Winchester 90 pistol grip authentic or fabricated

Rustyjack

October 16, 2015 14:40

Trying to help a friend before he buys this piece. Looking for opinions as to if this receiver is authentic or fabricated.
It's been re-blued. My concerns are the crooked receiver serial number
and the "A" under the serial number on a post production parts clean up receiver. Also the serial number does not appear centered on the lower tang. No assembly numbers on the edges of the tang either (if it was a deluxe stock).
I'm not familiar enough to have an opinion of the tang screw boss.
What do the experts think? Thanks for any help.
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  Bert H.

  October 16, 2015 18:22

  It is fabricated (fake). Winchester ceased marking the "A" below the serial number at 713200.
  
  Additionally, serial number 824434 was not a "post production parts clean-up" receiver. Instead, it was a standard production rifle that was manufactured in December of 1929.
  
  Regular production of the Model 90 ended on June 6th, 1932 at serial number 846022. Parts clean-up production continued beginning in February 1933 (none were made from June 7th, 1932 - February 5th, 1933), and it ended with serial number 854747 on November 23rd, 1949. No parts clean-up production took place from July 21st, 1942 - November 22nd, 1949.

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  Rustyjack

  October 17, 2015 05:01

  Thanks Bert, besides the "A" stamp, would you agree the entire receiver serial has been faked and applied to match the trigger guard number?
  The numbers look too large and do not line up evenly. On all the model 90's I own, the receiver serial is in smaller type than the tang number.
  
  Do you (or anyone with a PG 1890) think the trigger guard is original? I'm mostly wondering if the tang screw boss is original.

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  Bert H.

  October 17, 2015 18:12

  Your pictures are not high enough quality for me to determine what exactly has transpired with the receiver serial number. That stated, with the faked "A", the odds are very high that the serial number right above it is also faked.

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  MG1890

  October 18, 2015 06:40

  I have several original 1890's with pistol grip stocks, and have studied them minutely, so I will offer a few comments.
  
  The size of the numbers on the receiver is slightly too large, and the spacing is very slightly too great.
  
  The threaded escutcheon for the tang screw has been messed with, or is not original. It should be blended smooth with the outside surface of the tang and appear as a barely visible circle that cannot be felt.
  
  I pulled #852600 out of the safe and compared it to your pictures. The font is correct, but the numbers seem too large. I also pulled 700019A and 713651. No "A" on 713651.
  
  Is there a crosspin retaining that tang screw escutcheon? Cannot tell from the picture for sure, looks to be, and that would not be an original.
  
  Odd that it would not have a special order number on the left lower tang side. All of my pistol grip guns do.
  
  So, I agree with Bert, these parts have been altered to appear as a matching original pistol grip set. Being reblued it doesn't really matter, building up a "Deluxe", or more accurately a "Fancy Finished" 1890 off these reblued parts would be a waste of money unless it was done on the cheap for a shooter.

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  nmyers

  October 18, 2015 10:36

  Jack, I wouldn't take up a response if you hadn't already received good answers to your questions, but, I'm curious........how much is the seller asking for a receiver that he just believes has been refinished?
  
  Neal

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