GunSerialsFactory letters · the Cody Firearms Records Office
What does a Winchester factory letter show?
A factory letter reports what Winchester’s original records say about one serial number. It can help document a gun’s date and original features. What it tells you depends on which records survive, so check availability before ordering.
What a factory letter is
The Cody Firearms Records Office in Cody, Wyoming, searches Winchester’s surviving record books. For a fee, it issues a letter with the information found for your serial number.
A letter does not appraise the gun or prove that its parts are still original. It tells you what the records say. An expert can then compare those details with the gun as it is today.
What it shows
- Serial number applied on. When the number was stamped on the receiver, the metal body behind the barrel. Also called the Polishing Room date.
- Received in warehouse / shipped from warehouse. When the finished gun was logged in and when it left on an order. Why numbering and shipping dates differ.
- Features recorded at the factory. Details may include the ammunition type (caliber), barrel length, stock, and sights.
- Other notes. Some records mention special orders, repairs, returns, or shipping destinations. See what special-order features look like.
Made-up example · Winchester factory record
Winchester Repeating Arms Co. · Model 1894
- Serial number:
- your serial number
- Serial number stamped on:
- December 28, 1898
- The numbering date. It can be earlier than the date the whole gun was finished. A table based on numbering records estimates this date.
- Type:
- Rifle
- Caliber:
- 30 W.C.F.
- The ammunition type, also called .30-30 Winchester.
- Barrel type:
- Octagon
- An eight-sided barrel.
- Trigger:
- Plain
- A standard trigger.
- Received in warehouse on:
- February 8, 1899
- Finished and logged in, ready for sale.
- Shipped from warehouse on:
- February 11, 1899
- The gun left the warehouse 45 days after its serial number was stamped.
- Order number:
- as recorded
Not every letter includes all of these details. Warehouse records may describe the gun; serial number application records give only a numbering date. Model 21 records can instead include order details and a final inspection date. The office can tell you which records are available.
What a letter may document
Surviving records often name the original type (rifle, carbine, or musket), caliber, barrel shape and length, trigger, stock, magazine, sights, and finish, plus the numbering, warehouse, and shipping dates. A letter reports what was written for that serial. It is not a count of how often those features appeared in production. People usually order letters for collectible guns, so the letters we have read are not a typical sample of all Winchesters.
Words that often appear
- Octagon barrel
- The barrel is eight-sided instead of round.
- Set trigger
- A second trigger that lightens the pull of the firing trigger.
- Half magazine
- A magazine tube that does not run the full length of the barrel.
- Pistol grip
- A stock that curves behind the trigger, unlike a straight grip.
- Casehardened
- A mottled blue-and-brown finish on the receiver, the metal body behind the barrel.
- Takedown
- The gun comes apart at the receiver for packing.
What it can help you check
Dates. A letter reports original records instead of estimating a year from a table. Read the date labels carefully: numbering, finishing, and shipping are different steps.
Age near the 1899 cutoff. When tables give dates on opposite sides of 1899, surviving factory records can help establish the gun’s age. See our pre-1899 guide for the ranges where the tables differ.
Original features. Where recorded, details such as barrel length and stock type give an expert something to compare with the gun. Matching the description alone does not prove every part is original.
Whether your model is covered
The table below copies the office’s May 2024 coverage sheet. It lists39 of the 68 models with serial records on this site. The Model 64 shares the Model 94 number sequence, and the Model 65 shares the Model 92 sequence. Their records are listed under those models.
| Model | Serial ranges the office lists |
|---|---|
| Hotchkiss |
|
| M1 Carbine |
|
| M1 Garand |
|
| Model 12 |
|
| Model 21 |
|
| Model 24 |
|
| Model 42 |
|
| Model 43 |
|
| Model 52 |
|
| Model 53 |
|
| Model 55 |
|
| Model 61 |
|
| Model 62 and 62A |
|
| Model 63 |
|
| Model 64 |
|
| Model 65 |
|
| Model 70 |
|
| Model 71 |
|
| Model 74 |
|
| Model 75 |
|
| Model 1866 |
|
| Model 1873 |
|
| Model 1876 |
|
| Model 1885 |
|
| Model 1886 |
|
| Model 1887 |
|
| Model 1890 |
|
| Model 1892 |
|
| Model 1893 |
|
| Model 1894 |
|
| Model 1895 |
|
| Model 1895 Lee Navy |
|
| Model 1897 |
|
| Model 1901 |
|
| Model 1903 |
|
| Model 1906 |
|
| Model 1907 |
|
| Models 1905 and 1910 |
|
| U.S. Model 1917 |
|
Transcribed from the office’s “Available serial number ranges” sheet of May 2024. The office can add coverage as records are cataloged, so its own page is the authority for anything newer.
