Winchester Models Explained & What Made Them Stand Out

Boosting more than 150 years of history, Winchester has grown to become one of the most recognized names in the firearm industry. The prominent company was founded by Oliver Winchester in 1866. It went defunct in 1931, but it came back to life. Today, many Winchester products are made under license by other manufacturers. The brand name is owned by Olin Corporation, which still produces ammunition under this name. All in all, here are some of the top-rated Winchester models ever made.

Model years 1866 to 1912

Models have usually been associated with the production or design year.

Model 1866 was the first rifle produced by Winchester, ideal in the .44 Henry caliber. It has often been referred to as the Yellow Boy, and believe it or not, it's still made today.
Model 1873 has often been described as the gun of the west. It’s by far one of the most successful Winchester lever action models ever made.
Model 1876 was bulky, large, and powerful. It was primarily aimed at hunting big game. Production was stopped in 1897. Model 1876 Hotchkiss was only produced in 1878, and although it was considered a variant of the original rifle, it had its own variants as well.
Model 1885 was made until 1920 as a single shot rifle. Two different variants were made, the High Wall and the Low Wall.
Model 1886 pushed the trend towards heavy rounds further. Despite being produced by Winchester, it was designed by Browning.
Model 1887 was a lever action shotgun, part of the same family with Model 1901. Like the Model 1886, they were designed by John Browning. Given their reliability, they’ll never miss from a Winchester shotgun models list.
Model 1890 was built as a slide action repeating rifle. It was available in more calibers, such as .22 Long Rifle, .22 Short, .22 Long and .22 Winchester Rimfire. It's one of the top-rated Winchester 22 pump rifle models.
Model 1892 was released to compete against new, large and solid Marlin firearms. Similar to Model 1873, but much more powerful, this new release was produced in over a million units.
Model 1893 was known under many names, such as M97 or the Riot Gun. The pump action shotgun can be 12 or 16 gauge and is still in service these days. It’s one of the most popular Winchester pump shotgun models ever made.
Model 1894 became one of the best-selling .30-30 Winchester models, despite also being more expensive than other alternatives. It's excellent for deer hunting.
Model 1895 drew attention with its unique mechanism to load from its own box magazine rather than from a tube magazine. This way, it could be chambered for many more cartridges.
Model 1895 Lee was quite common in the American army. It was produced in 1895 only and used the 6mm Lee Navy caliber.
Model 1897 is a solid shotgun and was produced as a variant of Model 1893.
Model 1905 was also known as Model 05. It was chambered for .32SL and .35SL cartridges. It was discontinued in 1920. Model 1907 and Model 1910 are considered its variants, so there are a lot of similarities.
Model 1906 was built as a low cost alternative to Model 1890. The slide action rifle was chambered for .22 Long, .22 Short, and .22 Long Rifle cartridges.
Model 1911 SL was a shotgun made between 1911 and 1925.
Model 1912 or M12 was made until 1964, with some production lines running until 2006. About two million units were made, many of them still in use today.

When it comes to year model numbers before 1912, it's also worth noting Model 1900, its variants Model 1902 and 1904, Model 99 Thumb Trigger, and Model 1903.

Sequential model numbers for rifles from 1919 to 1939

Winchester gave up naming their models according to the year. Instead, the company moved on to a sequential system. Names of older models have also been affected.

Model 51 Imperial was designed as a sporting rifle. It was known for its high quality build, yet it was made in low numbers.
Model 52 was one of the popular Winchester bolt action models, made between 1920 and 1980. It was chambered for the .22 Long Rifle cartridge.
Model 53 was a classic sporting rifle boosting a round barrel and a magazine hidden in the fore end.
Model 54 gained notoriety as one of the most versatile Winchester 3030 models, being able to take a wide variety of other cartridges. It was made in 1936 only.
Model 55 is considered a variant of Model 94, sharing quite a few similarities.
Model 56 was a bolt action unit made for a couple of years only, between 1927 and 1929. Model 57 is considered its variant, yet it’s also been marketed independently.
Model 58 only weighed three pounds and gained notoriety throughout the Depression Era because of its price. Model 59 is quite similar, as it’s a variant. Model 60 and Model 60A are also considered variants of Model 58.
Model 61 was a slide action design. It was quite popular, but the production was stopped in 1963.
Model 67 was a single shot unit able to take multiple cartridges. Model 677 and Model 68 are its variants.
Model 69 was chambered for .22 Long Rifle, .22 Long, and .22 Short cartridges. It came as an innovation since Model 56 and Model 57 failed to get the popularity Winchester expected. Model 697 was its variant.
Model 70 has been nicknamed The Rifleman's Rifle, and it's still being produced today. It's one of the 308 Winchester rifle models that can take numerous cartridges for more convenience.

