GunSerialsWinchester Model 290 serial numbers — what the records say
The Winchester Model 290 is a semi-automatic rimfire rifle introduced in 1963.
- Produced:
- 1963–1973 (Madis/Proofhouse: to 1976)
- Action:
- semi-automatic
New to gun terms? Start here
- Model:
- The name of the gun design, such as Model 94. A model name that looks like a year does not tell you when your gun was made.
- Serial number:
- The number stamped on an individual gun. Include letters that are part of the number. A separate letter stamped above it, like the Model 97's C, D or E, is a different marking.
- Receiver:
- The main metal body just behind the barrel. The receiver ring is its front section, where the barrel joins it.
- Tang:
- A strip of metal extending from the receiver into the stock. The lower tang runs underneath, behind the trigger.
- Stock:
- The part you hold against your shoulder, usually made of wood on older Winchesters.
- Forearm or forend:
- The part under the barrel where your forward hand holds the gun.
- Action:
- The mechanism that loads and removes cartridges. Names such as lever action, pump action, and bolt action describe how it works.
- Caliber or gauge:
- The ammunition size or type a gun is designed to use. This marking is different from the model and serial number.
- Takedown:
- A version designed to separate into major sections for storage. A takedown joint is where those sections meet.
- Proof mark:
- A factory testing mark, such as Winchester's oval WP stamp. It is not a serial number or a date code.
- Peep or aperture sight:
- A rear sight with a small hole to look through. A hooded front sight has a cover around it.
Winchester Model 290 value: what it sells for at auction
We found 9 single-gun auction sales of the Winchester Model 290 at Morphy Auctions, Redding Auction Services, and Amoskeag Auction Company between Sep 2023 and Sep 2026. They sold for $133 to $340.
That is too few sales for a typical price, so we list each one instead. A price table needs at least 40 sales. With only a few sales, one gun in unusual condition can set the high or the low.
We leave out listings described as deluxe, special-order, engraved, restored, or commemorative, and other exceptions in the value guide. Wear, repairs, original parts, and factory upgrades can make a particular gun worth more or less. These sales are a comparison, not an appraisal of your gun.
Every Model 290 sale we counted
Newest first. Each row names the auction company's age group for the gun. Their features and condition may differ from your gun. A lot number identifies an item in an auction.
| Sold | Gun | Auction company | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | Modern · Model 290 | Amoskeag lot 2802 | $169 |
| Mar 2026 | Curio & Relic · Model 290 | Redding lot 708R | $160 |
| Jan 2026 | Modern · Model 290 | Amoskeag lot 2072 | $205 |
| Aug 2025 | Modern · Model 290 | Amoskeag lot 2504 | $133 |
| Aug 2025 | Modern · Model 290 | Amoskeag lot 2149 | $169 |
| May 2025 | Curio & Relic · Model 290 · 22 RF | Morphy lot 1509 | $308 |
| Mar 2025 | Curio & Relic · Model 290 | Redding lot 68R | $340 |
| Mar 2024 | Curio & Relic · Model 290 | Amoskeag lot 2437 | $229 |
| Nov 2023 | Modern · Model 290 | Amoskeag lot 2264 | $145 |
Prices are in US dollars and include the buyer’s premium, the auction company’s fee added to the winning bid, where the house charges one; Redding charges none. They are not the amount the seller receives. A dealer’s offer or private sale price may differ. The full picture, model by model →
Where these dates come from
We do not have a reliable year-by-year serial table for the Winchester Model 290. The notes below explain what the available references say about its numbers and production dates.
What to know about Model 290 serial numbers
- A Model 290 made before the 1968 Gun Control Act can have no serial number at all. That is how it left the factory, not a sign of tampering. Rifles made after 1968 carry a B prefix that is shared with the Models 150, 190, 250, 255, 270 and 275. The prefix is not a year code, and no serial number table for the Model 290 has been published.
- The published serial number ranges from the Cody Firearms Museum do not cover the Model 290. Winchester's own serial number reference lists only the B prefix for it. oldguns.net says it has no dating information for the 190 or the 290.
- The Model 290 came out in 1963 alongside the Models 250 and 270, not in 1965 as is often stated. A June 1963 advertisement and a 1963 factory parts list show this. The end of production is disputed. Jim House and the Blue Book say 1973. George Madis's tables and Proofhouse say 1976. A 1975–76 retail catalog still lists it.
- The Model 190, made from 1967 to 1980, is a lower-cost version built on the same action and tubular-magazine design. Checkering alone does not tell a 290 from a 190. A press-checkered 190 is documented.
- The 1963 rifles had an adjustable square-notch rear sight and a square-post ramp front sight, not a bead. The Deluxe had a high-gloss Monte Carlo walnut stock with a cheekpiece, basket-weave checkering and sling swivels.
Related models, and why
These models share a number sequence, replaced this model, or look similar. Each link explains the connection.
Winchester rifles usually made without serial numbers
These models usually have no serial number. Their pages explain the exceptions and how their features may help estimate age.
Factory record coverage for the Model 290
The Model 290 is not on the Cody Firearms Records Office’s May 2024 coverage sheet. Ask the office about current availability. The notes and sources on this page explain the other dating information we have.
Which Winchester models can be lettered, and what a letter shows →