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May 13, 2020
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I am thinking of buying this Winchester 69A I found. I’ve carefully looked at JWA’s excellent book on the 69s for an hour or more and can’t figure out what type this is. To the best of my determination, it might be a G6901R1 Type 2. But some things on it don’t seem original.
- I handled it and believe it’s cock on opening…but I might have been in a hurry and it could cock on close. Pretty sure it’s on open.
- Has the 96B rear sight, ramp front missing hood.
- No drilled holes in barrel for a scope, no wedge plate filling any dovetail. Both WP proofs are close together, one on receiver ring, one on barrel, top.
- Sling swivels seem added later, have a rounded head on them, in the wrong positions.
- Stock has the tapered nose, and a cutout for a safety on the right side. This is what was stumping me until I saw the cutout. With it’s scant, rounded comb, I’m thinking this is a later stock. The stock attachment knob is inlet. I’m also thinking it was added later. But did read about “parts cleanup guns.”
I wanted it because of it’s good bore, early rear sight, decent condition and price for a shooter. Comes with a Winchester 10 rd magazine and good sling.
My question to JWA or others – could the stock be original? What model/type is the rest of the gun?
March 9, 2005
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It is indeed a 69..not 69a. Cock on close. Original stock w/aftermarket sling.
The guy behind the counter is trustworthy.
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May 13, 2020
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Thanks. The sales lead was indeed a nice guy and I trust him. Just trying to figure out the type and approximate age. I’ll go back and get it.
Why would the stock have a cutout for a side safety lever, before it was invented?
April 30, 2023
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That rear sight is cool, my 68 has one and I think it carried over onto the early 69 models for a bit. Cool rifle!
July 17, 2012
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AZShot,
Thanks for the kind words regarding the book! The rifle in your photos is a cock-on-closing Model 69 (G6901R), not a 69A and the stock is a MUCH later stock (post-1953) from a 69A. You can tell by the later style low comb. That 69A stock type is illustrated on page 226-228 in your Model 69 book.
Hope that helps.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
May 13, 2020
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It is well deserved. Thanks, that’s what I was thinking about the stock. Should be a nice shooter, I have a much nicer one, a little earlier, that I don’t shoot much.
July 17, 2012
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As a shooter, the barrel diameter is smaller on the 69 than the 69A so there will be no contact with the 69A stock fore-end (in essence “free-floated”). It may, or may not make a difference in the accuracy. I have never experimented with a 69 in a 69A stock but wanted to mention it just in case it does group a bit different.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
May 13, 2020
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Good to know. I’ll shoot it against my other one. If it’s poor, I’ll look for the right stock. Better one:
July 17, 2012
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If it does affect accuracy you can try a small rubber shim at the front of the fore-end channel (like the Model 52) before you swap stocks to see if that helps.
Looking forward to your range report.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
April 30, 2023
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Yes, post back on the range results!
March 31, 2009
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JWA said
If it does affect accuracy you can try a small rubber shim at the front of the fore-end channel (like the Model 52) before you swap stocks to see if that helps.
Looking forward to your range report.
Best Regards,
Wouldn’t all of these shoot more accurately with a free floated barrel? I can see moving shims around to change the barrel harmonics might help.
July 17, 2012
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Some do and some don’t.
Since they are a takedown rifle secured by a single screw the bedding and harmonics vary greatly from rifle to rifle.
For my 69As, I tune them the best I can by making sure the trigger adjustment screw is not contacting the bottom of the inletting (which happens if it is backed out most of the way) and I then slide a dollar bill down the barrel to see where the contact points are in the barrel channel. Sometimes a little scraping to remove contact with the barrel channel closer to the receiver helps and sometimes adding a pad near the fore-end tip helps but there is no set formula I have found that works universally on the 69A. That is just my experience though.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
March 31, 2009
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JWA said
Some do and some don’t.
Since they are a takedown rifle secured by a single screw the bedding and harmonics vary greatly from rifle to rifle.
For my 69As, I tune them the best I can by making sure the trigger adjustment screw is not contacting the bottom of the inletting (which happens if it is backed out most of the way) and I then slide a dollar bill down the barrel to see where the contact points are in the barrel channel. Sometimes a little scraping to remove contact with the barrel channel closer to the receiver helps and sometimes adding a pad near the fore-end tip helps but there is no set formula I have found that works universally on the 69A. That is just my experience though.
Best Regards,
Makes sense to me. I once removed a contact area and later put it back. I had made it worse. Modern free floating rifles can use a tuner on the end of the barrel to compensate for weather conditions at matches.
May 13, 2020
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I got it and am cleaning it up. It will look a lot better. I didn’t check the free float before removing the action, but there re some wear patterns at the nose of the barrel channel, and it seemed to fit well there. Of course, the wear could be from an earlier barrel of the right diameter.
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