Other models and variants in the sequential series from Winchester include Model 62, Model 62A, Model 63, Model 64, Model 65, Model 71, Model 72, Model 74, and Model 75.

Non-sequential model numbers for rifles from 1949 to 1963

After 1949, Winchester changed the naming system again. Here are the top rifles made between 1949 and 1963.

Model 43 is among the least known rifles from Winchester. It’s often been considered a low cost alternative for those who couldn’t afford Model 70.
Model 47 was built as a single shot rifle. It was designed throughout World War II and came out as the first rifle after the war.
Model 55 was an ambidextrous rifle, but the adjustable trigger is what made it stand out in the crowd.
Model 77 was a semi-automatic unit sporting rifle relying on the .22 caliber. It was made until 1963.
Model 88 was introduced in 1955, and it was unique. Winchester designed a hybrid rifle, which also had a separate variant, Model 88 Carbine.

Other rifles in this time frame include Model 100 and Model 290 as semi-automatic rifles, Model 250 as a lever action unit, and Model 270 as a slide action rifle.

Non-sequential model numbers

The model numbers were produced throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Model 121 used the .22 caliber and had a couple of variants, Model 121 Youth and Model 121 Deluxe.
Model 131 and Model 141 were also seen as Model 121 variants.
Model 190 is among the lightest rifles in this category. It came with iron sights, as well as a rail for other attachments.
Model 310 was made between 1972 and 1975. It was a reliables single shot .22 rifle.
Model 320 was known for its accuracy. It was available with a five or 10 round magazine. Model 325 was a variant.
Model 9422 was the first time Winchester tried the angle eject lever gun. It was incredibly reliable and very easy to shoot.

Other notable rifles in this time frame include Model 150, Model 255, Model 275, Model 490, Model 670, and Model 770.

Model years for shotguns 1919 to 1963

Winchester has done a fairly good job with shotguns produced prior to 1963, many of them being immediately adopted by civilian markets and law enforcement agencies.

Model 20 was made in 24,000 units between 1920 and 1924.
Model 21 is one of the reputable Winchester double barrel shotgun models, also considered a deluxe firearm.
Model 24 was made as a 12 gauge shotgun and kept in production until 1958.
Model 37 was so popular that Winchester produced more than a million units between 1936 and 1963.
Model 40 was only made for two years, but the semi-automatic unit did gain a fair share of fans.
Model 41 was designed as a .410 bore shotgun and dominated with its power.

Model 50 and Model 59 were semi-automatic shotguns, while Model 101 was an over/under, sporting shotgun. Other notable options include Model 25, Model 36, and Model 42.

Model years for shotguns after 1964

In 1964, most Winchester firearms were modernized due to newer production facilities and technologies. Old guns were sold as modern weapons, but the public didn’t see it that way.

Model 95 was an over/under 12 gauge shotgun with a 30 inch long barrel.
Model 1200 was a pump action shotgun made between 1964 and 2006. It was slightly improved and released again as Model 1300 in 1978. Model 5500 is considered a variant.
Model 1400 was quite powerful for its size, but it’s always been considered a low cost alternative to other shotguns. Model 1500 was a variant.
Super-X Model 1 was a remarkable release and is often referred to as Winchester's last great release. It was based on nothing but quality material, particularly steel and walnut. It was a response to the criticism regarding the modernization from 1964.

Other shotguns and variants produced during these years include Model 23, Model 37A, Model 370, and Model 9410. As a final conclusion, Winchester has an impressive history and has mainly gained notoriety with its superior rifles and cartridges, yet its shotguns are not to be overlooked either. The modernization from 1964 changed the world's perception of it, as people found the idea of rebranding guns offensive.