Steve has one a few serial digits off that wears the 88/100 buttplate. By 1960, the last year of production, most of them did. They downgraded the appearance of an expensive rifle to the point at least one owner fixed it with what was available, I suppose. Particularly if he wanted to adjust LOP. 

My rifle came to me with what I've just illustrated. I just saw this GI auction and somebody else did the same thing.

I can't complain very much because it -- and a couple of other anomalies -- made my dealer believe it was a parts gun. It isn't but I bought it in 2002 for $950. 

Bert

Per Pogo, who wudda thunk it?  The linked auction is of a 1956 vintage Model 52C that has been restored and is at auction on Guns International. It has the exact same, thin brown Pachmayr recoil pad as mine.  (The images attached here are of my rifle, not the auctioned gun.)

Now, I know from Seewin that my 1960 specimen very probably wore a plastic buttplate identical to the one installed on the Model 88 and Model 100. As Winchester began to run low on the checkered steel diamond screw bezel buttplates previously standard for 52 Sporting models, the cheap plastic job became the substitute standard. At some point after mine left New Haven, a prior owner discarded the plastic buttplate and installed a Pachmayr pad, maintaining the factory LOP plus a little bit. 

I haven't been able to download the GI pix but you can see by following the link that the pad on the 1956 specimen is identical to mine, except mine shows more wear. 

I never expected to see its duplicate. I wonder if it's coincidence or if there are more?

Tony

I was hoping that someone had found a drop-in replacement from Numrich, MGW, Wolff, etc., perhaps designed for another application, but which would be workable.

There's a local shop selling vintage parts here in DFW (Lee's Gun Parts) who may have something; I'll try them first.

Sorry, I don't have a 10 round 22 Short magazine (or spring) to compare against, so wouldn't know what to look for.

I would also contact Wisner's, they make the current 5-rd magazine springs and maybe can make you one the correct length for the 10rd magazine.

I am looking for a .22 Short 10rd spring and they are unobtainium.

Best Regards,

I haven't found anything specifically made for it, and while I see a few that might work, I would rather not do this by trial and error.

Thanks!

...and thanks for the tag pic, Jeff. I may still make one to put on there to remind me!

Thank you so much ! I'll post pics tomorrow night

Your Model 74 was made in 1939 (the second year of production).  

To clean the 74 it is VERY easy!  Make sure the rifle and magazine are empty.  You can remove the bolt by depressing the cross pin "button" at the back of the receiver, this should allow the complete bolt assembly to slide out of the back of the receiver.  That is all the disassembly that is recommended for routine cleaning.  Flush off the bolt, lightly oil and use a bore snake or cleaning rod from the breech end and you are good to go!

A couple of cautions, NEVER EVER cock the rifle with the safety in the safe "S" position!  This can (and does many times) completely jam the action as the bolt gets hooked on the safety spring internally and it is difficult to fix.  Winchester provided a warning card stating this but most of them are lost to time (see image below).

Also, it is a "takedown" model but be aware of a few things when doing so, first, the magazine tube must be removed or slid rearward for the action to separate from the stock so that is step "one".  There is a small spring in the stock under the end of the magazine tube that provides upward pressure on the tube.  It is not held in place by anything other than a little pressure and usually falls out on the floor when you are not looking.  The rifle will function without it but will misfeed once in awhile without the constant spring pressure.

Finally, if you take the rifle out of the stock, make sure the trigger spring is correctly reseated (hooked on both sides of the trigger).

Other than those quirks they are GREAT rifles, enjoy!

Best Regards,

Thanks ! Ed

MidwestCrisis said
Pre 1984 penny I’ve found will work kind of like a file.  You can feel the rough spot under it until it smooths out.  
  

My favorite as well. My gun work stand has a couple old pennies in a little puddle of light oil always. I have not tried a newer penny, prolly work the same. A few years from now they will all be old pennies.

JWA's detailed analysis is a tiny example of his work he's put together in his books. You will be amazed at his work as those books will be a lifelong reference material that can be gone back to over and over again! Enjoy!

Tony

JWA said
Hi Upnorthairgunner,
You are correct, the 6-groove barrel was changed to a 4-groove in 1948 and the trigger was serrated commencing in May of 1949 on the common 69A models such as the 6901 and 6902.  However, the Model 69A Match (G6941R) was a slow seller after WWII and the component changes tended to lag on it compared to the other 69A models.  An example of that is the straight, down-turned bolt handles, all of the other 69A catalog models got the upgraded swept bolt handles in September of 1948 whereas the Model 69A Match and 69A Target continued to be supplied with the leftover straight handles until 1952 when both those models were discontinued. 
So, to be safe, I stated 1948-1952 as your date range but with all of your early features combined you are correct in that it is very likely a late 1947 or early 1948 rifle, but the slim possibility exists that it could have been slightly later so I hedged my statement.  I should also explain that I excluded 1946-1947 from the date range because your Lyman sight has the later block style "57EW" marking, the post-war 1946 and early 1947 Lyman sights were marked differently.
Sorry for the confusion.
Best Regards,
  

Thank you so much for that detailed analysis! I can't wait for your books to arrive!