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June 19, 2019
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Hi All
I bought this model 53 as a shooter unseen off the internet. When it arrived the action was very dry with a hint of surface rust. I had my gunsmith disassemble, check, clean & lube it. I was happier to risk some cash on an unknown gun than hold something potentially explosive next to my face. He discovered a bulge in the barrel near the muzzle so counter bored it. He then shot a 3/4 inch group at 25 m at 1st attempt. The barrel looks excellent. The action works beautifully, better than a modern Rossi of similar design I used once. It may have been carried a bit but I didn’t think it had fired a lot of rounds. I wondered whether the barrel bulge had messed up the accuracy and it didn’t get fired a lot after that. Serial number showed 1925 manufacture. 32 20 was the commonest caliber here in Australia. Less bears here than USA.
I have a few questions and would be grateful for any info.
1. Is it original? It was suggested to me that the rear sight had been ground down but the bluing continues over the allegedly ground off area. The originality of the foresight was questioned too. It seems to have a few dings in it. I wondered if someone had tried to adjust it with a hammer & drift.
2. What is the magazine capacity? I can get 5 rounds without any trouble but didn’t want to force anything.
3. I was considering a tang sight. I understand modern ones are available to fit but this would involve removing the current rear sight.
4. Is there a manual or any books reasonably available with any of this info?
David
Hi David! No expert here, but opportunity to compare your small happy plethora of pix to my own similar abundance in file. Thanks especially for turning all your photos right side up. That considering the natural orientation of all you folks “down under”! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Mine Model 53 about 2K in serial ranger higher than yours and also nomenclature reflecting the 44/40 chambering. Otherwise… About everything I can see from your good pix, quantitatively, parallels mine. Particularly the flat top largely bore-parallel front sight blade and also flat top rear sight leaf. In model and exact positioning, mine same. Buttplate same too. All looks ‘right’. That or we each have the same modifications… Unlikely! 🙂
Re tang sight. If shooting much, such for me awfully handy. Naturally, just to keep the original! For primarily collecting, suffering with the original barrel rear sight.
This, extent of my contribution to your questions. Yet to come presumably, expert critiques!
Mechanics good, seems you have a nice vintage specimen of the bit elusive Model 53. By low SN, both of ours before such serialization merged with the Win Model 92 series. These were sweet little Win lever guns in handy chamberings.
Good luck with yours!
John
Your Model 53 looks to be in all original condition, including the front and rear sights. The magazine capacity for the solid frame receiver is 6 shots. However, I’ve written an article on the Model 53, published in the WACA journal Fall 2015 which you can access on this site as a member. It has a lot of great info on the Model 53. I’m also collecting data for the Model 53 survey, but I see your rifle is already in my survey. However, if anyone else is reading this and has not sent in their Model 53 data, please email it to [email protected] (serial number, takedown or solid frame, caliber, and any other special features of your rifle). There is one correction to make in the Model 53 article I wrote. The rear sight is the 22-C (not the 22-A as stated in the article). Any future articles will have this correction.
June 19, 2019
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Thanks Guys, much appreciated. I am really enjoying shooting this rifle. Kirk, I read your article. Great to be able to recognize the elements on my rifle by looking at one in much better condition. I wouldn’t have recognized the gold bead on my foresight without seeing this one.
David
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