Avatar
Search
Forum Scope




Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
Lost password?
sp_Feed sp_PrintTopic sp_TopicIcon
Etched Engraving
Avatar
antler1
Member
WACA Member
Forum Posts: 191
Member Since:
June 12, 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
1
November 18, 2025 - 4:20 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

Did Winchester ever provide an etched engraved firearm from the factory. Are there any well-known aftermarket etched engravers?

Avatar
Maverick
Member
WACA Member
Forum Posts: 2062
Member Since:
May 23, 2009
sp_UserOnlineSmall Online
2
November 18, 2025 - 4:29 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

Off hand I can’t think of any good examples. But it is my understanding that there are few factory etched engraved Winchesters and they are very rare. 

I’m not aware of any “well known” aftermarket engravers using the etching process. But would highly suspect any etched Winchester to be aftermarket. 

 

I believe there is a well known 4 digit Model 94 with a factory etched receiver that I recall. But I’ll have to dig to find it. May be in Bob Renneberg’s book.

Sincerely,

Maverick

Avatar
Bert H.
Kingston, WA
Admin
Forum Posts: 13331
Member Since:
April 15, 2005
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
3
November 18, 2025 - 6:41 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

antler1 said
Did Winchester ever provide an etched engraved firearm from the factory. Are there any well-known aftermarket etched engravers?
  

Extremely unlikely.  It would have to be clearly documented in the ledger records.

Bert

WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
High-walls-1-002-C-reduced2.jpg

Avatar
antler1
Member
WACA Member
Forum Posts: 191
Member Since:
June 12, 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
4
November 18, 2025 - 7:23 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

Bert H. said

antler1 said
Did Winchester ever provide an etched engraved firearm from the factory. Are there any well-known aftermarket etched engravers?
  

Extremely unlikely.  It would have to be clearly documented in the ledger records.
Bert
  

Bert: A friend sent me this link of a past sale at Poulin auction. I find the hand written letter by Maddis very interesting.

https://bid.poulinauctions.com/WINCHESTER-ACID-ETCH-ENGRAVED-MODEL-1892-DELUXE_i46599606

Avatar
1873man
Wisconsin
Member
WACA Member
Forum Posts: 4765
Member Since:
May 2, 2009
sp_UserOnlineSmall Online
5
November 18, 2025 - 7:24 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

I have never seen a ledger entry for acid etch only “Engraved”. I have seen 73’s that were acid etched afterward. 

Bob

WACA Life Member---
NRA Life Member----
Cody Firearms member since 1991
Researching the Winchester 1873's

73_86cutaway.jpg

Email: [email protected]

Avatar
twobit
Member
WACA Member
Forum Posts: 2550
Member Since:
March 20, 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
6
November 18, 2025 - 9:09 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

I first saw that 1892 Listed on Guns International in 2019.  At that time it had a different front sight than that shown in the Poulin listing in 2022.   The correct serial number is 848793.  It’s kind of weird that George references the incorrect SN several times.  My notes show that the gun sold for $8000 at Poulin.

101160922_63837_34FE62E341F7943F.jpegImage Enlarger

101160922_63837_56E0F01C339AB254.jpegImage Enlarger
101160922_63837_64E8178BE09D2828.jpegImage Enlarger
101160922_63837_618D1136AB68C4CA.jpegImage Enlarger
101160922_63837_4849B98D0F0F099A.jpegImage Enlarger
101160922_63837_CF1FBB3F92F9E500.jpegImage Enlarger
101160922_63837_D16C69ED61089CCE.jpegImage Enlarger

Michael

Signature-Pic.jpg

 

Model 1892 / Model 61 Collector, Research, Valuation

Avatar
Bert H.
Kingston, WA
Admin
Forum Posts: 13331
Member Since:
April 15, 2005
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
7
November 18, 2025 - 10:11 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

antler1 said

Bert H. said

antler1 said
Did Winchester ever provide an etched engraved firearm from the factory. Are there any well-known aftermarket etched engravers?
  

