July 3, 2020
OfflineI was told about this rifle at the Greeley show last month. Griff sent pics this morning… I sent a check at lunch today. It will be delivered to me at Cody. Jumping in with both feet. I don’t mind honest wear on a gun as long as the bores are nice. What I really liked was the “Browning Brothers” stamp on the barrel. I may need an intervention soon….
January 20, 2023
OnlineBen, the ” Browning Bros” marking and the good bore in an early rimfire are well worth the money you paid for that one!
Unless somebody knows something I don’t know or the serial indicates a d.o.m. too late for the proposition, this rifle was likely part of the payment to Browning for one of the designs he sold to Winchester, although not necessarily for the Model 1890 design rights.
My understanding was Winchester paid Browning Bros for design rights with a combination of cash and merchandise, the latter of which was then taken into inventory and sold at retail by Browning Bros at their Ogden store.
Your rifle really brings that history to life.
Congratulations.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
April 15, 2005
OnlineZebulon said
Ben, the ” Browning Bros” marking and the good bore in an early rimfire are well worth the money you paid for that one!
Unless somebody knows something I don’t know or the serial indicates a d.o.m. too late for the proposition, this rifle was likely part of the payment to Browning for one of the designs he sold to Winchester, although not necessarily for the Model 1890 design rights.
My understanding was Winchester paid Browning Bros for design rights with a combination of cash and merchandise, the latter of which was then taken into inventory and sold at retail by Browning Bros at their Ogden store.
Your rifle really brings that history to life.
Congratulations.
It is indeed a “patent” payment rifle. I have (3) Single Shot rifles and (1) Model 1873 rifle with the similar marking. The early Winchester patent payment guns were marked “U.T.” for Utah Territory.

After Utah became a state (in January 1896), the Browning brothers removed the “T.” from the stamp;

Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L

November 7, 2015
OfflineBen-
Since you seem to be on an 1890 binge be sure to see me about an 1890 in WRF in Cody.
Mike
January 20, 2023
OnlineBert H. said
Zebulon said
Ben, the ” Browning Bros” marking and the good bore in an early rimfire are well worth the money you paid for that one!
Unless somebody knows something I don’t know or the serial indicates a d.o.m. too late for the proposition, this rifle was likely part of the payment to Browning for one of the designs he sold to Winchester, although not necessarily for the Model 1890 design rights.
My understanding was Winchester paid Browning Bros for design rights with a combination of cash and merchandise, the latter of which was then taken into inventory and sold at retail by Browning Bros at their Ogden store.
Your rifle really brings that history to life.
Congratulations.
It is indeed a “patent” payment rifle. I have (3) Single Shot rifles and (1) Model 1873 rifle with the similar marking. The early Winchester patent payment guns were marked “U.T.” for Utah Territory.
After Utah became a state (in January 1896), the Browning brothers removed the “T.” from the stamp;
Bert
Bert, Because you have a patent payment Model 1873, would it be correct to say patent payment arms consisted of whatever Winchester models Browning Bros. wanted for inventory at the time? That is, there was no correlation between the models ordered as partial payment and the model patented for which the payment was due.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
April 15, 2005
OnlineZebulon said
Bert H. said
Zebulon said
Ben, the ” Browning Bros” marking and the good bore in an early rimfire are well worth the money you paid for that one!
Unless somebody knows something I don’t know or the serial indicates a d.o.m. too late for the proposition, this rifle was likely part of the payment to Browning for one of the designs he sold to Winchester, although not necessarily for the Model 1890 design rights.
My understanding was Winchester paid Browning Bros for design rights with a combination of cash and merchandise, the latter of which was then taken into inventory and sold at retail by Browning Bros at their Ogden store.
Your rifle really brings that history to life.
Congratulations.
It is indeed a “patent” payment rifle. I have (3) Single Shot rifles and (1) Model 1873 rifle with the similar marking. The early Winchester patent payment guns were marked “U.T.” for Utah Territory.
After Utah became a state (in January 1896), the Browning brothers removed the “T.” from the stamp;
Bert
Bert, Because you have a patent payment Model 1873, would it be correct to say patent payment arms consisted of whatever Winchester models Browning Bros. wanted for inventory at the time? That is, there was no correlation between the models ordered as partial payment and the model patented for which the payment was due.
Bill,
Yes, that is true. The Browning Brothers undoubtedly provided Winchester with a list of the Models they wanted and how many.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L

1 Guest(s)
Log In
