Fred Dull said
this letter said the 73 was the first rim fire instead of the first center fire the serial number in this letter i own that gun.
D.C. Merrill writes like an 8th-grade drop-out, that, or a dope-head. Letter says “no record” of this serial. So why is he talking about RFs? Does he mean rifle was built as a RF & converted to .38 WCF? Letter is incomprehensible.
Your gun must have a blank line in the ledger. Its not unheard of. Whoever wrote the letter obviously make a mistake. I’ve read some of the responses to inquiries by Winchester in the McCracken Research Library during the 50’s and they went through a couple drafts before sending them out.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
1873man said
Your gun must have a blank line in the ledger. Its not unheard of. Whoever wrote the letter obviously make a mistake. I’ve read some of the responses to inquiries by Winchester in the McCracken Research Library during the 50’s and they went through a couple drafts before sending them out.
Tom Hall never wrote anything as asinine as this.
clarence said
D.C. Merrill writes like an 8th-grade drop-out, that, or a dope-head. Letter says “no record” of this serial. So why is he talking about RFs? Does he mean rifle was built as a RF & converted to .38 WCF? Letter is incomprehensible.
He was talking about the production history of the 73. If you replace “rim” with “center fire” it makes sense. In 1946 the 73 didn’t have much interest in it besides a discontinued gun. After the Movie came out, interest in them took off.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
1873man said
He was talking about the production history of the 73. If you replace “rim” with “center fire” it makes sense.
Bob
Even so, what’s the relevance of all that extraneous BS to Mr. Franck’s inquiry about the parts he needed?
But to a more interesting point: can anyone here tell me without resorting to Google who the most celebrated resident of Wellsboro, Pa, was? (Hint–not Mr. Franck.)
I believe this letter is in direct response to an inquiry made of the “Winchester Service Department” and since we don’t have the initial inquiry we might be taking some things out of context. Also, the 1873 was the first .22 rimfire that Winchester produced so the (poorly written) response may be in regards to that historical fact, so if you add “.22” in front of rimfire that works also. Just my thoughts…..
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
Fred Dull said
this letter said the 73 was the first rim fire instead of the first center fire the serial number in this letter i own that gun.
I agree with Jeff and I think you guys are miss reading the letter, or the writer’s intent with the statement in said letter. The letter is speaking in broad terms and is correctly stating that Winchester’s first Rifle in .22 Rimfire is the Model 73.
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
Maverick said I agree with Jeff and I think you guys are miss reading the letter, or the writer’s intent with the statement in said letter. The letter is speaking in broad terms and is correctly stating that Winchester’s first Rifle in .22 Rimfire is the Model 73.
Maybe so, but WTF does that have to do with the subject .38 WCF rifle of Mr Franck’s inquiry? Poor guy inquired about certain parts he needed, & received this incoherent ramble? Why not throw in that the first .22 RF was mfg by S&W? (Except I seriously doubt Mr Merrill had ever heard of that fact.)
Chuck said
I still like the letter. It shows how far we have come since 1946. I bet there wasn’t as much of a concern for details as there is now.
Not true at all if you’re referring to the company as a whole. Internal memos discussing product development, improvements, or problems are painstakingly detailed. Anyway, concern for details & lucidity are two different matters.
clarence said
Chuck said
I still like the letter. It shows how far we have come since 1946. I bet there wasn’t as much of a concern for details as there is now.
Not true at all if you’re referring to the company as a whole. Internal memos discussing product development, improvements, or problems are painstakingly detailed. Anyway, concern for details & lucidity are two different matters.
I was referring to the “Factory Letters” or whatever they may have been called for this type of response to a customer 78 years ago.
I am not going to get involved in this dribble of what was or wasn’t said in the letter. I will state that my earliest letter is dated 1968, so to me a letter from ‘ 45 is really quite interesting. BTW Clarence, do you have a letter that old? Why do you continually disparage others? Really unbecoming of someone of your supposed intellect.
oldcrankyyankee said
I am not going to get involved in this dribble of what was or wasn’t said in the letter. I will state that my earliest letter is dated 1968, so to me a letter from ‘ 45 is really quite interesting. BTW Clarence, do you have a letter that old? Why do you continually disparage others? Really unbecoming of someone of your supposed intellect.
Others? Which others? I was receiving letters from Tom Hall when I was in HS in the late ’50s.
Is this gratuitous & irrelevant comment of yours an example of what you mean by “disparaging others”?
clarence said
Maverick said I agree with Jeff and I think you guys are miss reading the letter, or the writer’s intent with the statement in said letter. The letter is speaking in broad terms and is correctly stating that Winchester’s first Rifle in .22 Rimfire is the Model 73.
Maybe so, but
WTFdoes that have to do with the subject .38 WCF rifle of Mr Franck’s inquiry? Poor guy inquired about certain parts he needed, & received this incoherent ramble? Why not throw in that the first .22 RF was mfg by S&W? (Except I seriously doubt Mr Merrill had ever heard of that fact.)
The next time you use that term on this forum, you will be banned from this website for a 6-month period. Try acting like an adult!
Bert – Admin
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
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