Make: Winchester

Model: 1906 Expert Grade

Serial Number: 544318

Year of Manufacture: Circa 1919 / ATF Classification: C&R

Caliber/Gauge: .22 Short, Long, & Long Rifle

Action Type: Pump-Action (Slide-Action) Rifle, Tubular Magazine

Barrel Length: 20"

Sights/Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed into the barrel. The rear sight is a U-notch screwed into the barrel with a faint red paint outline on the edges.

Grip/Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are wood, the buttstock has a straight comb, semi-pistol grip, and checkered hard rubber Winchester buttplate. The buttplate shows heavy wear. The furniture shows moderate wear with pressure dings, scuffs, and scratches throughout. There are multiple nicks taken out of the buttstock. The LOP measures 12 3/4" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. There is a small crack starting from the right side of the upper tang. The forend is missing the screw on the right side. This furniture rates in about Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blued With Nickel Receiver

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is grey and the rifling is worn. There is moderate erosion and oxidation throughout the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 5/10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 50% of its metal finish. The bluing is mostly gone and has turned to mostly patina and oxidation. The nickel finish shows edge wear, flaking, and decent scuff on the upper left side of the receiver. The screw heads are lightly tooled and retain strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Good condition.

Mechanics: A screw is missing from the right side of the forend. The action functions correctly. We did not fire this firearm. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment: A desirable variation of the Model 1906, this Half-Nickel Expert Grade combines the upgraded stock and refined furniture of the Expert line with Winchester's eye-catching nickel-plated receiver and blued barrel/magazine tube. Even with age and field wear, the iconic two-tone finish remains evident, with about 50% of the original finish still present, giving the rifle the classic, well-used but visually distinctive appearance that makes Half-Nickel rifles so collectible. The enhanced wood contours associated with Expert Grade rifles remain intact and add to the rifle's period elegance.

Manufactured in 1919, this rifle comes from the early post-WWI era when Winchester's pump-action .22s dominated the American small-bore market. Their versatility in chambering .22 Short, Long, and LR made them indispensable to households, farms, and shooting galleries nationwide. The Expert Grade option elevated the rifle with upgraded wood and finer contours, while the Half-Nickel finish added a premium, rarely ordered visual upgrade. Surviving examples with original finish and matching numbers are increasingly scarce, making this rifle a noteworthy piece of Winchester's golden age of rimfire production.