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January 3, 2014
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Hey Guys,
I was thinking it’s time to narrow my focus some, this rifle has been sitting in the back of my safe long enough & needs a new home.
Any thoughts on age/originality/value would be greatly appreciated, Winchester records are a little vague for this model.
April 15, 2005
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Kenny,
Per my research, your Model 65 rifle was manufactured February 1940. The checkering pattern on the forend stock is not the expected (standard) style that Winchester used for the Model 65. Your pictures are a bit too dark to clearly evaluate the rifle. If you can take the rifle outdoors and reshoot your pictures in natural light that would help. Include a clear close-up picture showing the Winchester proof mark stamps on the frame ring and barrel.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
January 3, 2014
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TY for the reply Brother.
See if these pix are a little better.
April 15, 2005
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It is interesting in that it has the older H-pattern checkering versus the style used on the Models 64, 65, and 71 (see the pictures below). That stated, the checkering on your Model 65 appears to be factory work.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
January 3, 2014
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Bert H. said
It is interesting in that it has the older H-pattern checkering versus the style used on the Models 64, 65, and 71 (see the pictures below). That stated, the checkering on your Model 65 appears to be factory work.Bert
TY Bert.
As always thorough & encyclopedic, you are a treasure !
November 19, 2006
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Very nice looking rifle 
January 3, 2014
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steve004 said
Very nice looking rifle
TY Sir.
It needs a new home, I’m open to offers via PM.
January 3, 2014
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Folks are asking for “NATURAL” light pictures. Really does look much better.
January 3, 2014
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November 8, 2011
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That gun has non standard model 65 checkering both front and back. It looks good but I’m not sure it’s factory original.
January 3, 2014
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sb said
That gun has non standard model 65 checkering both front and back. It looks good but I’m not sure it’s factory original.
Does it look like factory work ?
April 15, 2005
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sb said
That gun has non standard model 65 checkering both front and back. It looks good but I’m not sure it’s factory original.
It is my belief that it is factory checkering, but like you mention, it is not the standard pattern.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
November 19, 2006
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Bert H. said
sb said
That gun has non standard model 65 checkering both front and back. It looks good but I’m not sure it’s factory original.
It is my belief that it is factory checkering, but like you mention, it is not the standard pattern.
Bert
It’s interesting to ponder how it came about with that checkering pattern. Not very far off from what is typically seen. Special ordered that way? If so, someone really knew what they wanted. With regard to the gunbroker auction, it’s also interesting to ponder what hammer price would be reached were it started at a penny with no reserve. It is a vintage WINCHESTER in a model and caliber not seen every day. It’s in very high condition. And I would suspect 95% of the gunbroker buyers wouldn’t question the checkering. I wouldn’t predict it would hit the buy-it-now price, but I’ll bet the bidding would get plenty high.
January 3, 2014
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steve004 said
Bert H. said
sb said
That gun has non standard model 65 checkering both front and back. It looks good but I’m not sure it’s factory original.
It is my belief that it is factory checkering, but like you mention, it is not the standard pattern.
Bert
It’s interesting to ponder how it came about with that checkering pattern. Not very far off from what is typically seen. Special ordered that way? If so, someone really knew what they wanted. With regard to the gunbroker auction, it’s also interesting to ponder what hammer price would be reached were it started at a penny with no reserve. It is a vintage WINCHESTER in a model and caliber not seen every day. It’s in very high condition. And I would suspect 95% of the gunbroker buyers wouldn’t question the checkering. I wouldn’t predict it would hit the buy-it-now price, but I’ll bet the bidding would get plenty high.
Good morning,
Currently have an offer @ $7k. & a Forum memeber offered $6500. I would like to get the current listed price of $7500 on Gunbroker, but If a forum member is interested @ $7k I would favor that over GB buyers. As for the checkering it does appear that the stocks were born on that rifle they have wear patterns that seem to match and are quite old. IMO.
Kenny B
November 8, 2011
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The checkering is nicely done. Its difficult to be sure but the photo of the stock shows an area that doesn’t look quite right.
The lower tang and wood should have assembly numbers if special ordered.
April 15, 2005
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sb said
The lower tang and wood should have assembly numbers if special ordered.
Based on the date of manufacture (1940), and the stock configuration for the rifle in question, I would not expect it to have assembly numbers marked on it. Winchester had abandoned stamping assembly numbers on the so called “deluxe” variations of the lever action models when the Models 64, 65, and 71 were introduced in the early half of the 1930s.
If you refer to my article published in the 2016 Winter edition of the Collector magazine, it clearly depicts the two different stock configurations that Winchester used for the Model 65. The rifle in question very clearly has the “Special” (deluxe) style stock, but with an older style checkering pattern. The most likely explanation is that someone requested (special ordered) the older style checkering pattern on that rifle. In looking through my research notes on the Model 65, I discovered two other Special rifles with the same H-pattern checkering (see the pictures below).
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
November 8, 2011
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I know that the normal deluxe guns wouldn’t likely have assembly numbers but if you ordered something special like engraving, special checkering, carving etc, I would have thought an assembly number would have been used. Is that incorrect?
April 15, 2005
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sb said
I know that the normal deluxe guns wouldn’t likely have assembly numbers but if you ordered something special like engraving, special checkering, carving etc, I would have thought an assembly number would have been used. Is that incorrect?
Not necessarily on a gun manufactured in 1940. Like I previously mentioned, assembly numbers went the way of the Dodo bird about the same time that the Winchester Repeating Arms Company (W.R.A.Co.) went into bankruptcy in 1930. Assembly numbers are frequently found on pre-1930 production guns, but very rarely thereafter.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
November 19, 2006
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I see that gunbroker shows that the rifle sold. I think someone got a very nice rifle. Initially, I thought it was overpriced. I no longer think so. I wonder if the checkering pattern on the rifle was special order. I say that because on page 400 of The Winchester Book, George has photos of two Model 65 Deluxe Rifles. The top one shows the same checkering pattern that this one has. That photo adds a lot of legitimacy to the checkering pattern. If owned that rifle, and if anyone questioned the checkering pattern, I would simply show them the photo in George’s book. That might not satisfy every member of this forum, but for most people who are buying guns these days, it would.
January 26, 2011
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Steve
Looking at this rifle, I believe it was a very fair price, especially if the older style H checkering is indeed factory. Since the gun has the correct pistol grip cap and sling lugs, we know it wasn’t a standard that someone checkered after the fact. I’m also of the opinion it’s the real deal but an in-the-hand inspection would definitely make me feel better. On the flip side of the coin, it’s a rifle that doesn’t follow the trend and will require some explanation for the rest of its trading journey.
Here’s a 65 Deluxe I had a while back and eventually traded as part of an 1886 deal. The dollars were in the same neighborhood as the rifle being discussed here. Nice gun but I ended up selling or trading all my later sibling models.
~Gary~
