Winchester Shipping Records

rhmc24

March 01, 2009 02:08

If I read it right, the "serial number reference" about Winchester source info cover only guns up to about the turn of the 19/20th centuries. Is there an info source for shipping destination of my 1929 Model 12 shotgun? I'm trying to confirm anecdotal info relating it to local history. Thanks

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  Permanently deleted user

  March 01, 2009 06:26

  Search the web and look for winchester model 12 serial numbers.
  
  It is there.
  
  Sage 1

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  Bert H.

  March 01, 2009 08:02

  I disagree with Sage1. Unfortunately, there is no "shipping record" information available anywhere for any of the many Winchester models. There are two sets of records that have survived;
  
  (1) The factory warehouse ledgers, which cover all models that were serialized up to circa 1907 - 1910 (depending on the specific model).
  
  (2) The Polishing Room Serialization records books. This set of records is much more extensive that the warehouse ledgers, but it does not have any configuration information... just the date that the serial number was applied to the receiver/tang. For many Models, this set of records is complete for the entire serial number range(e.g. the Models 1897/97, 1912/12, etc.)
  
  There are no known records that show where Winchester shipped a particular gun. The warehouse ledgers list the date and order # when a gun was shipped, but almost never the destination. To give you an example, I have examined more than 50,000 Model 1885 serial numbers in warehouse ledger records, and thus far, I have only found two entries listing where or who the gun was shipped to.

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