GunSerialsWinchester Model 68 serial numbers — why most have none
The Winchester Model 68 is a single-shot, bolt-action .22 rimfire rifle produced from 1934 to 1945, with about 100,000 made.
- Produced:
- 1934–1945
- 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 68 guns have no serial number
Winchester never numbered the Model 68.
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 100,000 were made; the references give 98,496 to 100,730.
A Model 67 fitted with a No. 96A aperture rear sight and a No. 97A, later 97B, hooded front sight. The same sights were later offered on the 67, so check the barrel marking rather than the sights to tell them apart. A claim that the first 100 were numbered has no source behind it.
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 68 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 68 without a serial number
Winchester changed the Model 68 over its run, and the published references date some of those changes. These clues can help narrow the possible years:
- .22 WRF was added to the chamberings in April 1938.
- The sear and extractor were modified in January 1938.
- Factory scope bases were offered from 1937 to 1939 with the metallic sights retained: a 5x scope was authorized in March 1937, and only the 5x remained by January 1938.
- Finger-groove forearms are early. The references disagree on when they ended: mid-1935 by one account, January 1938 by the Winchester collectors' association's reading of the factory records.
Features suggest a range of years. Winchester sometimes used older parts after a design changed, and parts may have been replaced later.
Winchester Model 68 value: what it sells for at auction
We found 11 single-gun auction sales of the Winchester Model 68 at Redding Auction Services and Amoskeag Auction Company between Sep 2023 and Sep 2026. They sold for $50 to $325.
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 68 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | Model 68 | Amoskeag lot 2456 | $193 |
| Mar 2026 | Model 68 | Amoskeag lot 2572 | $242 |
| Mar 2026 | Model 68 | Redding lot 657R | $270 |
| Mar 2026 | Model 68 | Redding lot 481R | $250 |
| Mar 2026 | Model 68 | Redding lot 397R | $325 |
| Oct 2025 | Model 68 | Redding lot 438R | $50 |
| Aug 2025 | Model 68 | Amoskeag lot 2210 | $193 |
| Jul 2025 | Model 68 | Redding lot 387R | $95 |
| Nov 2024 | Model 68 | Amoskeag lot 2905 | $169 |
| Aug 2024 | Model 68 | Amoskeag lot 2401 | $133 |
| Jun 2024 | Model 68 | Amoskeag lot 2324 | $254 |
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 →