I killed my first deer on this property and knew it well. It belonged to a Swiss German immigrant family, one of many in the area. 

The early land records were recorded by escritarios whose first language was not English, then by Americans of English ancestry, later by the children of immigrant Sweitzerdeutsch who were usually bilingual and spoke a dialect of German at home. 

The spelling and calligraphy of the records reflected this cultural diversity and made me feel like a stranger in a strange land. It didn't  help that the writing often had to be reduced in size to fit on the page - to a degree the last lines required a magnifying glass. Amazingly, the inked letters were perfectly formed, apparently with a very thin nib. No blots or smudges. 

The ledgers were very large and heavy, bound in canvas covered boards with leather spines. They were something of a time machine.

TXGunNut said

Zebulon said

Jeremy P said

Zebulon said
I've only seen the 1906 at shows. 

I have one I'll bring you if you've never really gotten to manipulate one....early was .22 short and later S-L-LR....I can show you the different carrier, it's just a subtle mechanism change, hardly anything at all. Super fun to shoot! The action feels dainty at first (probably the skinny forend wood IMO), but they're obviously tough old girls in reality.
I agree the half-nickel is more attractive.
  

That would be interesting. I will bring my Model 62 for comparison. I put a Marble's tang sight on it and still.need to get it sighted in to suit me.
All I can recall about the one Model 90 I had was it was considerably heavier than my 62. I expect the octagon barrel made for a lot of the difference. 
  

To add to the enlightenment (or confusion) I'll bring an 1890 in 22LR (from our friend Randy Saba!) and one in 22WRF. Latter needs to be shot as it has been on my table for a few shows and will hopefully be under someone else's care soon. I think I have a nice 62 around here but that would probably add to the confusion.
 
Mike
  

Yes, I need to bring the nice 1906 I got in Cody this summer, it needs a range break-in! and Mike, that one that's been on the table needs shooting, she probably think you've abandoned her!

Hell, make it a slide-action day!

Zebulon said
Who at Winchester designed the carrier assembly that allowed cartridges of different lengths to feed and function? 
  

Bill,

That challenge fell on T.C. Johnson, according to Harold F. Williamson, as stated by Ned Schwing, in his Winchester Slide Action Book. The competition of the Stevens Arms Company, with a less expensive .22 caliber file, in competition with Winchesters M-1890 slide action rifle, the M-1906 was a less expensive version of the M-1890. 

Like was said above, the first M-1906 was chambered in the .22 short caliber,(1906-1908) and based on the second model 1890 receiver. In 1908 Winchester decided to use the third model carrier called the "Cartridge Stop", allowing for the modified addition of the S, L, and L.R. Cartridges. These later examples will have the "B", stamped under the serial number, verse the letter, "A", on the earlier .22 short rifles. 

Tony

Zebulon said

Jeremy P said

Zebulon said
I've only seen the 1906 at shows. 

I have one I'll bring you if you've never really gotten to manipulate one....early was .22 short and later S-L-LR....I can show you the different carrier, it's just a subtle mechanism change, hardly anything at all. Super fun to shoot! The action feels dainty at first (probably the skinny forend wood IMO), but they're obviously tough old girls in reality.
I agree the half-nickel is more attractive.
  

That would be interesting. I will bring my Model 62 for comparison. I put a Marble's tang sight on it and still.need to get it sighted in to suit me.
All I can recall about the one Model 90 I had was it was considerably heavier than my 62. I expect the octagon barrel made for a lot of the difference. 
  

To add to the enlightenment (or confusion) I'll bring an 1890 in 22LR (from our friend Randy Saba!) and one in 22WRF. Latter needs to be shot as it has been on my table for a few shows and will hopefully be under someone else's care soon. I think I have a nice 62 around here but that would probably add to the confusion.

Mike

Jeremy P said

Zebulon said
I've only seen the 1906 at shows. 

I have one I'll bring you if you've never really gotten to manipulate one....early was .22 short and later S-L-LR....I can show you the different carrier, it's just a subtle mechanism change, hardly anything at all. Super fun to shoot! The action feels dainty at first (probably the skinny forend wood IMO), but they're obviously tough old girls in reality.
I agree the half-nickel is more attractive.
  

That would be interesting. I will bring my Model 62 for comparison. I put a Marble's tang sight on it and still.need to get it sighted in to suit me.

All I can recall about the one Model 90 I had was it was considerably heavier than my 62. I expect the octagon barrel made for a lot of the difference. 

Zebulon said
I've only seen the 1906 at shows. 

I have one I'll bring you if you've never really gotten to manipulate one....early was .22 short and later S-L-LR....I can show you the different carrier, it's just a subtle mechanism change, hardly anything at all. Super fun to shoot! The action feels dainty at first (probably the skinny forend wood IMO), but they're obviously tough old girls in reality.

I agree the half-nickel is more attractive.

Blue Ridge Parson said
The 1906 Winchester was designed from the beginning (by way of a special cartridge carrier) to shoot Short, Long, or Long rifle interchangeably. 
BRP
  

Not quite from the beginning, the very first Model 1906's were only available in .22 Short.......

Best Regards,

BRP

I've never gotten straight whether the 1906 was cartridge length specific or would take s/l/lr interchangeably like the later.Model 62. 

Funny, but at all the Fall carnivals Dad and I went to in the Fifties, the shooting galleries never had pump action rifles, only butt magazine automatics they could feed with a loader. Mostly Remingtons but once a Model 63 Winchester. 

They are so dog gone hard to find, and let alone as you stated, in nice condition with the Nickel intact. The "Half Nickle", is a little more desirable as a nice looking piece, with the blue barrel and magazine. It's a nice contrasting example.

The M-1906, was developed by Winchester to be a more affordable slide action rifle, than it's predecessor the M-1890. Changes in production allowed it to be sold for 2/3rds of the price of the M-1890. 

Tony

All too often, the half nickel Winchesters look like a late-stage exhibit in a Marine Corps STD training film. "This is your [1906 receiver in a glass jar] at twenty weeks."

I've always admired the restrained elegance of the half nickel guns. The full nickel treatment is too much; makes the gun look like a Kracker Jack prize.

My Model 62 is a reblue job, albeit pretty well done. Of course it has the hard rubber buttplate with some wear. I've given some consideration to finding a suitable flat steel buttplate and then having the receiver and buttplate electro-less nickeled. Pretty low on the "maybe list." 

You did very well with that piece and I'd display it prominently. Congratulations.