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1931 Speedlock. Nickel steel heavy bbl. and right side mounted Lyman 48-T. Round top receiver. All special order. I enhanced the picture. Big Larry
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Not bad, Larry, but a lot sharper with an original Winchester leather sling. I have one I might be persuaded to relinquish.
November 7, 2015
Online
Very nice! Recent acquisition?
Mike
No
TXGunNut said
Very nice! Recent acquisition?
Mike
, I have had it for years. Big Larry
clarence said
Not bad, Larry, but a lot sharper with an original Winchester leather sling. I have one I might be persuaded to relinquish.
Most of the time, these were not shipped with a sling. The only optional sling I could find for this era, was the Kerr, NoBuckel as was used on the M1917, M1903, and Thompson SMG. A smaller Kerr, NoBuckel was used on various Winchester 22 rifles. I know a lot of them , fitted by the owners, were the M1907 leather slings, but doubtful from the factory. Too many were surplus in those days. What would you consider an original Winchester sling? Big Larry
Big Larry said
What would you consider an original Winchester sling? Big Larry
Since they aren’t marked, I wouldn’t know if JWA hadn’t explained it, but it’s a combination of features: brass frogs with steel rivets & diamond-shaped staples on the keepers. It’s order no. is G3266A, & says “especially adapted for M. 52.” In 2 colors! It’s a M1907 type, 1-1/4″, but made of thinner leather.
Maybe it’s illustrated in JWA’s M.69 book, which I regret to say I don’t have because I’ve never owned a 69; saving my money for his 52 book.
Larry,
Clarence is exactly correct in his description of the #3266.
It is in fact illustrated in the Model 69 book, both with the catalog illustration and an actual example on page 385 (check your copy).
Here is the descriptive text from page 385 in the book if that helps:
3266 Leather Gun Sling – Winchester part number 3266
Style: Illustrated as a two piece Army 1907 style sling with two hooks (three rivets) and two keepers (same as the subsequent sling number 3256)
Material: Select premium leather
Metal Finish: Blued or bare keeper staples, brass plated or bare/blued hooks and rivets
Leather Finish: Leather dye and oiled finish
Color: Russet brown (dark) and russet brown (light) – originally offered in both colors
Width: 1-¼” / Approximate length* – Sling short side 22″ and long side 46″
*Note: Width and length may vary slightly due to drying/shrinkage and/or stretching from use.
The number 3266 “leather gun sling” was first offered in the 1934 Component Parts Catalog. It was replaced by the 3256 Leather Gun Sling commencing with the 1936 catalog. Visibly there is no discernible difference between the 3266 and early 3256 gun slings and it is likely that the subsequent 3256 was simply a component part number change, possibly due to a change in the sling suppliers.
It was listed as the sling normally supplied with the Model 52 Target and Model 54 Sporting rifles but was available as an option for all other Winchester rifles, including the first year of production Model 69 in 1935. As with the subsequent 3256 sling, the 3266 was offered in dark russet brown and light russet brown colors although the same part number (3266) was applied to each.
3266 Type 1A – Listed as an optional accessory for the 69 models (not 69A); supplied as original equipment on the Model 52 Target and Model 54 Sporting rifles. The 3266 was only offered in Winchester catalogs from 1934 through 1935.
Clarence, I am working on the Model 75 book now but a 52 book in the future is not out of the question. It will take at least 800+ pages and likely have to be in 2 volumes. Keep saving your pennies.
Hope that helps.
Best Regards,
Jeff
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
JWA said
Clarence, I am working on the Model 75 book now but a 52 book in the future is not out of the question. It will take at least 800+ pages and likely have to be in 2 volumes. Keep saving your pennies.
Hope that helps.
Best Regards,
Jeff
Larry & I hope we’re still around if & when it materializes. But 800 pages! If it were broken down into pre- & post-war variants, I wouldn’t need Vol. II!
The catalog in which I found the sling no. was dated 1933, & it includes a price list dated August, 1933.
clarence said
The catalog in which I found the sling no. was dated 1933, & it includes a price list dated August, 1933.
Good call! I used the component parts catalogs for the info but you are correct, it did appear in the prior year. There was usually a delay before it hit the next years component catalog.
I made the revision for the future 2nd edition of the 69 book, thanks!
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
So, you are saying M52 Targets all came with a sling after 1934? I have owned probably 30 M52’s and not one came with a sling. My 1927 Slowlock had a tattered Kerr M1917 on it, but doubtful it came from the factory with it. The rifle is 98% and the sling, well, not so nice. The M52 book states that the Kerr was an option in 1931 and perhaps earlier. I put that sling on it, due to not having a 1918 dated M1907, or at the very least, a undated M1907 with brass Frogs. When I collected US militaria, all my rifles and shotguns had proper, dated, slings in the best condition possible. I was anal about that. Big Larry
Nope, not saying they all came with slings, it depended upon the model and vintage whether it was supplied with a sling or not.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
Big Larry said
So, you are saying M52 Targets all came with a sling after 1934? Big Larry
Don’t believe the factory was prone to giving slings, or anything else, away. But they could be ordered at extra cost with a gun, though as you say probably few did so. What was the company’s “thing” about the Kerr slings, I wonder? They have certain advantages for military use, but were NOT commonly used by target shooters–just look at photos of shooters at Camp Perry, Sea Girt, etc. in the ’20s & ’30s. Like new surplus M1907 slings could be bought for less than the cost of a Kerr, so why was Winchester pushing them?
Good question, they had them in the catalogs for years. Maybe because post wwI doughboys were familiar with them?
Don’t know the answer but I am not a fan of them, I prefer a more rigid sling for target shooting.
Most of my shooters wear a Turner 1907 style sling, the design is still useful after more than 100 years.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
M1907’s are great slings if you can figure out how to use them. All the new M16’s have the M1 type sling which is much easier to use. Of course, the match rifles are still using the M1907 types My M52-C BULLGUN sports a 1943 dated military M1907, but I cannot use it. It is on it for looks. My Garand and Trench gun have WW2 dated M1907’s. I think of all my Winchester 22’s, the only one with the correct factory sling, is my M60-A Target with the less than 1″ Kerr. Oh, I forgot my 2 M69-A Match and Target rifles, and one late M75 have original slings. All correct Winchester slings are very hard to find loose. Big Larry
Yep, they are hard to find for sure, they were a perishable item.
The Model 60A Target, 75 Sporting, 75 Target, 69A Match and 69A Target all came standard with the “Winchester” supplied slings as well as a large number of center fire rifles so Winchester did “give them away” but I don’t know the reason for some models and not others. I put Winchester in quotes because they did not make any of the slings themselves.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
JWA said
I put Winchester in quotes because they did not make any of the slings themselves.
Much more cost-effective to buy them from a leather products maker then set up their own leather shop; but why not mark them with the company name? Good advertising that would have cost almost nothing.
clarence said
JWA said
I put Winchester in quotes because they did not make any of the slings themselves.Much more cost-effective to buy them from a leather products maker then set up their own leather shop; but why not mark them with the company name? Good advertising that would have cost almost nothing.
I think some of the later slings were marked “Winchester”. Big Larry
clarence said
Much more cost-effective to buy them from a leather products maker then set up their own leather shop; but why not mark them with the company name? Good advertising that would have cost almost nothing.
I agree, it would have made sense from a marketing standpoint, they certainly put their name on everything else. At one point they had at least 3 different suppliers for the slings (not counting the Kerr products) so maybe it was too much of a hassle?
Larry is correct in that some of the post 1963 slings were marked with the Winchester logo. Most of those came from Winchester Canada.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
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