GunSerialsWinchester Model 40 serial numbers by year
A semi-automatic shotgun made only in 1940–1941. It uses the movement from firing to cycle the action, a design called long recoil.
- Produced:
- 1940–1941
- 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.
What year was your Model 40 made?
Look up a serial number and print a one-page record sheet: the date and its sources, the status by age, the model in brief, and the low and high of recent auction sales.
Winchester Model 40 value: what it sells for at auction
We found 6 single-gun auction sales of the Winchester Model 40 at Rock Island Auction Company, Morphy Auctions, and Amoskeag Auction Company between Sep 2021 and Sep 2026. They sold for $338 to $1,645. There were too few sales in the last three years, so this list covers five years.
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 40 sale we counted
Newest first. Their features and condition may differ from your gun. A lot number identifies an item in an auction.
| Sold | Gun | Auction company | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | Model 40 | Amoskeag lot 367 | $907 |
| Nov 2025 | Model 40 | Morphy lot 1609 | $584 |
| Nov 2025 | Model 40 | Morphy lot 1606 | $338 |
| Sep 2025 | Model 40 | Morphy lot 3322 | $960 |
| May 2022 | Model 40 · 12 | Rock Island lot 365 | $1,645 |
| Mar 2022 | Model 40 | Morphy lot 2175 | $600 |
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 →
Why the sources give different years
The dates for the Winchester Model 40 come from George Madis's reference books, and other published references, each named above its table. These sources can give different years for the same serial number. Original records usually provide stronger evidence than later estimates. Check the notes to see whether a source dates numbering, assembly, or another step.
Madis vs. factory dates shows examples from models whose tables disagree on this site.
Sources for this model: Blue Book serialization table (approximate year-end numbers) · George Madis's start-of-year table
Winchester Model 40 serial numbers by year
The full Model 40 serial number chart, one table for each source available here. Each row gives the numbers that source assigns to a year. Both the first and last numbers are included.
A row marked “sources differ” is a serial range that another table on this page dates to a different year. A row marked “approximate” is a figure we trust less than the rest of its table: a boundary the sources put a few serials apart, or a figure a later record corrects.
Blue Book of Gun Values table
Approximate year-end figures as printed in the Blue Book of Gun Values.
Cited as: Blue Book serialization table (approximate year-end numbers)
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1939approximate | through 2,671 |
| 1940approximate | 2,672 – 10,592 |
| 1941sources differ | 10,593 – 13,265 |
| 1942sources differ | 13,266 – 18,929 |
- 1939: This is the Blue Book's approximate last serial number for the year. Winchester listed the Model 40 as new for 1940, so guns numbered in 1939 were made before the model was announced. Barrel date codes of 39 have been recorded.
- 1940: The Blue Book gives 10,592 as the last number of 1940. In George Madis's table, 10,592 is the number of guns made in 1940, not a serial number. By Madis's figures, 1940 ends at 13,264.
- 1941: The Blue Book's last number for 1941 looks like George Madis's first number for that year. Using a first number as a last number would date these guns one year late.
- 1942: The Blue Book's last number for 1942 looks like George Madis's first number for that year. Using a first number as a last number would date these guns one year late. The model's sales ended in 1941, so some guns may have been finished later.
George Madis's published tables
George Madis compiled Winchester reference books years after production. His tables estimate the last serial number reached each year.
Cited as: George Madis's start-of-year table
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1939 | through 2,671 |
| 1940sources differ | 2,672 – 13,264 |
| 1941sources differ | 13,265 – 18,928 |
| 1942approximate | 18,929 – 25,553 |
- 1942: The model's sales ended in 1941, so these may be guns finished later.
What to know about Model 40 serial numbers
- The Blue Book gives approximate last numbers for each year: 2,671 in 1939, 10,592 in 1940, 13,265 in 1941 and 18,929 in 1942. George Madis's table gives first numbers and yearly counts. These lead to different year ranges, shown in a separate table. The Blue Book figures remain as printed.
- The Blue Book's model summary and advertising give 1940–1941 as the model years. The Winchester collectors' association estimates about 12,000 made in 1940. The Blue Book's serial table reaches 18,929 in 1942. George Madis's first numbers and yearly counts reach 25,553 in 1942. These figures do not agree. A number could have been stamped before a gun was finished. Some guns may have been finished from leftover parts after sales ended in 1941.
- The Winchester collectors' association has recorded barrel date codes of 39 and 40.
- The lowest known number is serial 7, a factory-engraved Deluxe two-barrel set. The Winchester collectors' association census has recorded about 150 examples since 1995.
- None of the sources consulted says where on the gun the serial number is stamped.
Winchester shotguns 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 40
The Model 40 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 →