Unusual Winchester Model 59
OK, I broached these questions several years ago and never got solid answers. So, maybe there are some new subscribers here who might be able to shed more light on this. Of course, I'll again invite Bobski to chime in with his Model 50/59 expertise.
I have an unusual Winchester Model 59, the shotgun with the aluminum receiver and the fiberglass-wrapped barrel. The gun is in wonderful condition, about 97%+. Serial number is 11XX, just 4 digits. It has a standard walnut stock and a fixed-choke "modified" barrel, i.e. not the screw-in choke tube variation. Now, here's the unusual part. The gun does not have the gold-colored trigger group, but instead has what appears to be the same trigger group as a Model 50 or Model 50 Featherweight. Furthermore, there's no engraved scrolling on the receiver like a standard Model 59s, but it has a smooth finish, just like a Model 50 Featherweight. However, the receiver clearly bears the standard "Model 59" stamping information behind the ejection port indicating it as a factory original Model 59, not a made-up gun. In other words, this is not a Model 50 Featherweight receiver redone to look like a Model 59. Another indicator is the serial number, i.e. there's no "A" suffix like a Model 50 Featherweight. Overall, the gun appears factory original and is unmodified. However, I have no box or original paperwork. The guy I bought it from was the second owner and he claimed it came this way from the factory.
So, any thoughts on what I have here? Was this an early experimental gun that, when produced, hadn't incorporated the scrolling or gold trigger group associated with standard, later Model 59s? It also has the well contoured stock with the large checkering patterns, unlike the crude stocks at the end of production with the small checkering patterns. Has anyone seen one with plain features like this before? Is this gun rare enough that I should put it in a safe and preserve it? I've hunted with it a few times and it's a pleasure to carry in the field, although a bit butt-heavy. Finally, with the 4-digit serial number, does anyone know when this shotgun was made? I know Winchester didn't keep records of this model's serial numbers and manufacture dates, but I'm hoping someone has a little inside info.
I have an unusual Winchester Model 59, the shotgun with the aluminum receiver and the fiberglass-wrapped barrel. The gun is in wonderful condition, about 97%+. Serial number is 11XX, just 4 digits. It has a standard walnut stock and a fixed-choke "modified" barrel, i.e. not the screw-in choke tube variation. Now, here's the unusual part. The gun does not have the gold-colored trigger group, but instead has what appears to be the same trigger group as a Model 50 or Model 50 Featherweight. Furthermore, there's no engraved scrolling on the receiver like a standard Model 59s, but it has a smooth finish, just like a Model 50 Featherweight. However, the receiver clearly bears the standard "Model 59" stamping information behind the ejection port indicating it as a factory original Model 59, not a made-up gun. In other words, this is not a Model 50 Featherweight receiver redone to look like a Model 59. Another indicator is the serial number, i.e. there's no "A" suffix like a Model 50 Featherweight. Overall, the gun appears factory original and is unmodified. However, I have no box or original paperwork. The guy I bought it from was the second owner and he claimed it came this way from the factory.
So, any thoughts on what I have here? Was this an early experimental gun that, when produced, hadn't incorporated the scrolling or gold trigger group associated with standard, later Model 59s? It also has the well contoured stock with the large checkering patterns, unlike the crude stocks at the end of production with the small checkering patterns. Has anyone seen one with plain features like this before? Is this gun rare enough that I should put it in a safe and preserve it? I've hunted with it a few times and it's a pleasure to carry in the field, although a bit butt-heavy. Finally, with the 4-digit serial number, does anyone know when this shotgun was made? I know Winchester didn't keep records of this model's serial numbers and manufacture dates, but I'm hoping someone has a little inside info.
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About a year ago, I bought an unusual Winchester Model 59, the shotgun with the aluminum receiver and the fiberglass-wrapped barrel. The gun is in wonderful condition, about 97%+. From what I can tell from the serial number, this gun was made during the first year of production. It has a standard, walnut stock and a fixed-choke "modified" barrel, i.e. not the screw-in choke tube variation. Now, here's the unusual part. The gun does not have the gold-colored trigger group, but instead has what appears to be the same trigger group as a Model 50 or Model 50 Featherweight. Furthermore, the gun's aluminum receiver also has no scrolling like standard Model 59s, but has a smooth finish, just like a Model 50 Featherweight. However, the receiver clearly bears the standard "Model 59" stamping behind the ejection port indicating it as a factory original Model 59, not a made-up gun. In other words, this is not a Model 50 Featherweight receiver redone to look like a Model 59. Another indicator is the serial number, i.e. there's no "A" suffix like a Model 50 Featherweight. Overall, the gun appears factory-original and is unmodified. However, I have no box or original paperwork. The guy I bought it from was the second owner and he claimed it came this way from the factory.
So, any thoughts on what I have here? Was this an early experimental gun that, when produced, hadn't incorporated the scrolling or gold trigger group associated with standard, later Model 59s? Has anyone seen one with plain features like this before? Is this gun rare enough that I should put it in a safe and preserve it? I've hunted with it a few times and it's a pleasure to carry in the field, although a bit butt-heavy.
Thanks for any insights.0 -
My guess is that it was made in 1959. According to the small amount of literature that I have, Winchester introduced the "Versalite" choke in late 1960 (it was listed in the January 1961 catalog). 0 -
I don't know about the reciever but the trigger groups on the 50's and 59's were interchangeable. I just sold a 50 with a 59 trigger group. Most likely yous was changed post production. 0
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