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

Customizing X Card Shotgun 1
Customizing X Card Shotgun 1

Building an X-Card Gun for Turkey Shoots

Unofficially known as a “turkey shoot,” X-Card competition challenges shotgunners to place shot pellets as closely as possible to the center of a target. And some makers have perfected a way to fine-tune shotguns for this purpose.

Spanish National Police Adopt Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC

The Spanish National Police (Policia Nacional) has officially adopted the Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC 9mm pistol as the issue pistol for its uniformed officers.

NRA Launches New NRA.org Platform and Official App to Modernize and Enhance the Member Experience

The National Rifle Association today launched its new NRA.org website and continued enhancements to the official NRA App, marking a major step and significant investment to modernize the organization and better serve members.

Political Report | Federal Firearms Rights Restoration is Officially Back

Criminal-justice reform has been distorted to mean counterproductive policies like eliminating cash bail or politicized district attorneys exhibiting a determined indifference to violence, but there is a place for sensible reforms that allow genuinely rehabilitated offenders to reintegrate into the community of law-abiding citizens.

Stable Fun: The Taurus Brace-Ready TX22

Taurus USA first adopted the ideal of a brace-ready format for a traditional handgun in its GX4 Strike Bravo, and now, the company is extending that concept to its TX22 rimfire handgun.

I Have This Old Gun: The Whitney Navy Revolver

One of the lesser-known revolvers from the Civil War era, the Whitney Navy revolver had several notable features and even inspired a copycat in the Confederacy.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.