GunSerialsWinchester Model 47 serial numbers — why most have none
The Winchester Model 47 is a single-shot bolt-action .22 rimfire rifle manufactured from 1949 to 1954.
- Produced:
- 1949–1954
- Action:
- bolt-action
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.
Most Model 47 guns have no serial number
Winchester never numbered the Model 47.
These guns usually have model and ammunition markings on the barrel, and may also have patent dates. Those are different from a serial number. The model’s production ended before federal law required serial numbers on rifles and shotguns in 1968. A missing number is normal for this model; it does not by itself show whether the gun has been altered.
Production passed about 43,000 rifles, a Madis estimate that is sometimes misread as a serial count.
A single-shot bolt-action .22 chambered for Short, Long and Long Rifle, made 1949 to 1954. Most examples also lack a barrel date, so dating is approximate at best.
The collectors' association records production differences, none of them dated: blued versus chrome-plated bolts, smooth versus serrated triggers, straight versus swept bolt handles, different stock lengths, and different sights. The peep-sighted version, catalog G4701R with an 80A receiver sight and 97B hooded front, was a factory option; Winchester did not call it a Target model.
Without a factory serial number, a serial-number search cannot identify this individual gun. The feature clues below may help narrow its age.
If your Model 47 has a number on it
A number may be an owner’s mark, a store’s inventory number, or an importer’s mark. Some factory stamps identify an inspector or a part. On certain models, a two-digit stamp under the barrel can indicate a year. Patent dates describe patents, not when this particular gun was made. We do not have serial lookup tables for these markings.
How to date a Model 47 without a serial number
Our best starting point is the production period, 1949–1954. We do not have enough evidence of dated feature changes to narrow it further.
Winchester Model 47 value: what it sells for at auction
We found 8 single-gun auction sales of the Winchester Model 47 at Redding Auction Services and Amoskeag Auction Company between Sep 2023 and Sep 2026. They sold for $169 to $650.
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 47 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | Model 47 | Redding lot 375R | $175 |
| Apr 2026 | Model 47 | Redding lot 74R | $600 |
| Mar 2026 | Model 47 | Redding lot 396R | $270 |
| Feb 2026 | Model 47 | Redding lot 498R | $650 |
| Nov 2025 | Model 47 | Amoskeag lot 2172 | $453 |
| Aug 2025 | Model 47 | Amoskeag lot 2211 | $169 |
| Mar 2025 | Model 47 | Redding lot 94R | $380 |
| Aug 2024 | Model 47 | Amoskeag lot 2271 | $302 |
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 →