GunSerialsWhat year was your Winchester made?
Select your model and enter its serial number to estimate the year it was made. Compare the published records available here. If they give different dates, you will see each answer and an explanation. Some models can only be dated to a range of years. For many models, once you know the year you can see what guns like it have sold for at various auction houses.
Serial no.
Year1972
RecordsMadis's reference books and Winchester's own 2012 list both say 1972.
Your turn
Once you have the year, print a one-page Collector’s Record to keep with the gun. It lists the date and its sources, the status by age, and, for models with a price table, what guns like it have sold for. The button is under the answer on every model page with a lookup.
Not sure where the serial number is?
The location depends on the model. The serial number is often on the receiver, the metal body of the gun just behind the barrel. These short videos show three examples. Look on your model’s page for location details where we have them; other models may be different.
Model 94 lever-action rifle: look underneath, just in front of the lever. This example was made in 1972. Model 70 bolt-action rifle: look high on the right side of the metal body, just behind the barrel. Model 1890 pump-action rifle: look on the metal strip behind the trigger guard. This example dates to 1910.
Popular Winchester models
Winchester Model 1894
1894–present
Winchester Model 70
1935–present
Winchester Model 12
1912–2006
Winchester Model 1873
1873–1924
Winchester Model 1892
1892–1941
Winchester Model 1897
1897–1957
Winchester M1 Garand
1940–1945
Winchester Model 1866
1866–1898
Winchester commemoratives
67 editions, 1964–1998, with prices
Browse all 68 Winchester models →
plus 15 models usually made without serial numbers
Guides
Once you know the year, these pages answer the next questions people usually have.
What is it worth?
Typical auction prices for several Winchester models, from published sale results.
Is it an antique?
Where the pre-1899 cutoff falls by serial number, and the models where the records disagree.
Is it pre-64?
The Model 70 and Model 94 serial cutoffs, the skipped numbers, and the features to check.
Is it an original or a reissue?
Japanese-made reissues and Italian copies: what to check, and how to read the year in a Japanese serial number.
Is it a commemorative, and what is it worth?
The factory editions from 1964 on: how many were made, which count as curios or relics, and what they sell for.
When was it shipped?
Numbering and shipping could be months or years apart. Measured from factory letters.
Does it have special-order features?
Octagon barrels, half magazines, checkering, engraving, and how to spot them.
What is a factory letter?
What the letter shows and how to order one from the Cody Firearms Museum.
Why do the sources disagree?
Factory ledgers and George Madis’s tables give different years for some serial numbers.
Why won't my serial number work?
No matching year? Check the model, the stamp, any letters beside the number, and gaps in the records.
How dating a gun by its serial number works
A serial number table links a range of numbers to a year of manufacture. Some come from factory records; others are later estimates. Winchester generally numbered guns in sequence, but there were gaps and exceptions. A number can help date a gun without proving exactly when it was finished.
The sources sometimes give different years. Original factory records are usually stronger evidence than later estimates, but they do not survive for every gun. Our model pages explain the differences and the limits of each source. Learn about the sources, including George Madis’s reference books and the records at the Cody Firearms Museum.
Numbering, finishing, and shipping could happen on different dates. See how much time could pass between numbering and shipping. For a record of a particular gun, the Cody Firearms Records Office can provide a factory letter if the relevant records survive. The letter reports what those records contain. You can also compare auction sale prices for several Winchester models.