Winchester Model 87 Winder Musket High Wall .22 Short, U.S. Ordnance Marked (1919), 28-Inch Barrel
This 1919 Winchester Model 87 Winder Musket is a U.S.-accepted, WWI-era single-shot training rifle built on the modified Model 1885 high-wall falling-block action and chambered exclusively in .22 Short. It carries the U.S. Ordnance flaming bomb and "U S" receiver stamps, confirming military inspection and acceptance. With its 28-inch round barrel, full-length musket-style walnut stock, and tang-mounted adjustable aperture rear sight, it was purpose-built to emulate service-rifle handling for marksmanship instruction, making intact, martially marked examples like this notable to both military historians and Winchester collectors.
Key features include the Winder-style external striker/speed-lock plate, blued steel receiver and barrel, and a training-focused sighting setup with a tang-mounted adjustable peep and a fixed front blade on a raised base. The stock configuration mirrors service rifle form with a straight grip, grasping grooves, a steel nose cap, a single plain barrel band, a buttstock swivel, and a steel buttplate. The top tang bears the Winchester trademark, while the barrel shows the Oct. 7, 1879 patent date and "22 SHORT" chamber marking, tying this example directly to Winchester’s early 20th-century production and U.S. government training contracts.
As a specialized marksmanship trainer produced under late WWI contracts, this rifle provided an affordable, low-recoil platform for instruction while maintaining familiar controls and sight picture. The high-wall action and single-shot format emphasize precision, and the 13.4-inch length of pull supports steady, repeatable shooting positions. This configuration represents a significant link to American military readiness of the era, with features and markings that clearly document its martial role.
Condition
Overall Condition: Very good condition, showing only light, superficial signs of prior handling or use.
Bore Overall Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling - Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: Minor age-appropriate blemishes are present throughout. The bore has diminished luster. The rifling shows some fading consistent with the rifle’s age.
What’s Included
- Winchester Model 87 Winder Musket rifle chambered in .22 Short
Built on the Winchester Single Shot (1885-type) high-wall receiver, this Winder Musket employs a single-shot falling-block action with an external hammer and the Winder-style external striker/speed-lock plate. The 28-inch steel round barrel and blued steel receiver present the classic training configuration specified for U.S. military instruction.
The sighting system is configured for precision and service-rifle familiarity: a tang-mounted adjustable aperture rear sight with a knurled disc pairs with a fixed front blade on a raised base. This arrangement delivers a sight picture that mirrors period service rifles, ideal for marksmanship training.
The walnut stock is full-length in musket style, featuring a straight grip, grasping grooves, a steel nose cap, and a single plain barrel band. A sling swivel at the butt and a steel buttplate round out the martial furniture; there is no front sling swivel on the barrel band.
Martial markings and rollmarks include the U.S. Ordnance flaming bomb and "U S" on the receiver, the Winchester trademark on the upper tang, the Oct. 7, 1879 patent date on the barrel, and a "22 SHORT" chamber stamp. Manufactured in 1919, it stands as a documented, late-WWI-era U.S.-accepted trainer chambered specifically for .22 Short.