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The google machine brought me here and I joined to see if there was any way if getting more information about my 1906.
this rifle was bough by my great grandfather for my grandfather as a birthday gift. The birthday and year are somewhat lost to time and a young kid not listening closely enough to what his grandfather was telling him at the time. Best guess is he was around 10 years old when it was bought. So around 1927
I have called Winchester and Cody Firearms museum and neither have any information about this S/N. Winchester’s best guess is that it was part of their clean up run at the end of the manufacturer run post 1932. Likely in 1936 based on the S/N. The problem is that my great grandfather died in early 1933, and was in no shape to be buying anything for quite a while before that as he was dying of tuberculosis.
so, can anyone help shed some light on the date of manufacture for this 1906? S/N 797954?
I’m sorry, I don’t know how to upload a picture, or I would post the couple that I have. 
Mike,
Your Model 06 was manufactured January 23rd, 1929, and the CFM does have the records for it, they just do not realize it.
Beginning on March 10th, 1926, Winchester merged the Model 06 serial number sequence in with the Model 90 serial number sequence (at S/N 713200). Instead of keeping two separate sets of records, it was easier to keep just one record. The last Model 06 in its own serial number sequence was 685999 (with a “B” under the S/N). The last Model 90 with an “A” under the serial number was 713199. Beginning with S/N 713200 the serial numbers were applied to the receiver and lower tang without an “A” or a “B” and were interchangeably used to assemble both Model 90 and 06 rifles. This practice continued through serial number 846022 (June 6th, 1932) when regular production of both models was discontinued in favor of the new Model 62. There was an additional 8,725 (S/N range 846023 – 854747) receiver frames that were serialized and assembled as true “parts clean-up” through November 1949. In that final parts clean-up run, Winchester assembled Model 90s, Model 06s, Model 62s, and even a few Model 62As using mixed parts from all four models, but all having a late (846023+) serial number.
I and another fellow WACA member have been working on a specific research survey to track down as many of these late production (merged & parts clean-up) rifles as possible. I have added your Model 06 to the survey, and it brings our total to 1,118 documented.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert H. said
Mike,Your Model 06 was manufactured January 23rd, 1929, and the CFM does have the records for it, they just do not realize it.
Beginning on March 10th, 1926, Winchester merged the Model 06 serial number sequence in with the Model 90 serial number sequence (at S/N 713200). Instead of keeping two separate sets of records, it was easier to keep just one record. The last Model 06 in its own serial number sequence was 685999 (with a “B” under the S/N). The last Model 90 with an “A” under the serial number was 713199. Beginning with S/N 713200 the serial numbers were applied to the receiver and lower tang without an “A” or a “B” and were interchangeably used to assemble both Model 90 and 06 rifles. This practice continued through serial number 846022 (June 6th, 1932) when regular production of both models was discontinued in favor of the new Model 62. There was an additional 8,725 (S/N range 846023 – 854747) receiver frames that were serialized and assembled as true “parts clean-up” through November 1949. In that final parts clean-up run, Winchester assembled Model 90s, Model 06s, Model 62s, and even a few Model 62As using mixed parts from all four models, but all having a late (846023+) serial number.
I and another fellow WACA member have been working on a specific research survey to track down as many of these late production (merged & parts clean-up) rifles as possible. I have added your Model 06 to the survey, and it brings our total to 1,118 documented.
Bert
Bert,
that information is truly amazing! thank you so much for your time and research.
you say that CFM does have records, but possibly don’t know how to find it? What information do you think would be available and what strands of information could I give them to get them to find it? It would be truly amazing to know where it was sold originally, as I’m sure it was my great-grandfather who bought it for my grandfather.
amazing to think that it was made in January of 1929, and would have given to my grandfather on March 1 of that same year.
i resized the pictures hoping they would come through. its not “minty” by any means, but it shoots well and it put a lot of food on the table back in the 30’s. I actually took it out with my 10 year old son last weekend to a cowboy action shoot and he got to shoot about 30 rounds through it – 93 years (4th generation) after my great-grandfather buying it.
