SIMMONS GUN SPECIALTIES WINCHESTER MODEL 61 SMOOTHBORE ROUTLEDGE .22 RIFLE
SOLD FOR: $20,230
Simmons Gun Specialties Winchester Model 61 Smoothbore Routledge .22 Short Pump Action Rifle, 1957
Make:Winchester
Model:61, Simmons Gun Specialties Custom
Serial Number:255720
Year of Manufacture:1957
Caliber:.22 Long Rifle, For Shot Only
Action Type:Pump Action Tubular Magazine Fed
Barrel Length:24″, Simmons Vent-Rib
Sights / Optics:There is a red bead in a base a the front of the rib and a smaller metal mid-bead. The receiver is grooved for mounting an optic, but the rib extension will likely preclude use of most mounts. The top of the rib is serrated, the top of the rib and receiver are matte finished for glare reduction.
Stock Configuration & Condition:The stocks are two-piece walnut with grooved slide handle, semi-pistol grip, straight comb and checkered steel buttplate. The stocks have a few scattered light marks. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13 3/8″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has faint wear around the edges. The stocks rate in about Fine-plus overall condition.
Type of Finish:Blue
Finish Originality:New finish applied by Simmons Gun Specialties.
The smooth bore has Winchester’s counterbored profile, the last 8” having a diameter of 0.265”. The bore is bright. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 10 out of 10.
Overall Condition:This rifle retains about 97% of its Simmons-applied metal finish. There is light operational wear and some light oxidation on the crown. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are generally clear, portions of the barrel address are a little shallow. Overall, this rifle rates in about Fine-plus condition.
Mechanics:The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a more thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories:None.
Our Assessment:The Winchester Model 61 rifle was introduced in 1932, and was a hammerless design with a tubular magazine. It was actually released after the Model 62, which like the previous Models 1890 and 1906 also had a hammer. The Model 61 was Winchester’s answer to the hammerless Remington and Marlin rifles being produced. This a 1957 vintage Model 61 rifle that is in Fine-Plus condition as modified by Simmons Gun Specialties. When it left Winchester, this rifle had a smooth bore for use with .22 Shot cartridges. But what does a small shotgun need? It needs a small ventilated rib, of course! The barrel has a “Routledge”-style bore with the first several inches in front of the chamber a .22 caliber smooth bore and the remainder counter-bored.