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JWA

Location: 32000' +

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August 17, 2026 - 4:41 pm

Hi Lou,

Yes, the MNS stands for Midvale Nickel Steel. Here is an excerpt from my Winchester stamp “cheat sheet”, the first number is the Winchester factory drawing number for the stamp which indicates it’s usage.

17577-1 Soft Steel “S.S.”

17577-2 Nickel Steel “N.S.”

17577-3 Chrome Nickel .80% C. Steel “C.N.80”

17577-4 Spring Steel “S.P.”

17577-5 A&C Open Hearth Pin Wire “A.C.”

17577-6 Jessop’s Tool Steel “J.”

17577-7 Firth Tool Steel “F.”

17577-8 Rose Label Styrian Steel “R.L.S.”

17577-9 Crescent Extra Tool Steel “C.E.”

17577-10 Hobson’s Choice “H.C.”

17577-11 Ketos Oil Hardening Steel “K.”

17577-12 Ketos Oil Hardening Steel “KETOS”

17577-13 Firth R.T. “R.T.”

17577-14 Gold Label Styrian Steel “G.L.S.”

17577-15 K. P. Styrian Steel “K.P.S.”

17577-16 Champion Double Special “C.D.S.”

17577-17 Novo High Speed Steel “NOVO”

17577-18 Blue Chip High Speed Steel “B.C.”

17577-19 New Rapid White Label Steel “W.L.S.”

17577-20 Novo Superior “N.2”

17577-21 Novo Superior “NOVO 2”

17577-22 Novo Superior “NOVO SUP.”

17577-23 Blue Chip Superior “B.C.2”

17577-24 Blue Chip Superior “B.C. SUP.”

17577-25 Tool Steel “T.S.”

17577-26 “TREATED”

17577-27

17577-35 “14”

17577-?? Midvale Nickel Steel “M.N.S.”

17577-89 Midvale High Speed Steel — Midvale Steel Co. “MHS”

17577-89 Midvale High Speed Steel — Midvale Steel Co. “M.H.S.”

So, to answer your other question, I am of the opinion that the MNS stamp coupled with the “Proof Steel” marking on the barrel is possibly an error. Further evidence may prove me wrong though.

Best Regards,

WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire

http://rimfirepublications.com/

Louis Luttrell

Winchester, VA

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August 17, 2026 - 5:35 pm

Thank you all!!!

All three of those barrels I pictured have the integral front sight ramp characteristic of the Proof Steel barrels made for the M54 beginning in 1932. In other words the barrels look like the ’33 date barrel on Berts M54 22 Hornet. All have the later M54/70 Style 1 barrel markings that read “Proof Steel”…

While I’ve seen “CMS” on early Proof Steel barrels on M70s plenty of times, this is the only Proof Steel M54/70 barrel I’ve seen stamped “MNS” underneath. Which begs the question which stamp is “wrong”? Did Winchester ever make the later M54/70 barrel pattern out of Nickel Steel, or did someone inadvertently stamp “MNS” when they meant to stamp “CMS”?

It’s unusual for sure… Not important enough to resort to mass spectroscopy, just unusual. Besides, only one of those barrels is on a gun I own and it’s not the one marked “MNS”…

Thank for the help!!! Laugh

Lou

WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters

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