GunSerialsWinchester 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.