GunSerialsWinchester Model 55 serial numbers by year
The Winchester Model 55 is a lever-action rifle produced from 1924 to 1932, with approximately 20,580 manufactured.
- Produced:
- 1924–1932 (parts cleanup to 1935)
- Action:
- lever-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.
What year was your Model 55 made?
Need help finding the serial number?
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 auction price range.
Winchester Model 55 value: what it sells for at auction
Enter your serial number above to highlight the price categories that fit the estimated date and see recent sales of this model in those categories.
These prices come from 50 Winchester Model 55s sold individually at Rock Island Auction Company (11), Morphy Auctions (15), Poulin Auctions (6), Redding Auction Services (9), and Amoskeag Auction Company (9) between Sep 2023 and Sep 2026. The age-group rows use the auction companies' categories: antique, curio and relic, or modern.
The typical price is the middle price, also called the median. Half sold for more and half for less. The middle 50% range leaves out the lowest quarter and highest quarter of prices. The wider 80% range leaves out the lowest tenth and highest tenth.
We leave out listings described as deluxe, special-order, engraved, restored, or commemorative, and other exceptions in the value guide. Commemoratives are priced on their own page. Wear, repairs, original parts, and factory upgrades can make a particular gun worth more or less. These figures are a comparison, not an appraisal of your gun.
| Category | Sales | Middle 50% of prices | Typical price | Middle 80% of prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curio & Reliccollector category, usually 50+ years old | 50 | $709 – $1,187 | $874 | $371 – $1,688 |
Recent Model 55 auction sales
Sales near the typical price and the newest. Their features and condition may differ from your gun. A lot number identifies an item in an auction.
| Sold | Gun | Auction company | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2024 | Model 55 | Morphy lot 2154 | $900 |
| Aug 2025 | Model 55 | Amoskeag lot 283 | $847 |
| Jun 2026 | Model 55 | Amoskeag lot 2011 | $907 |
| Aug 2026 | Model 55 | Poulin lot 4152 | $2,074 |
| Jul 2026 | Model 55 | Redding lot 378R | $380 |
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 the serial number is
Underside of the front of the receiver, as on the Model 1894.
Why the sources give different years
The dates for the Winchester Model 55 come from factory record books held at the Cody Firearms Museum, George Madis's reference books, and Winchester's customer-service list. 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: CFM/Polishing Room independent Model 55 series · Published Madis/Proofhouse accounting · Winchester customer-service list (2012)
Winchester Model 55 serial numbers by year
The full Model 55 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. A row marked “record only” is printed for the record and is not used to date a number; its note says why.
Factory records (Cody Firearms Museum)
Drawn from Winchester's original factory records. Numbering records date when serial numbers were stamped. The gun could be finished or shipped later; see this model's notes.
Cited as: CFM/Polishing Room independent Model 55 series
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1924–1928sources differ | 1 – 12,002 |
- 1924–1928: Production began at serial 1 in June 1924. The Model 55's own numbering ran through March 1928. After that, Model 55 rifles were numbered in the shared Model 94 sequence.
Madis's tables (Proofhouse / oldguns.net reprint)
George Madis compiled Winchester reference books years after production. His tables estimate the last serial number reached each year.
Cited as: Published Madis/Proofhouse accounting
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1924approximate | 1 – 836 |
| 1925approximate | 837 – 2,784 |
| 1926approximate | 2,785 – 4,959 |
| 1927approximate | 4,960 – 8,024 |
| 1928approximate | 8,025 – 10,471 |
| 1929sources differ | 10,472 – 12,002 |
| 1929record only | 12,003 – 12,263 |
| 1930record only | 12,264 – 13,799 |
| 1931record only | 13,800 – 18,205 |
| 1932record only | 18,206 – 19,212 |
| 1933record only | 19,213 – 19,403 |
| 1934record only | 19,404 – 19,643 |
| 1935record only | 19,644 – 20,549 |
| 1936record only | 20,550 – 20,592 |
- 1924–1928: This is a count of rifles made, not a literal list of serial numbers, after the 1928 change to Model 94 numbering.