Mike,
Unfortunately, the only information that the CFM has is the exact date that the serial number was applied to the receiver frame (which I provided to you in my first reply). There are no other surviving records with any additional information. What the CFM records office staff does not understand is that they need to look at the Model 90 records for the late production Model 06 rifles. When the two models were merged in March1926, it was the Model 90 serial number sequence that was continued in the record books.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert H. said
Mike,Unfortunately, the only information that the CFM has is the exact date that the serial number was applied to the receiver frame (which I provided to you in my first reply). There are no other surviving records with any additional information. What the CFM records office staff does not understand is that they need to look at the Model 90 records for the late production Model 06 rifles. When the two models were merged in March1926, it was the Model 90 serial number sequence that was continued in the record books.
Bert
That makes sense why it came up as a 1929 when I entered it into a serial look up for an 1890. But looking at the first serial number for a 1929 = 725439 and 1930 = 736211, the numbers didn’t fit. Also with the end of the run being 1941 = 752044, it was even more confusing.
I know they aren’t truly sequential, but I had no idea how out of sequence they could be.
thank you so much for your time and help.
I’ll have to look up his model 12 and see what unfolds there as well from the serial number.
edit: you made reference to this as a “late model/clean up” gun. Is that just in reference to the manufacture date being after the 90/06 serial number combination ?
Mike,
Where are you finding the serial number DOMs for the Model 90 that you mention ? Wherever it is, it is not accurate. I suspect that you are looking at the bogus information listed on the Browning Arms Company website (they lease and use the trademarked “Winchester” name).
The first Model 90/06 serial number in 1929 was 795606, and 1930 was 824624. The end of 1931 was 844278, and the last serial number in 1941 was 853708.
Bert
p.s. be advised that the Model 12 S/N data you find on that same website is also not accurate.
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert H. said
Mike,Where are you finding the serial number DOMs for the Model 90 that you mention ? Wherever it is, it is not accurate. I suspect that you are looking at the bogus information listed on the Browning Arms Company website (they lease and use the trademarked “Winchester” name).
The first Model 90/06 serial number in 1929 was 795606, and 1930 was 824624. The end of 1931 was 844278, and the last serial number in 1941 was 853708.
Bert
p.s. be advised that the Model 12 S/N data you find on that same website is also not accurate.
This is what I was getting the numbers.
http://guncollectionsonline.com/winchester1890.htm
if it is grossly inaccurate, it would be nice if they would rescind or correct it.
This is why I joined here.
Mike,
That is most definitely not accurate information on that website. I highly suggest that cease using it as a reference, and that you instead use the date of manufacture look-up tool here on the WACA website. I created the tables from the records in the vaults at the McCracken Research Library (CFM).
As for them rescinding it… good luck! There are several dozen different websites out there that all used the flawed information published more than 40-years ago by George Madis.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
If I may indulge in a follow up question. …
the firearms museum says it can produce factory letters and where the gun was originally sold for some firearms (assuming I read it correctly)
if that’s the case, what firearms would that information be available for?
Mike Border said
If I may indulge in a follow up question. …the firearms museum says it can produce factory letters and where the gun was originally sold for some firearms (assuming I read it correctly)
if that’s the case, what firearms would that information be available for?
Not sure where you read that, but it is very rare when the Winchester factory records list “where” or to “whom” an individual firearm was sold.
This is a direct link to the CFM records office – Cody Firearms Records Office – Buffalo Bill Center of the West
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert H. said
Mike Border said
If I may indulge in a follow up question. …
the firearms museum says it can produce factory letters and where the gun was originally sold for some firearms (assuming I read it correctly)
if that’s the case, what firearms would that information be available for?
Not sure where you read that, but it is very rare when the Winchester factory records list “where” or to “whom” an individual firearm was sold.
This is a direct link to the CFM records office – Cody Firearms Records Office – Buffalo Bill Center of the West
I must have just misinterpreted what they were saying. Thanks for clearing it up and thanks for all your help!
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