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Posted: 4/19/2026 6:03:34 PM EDT
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About 6 years ago I found a very nice Winchester 1890 (left) for $800, in the fairly rare for that model .22 LR. That started a search for its successor gallery style rifles in .22 LR, resulting in a Model 1906 (center) and a Model 62 (right) over the next couple years. Winchester designed the Model 1890 around its .22 Winchester Rimfire (.22 WRF) that offered a 45 grain bullet at 1050 fps, the same velocity as the 40 gr .22 LR. As it turned out people were just not willing to pay more for the slight ballistic advantage (and slightly reduced accuracy) of the .22 WRF. Yet Winchester persisted in offering it in the 1890 until the 1890 was discontinued in 1932, and did not offer the 1890 in .22 LR until 1919. Winchester introduced the 1906 in 1906 initially in .22 Short only. It was intended as a less expensive version of the 1890 selling for half the cost of an 1890. It also featured a 12 7/8" length of pull and a 4" shorter 20" barrel, making it an ideal first rifle for younger shooters. However in 1908, Winchester redesigned it to feed .22 Short, Long and Long rifle, which was innovative for its time and a grudging nod to the popularity of the .22 LR. It was also discontinued in 1932. In 1932, the Model 62 replaced both the Model 1890 and 1906. While, like the 1890 and 1906, there were dedicated .22 Short gallery rifle versions of the Model 62the standard Model 62 and several years later the Model 62A were designed to fire .22 Short, Long and Long rifle. ---- While continuing to look for a nice Model 61, I acquired a Remington 121 a couple years later which was the slicker, slimmer looking hammerless Remington alternative to the Winchester rifles, and a variation of the rifle the Model 61 was designed to compete with. Remington introduced the Model 12 in 1909, chambered for .22 Short, Long and Long Rifle just like the Model 1906, but did it in a sleeker, more modern hammerless format. They also chambered some Model 12s in .22 Remington Special, a cartridge that was interchangeable with the .22 WRF, to offer competition to the 1890 as well. Remington replaced it with the slightly improved Model 121 in 1936, around the same time they introduced the new high velocity .22 LR round launching a 40 gr bullet at 1280 fps, finally burying the .22WRF/.22 Rem Special. While Winchester continued the traditional hammer fired design with the Model 62 in 1932, when it replaced the 1890 and 1906, it also introduced the hammerless, side ejection Model 61 to compete with the sleeker more modern looking Remington Model 12. You have to wonder why it took Winchester 23years, from 1909 to 1932, to introduce a competitor to the Model 12. Part of it was probably reluctance by Winchester to change, and part of it was probably John Browning cutting ties with Winchester when he started designing arms for FN. But WWI also intervened and saw Winchester invest heavily in envisioned military production contracts and production facilities to supply armies for a war that then suddenly ended. That left Winchester in dire financial straits beginning in 1919, and resulted in a reduction in custom offerings and cataloged options in 1926. Ultimately it led to the company being acquired by Olin who initiated numerous changes, discontinuing some models like the 1890 and 1906, while and introducing others like the Model 55, 61, and 62 to both streamline production and in some cases modernize their offerings. When you compare the Browning designed 1890 and its 1906, Model 61 and 62 derivatives, you see the genius of Browning designs in terms of simple parts that often perform multiple functions. In contrast the Remington Model 12 and 121 reflect the other firearm genius of the time, John Pedersen, whose designs feature much more intricate and complicated but equally elegant designs that also function extremely well. In that regard the Model 61 (left) and Model 121 (right) are contemporaries that look very similar while being very different designs.  So, six years to get nice examples of the .22LR variants of these Winchester slide action rifles with a Model 121 bonus rifle, but well worth the time and effort. |
| I just got to handle an 1890 in 22 wrf from the estate of a friend's father. The mainspring is broken, no idea on status of the bore, but I am hopeful I can buy it, and sometime add a model 62 to my collection. The 1890 was made in 1906 - 120 years old and awesome still! |
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I killed a lot of groundhogs with my uncle’s Model 61 .22wmr in my youth. I loved that rifle. He still has it at age 85; but, his shooting days are over. His Son-in-law will get it, and rightfully so. Yet, I’m a little jealous. Guess it’s time for me to start shopping for one myself. That’s a really nice Winchester pump collection. Wish I were as focused in my purchases. |
A Battery, 7 BN / 9th FA, USAR - M110a1 8” sp
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