Today, I was perusing my favorite gun site, Guns International, and I spotted a pretty scarce late M74 with the grooved receiver. I called and it was still there, so I bought it. A good 98%er and made the last year, 1955. I already have a nice M74 from 1947, but this is a different animal. I have to learn to keep off these gun sites or I will go broke. Big Larry
Very nice – Congrats!
I don’t want to put you in the poor house but here is what you need for a complete set of the 74’s;
G7401R | Model 74 & Model 74 “A” |
1939-1952 | .22 Automatic Rifle,Tubular Magazine, .22 Short, 75D Front Sight, Open Sporting 32B/32E Rear Sight |
G7402R | Model 74 & Model 74 “A” |
1939-1955 | .22 Automatic Rifle, Tubular Magazine, .22 Long Rifle, 75D Front Sight, Open Sporting 32B/32E Rear Sight |
G7411R | Model 74 | 1939-1941 | .22 Automatic Rifle, Tubular Magazine, .22 Short, 75D Front Sight, Rear 88A Peep Sight |
G7412R | Model 74 & Model 74 “A” |
1939-1951 | .22 Automatic Rifle, Tubular Magazine, .22 Long Rifle, 75D Front Sight, Rear 88A Peep Sight |
G7421R | Model 74 & Model 74 “A” |
1939-1952 | .22 Automatic Rifle, Tubular Magazine, .22 Short Rifle, Gallery Special (with shell deflector), 75D Front Sight, Open Sporting 32B/32E Rear Sight |
5 Winchester catalog numbers and 9 total major variations (not counting the scoped options). The G7411R (.22 short with the 88A rear sight) is particularly hard to find since it was only made for a couple of pre-war years. Grab it if you find one, they don’t wander by often.
Keep up the good work!
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
Not to my knowledge. There was a factory option for Winchester scope bases on the pre-war 74’s but no record of any post war scope option except for Lyman and it is likely that even if there was a special order request for something other than a Lyman mount it would not be for one of the cheapest aftermarket mounts available at the time.
Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
November 7, 2015

Don’t worry, Big Larry. Jeff has proven that it’s impossible to have too many .22’s.
TXGunNut said
Don’t worry, Big Larry. Jeff has proven that it’s impossible to have too many .22’s.![]()
I have also proven Larry’s point in that it is easy to go broke collecting them……
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
JWA said
… and it is likely that even if there was a special order request for something other than a Lyman mount it would not be for one of the cheapest aftermarket mounts available at the time. Regards,
I take it that you do not like the Weaver mounts, unless you meant inexpensive by the word cheap. I find them rather strong and dependable.
Vince
Southern Oregon
NRA member
Fraternal Order of Eagles
“There is but one answer to be made to the dynamite bomb and that can best be made by the Winchester rifle.”
Teddy Roosevelt
Vince said
I take it that you do not like the Weaver mounts, unless you meant inexpensive by the word cheap. I find them rather strong and dependable.
I am sorry for the confusion as I meant “most inexpensive” but out of laziness used the word “cheapest” since they are synonyms and cheapest has fewer characters to type. They are great, simple, stout mounts and William R. Weaver was the innovator of creating low-cost scopes and mounts for the common man. They were also very easily attached as many were mounted by the end user with simple tools at home which is yet another reason I doubt if a low-cost Winchester .22 was ever special ordered with a N style mount.
My only misgiving with the N style mounts are the large holes required on the side of the receiver, but since holes are required for most mounting systems that is the cost of adding a scope. Here is the result of an N-mount (among others) installed by the end user……….
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
November 7, 2015

Fondled my first 74 today. Nice enough. Cheap enough. Then I saw four holes at about 10 o’clock on the left side of the receiver.
TXGunNut said
Fondled my first 74 today. Nice enough. Cheap enough. Then I saw four holes at about 10 o’clock on the left side of the receiver.
Yep, those are probably holes for the inexpensive Weaver mount. The Echo mount holes were a little lower than 10 o’clock.
Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
JWA said
Vince said
I take it that you do not like the Weaver mounts, unless you meant inexpensive by the word cheap. I find them rather strong and dependable.
I am sorry for the confusion as I meant “most inexpensive” but out of laziness used the word “cheapest” since they are synonyms and cheapest has fewer characters to type. They are great, simple, stout mounts and William R. Weaver was the innovator of creating low-cost scopes and mounts for the common man. They were also very easily attached as many were mounted by the end user with simple tools at home which is yet another reason I doubt if a low-cost Winchester .22 was ever special ordered with a N style mount.
My only misgiving with the N style mounts are the large holes required on the side of the receiver, but since holes are required for most mounting systems that is the cost of adding a scope. Here is the result of an N-mount (among others) installed by the end user……….
Best Regards,
OMG!!! Oh the humanity!!! Mc Donalds could make a cheeseburger out of that one. Big Larry
Yes, but on the bright side I have 10 Hatcher holes in the event of a case rupture………
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
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