Make: Winchester

Model: 1890 (Second Model)

Serial Number: 109579

Year of Manufacture: 1901

Caliber: .22 Long

Action Type: Pump Action Rifle

Barrel Length: 24” Octagon

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade dovetailed to the barrel. The rear sight is a “U”-notch “sheet metal” sight screwed to the barrel with elevation adjustment.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are beautiful oil finished walnut. The wood to metal fit is great, with the wood “proud” of the metal, especially at the lower tang. The wrist shows only faint surface marks and light age discoloration. The LOP measures 12 7/8” from the front of the trigger to the back of the case colored crescent steel 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. There are no chips or cracks. The wood has darkened where it meets the metal. Overall, the stocks rate in about Fine Condition.

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 general erosion throughout. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 6/10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 80% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows light operation wear. The case color is strong on the sides of the receiver, only lightly muted on the top and bottom of the receiver, and mostly muted on the tangs. The case color has gone almost completely mute on the buttplate. There are a few intermittent rust freckles on the muzzle end of the barrel. There is thinning on the leading edges. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good Condition.

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. 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 Winchester Model 1890 (Second Model) Casehardened Takedown Rifle was made in 1901 and is in Very Good Condition. It features a 24” octagonal barrel, 80% of its original blued and case colored finish, with some strong case coloring on the sides of the receiver, and some deep bluing on the barrel, elegant oil finished walnut stocks, and a bright bore with sharp rifling (there’s general erosion throughout). This is a wonderful example of a casehardened Winchester Model 1890 slide action rifle, likely one of the last produced before the change was made to full bluing.