- 1929: George Madis's tables look like one unbroken Model 55 sequence. Past 12,002 that is not a real serial range, because the later rifles carry Model 94 numbers.
- 1929–1932: George Madis's tables look like one unbroken Model 55 sequence. Past 12,002 that is not a real serial range, because the later rifles carry Model 94 numbers. Past 12,002 these figures count rifles made; they are not serial numbers. From March 1928 Model 55s carried Model 94 numbers, so see the Model 1894 page.
- 1933–1935: Regular production ended in late December 1932. The quantities that George Madis's tables give through 1936 are not a continuation of a Model 55-only serial sequence. Past 12,002 these figures count rifles made; they are not serial numbers. From March 1928 Model 55s carried Model 94 numbers, so see the Model 1894 page.
- 1936: George Madis's tables look like one unbroken Model 55 sequence running to about 20,592. But regular production ended in late December 1932, and the quantities through 1936 are not a continuation of a Model 55-only serial sequence. Past 12,002 these figures count rifles made; they are not serial numbers. From March 1928 Model 55s carried Model 94 numbers, so see the Model 1894 page.
Winchester's own customer-service list (2012)
A list Winchester prepared to answer owners' questions. It combines records and estimates, as the list itself explains.
Cited as: Winchester customer-service list (2012)
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1924 | through 836 |
| 1925 | 837 – 2,783 |
| 1926 | 2,784 – 4,957 |
| 1927 | 4,958 – 8,021 |
| 1928 | 8,022 – 10,467 |
| 1929sources differ | 10,468 – 12,002 |
| 1929record only | 12,003 – 12,258 |
| 1930record only | 12,259 – 17,393 |
| 1931record only | 17,394 – 18,198 |
| 1932record only | 18,199 – 19,204 |
| 1933record only | 19,205 – 20,580 |
- 1929–1932: Past 12,002 these figures count rifles made; they are not serial numbers. From March 1928 Model 55s carried Model 94 numbers, so see the Model 1894 page.
- 1933: This is the figure for leftover parts assembled after regular production ended, as given by Winchester's own customer-service list. Past 12,002 these figures count rifles made; they are not serial numbers. From March 1928 Model 55s carried Model 94 numbers, so see the Model 1894 page.
What to know about Model 55 serial numbers
- Model 55s had their own serial numbers, 1 to 12,002, through March 1928. After that they were numbered in the shared Model 94 sequence.
- The changeover number for the shared sequence, 1,015,938, is approximate. And 1,019,676 is only the earliest documented Model 55 cited by the Winchester collectors' association, not necessarily the first one made.
- George Madis's tables look like one unbroken Model 55 sequence running to about 20,592. Past 12,002 that is not a real serial range, because the later rifles carry Model 94 numbers.
- Regular production ran from June 1924 through late December 1932. The quantities that George Madis's tables give through 1936 are not a continuation of a Model 55-only serial sequence.
- The factory records at the Cody Firearms Museum and the Winchester collectors' association estimate 20,580. George Madis and Proofhouse give 20,592. That difference of 12 is disputed.
- Winchester's own customer-service list is a retyped compilation, not the original records. The list itself says that no complete original serial record from 1866 onward is known to exist, and that some of its figures are estimates.
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.
Need more detail? Check for factory records
The Cody Firearms Records Office can check for surviving records for your serial number. For a fee, it can issue a letter reporting what they say. Some records contain only dates; others also describe the gun’s original features.
The office’s May 2024 coverage sheet lists these Model 55 serial numbers: 2–12,002; later rifles numbered in the Model 94 sequence. Check current availability with the office before ordering; a listed range does not guarantee a record for every number.
Order a factory letter from the Cody Firearms Museum →What a factory letter shows, and when one is worth ordering →