Winchester Model 74 .22 LR Semi-Automatic Rifle, 1949 New Haven Production, Walnut Stock, 22 in Barrel
This 1949 Winchester Model 74 is a classic American .22 LR semi-automatic with features that define the model: a buttstock tubular magazine loaded through a right-side port, a top-mounted sliding safety, and a left-rear charging handle. It carries the New Haven rollmark and retains its one-piece walnut stock, offering a clean, straightforward example of Winchester’s long-running rimfire autoloader.
Condition
Overall Condition: Good condition, showing some signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Overall Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling - Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: The rifle shows mild wear and signs of use. It appears to function well.
What’s Included
- Winchester Model 74 .22 LR semi-automatic rifle
The Model 74 uses simple blowback operation with right-side ejection, combining reliable function with intuitive controls. Its top-mounted, horizontally sliding two-position safety is marked S/F, and the charging handle sits at the left rear of the cylindrical receiver for easy access.
Distinctive to the Model 74, the tubular magazine resides in the buttstock and loads via a right-side port. The inner magazine tube is retained by a latch built into the checkered steel buttplate, a hallmark feature of this design.
Sighting is straightforward with open iron sights: a small bead/blade front and a barrel-mounted rear with a stepped elevator. The rifle wears a one-piece plain walnut stock with a straight comb and semi-beavertail fore-end, paired with a stamped steel trigger guard and steel receiver for a traditional look and feel. Length of pull is 13.5 in.
Manufactured in the United States in 1949, this example bears the barrel rollmark: "MADE IN NEW HAVEN, CONN — U.S. OF AMERICA — WINCHESTER — MODEL 74 — TRADE MARK — 22 L. RIFLE —". The Model 74 was produced from 1939 to 1955 with about 406,574 made, and references note its pop-out bolt assembly design.