I just purchased a model 55 Winchester nickel steel 30 wcf serial number 49182. How do I find out when it was manufactured? I read there were only 20 some thousand made and I read that the solid were made in 1931 to 1932. Wondering how to read serial number. Did they continue to manufacture them with the model 94 after 1932? Any help is appreciated.
Steve
Steve,
If the serial number is “49182”, it is not a factory original Model 55 rifle. Instead, it is a Model 1894 (manufactured late in the year 1898) that has been rebarreled at a much later date.
In regards to the Model 55 serialization, the first 12,002 were serialized 1 through 12002 (June 26th, 1924 – March 3d, 1928). Beginning on March 4th, 1928, all Model 55 rifles were serialized in the Model 94 serial number range (beginning at approximately 1015938). 100% of the early production Model 55 rifles were Take Downs, and in mid March of 1931, Winchester discontinued the Take Down variant in favor of the Solid frame.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
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