Author Topic: Winchester Model 74  (Read 3435 times)

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Offline Greasemonkey

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Winchester Model 74
« on: June 03, 2018, 10:31:39 PM »
Another I scarfed up on when I got the TU 33/40... Figured hey, it's old and it's a Winchester, not one of the more well known models, but a Winchester none the less. Actually, until I saw it, I don't remember really ever seeing one or maybe I just looked over them. It's a butt stock tube fed design, it's Winchesters third semiauto rimfire rifle.

These have a interesting history, some were shipped to the Britain as lend/lease trainers or some say basically to be used as last ditch weapons. The first year of production in '39 and 1940 was a .22short model with a 24 inch barrel, production stopped in '43 due to the war, the last year, 1955 they offered a grooved receiver for scopes. This is the most common version, the regular .22lr with 22 inch barrel, Winchester serial dates it as a 1950, total production is just over 100k.







One down side, someone added a Williams peep sight and front sight...at least it was a tasteful modification.




It's got a healthy bolt for a 22lr...and note to self..... self, never, ever cock it with the safety on.. just do not do it. Little did I know, they came with a warning tag that advised against it.  I fixed it, and it works again  :)

I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse......

Leave the gun, take the cannoli.

I said I was an addict........I didn't say I had a problem

Offline Loose}{Cannon

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Re: Winchester Model 74
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2018, 10:50:58 PM »
Interesting critter......    Cannon likey!

You hit 500 yet?    :))
      
1776 will commence again if you try to take our firearms... It doesn't matter how many Lenins you get out on the street begging for them to be taken.

Offline Phosphorus32

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Re: Winchester Model 74
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2018, 11:17:29 PM »
Yup, that's a new one to me and I like it. I mean it's an old Winchester, and it's a .22, what's not to like!  thumb1

Offline Greasemonkey

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Re: Winchester Model 74
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2018, 12:42:13 AM »
Well.... this thing was not with out issues. bat1  Being a consignment rifle there was no dickering, it was a take it or leave it type deal. I knew I was also dealing with an almost 70 year old semiauto, owned by who knows how many people, eating who knows how many rounds..

I tried it twice over the past few weeks, little did I know it was missing a trigger return spring, I knew the sights were some screwed up aftermarket hoopty stuff. Shooting it was, lets say frustrating, sometimes it would fire, sometimes not, when it did it usually hit 4 inches high and usually to the right 2 inches at 50 yards. It started out 7 inches high, I bottomed out the rear sight to get it to 4 inches high. Groups were palm sized at best, I wish I would have taken pictures of the before targets, but, they were awful, trust me.

So........ before I utterly beat it into non firing submission, I released my inner retard Jimmy on it. Some of the stuff I have done to it, I'm kinda ashamed of, but, before you pass judgment  :)) complete reading everything... thumb1

The missing trigger return spring, I figured out a piece of cardboard worked to return it.. after 170rounds, the trigger operation hasn't missed a beat yet. I adjusted the magazine tube, now when you load it, and cock it, that first round pops right in the chamber, before, it was a hair too close, the rounds would usually wedge up at the top between the barrel and receiver.......when it did actually fire.


I found when I tightened the action screw down, the whole action kinda bowed just a hair, so I stuck a washer in the only mounting screw hole, no more bowing I can detect, and it still fits tight.


The barrel crown looked questionable... so I said screw it, I took a ball bearing and a gob of valve grinding compound and went to town on the crown.. Also, I changed the front sight(see above, it had a blade style made by someone, I found it was too short for the rear sight). This front sight is now a cheapie plastic globe sight off of a Crosman model 3100 break action pellet rifle that I had probably before I started high school(dammed if I know why I still have it, I don't even have the rifle anymore). The cheapie globe sight sits high enough to allow for some rear elevation adjustment, instead of it just barely hanging on the bottom of the sight. After some work to the base of the sight, which I basically bored the base out .020 inch, just enough to fit the Winchester barrel, the mounting screw fit right through the empty dovetail left by the blade sight. It fits very tight, with the screw installed, it will not move.




It looks like this now, kinda has the commie rimfire trainer look to it, but overall, not a real big change. I discovered in an earlier session, the rear sight loosed during firing, also it didn't quite fit the radius of the receiver. So....I lapped it to fit the receiver with really fine sandpaper, then used threadlock on the base of the Williams sight peep and threadlocked the mounting bolt.



I guess this is the fruits of my labor. I ain't a great shot, I don't claim to be, I was using an old arse box of CCI Minimags I dusted off that I found that was laying in the barn for a few years. Anyways, this was the 2 final targets of the day at 50 yards, 5 shots each.

So all of it cost me nothing, my problem child now works flawless and shoots where I point it. The difference in the front sight made a world of difference, much quicker target acquisition and much easier to draw it up and point and shoot. I'm now much happier with it. I might try some good ammo in it and tweak it just a hair more. :)

« Last Edit: July 29, 2018, 12:49:32 AM by Greasemonkey »
I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse......

Leave the gun, take the cannoli.

I said I was an addict........I didn't say I had a problem

Offline carls sks

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Re: Winchester Model 74
« Reply #4 on: July 29, 2018, 08:55:27 AM »
looks like all the work you did paid off, nice grouping.  thumb1
ARMY NAM VET, SO PROUD!

Offline Direct Connection

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Re: Winchester Model 74
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2018, 09:30:01 AM »
Valve grinding compound ? No wonder your in the red with that thing  :)) Good job GM .. You need to start making youtube videos on these after market fix and replacements . rofl

Offline Loose}{Cannon

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Re: Winchester Model 74
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2018, 10:09:06 AM »
I like it.... good work.   thumb1

How did you grab hold of the bearing to spin it?
      
1776 will commence again if you try to take our firearms... It doesn't matter how many Lenins you get out on the street begging for them to be taken.

Offline Greasemonkey

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Re: Winchester Model 74
« Reply #7 on: July 29, 2018, 12:38:54 PM »
Valve grinding compound ? No wonder your in the red with that thing  :)) Good job GM .. You need to start making youtube videos on these after market fix and replacements . rofl

 nea1  You ever seen a foul mouthed Sasquatch go retard in a garage, somewhere in the mess the camera would get destroyed by flying objects, a socket, maybe a wrench, or a piece of outdoor equipment....I cant afford that many cameras  chuckles1   Besides, it's better to not expose the children of the world to that, most are screwed up enough. rofl

I like it.... good work.   thumb1

How did you grab hold of the bearing to spin it?

I ground a flat on the ball, slippery sucker has hard to hold, tack welded a machine screw to it, affixed it in a cordless drill and dug and ground till the battery died. I'm sure welding it killed the bearing hardness, but if it wears out, maybe I will make another. It didn't show much signs of wear after using it. Some people use acorn nuts or carrage/stove bolts, which I possibly could have saved alot of time doing, instead of fighting with a little hard arse bearing.
I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse......

Leave the gun, take the cannoli.

I said I was an addict........I didn't say I had a problem