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April 15, 2005
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Brian,
First, I moved your question to the appropriate Forum “Restoration, Repair & Maintenance”. Second, we ask that complete S/Ns be posted when asking questions. The S/N on your Winchester is not like your SSN, or Drivers License number… it simply tells us when it was manufactured, and if old enough to be lettered, what it’s as manufactured configuration was.
Model 1890 S/N 593999 was manufactured in December, 1915.
Without the ability to visually see your rifle and inspect it in hand, the best anyone of us can do is “guess” what might be wrong with it.
Bert – Admin
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
September 28, 2016
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I can tell by looking at the cartridge lifter it has either been changed or lengthened to accept 22 Long rifle shells. What is happening with shorts is when you try and load more than one round is a second shell is partially loading in the lifter and not allowing it to “lift” because the second shell is partially fed into the carrier. I would make an educated guess and say someone has recut the the chamber to Long Rifle and modified the lifter for long rifle shells. Try some long rifles in it and I would bet it cycles just fine. On another note the 1-20 twist rate in the factory short barrels is not conducive for accuracy with 40 grain bullets. If you can find some of the 30-34 grain Long rifle ammo it may shoot better than standard 40 grain ammo.
Erin
April 15, 2005
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Brian,
No problem. The DOM on your Model 1890 is mid December 1915.
In regards to the cartridge feeding issue, we have several members who are much more knowledgeable than I am in regards to the Model 1890. Hopefully one of them can determine if something does not look right and offer you some advice.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Erin Grivicich said
I can tell by looking at the cartridge lifter it has either been changed or lengthened to accept 22 Long rifle shells. What is happening with shorts is when you try and load more than one round is a second shell is partially loading in the lifter and not allowing it to “lift” because the second shell is partially fed into the carrier. I would make an educated guess and say someone has recut the the chamber to Long Rifle and modified the lifter for long rifle shells. Try some long rifles in it and I would bet it cycles just fine. On another note the 1-20 twist rate in the factory short barrels is not conducive for accuracy with 40 grain bullets. If you can find some of the 30-34 grain Long rifle ammo it may shoot better than standard 40 grain ammo.
Erin
wow Erin great insight i really appreciate it – i will definitely try it with LR’s (if could cycle colibri’s id be delighted as its only a occasional plinker for me at this point)
you definitely made my day with this possibility.
September 28, 2016
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[email protected] said
wow Erin great insight i really appreciate it – i will definitely try it with LR’s (if could cycle colibri’s id be delighted as its only a occasional plinker for me at this point)
you definitely made my day with this possibility.
Be careful with the Colibri’s………. They are designed for handguns (read short barrels) They have been known to lodge in the barrels of long barreled rifles due to the extremely low velocity. Make sure it clears the barrel before stacking another bullet behind a lodged one. I don’t believe they have adequate power to bulge or split a barrel but it makes the removal of a stuck slug much more difficult. My experience with Colibri’s is dismal accuracy…….. I’ve designated the rest of my supply of Colibri’s as dog training rounds fired from a single six revolver.
Erin
March 31, 2009
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I don’t own a short right now but I do know some of the chambers either shorts or longs often chamber long rifles when loaded one at a time by hand. For some reason these guns often have long chambers. If you wish to put it back to original you can get a carrier at Homestead. Ammo is harder to find though.
