873, which had never achieved great popularity. The Model 1890 was an instant success, and set the standard for all .22 repeaters that followed. For many years, the Model 1890, when chambered in .22 Short, was considered to be the ideal for use in shooting galleries, hence its nickname of “Gallery Gun”. Only the first 115,000 Model 1890s had case-hardened receivers (it was standard until 1901), out of a production run of over 40 years and nearly 850,000 rifles, making any such examples scarce today.

This Antique Winchester Model 1890 (Second Model) Casehardened Takedown Rifle was made in 1896 and is in Very Good Condition as Antique. It features a 24” octagonal barrel, 50% of its original blued and case colored finish, with some strong case coloring on the left side of the receiver, and some fine bluing on the barrel, elegant oil finished walnut stocks (there’s a small .5” long crack in the left side of the wrist, and the bottom front of the slide grip has a few gouges and a crack that runs halfway down the length), and a bright bore with sharp rifling and only minor erosion. This is a wonderful example of an early casehardened Winchester Model 1890 slide action rifle.