1890

[John Taylor]

A customer swapped in an 1890 action in 22 WRF a while back and I decided to build something I like. I had a 29" 22LR barrel sitting on the shelf so that's what was installed. I octagoned it to match the original contour of an 1890 and borrowed a roll die to put all the correct markings on (This will really confuse a collector). One of my customers gave me a butt stock complete crescent butt plate that looked new. I had a new pump forend that only needed some finish. A piece of aircraft tube made an extra long mag tube but I had to take two inner tubes and weld them together. I installed another mag tube ring to support the extra long tube. Also used a carrier from an 06 so it will feed short, long or long rifle. After all the metal work was done it got sent to Doyle's gun shop for blue.91474

[Outpost75]

Beautiful, John!

I'll bet it's REALLY quiet with subsonic HPs!

[sparky45]

WOW!! I'd like to see more pictures of that build.

[Uncle Jimbo]

Very nice.

[Bo1]

Beautiful gun John, great job
Bo

[John Allen]

That sure is nice looking.

[Sweetpea]

Yeah, we need more pictures?

How many rounds fit in that tube?

[John Taylor]

It is very quiet with target ammo. I have not counted how many it will hold but it is a pleasure to shoot. Starting to gather the parts for another one but the barrel will probably be only 28". My picture program is giving me trouble, I was trying to cut the excess off but it did not work.
Maybe we need a space for pump guns on the forum. I have a model 27 Marlin (25-20) in the works also.

[izzyjoe]

That's a very nice rifle, I have one that I got cheap cause it is in bad shape, but I'm going the other way with mine. I'm gona cut it to 18" and reline the barrel, my daughter will have a ball with it. I also have a 06 action, I'm still on the fence with what to do with it.

[Bzcraig]

WOW!! I'd like to see more pictures of that build.

Me too! Up close and personal

[John Taylor]

Well I loaded it up and it will hold almost 1/2 box at 23 rounds in the mag. Picked up another action so will start another one when I get a barrel.

[GARD72977]

We need some Crony numbers. Its not everyday that you see a 29" 22lr. I guess that could have been a original long range squirrel gun!

[dragonrider]

Nicely done, wish mine looked that good.

[krit29-2]

WOW.. and I thought mine was long with a 24 inch barrel.
But 29? dang, it's gotta be muzzle heavy but I'm betting it holds nice..

[starmac]

Drooling here. lol

[John Taylor]

I think the barrel is so long that the bullet starts to slow down. There is very little pressure when the bullet leaves the barrel, almost no noise. I don't believe Winchester ever made an 1890 with a 29" barrel, maybe 28" max. I have seen model 61 with 28". The fun part is seeing customer drool when they see it. I did make another with a 28" barrel for a customer but I did not do the wood on it.

[oldred]

Wow, how about some more pics, that rifle deserves to be seen.

[John Taylor]

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[leftiye]

Long ago, the info I heard was that a .22 slowed down in anything longer than 18". Sorry to be the bringer of bad news.

[GARD72977]

I have always heard the same thing. Would like to see some numbers in real life. I bet it is not much. I read a guns and ammo magazine were a 32acp could use nearly 30" of barrel before it started slowing down.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Pretty nice looking gun John, I think the best part is the roll marking on the barrel you did. That's something you just can't fake.

I have a friend who has had one of these guns for his entire life and hasn't shot it in the last 40 + years. I have been trying to get it away from him for the last 40+ years also but he is stuck to it and won't let go simply because he knows I want it.

Yours is nicer looking..

Randy

[Chill Wills]

Pretty nice looking gun John, I think the best part is the roll marking on the barrel you did. That's something you just can't fake. Randy

I think it is something he did just fake. :kidding:

FWIW - My rebuilt Rem Hepburns all have the old Remington roll marks on the barrel too. I like'm. Michael Rix

Almost forgot to say -Very nice Win 1890! I wish I had not sold mine! It was a candidate for some kind of restore or remake too.

My Ballard 22lr has a 30 inch barrel. Velocity of match Eley is on the money. I do not think long barrel length makes much difference.

[John Taylor]

There was a test done on modern ammo about 30+ years back where they started with a 28" barrel and cut one inch off at a time while testing velocity. Seemed to stay very close til they got under 16". So a 16" barrel with modern 22LR will shoot just as fast as a 28" barrel. There is still pressure when the bullet leaves the bore, still has a report. Target ammo is another story, very little report to none at all with a long barrel.
The roll mark is from a die I borrowed from a company that specializes in restoring old Winchesters. I get other lettering done at gunfancy.com when I can't get a roll die.
If you see an old Winchester at a gun show that appears in perfect condition, it most likely has been rebuilt. There are a few people that will try to pass them off as original. Many collectors don't care as long as everything looks right, including the marks on the bottom of the barrel. Look what Turnbull gets for rebuilt guns, as much as guns that have not been done. Any serious collector would question my 1890 but I have had several want it just because it is different from what every one ells has. When someone makes a high enough offer it will go out the door, otherwise I have something no one ells has.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have seen a Turnbull resto'd 1886 in .45-90 and it was a pretty nice gun. It was also priced at $34,995.00 in the Bass Pro Custom gun room in Las Vegas.

One thing about Turnbull is that they have the original Winchester Red stock finish down pat. That alone makes their work better than most, and if you are going to resto a Winchester from 1900 that was preferably a custom shop gun in the first place, then that finish was a big part of the deal.

I also know after talking at length with one of the guys who does the stock work there, that the actual wood used makes a huge difference, and that is why most all Turnbull Restos have new wood. That way they can control the color closer.

John: I took notice of the engraver also. Thanks

Randy