These 29 models do not appear on that sheet: 9422, Canadian Centennial, Cooey, Model 20, Model 25, Model 40, Model 50, Model 54, Model 56, Model 57, Model 59, Model 77, Model 88, Model 98 Signal Cannon, Model 100, Model 101, Model 190, Model 250, Model 270, Model 290, Model 370, Model 490, Model 670, Model 1200, Model 1300, Model 1400, Model 1911 SL, Pattern 14, Super X Model 1. Ask the office about current coverage before assuming no record exists.
When is a letter useful?
A letter may be useful when:
- You are buying, selling, or insuring a collectible gun.
- Your serial sits in a disputed window — the pre-1899 antique line most famously, or any serial where this site’s sources disagree.
- You want to check a special feature, a change in ammunition type, or a recorded repair.
If you only want an approximate year, the lookup may answer your question. Before paying for a letter, confirm that the office holds records for your number and that they contain the detail you need.
What the letters have shown here
We have also compared dates from factory letters published in auction catalogs. Each date was read twice to check for copying errors. For this sample:
- Of 180 guns with records that show both days, half shipped within 45 days of numbering and 13% took more than a year — the measurement.
- Where we have enough letters to compare, model pages show how often the table year matches the recorded year. For the Model 1894:
- George Madis's published tables: 4 of 79 recorded years match the table year. On the 1894 page →
- Factory records (Cody Firearms Museum): 68 of 68 recorded years match the table year. On the 1894 page →
- Winchester's own customer-service list (2012): 4 of 79 recorded years match the table year. On the 1894 page →
On the Model 1892 page, older tables give earlier years than the letters checked for the 1890s. These checks help show a table’s limits; a small sample cannot prove that every lookup result is right or wrong.
How to order
Have the manufacturer, model, and complete serial number ready. Use the office’s website to check available records, current fees, and waiting times, then follow its ordering instructions. Fees vary by record type and membership.
GunSerials is independent of the museum and receives no payment when you order.
Order a factory letter from the Cody Firearms Records Office →Questions
What is a Winchester factory letter?
It is a letter from the Cody Firearms Records Office reporting what Winchester's surviving records say about one serial number. It may include dates and details about the gun. The contents depend on which records survive.
What does a factory letter show?
A letter may give numbering, warehouse, or shipping dates, plus details such as caliber and barrel length. Some records have only a numbering date. Model 21 records can include order details and a final inspection date. Ask the office what is available for your gun.
How much does a Winchester factory letter cost?
The fee depends on the type of records available and your museum membership. Check the Records Office's website for current prices and waiting times before ordering.
Is a factory letter worth it?
It may be useful when a gun's date or original features affect a purchase, appraisal, or insurance decision. First ask whether records survive and what they contain. If you only want an estimated year, the free lookup may be enough.
Which Winchester models can be lettered?
The May 2024 coverage sheet lists 39 of the 68 models with serial records on this site. The table shows those model names and number ranges. Check with the office for current coverage and gaps within a range.
Can a factory letter help show whether my gun was made before 1899?
Yes, if relevant dates survive in the factory records. A letter can provide stronger evidence than a later table estimate. It reports the records; it does not automatically decide every question about a gun's legal status.
Where these figures come from
- The coverage table is transcribed from the Records Office’s published “Available serial number ranges” sheet, May 2024, with the office’s own page authoritative for anything added since.
- The findings quoted above come from factory letters published in auction catalogs: every date transcribed in two independent review passes, one gun counted once, aggregate figures only — the shipping measurement’s method section has the details.
Think one of these numbers looks wrong? Tell us what you’re seeing and include a source so we can check it.