Wish I could grab a pic to start this post but click on the link below.
'Tool room', 'gage gun', yada yada yada, ... let the rifle speak for itself.
These are hard to explain, though. Gorgeous, near mint, early Winchester Garand that sold at James Julia last spring. Looks to be VERY low usage. Uncartouched but proof fired. No serial number so it is a 'narrow it down' game. Excellent wood profiles that strongly suggest WB era to me. Round wire, grooved rear handguard clip but not a grooved barrel band, both knobs checkered, ribbed rear sight cover, ... without more I cannot narrow it very well, but it could be anywhere from about 120,xxx-ish to about 150,xxx or so? And again, no sight seal on that fabulously mint looking front end.
Unserialed? It could be a presentation rifle which would explain the lack of a cartouche - never went into service - but that probably wouldn't happen after Dec 7th so if we go there lets call it a sub 130,xxx. These exist but have been seen to be made from obsolete or out of spec or rejected parts - still cool and speak to a period just in 'cursive', ...
Unless, it was retained by WRA in their reference collection but I believe those were all serialized, ... though at this point, who knows what they kept any more. These 'museum rifles' turn up still as John Olin sold a good bit of the Winchester reference collection in the mid 70's when he bought Winchester (as well as some of his own collection) in order fund the Winchester Museum out in Cody Wyoming. The easy ones to determine are the ones with the brass tag on the buttstock but the stories (legends) are of crates of new WWII Winchester Garands being brought out and sold, ... Heck, back then they were only 30 years old so no big deal, eh. So far I don't think there is any documentation of what John Olin sold in the 70's (but I am working on it).
Cool rifle regardless. Have a look. (Sorry, can't figure out how to snag the pics from their cite).
What are your thoughts?
'Tool room', 'gage gun', yada yada yada, ... let the rifle speak for itself.
These are hard to explain, though. Gorgeous, near mint, early Winchester Garand that sold at James Julia last spring. Looks to be VERY low usage. Uncartouched but proof fired. No serial number so it is a 'narrow it down' game. Excellent wood profiles that strongly suggest WB era to me. Round wire, grooved rear handguard clip but not a grooved barrel band, both knobs checkered, ribbed rear sight cover, ... without more I cannot narrow it very well, but it could be anywhere from about 120,xxx-ish to about 150,xxx or so? And again, no sight seal on that fabulously mint looking front end.
Unserialed? It could be a presentation rifle which would explain the lack of a cartouche - never went into service - but that probably wouldn't happen after Dec 7th so if we go there lets call it a sub 130,xxx. These exist but have been seen to be made from obsolete or out of spec or rejected parts - still cool and speak to a period just in 'cursive', ...

Unless, it was retained by WRA in their reference collection but I believe those were all serialized, ... though at this point, who knows what they kept any more. These 'museum rifles' turn up still as John Olin sold a good bit of the Winchester reference collection in the mid 70's when he bought Winchester (as well as some of his own collection) in order fund the Winchester Museum out in Cody Wyoming. The easy ones to determine are the ones with the brass tag on the buttstock but the stories (legends) are of crates of new WWII Winchester Garands being brought out and sold, ... Heck, back then they were only 30 years old so no big deal, eh. So far I don't think there is any documentation of what John Olin sold in the 70's (but I am working on it).
Cool rifle regardless. Have a look. (Sorry, can't figure out how to snag the pics from their cite).
What are your thoughts?
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