GunSerialsWinchester Model 60 serial numbers — why most have none
The Winchester Model 60 is an economy single-shot bolt-action .22 rimfire rifle produced from late 1930 to 1934.
- Produced:
- Model 60: late 1930–1934; Model 60A: 1932–1934; Model 60A Target: 1933–1939 (WACA/Watrous chronology; Proofhouse instead dates both 60/60A categories from 1932 to World War II)
- 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 60 guns have no serial number
Winchester never numbered the Model 60.
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 161,000 to 166,000 Model 60 and 60A rifles were made together, plus around 6,100 to 6,400 60A Targets.
A less expensive replacement for the Model 1904, later replaced by the cheaper Model 67. Collectors sometimes call it a “Sporter.” Winchester's catalog names were Model 60, Model 60A, 60A Target, and Takedown.
Tube-magazine rifles sold as a “Model 60” are the unrelated Canadian Cooey Model 60. The Cody Firearms Records Office's list of covered models does not include the Winchester Model 60.
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 60 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 60 without a serial number
Winchester changed the Model 60 over its run, and the published references date some of those changes. These clues can help narrow the possible years:
- The Model 60 has a 23-inch barrel. The standard Model 60A came with 23- and 27-inch barrels, the 27-inch change coming in 1933, and the 60A Target is always 27-inch.
- Some barrels carry a two-digit year stamp on their underside, hidden by the stock. It dates the barrel, not the finished rifle: Winchester did not use parts up in the order they were made.
- The markings stamped on the barrel and the WP testing mark do not tell you when the rifle was assembled.
Features suggest a range of years. Winchester sometimes used older parts after a design changed, and parts may have been replaced later.
Winchester Model 60 value: what it sells for at auction
We found 11 single-gun auction sales of the Winchester Model 60 at Redding Auction Services and Amoskeag Auction Company between Sep 2023 and Sep 2026. They sold for $84 to $260.
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 60 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | Model 60 | Amoskeag lot 2698 | $84 |
| Mar 2026 | Model 60 | Amoskeag lot 2298 | $181 |
| Mar 2026 | Model 60 | Redding lot 477R | $250 |
| Feb 2026 | Model 60 | Redding lot 497R | $260 |
| Nov 2025 | Model 60 | Amoskeag lot 2200 | $145 |
| Aug 2025 | Model 60 | Amoskeag lot 2215 | $102 |
| Jun 2025 | Model 60 | Redding lot 481R | $100 |
| Jun 2025 | Model 60 | Redding lot 478R | $115 |
| Jan 2025 | Model 60 | Redding lot 534R | $110 |
| Jan 2025 | Model 60 | Redding lot 298R | $120 |
| Aug 2024 | Model 60 | Amoskeag lot 2407 | $133 |
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 →