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I have decided to narrow my ‘retirement’ collecting to single shot centerfires. I have a little ranch in the Ozarks, and as a gunsmith have a range built to test fire guns, and to enjoy shooting my own rifles. I have sold all but one rifle from my 1894 Winchester collection, and have bought an Uberti High Wall and Pedersoli Sharps. I enjoyed shooting the High Wall more than the Sharps, and would like to start collecting the Winchester High Walls. I have held off buying the Winchesters because on the ones I’ve seen priced reasonably the Winchester stamping is missing on the upper tang. This seems to be quite common. Did Winchester stamp the upper tang for some runs, and delete the stamping on others??? Thanks, Steve
Hello Steve,
Winchester did not stamp (mark) any of the upper tangs on the Single Shot rifles until late in the production (late 1910 or early 1911), after serial number 108000.
I can’t think of a better (or more interesting) Winchester to collect… but I might be just a tad bit biased in that opinion.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
You are welcome, and good luck with the shopping expedition!
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
November 7, 2015
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Steve F. said
Thanks Bert, I appreciate the info. Time to go shopping.
Happy hunting! Take your time and do your research, the right one will come along if you’re willing to wait for it.
Mike
“Happy hunting! Take your time and do your research, the right one will come along if you’re willing to wait for it.”
Thanks Mike. I just dug my Winter 2021 issue out and read Bert’s list of calibers, and percentages. I passed on a 25-35 last month, and now I’m kicking myself. That’s one of my favorite calibers. I reload for 45-70, 45-60, 30-40, 30WCF, 38-55, 32-40, and 25-35, so those are the calibers I’ll be pursuing.-Steve
Bert H. said
Hello Steve,
Winchester did not stamp (mark) any of the upper tangs on the Single Shot rifles until late in the production (late 1910 or early 1911), after serial number 108000.
I can’t think of a better (or more interesting) Winchester to collect… but I might be just a tad bit biased in that opinion.
Bert
Some collectors focus on a particular model and try to get a least one of each cataloged chambering. I never set out to do that but have done it anyway. Let’s see, I accomplished that with the Model 71… 
… and the Model 1892…. and the Model 1894.
It would be a very interesting challenge to attempt this with the Winchester Single Shot rifle.
steve004 said
Some collectors focus on a particular model and try to get a least one of each cataloged chambering. I never set out to do that but have done it anyway. Let’s see, I accomplished that with the Model 71…
It would be a very interesting challenge to attempt this with the Winchester Single Shot rifle.
He would have to buy about 8 dozen guns to get one in each caliber. Heck I teased Bert about getting a box of ammo for each caliber and he wasn’t interested for some reason. 
Chuck said
steve004 said
Some collectors focus on a particular model and try to get a least one of each cataloged chambering. I never set out to do that but have done it anyway. Let’s see, I accomplished that with the Model 71…
It would be a very interesting challenge to attempt this with the Winchester Single Shot rifle.
He would have to buy about 8 dozen guns to get one in each caliber. Heck I teased Bert about getting a box of ammo for each caliber and he wasn’t interested for some reason.
This sounds like a task for a very young man… with a very big bank account.
I don’t think that it would “8 dozen”, but it would be a sizeable number. I have boxes of ammo for at least 2-dozen calibers that I have not acquired rifles for (yet), so I am much closer to that goal.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert H. said
I don’t think that it would “8 dozen”, but it would be a sizeable number. I have boxes of ammo for at least 2-dozen calibers that I have not acquired rifles for (yet), so I am much closer to that goal.
Bert
I’m not going to go back and count them again but…Years ago you sent me a list and recently you did an article on this. 7 dozen is not off by much. Since the 85 shot almost all if not all of the standard calibers I can say I have a few dozen boxes too. I’m short 85’s by about 6-1/2 dozen.
Aside from loving the really big bore rifles (e.g. .577 Eley, .500 Eley, .50-100-450)… I would also love to have one in .33 WCF 
steve004 said
I would also love to have one in .33 WCF
As would I, but the odds are really slim. There were (5) rifles in that cartridge that letter, and at least one more in the non-letterable range. I suspect that the total production in 33 WCF was < 10. The good news is that I already have several nice factory boxes of ammo for it
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Scored my first one last night in 38-55. I’ll post pics when it arrives.
Steve F. said
Scored my first one last night in 38-55. I’ll post pics when it arrives.
I will look forward to seeing them…
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
November 7, 2015
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I
Steve F. said
“Happy hunting! Take your time and do your research, the right one will come along if you’re willing to wait for it.”Thanks Mike. I just dug my Winter 2021 issue out and read Bert’s list of calibers, and percentages. I passed on a 25-35 last month, and now I’m kicking myself. That’s one of my favorite calibers. I reload for 45-70, 45-60, 30-40, 30WCF, 38-55, 32-40, and 25-35, so those are the calibers I’ll be pursuing.-Steve
I passed on a nice enough 32-40 1885 when I first got interested in the model. I didn’t like the cartridge. A few years later a much better rifle, again in 32-40, came along. I wisely overcame my prejudice against the cartridge and allowed it to follow me home.
Mike
November 7, 2015
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Steve F. said
Scored my first one last night in 38-55. I’ll post pics when it arrives.
Congrats, Steve! Hope it lives up to your expectations, looking forward to seeing it.
Mike
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