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Winchester 61 Smoothbore - Real or Fake?
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Cole Vejraska
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October 17, 2025 - 5:28 am
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Hello! Not many pictures on this listing, overall condition looks good, but it hasn’t appreciated in price much…I feel like I notice a couple of things that make me wonder if there has been some alterations? Just trying to learn a bit more about the Smoothbore offerings. Thanks!

 

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1128509563

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steve004
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October 17, 2025 - 11:53 am
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I don’t have great knowledge about these but several here do.  I suspect they’ll be along.

What does strike me favorably about potential legitimacy is that it doesn’t include the, “original box” and it’s not in flat new condition.  

You mentioned it hasn’t, “appreciated in price much.”  As this is an auction, many of the most interested bidders are not going to jump in until just before the auction ends.  Auctions can really explode at the end.  

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twobit
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October 17, 2025 - 10:53 pm
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Cole Vejraska said
Hello! Not many pictures on this listing, overall condition looks good, but it hasn’t appreciated in price much…I feel like I notice a couple of things that make me wonder if there has been some alterations? Just trying to learn a bit more about the Smoothbore offerings. Thanks!
 
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1128509563
  

Hello Cole,

In my survey of the Model 61 rifles this one falls in a small group of identical counter bore shot only rifles.  I don’t see anything obvious that looks suspicious.

Michael

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Model 1892 / Model 61 Collector, Research, Valuation

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Cole Vejraska
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October 18, 2025 - 12:36 am
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Thank you for that information! The survey information would be a pretty firm confirmation to its originality in my opinion…again, I don’t know a lot. Maybe just the picture? But something about the “for shot only” barrel marking looks off is the main thing that I see. I also didn’t know if a grooved receiver was a standard? Appreciate the insight from both of you, thanks! 

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twobit
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October 18, 2025 - 12:41 am
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Cole Vejraska said
Thank you for that information! The survey information would be a pretty firm confirmation to its originality in my opinion…again, I don’t know a lot. Maybe just the picture? But something about the “for shot only” barrel marking looks off is the main thing that I see. I also didn’t know if a grooved receiver was a standard? Appreciate the insight from both of you, thanks! 
  

The Model 61 receiver top began to be grooved right around SN 215000 during 1954.  Obviously that feature doesn’t make sense for shat is basically a very small bore shotgun but ALL receiver were grooved for scope mounts regardless of what barrel was attached to them.

Michael

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Model 1892 / Model 61 Collector, Research, Valuation

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