Rifleman Q & A: Winchester .22 Pump?

by
posted on August 1, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
22pump.jpg

Q: I inherited a pump-action rifle I believe to be a Winchester Model 1890. Stamped on the gun is “22 SHORT” and the serial number is 208XXX. I am interested to know a little more about what I’ve got. Is it possible to find out when the rifle was actually made?

A: Your gun is a Winchester Model 1890 .22 rimfire pump-action rifle. This was an extremely popular little gun, and some 849,000 were manufactured between 1890 and 1932. However, they were sold by Winchester until 1941—that’s when the existing supply of parts dried up.

The first 1890s utilized a solid frame, but after about serial number 15,500 Winchester changed to a takedown barrel/receiver combination. Chamberings were .22 Short, .22 Long, .22 Long Rifle and .22 WRF. They were not interchangeable. The serial number of your rifle indicates it was made in 1904.

—Garry James, Contributing Editor

Latest

Colt Optics Riflescopes 01
Colt Optics Riflescopes 01

Pony Power: Colt Launches Optics Division with VMR Riflescopes

Colt Optics grew out of a market where military, law enforcement and civilian customers increasingly expect a firearms manufacturer to offer a complete package that goes beyond just the firearm

The Mysterious Mondragón: Mexico's Unique Self-Loading Military Rifle

Flawed in many ways, the Model 1908 Mondragón offered a preview of infantry rifles to come. And the circumstances of the Mondragón’s birth showed that not all firearm innovation comes from the hallowed halls of Springfield, Colt, Mauser or Enfield. 

Meet an Australian Visiting America to Warn Us

Australian political commentator Topher Field has come to America on its 250th birthday to speak and meet people and to bring the message that Australia’s gun confiscation should not be used as a template for the United States.

NRA-ILA’s John Commerford on What’s to Come for America’s Rifle

When the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear two cases—Grant v. Higgins and Viramontes v. Cook County, Illinois—that challenge bans on popular semi-automatic rifles in its next term, fear and trepidation ran like tremors through the public statements of anti-gun groups and the politicians they support.

Gun of the Week: GForce Arms LVR410

When it comes to the lever-action platforms, rifles abound, but the concept has been rarely applied to shotguns. Today, only a few makers offer lever-action shotguns, and one of those is GForce Arms and its LVR410.

The Armed Citizen® July 10, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.