Extremely unlikely.  It would have to be clearly documented in the ledger records.
Bert
  

Bert: A friend sent me this link of a past sale at Poulin auction. I find the hand written letter by Maddis very interesting.
https://bid.poulinauctions.com/WINCHESTER-ACID-ETCH-ENGRAVED-MODEL-1892-DELUXE_i46599606
  

Pat,

I do not trust any of the Madis letters as “authentic” configuration… I have seen too many of them that do not agree with the original Winchester ledger records.

As for the rifle in question, I am 99.999% certain that it was not acid etched by Winchester.

Bert

WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
High-walls-1-002-C-reduced2.jpg

Avatar
Zebulon
Texas
Member
WACA Member
Forum Posts: 1381
Member Since:
January 20, 2023
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
8
November 18, 2025 - 10:28 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

antler1 said
Did Winchester ever provide an etched engraved firearm from the factory. Are there any well-known aftermarket etched engravers?
  

At least according to the late Don Zutz,  The Pigeon Grade versions of the Winchester 101 were “engraved” by a combination of acid etching and hand engraving, which was done at the Olin-Kodensha plant in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.   I have not seen or heard this allegation made anywhere else.

Of course, there would be no record of that work in New Haven unless it would be in plans and specifications, etc. for the Japanese Winchesters.  

I realize that the question probably was intended to elicit responses about works of the New Haven Custom Shop but I throw this in on the off-chance.13.3-receiver-left.jpgImage Enlarger

10-gun-in-case.jpgImage Enlarger
13-receiver-right-bottom-detail.jpgImage Enlarger

- Bill 

 

WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist

"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Avatar
Chuck
Member
WACA Member
Forum Posts: 6043
Member Since:
March 31, 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
9
November 19, 2025 - 5:05 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

Bert H. said

Pat,
I do not trust any of the Madis letters as “authentic” configuration… I have seen too many of them that do not agree with the original Winchester ledger records.

  

I agree.  We used to see a lot of Madis letters for guns that needed an explanation for something out of the norm.  

Avatar
1873man
Wisconsin
Member
WACA Member
Forum Posts: 4765
Member Since:
May 2, 2009
sp_UserOnlineSmall Online
10
November 19, 2025 - 7:34 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

I assume Madis got paid for his letters so who is going to pay for a letter that knocks your gun down.

Bob

WACA Life Member---
NRA Life Member----
Cody Firearms member since 1991
Researching the Winchester 1873's

73_86cutaway.jpg

Email: [email protected]

Avatar
Bert H.
Kingston, WA
Admin
Forum Posts: 13331
Member Since:
April 15, 2005
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
11
November 19, 2025 - 7:50 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

1873man said
I assume Madis got paid for his letters so who is going to pay for a letter that knocks your gun down.
Bob
  

Bob,

When I write a letter for someone who has asked, I tell it like it is.  To do otherwise is simple dishonestly.  I do ask the person requesting a letter if they want “the whole truth and nothing but the truth” before writing the letter.

Bert

WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
High-walls-1-002-C-reduced2.jpg

Forum Timezone: UTC 0
Most Users Ever Online: 5406
Currently Online: 1873man, Maverick, deerhunter, Bill Jokela, Tedk, Ben, Glshuck
Guest(s) 395
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
clarence: 7119
TXGunNut: 6711
Chuck: 6043
steve004: 5299
1873man: 4765
deerhunter: 2757
Big Larry: 2578
twobit: 2550
mrcvs: 2276
Maverick: 2062
Newest Members:
Pjlukefahr
Akreps
Big Mike 56
Papawsguns
ColtManCookson
Old-timer
Wdkirk01
F54
BPJACK
Badger557
Forum Stats:
Groups: 1
Forums: 18
Topics: 15079
Posts: 135556

 

Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 2057
Members: 10229
Moderators: 3
Admins: 4
Administrators: Mike Hager, Bert H., JWA, SethJ
Moderators: Rob Kassab, Brad Dunbar, Heather
Navigation