FrioTx said
JWA,In your opinion do you think the Western front sight on my 56 is from the factory ? Was it a special order? Was that sight offered on other Winchesters?
Those are good questions.
The Western patent front globe sight predates the Lyman 17 which was offered by Winchester commencing with the 1929 catalog as their preferred front globe sight for .22 rimfire rifles. The Western Gunsight Co. was founded in 1909 by John Redfield but in the late 1920’s the Western Cartridge Co. did not like the similarity of name to theirs so he renamed it the “Redfield Gunsight Co”. I don’t know exactly when in the late 20’s that change occurred but it is not outside the realm for a 1927 or 1928 Redfield globe sight to still be marked as “Western”.
So, it is certainly possible that the Western patent globe sight is original to your rifle but unfortunately there is no way to verify it for certain. The best I can offer is that it is period correct to the original manufacture date of your rifle and it is a good height match for the Lyman 42W rear receiver sight. Perhaps someone else can chime in with more information.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire

Thank you. All great information very interesting. What about the filler dovetail which replaces the standard 40A barrel rear sight on my rifle? All the barrels were machined the same? Ready for sights? Then someone places an order for a 56 without need of a 40A standard sight, so Winchester fills the dovetail with an engraved plug. Is that how it happens? Seems like if the standard sight was going to be in the way the factory would have not put it on, instead of someone later (original owner lets say) having it removed and filled.
FrioTx said
Thank you. All great information very interesting. What about the filler dovetail which replaces the standard 40A barrel rear sight on my rifle? All the barrels were machined the same? Ready for sights? Then someone places an order for a 56 without need of a 40A standard sight, so Winchester fills the dovetail with an engraved plug. Is that how it happens? Seems like if the standard sight was going to be in the way the factory would have not put it on, instead of someone later (original owner lets say) having it removed and filled.
Yes, all of the 56 barrels were machined the same and had the barrel rear sight dovetail on all of the Lyman 42W equipped models I have seen. If a model 56 was provided with the Lyman 42W rear sight instead of the standard 40A Winchester simply installed a blank in the rear sight dovetail. The 42W was an offered upgrade for the Model 56 (all of them were already D&T’d for it) but very few were sold as the small aperture was not as handy on a sporting rifle as the 40A open sight and the cost was higher.
Now, having said that, Winchester made their own dovetail sight blanks (which were all unmarked). It is unlikely they would have used an aftermarket sight blank such as yours so I would assume your sight blank is not original to the rifle. Is your 42W sight marked “42W” or is it an unmarked 42W? In general, most of the Lyman sights supplied by Winchester as factory equipment on the 56 were unmarked and the Lyman aftermarket sights were marked “42W” to indicate the model and application.
Hope that helps.
Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire

My 42w rear sight is simply marked Lyman. The sight blank is unmarked except for the engraved Bighorn Sheep’s Head . Which always seemed a little inappropriate for a 22. So, maybe that’s the telltale sign of an after market? It’s all fitted really nice however. Perhaps at some shop in Denver all they had was a sight blank that was meant for a larger caliber rifle? Very interesting, I’m just happy to have had this little rifle all these years and grateful for all the information.
Thanks again!
Since it is unmarked (no 42W) it indicates it could possibly be original to the rifle or was removed from another 56 or 57. The bluing process used on the Winchester rear sight dovetail blanks during that era tended to flake off and look ugly. I suppose it is possible that the rear blank was swapped to improve the look of the rifle, possibly to improve it’s shelf-appeal and resale value when sold at the Denver shop although we will probably never know.
The Model 56 is one of my all time favorite Winchester sporting rifles. It is well machined and finished, lightweight, handy and points as easily as a Luger. The Schnabel forend gives it an elegant curving grace that really sets it apart from other models. You have an excellent heirloom to pass down.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
PaCoTx said
model 56
22 lr
sn18044
been in my family since new.
Thank you Sir!
I did not have that one in the survey.
Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire

