GunSerialsWinchester Model 56 serial numbers by year
A bolt-action .22 sporting rifle introduced in 1926. Gun Digest says it was discontinued in 1929. The Madis/ProofHouse table also lists assembly from leftover parts in 1930 (1,817 rifles) and 1931 (18 rifles).
- Produced:
- 1926–1929 (parts cleanup 1930–1931)
- 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.
What year was your Model 56 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.
Where the serial number is
On the receiver.
Where these dates come from
The table on this page comes from one source: George Madis's published tables. Use its dates as estimates for groups of serial numbers, and check the notes for its limits.
Source for this model: Published Madis shared-series accounting
Winchester Model 56 serial numbers by year
The full Model 56 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 “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.
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: Published Madis shared-series accounting
| Year | Serial numbers |
|---|---|
| 1926approximate | 1 – 3,193 |
| 1927approximate | 3,194 – 9,001 |
| 1928approximate | 9,002 – 13,739 |
| 1929approximate | 13,740 – 17,065 |
| 1930approximate | 17,066 – 21,468 |
| 1931approximate | 21,469 – 24,299 |
| 1932record only | 24,300 – 25,435 |
| 1933record only | 25,436 – 25,828 |
| 1934record only | 25,829 – 26,489 |
| 1935record only | 26,490 – 26,830 |
| 1936record only | 26,831 – 27,401 |
| 1937record only | 27,402 – 27,439 |
| 1938record only | 27,440 – 27,878 |
- 1926–1928, 1930–1931: The totals and the year-by-year dating for the shared sequence come from the published tables of George Madis.
- 1929: The totals and the year-by-year dating for the shared sequence come from the published tables of George Madis. A private copy of the factory records is reported to show no new receivers numbered in 1929. Spare receivers numbered in 1928 supplied much of the 1929 production.
- 1932–1937: The totals and the year-by-year dating for the shared sequence come from the published tables of George Madis. Rows after 1931 are Model 57 only. Use the Model 57 page for a number in this row.
- 1938: The totals and the year-by-year dating for the shared sequence come from the published tables of George Madis. Rows after 1931 are Model 57 only. Madis's tables report the shared sequence ending around serial 27,878. Research in private records points to more than 30,000 rifles across the two models. No exact final total was published. Use the Model 57 page for a number in this row.
What to know about Model 56 serial numbers
- The Model 56 and the Model 57 share one receiver serial sequence that starts at 1. The number alone does not tell you which model was built.
- These rows show how the shared sequence was split up by year of assembly. They are not the dates the receivers were numbered.
- The factory records at the Cody Firearms Museum cover the stamping of serial numbers on shared receivers. They do not necessarily say whether the gun ended up a Model 56 or a Model 57, or what year it was assembled.
- A private copy of the factory records is reported to show no new receivers numbered in 1929. Spare receivers numbered in 1928 supplied much of the 1929 production. So do not read the year-of-assembly split in George Madis's tables as a table of when receivers were numbered.
- Model 56 production stopped before the shared receiver sequence ran out. Later serials are mostly or entirely Model 57s.
- The totals and the year-by-year dating for the shared sequence come from the published tables of George Madis.
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 56
The Model 56 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 →