Thread: Anyone farmiliar with the winchester 190? Wanting to rebuild this.

Originally Posted by muzza

The rifle is part of a series of low-budget rifles Winchester made in the 1960s after the accountants killed the good models - hence the pre-'64 Model 70 rifles being much sought after today.

The receivers are made of alloy , anodised and easy to scratch. The barrel is likely the best part because it is actual steel. The stocks are plain but not walnut. If you bought a Model 290 you got checkering at the wrist and forearm.

These rifles are not great shooters, the internals wear due to the alloy componants , and unless it has some sentimental attachment , or you like projects that will test you its not going to give you a family heirloom at the end of it .

The action is held together by two through-pins , the barrel is mounted by a threaded collar that needs a special spanner to remove. The collar doesnt come off the barrel unless you remove the sights first.

I have a Model 290 which I purchased in Western Australia in the 1970s and have used a lot in the ensuing years. It isnt my favourite semi auto .22 by any stretch of the imagination.

Have fun.

OK, thats good to know, I thought these rifles were supposed to be rather good quality, but it appears anything post 1960 dropped in quality.
Interestingly the anodizing has held up rather well on this rifle.
Most semi auto .22 rifles ive seen appear to have an aluminum receiver, im assuming this was a common thing with rifles from this period onwards? Even Ruger has replaced alloy in its 10/22 trigger mechanism, the whole body of it is now polymer!

I might just leave the barrel intact and remove the wood and cold blue the thing i guess?

Originally Posted by gundoc

You are probably better to polish and blue the barrel in place using a good cold blue (I find G96 to work well) and then black paint the receiver with a rattle can. Remember that acids and alkalais just love aluminum! If you must remove the barrel read the following; strip the gun to the bare barreled action, the front magazine band remains permanently attached to the barrel and the outer mag tube is removed after drifting out the small pin in the band (note that it is direction specific), drift the rear sight out of the dovetail and the metal cover will come off, hold the body in padded vise jaws and unscrew the slotted barrel nut (with a punch or a proper key is better), holding the barrel firmly in padded vise jaws the receiver can be tapped off the barrel shank with a piece of wood and a hammer (do not use a hammer directly on the aluminium receiver). Assemble in the reverse manner, taking care to ensure the barrel is correctly aligned with the existing grooves, and the barrel nut is on the barrel first.

I think its probably best as you say to cold blue looking at it. I thought this rifle may have been more valuable than it appears.
I will see how this thing shoots first anyway and go from there.