I have the following that’s been in the family since new:
Model 56 Winchester Long R
SN 7667
Stainless Steel
Patent Dates: Nov. 25, 1919, Feb 17, 1920, Mar. 30, 1920, Mar, 27, 1923
Question: This rifle is missing the bolt. Removed and lost to prevent someone from taking it out and shooting it. Can it be replaced?
Denny
Dennydef said
I have the following that’s been in the family since new:Model 56 Winchester Long R
SN 7667
Stainless Steel
Patent Dates: Nov. 25, 1919, Feb 17, 1920, Mar. 30, 1920, Mar, 27, 1923
Question: This rifle is missing the bolt.
Removed and lost to prevent someone from taking it out and shooting it. Can it be replaced?
Denny
Thank you Sir!
Congratulations, you have a great family heirloom, I have added yours to the survey. The stainless steel barrel is fairly rare on the Model 56.
The bolts are identical for the Model 56 and Model 57 so either will work in your rifle. There were nearly 3 times as many Model 57’s made and over a longer period so they are easier to find. The bolts are available occasionally on eBay in the $100-$150 range. The early model 69 bolt is very similar and may be used with some slight fitting/modification in a pinch but your heirloom deserves the correct part for the future generations.
Thanks for posting here.
Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
JWA said
Dennydef said
I have the following that’s been in the family since new:Model 56 Winchester Long R
SN 7667
Stainless Steel
Patent Dates: Nov. 25, 1919, Feb 17, 1920, Mar. 30, 1920, Mar, 27, 1923
Question: This rifle is missing the bolt.
Removed and lost to prevent someone from taking it out and shooting it. Can it be replaced?
Denny
Thank you Sir!
Congratulations, you have a great family heirloom, I have added yours to the survey. The stainless steel barrel is fairly rare on the Model 56.
The bolts are identical for the Model 56 and Model 57 so either will work in your rifle. There were nearly 3 times as many Model 57’s made and over a longer period so they are easier to find. The bolts are available occasionally on eBay in the $100-$150 range. The early model 69 bolt is very similar and may be used with some slight fitting/modification in a pinch but your heirloom deserves the correct part for the future generations.
Thanks for posting here.
Regards,
Add to that, the fact that the bolts on the M56 and M57 were numbered to the rifle and that could pose a problem as they may have been hand fitted to an individual rifle. Big Larry
Hi Denny,
So there is no confusion, when we are talking about the “Model 69” we are referring to the early style produced from 1935 through 1938. The subsequent Model 69A has a completely different bolt which is NOT interchangeable with the 56/57.
To answer your question, the 56/57 bolt will physically fit in the Model 69 however it will not work perfectly since the 56/57 bolt did not have a rebounding firing pin and most of the Model 69 bolts have the updated rebounding firing pin which required a different sear angle and sear height. So, the bolts will fit and even possibly seem to function but it is not a safe combination since the sear to firing pin angles and heights will be mismatched and could easily cause the rifle to fire inadvertently.
As I mentioned, conversely, the 69 bolt can be used safely in the 56/57 with some slight modification, one of those modifications is to the firing pin sear catch angle to match the earlier sear angle on the 56/57. While this is a relatively minor modification it is best performed by an experienced gunsmith to insure proper and safe function. Again, your best course of action is to wait for the correct 56/57 bolt to come along.
I wouldn’t worry too much about using a mis-numbered 56/57 bolt as almost all of them are interchangeable. A simple check of the headspace, safety notch and a bump test are usually all that is required when installing a different bolt in a 56, 57 or 69. I have never found a 56/57 bolt that failed headspace when swapped with another rifle but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check anyway.
In the meantime, keep searching for the matching number original bolt as it will significantly increase the value of your rifle and eliminate the hassle of finding a replacement.
Here is a photo to illustrate the difference in the bolt assemblies between the non-rebounding firing pin (Model 56/57 TOP) and rebounding firing pin (Model 69 BOTTOM). By looking on the underside of the bolt you can see the notch cut for the rebounding firing pin. This notch is what mandated the sear angle and height change from the Model 56/57 to the 69.
This view is the underside of a Model 56/57 bolt assembly showing the non-rebounding firing pin without the notch. It also illustrates the rifle serial number etched onto the bolt body.
Here is the bolt comparison between the Model 56/57 (TOP) and early Model 69 (BOTTOM). Note the longer down-turned bolt handle on the 69 and smaller firing pin tip diameter.
Here is a 57 bolt currently listed on eBay (for an exorbitant price) but viewing the photos will give you an idea of what you need.
Update: I just noticed this one for a 56/57 on Gunbroker for a reasonable price – http://www.gunbroker.com/item/584173019 You probably won’t find one in decent condition much cheaper than that.
Hope that helps.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
Paul said
I have the .22 short
serial# 4496
can you tell me when it was manufactured and approx value?
Thanks
I suspect yours is a Model 56 manufactured in 1926 and with a 1926 barrel date but visual confirmation would be great. The 2 digit barrel date is located on the underside of the barrel in front of the receiver.
The Model 56 in .22 short is one of the harder rifles to find. Without seeing the condition of the rifle we can only give you a low/high value range. Bert can give you the actual Redbook values by condition. My estimate based on observing actual Model 56 rifles recently sold is $250 at the low end for a 10% gun with major issues such as a broken stock or drilled/tapped barrel up to about $3000 for an original, unmodified 98% specimen with the special order 42W rear sight.
Rebluing, added sling swivels, drilling/tapping for scope, stock refinishing, etc. all detract significantly from the overall value. If you email pictures to us we can give you a much more defined estimate as value is directly related to originality and condition.
Thanks for contributing to the survey!
Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
Bellevance said
Let me add my Model 56, #19758, short-only, with the stainless steel barrel. My father received it as a gift in 1930, when he was 13. He presented it to me in 1960, when I was 13.
Hi Don,
I already have your very rare Model 56 in the survey since you provided me the information on Rimfire Central 5 or 6 years ago.
For those that are unfamiliar with the Model 56, the .22 short chambering in the Model 56 is the least common configuration and, in addition to that, Bellevance’s rifle is a late production with an original Winchester stainless steel barrel.
The 56/57 survey currently has about 1.5% of the total production of the 56/57 logged and out of all those rifles only TWO are Model 56’s in .22 short with stainless barrels.
Thanks for posting the photos, they are a real treat!
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
Model 57 Target serial number 16046 with original blue. Unmarked filler block in the rear barrel dovetail, looks original to the gun with no marks or missed hits from installation. Lyman rear sight has Lyman only, no model number. The front sight is an early 17A Marked Lyman Reg US Pat., it is the 3/4″ shorter variation with nice original luster blue. Some very light hammer marks near the right side dovetail make me question the originality of it, plus the gun is too early for it anyway? Quite nice and high condition gun.
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