GunSerialsWinchester Model 58 serial numbers — why most have none
A low-priced, single-shot bolt-action rifle based on the Model 1902. About 39,000 to 40,000 were made from 1928 to the early 1930s.
- Produced:
- 1928–1931 (Madis: to 1934)
- 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 58 guns have no serial number
Winchester never numbered the Model 58.
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.
About 39,000 to 40,000 were made.
A cost-reduced Model 1902 with a gumwood stock and no buttplate. Inspector or fitter marks found on some examples are not serial numbers.
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 58 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 58 without a serial number
Winchester changed the Model 58 over its run, and the published references date some of those changes. These clues can help narrow the possible years:
- The August 29 date on the barrel is a patent date, not a year of manufacture.
- A two-digit year stamp has been reported on the underside of the barrel next to the receiver (“28” on one example). It dates the barrel, not necessarily the finished rifle.
Features suggest a range of years. Winchester sometimes used older parts after a design changed, and parts may have been replaced later.