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Hello, I am a new member and recently acquired my third Winchester. It’s an 1887 Winchester 10 gauge shotgun manufactured in 1893. It has a 20 inch barrel with a crowned muzzle and a saddle ring on the left side of the frame. On the right side, the rack number 37 is stamped on the stock and fore end. The action is perfect with no significant corrosion or pitting. I’d really be interested in the provenance of the rack numbers.
Thanks!
The first thing that you should do is contact the Cody Firearms Museum records office and obtain a factory letter for this gun. I highly suspect that it originally had a full length (30 or 32 inch) barrel, and that it did not have a saddle ring. With no other identifying markings on the gun, I doubt that the “rack number” can be identified as to its origin.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Thanks for your suggestion Bert. I’ll contact Cody requesting further documentation.
Do you know what entities stamped rack numbers on shotgun stocks? I would guess primarily law enforcement, corrections and maybe railroad or express companies.
DCook said
Thanks for your suggestion Bert. I’ll contact Cody requesting further documentation.Do you know what entities stamped rack numbers on shotgun stocks? I would guess primarily law enforcement, corrections and maybe railroad or express companies.
There were at least a few hundred different entities that marked inventory/rack numbers on their firearms, and without any other identifying markings, it is next to impossible to determine who might have marked the gun in question.
In addition to Police Department, Prisons (corrections), Railroads, and Express companies, you need to add Banks, Mining companies, Private Security companies, and probably at least a few dozen other entities.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Thanks Bert. Appreciate your expertise.
This weekend my wife and I are revisiting the area around Fort Lewis, WA where I was stationed years ago.
That barrel is VERY short, I”m guessing it’s been cut down….still cool though. Taking them apart for cleaning is not bad (see youtube) or I can link you if you need it. It really makes you appreciate the genius and simplicity of Browning’s design!
Thanks Jeremy. John Moses Browning was one of my ancestors. What a genius gun designer he was!
DCook said
John Moses Browning was one of my ancestors.
Well, I do believe you’re going to have to expand on that a little around here…. 
My wife is a genealogist, and discovered he was my 6th cousin on my paternal line. Not terribly close, but this is my second Winchester designed by him. I’m reading his book now, written by his grandson.
DCook said
Thanks Bert. Appreciate your expertise.This weekend my wife and I are revisiting the area around Fort Lewis, WA where I was stationed years ago.
I am 20-miles north of the Bangor Submarine base (where I retired from).
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert, great being retired isn’t it! I retired at Fort Lewis with Army CID (Criminal Investigation Division). Before that, I retired as a detective with Portland ,OR Police Department. Shows how old I am!
😄😄
I was stationed at Fort Lewis for a short time in 1971. I also worked with the CID occasionally while in Korea tracking black marketeers.
DCook said
Bert, great being retired isn’t it! I retired at Fort Lewis with Army CID (Criminal Investigation Division). Before that, I retired as a detective with Portland ,OR Police Department. Shows how old I am!😄😄
Yes it is! I retired from the U.S. Navy in February 2000 (after 21-years of service in the Submarine service), then retired again (L3 Harris Technologies) in October of 2022. Next month will mark 2-years of being fully retired. 
Headed for Astoria next week for more “retirement” work around the homestead.
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Hi Chuck, I’ll bet you and I could share some great CID stories. I was a detective with Portland, OR police department for 24 years and CID 20 years.
I’m going to really enjoy networking with a great group of folks on the Winchester Arms Collector site.
Along with the Winchester 1887 shotgun, I own a 3d model Winchester 1873 rifle in great condition with a 62 peep sight and a Winchester 62 pump action .22 rifle.
Have a great time in Astoria Bert, I live in Gresham, outside of Portland.
You need to see if it letters with the 20 Inch Barrel. If it does, that will help its value, if not it will hurt it.
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
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