Make: Winchester 

Model: 61 Winchester Counter-Bore Smoothbore

Serial Number: 262744

Year of Manufacture: 1957

Caliber: .22 LR Shot Only

Action Type: Pump Action with Tubular Magazine 

Barrel Length: 19” Cutdown, Round

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a steel bead at the front of the barrel. The top of the receiver is grooved.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece walnut with a flat-bottom grooved slide handle, smooth semi-pistol grip, straight comb, and a Winchester checkered black hard rubber buttplate. The buttstock has scattered minor nicks and light compressions, namely at the toe. There is a small spot of finish loss on the top of the wrist. The forend has some light draglines. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13 13/8” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate has some light wear and discoloration with well defined checkering. Overall, the stocks rate in Very Good to Fine condition. 

Type of Finish: Blue 

Finish Originality: Original 

Bore Condition: The Winchester Counter-Bore smooth bore is bright. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates a 10 out of 10. 

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 97% of its original metal finish. The balance of finish shows light wear with some scattered faint marks and light operational wear.The screw heads are sharp. The markings are crisp. Overall, this rifle rates in about Fine Plus condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The safety 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. It was an instant success and set the standard for all .22 repeaters that followed. In 1909, Remington introduced a pump-action .22 that used an internal hammer, allowing the receiver to be streamlined and well sealed against moisture and debris. In 1915, Marlin introduced a similar hammerless .22 rifle. The innovative designs made Winchester's pump guns look a bit "old fashioned", and in an attempt to attract new customers during the depths of the Great Depression, Winchester decided to introduce their own "modern" hammerless .22 pump-action. The resulting Model 61 hammerless rifle was released in 1932, and produced until 1963.

This Vintage Winchester Model 61 Rifle was made in 1957 and is in Fine Plus condition. Most notably, it’s a scarce Winchester Counter-Bore Smoothbore Model 61 chambered for .22 Long Rifle Shot Only, and there’s even more to the story, but first a short history of the Winchester Counter-Bore. In 1938, trap shooter Fred Routledge developed a counter-bore barrel using a standard 24" Winchester Model 61. The "Routledge Bore" had 10 1/2" of smooth bore starting at the chamber with a diameter of .217", that opened up to 13 1/2" of counter-bore with a bore diameter measuring .375”. Winchester made very few Model 61s with this type of barrel. By 1940, Winchester developed its own counter-bore barrel design to avoid paying royalties to Mr. Routledge. The new Winchester Counter-Bore barrel had 16" of smooth bore measuring .217" and only 8" of counter-bore with a diameter of .265”. One of the distinguishing features of those counterbored Model 61s was a matted top frame, but in 1954, the design was changed to a grooved receiver and the matting was dropped. These were essentially small caliber shotguns, with a counter bored portion of the barrel to spread the shot, and they could be used for “Mo-Skeet-O” backyard miniature trap shooting, or for pesky birds. Now to the crux of the matter. We believe this rifle to be one of a handful, maybe 10 or less, of significantly modified Winchester Model 61 smoothbore “carbines” to have been sold by Abercrombie & Fitch of NYC in the late 1950s. Before they were a slick fashion retailer, Abercrombie & Fitch of New York City was famous for outfitting aviators, explorers, and adventurers, and their clients included Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, and Ernest Hemingway. It’s thought these rifles were either specially modified by Winchester before shipping to A&F, or that Abercrombie & Fitch modified the rifles themselves, but this small number of Model 61s exhibit some very unique features. First, they were in the serial number range 260,000-263,000. Second, the barrels were neatly cut down to 19”. Third, the muzzles were left rounded and “in the white”. Fourth, the smooth bores were Winchester Counter-Bored. Fifth and final, the receivers were grooved. This rifle checks all five of those boxes, and we believe it to be one of only a handful of known originals. It features 97% of its lustrous, original blued finish, a single bead at the muzzle, elegant two-piece walnut stocks, strong mechanics, and a bright Winchester Counter-Bore smooth bore with no erosion. This is an incredibly scarce Abercrombie & Fitch Modified Winchester Model 61 Smoothbore “Carbine”, and would be the cornerstone of any Winchester slide-action collection.