I found a Model 64!

geobru · Post by **geobru** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 11:57 pm

Last weekend I stopped by the local perveyor of things that go bang to look at 22 pistols, and saw a 1950 vintage model 64 in 32 Special on the used gun rack. I tried to ignore it, but today I stopped in to see if it was still there and made an offer on it that was accepted and it followed me home. This is obviously not a safe queen judging by the scars it carries, but what a neat rifle!

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:04 am

Congrats George. The Deer Hunter's Rifle is one of Winchester's finest!

geobru · Post by **geobru** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:15 am

Thanks Griff. This has been on my bucket list for a while now. There is a certain "something" about this particular model that is classic to me.

Alan Wood · Post by **Alan Wood** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:22 am

Not being a safe queen doesn't seem to bother many in this forum. Congratulations!

Post by **Hobie** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:54 am

AND a .32!

earlmck · Post by **earlmck** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:16 am

Hobie wrote:AND a .32!

+1 to that!
Congrats on the good score, George. Maybe you can talk Hobie out of the Redfield sight he just beat me to a few days ago. That would top it off perfect!

t.r. · Post by **t.r.** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:23 am

Good find there! I've always been attracted to the model 64. My Grandad had one in 30-30 with factory cut checkering.

TR

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 9:26 am

Cool, grats.

pwl44m · Post by **pwl44m** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 10:58 am

Nice Rifle,someone got a tad bit aggressive with the old sandpaper but it wont hurt the shootin of it. Heck if it had to be a Safe Queen to follow Me home I wouldn't have any Guns. Good Score.
Perry

damienph · Post by **damienph** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:10 am

earlmck wrote:
Hobie wrote:AND a .32!
+1 to that!
Congrats on the good score, George.

+2!! I would gladly hunt with that rifle, just as it is.

COSteve · Post by **COSteve** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:20 am

Nice find.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:06 pm

The old gal is beautiful, and will waltz you around the floor with great style, and aplomb.

bdhold · Post by **bdhold** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:29 pm

I don't know how you could ignore that.

Post by **Hobie** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:57 pm

earlmck wrote:
Hobie wrote:AND a .32!
+1 to that!
Congrats on the good score, George. Maybe you can talk Hobie out of the Redfield sight he just beat me to a few days ago. That would top it off perfect!

HA! I was hoping to find such a rifle that I could afford!

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:12 pm

Removed

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:23 pm

Very nice. Wishing you years of enjoyment

ollogger · Post by **ollogger** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:42 pm

Like most of my Winchesters, Its got just the right amount of wear & tear on it
great gun, like the 32

ollogger

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:45 pm

Geobru: How is the bore? I have always had a hankering for a 64 myself. I believe Francis Sell wrote an article about the 64 in one of the old Gun Digests from the classic John Amber era.

geobru · Post by **geobru** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:14 pm

Bill in Oregon wrote:Geobru: How is the bore? I have always had a hankering for a 64 myself. I believe Francis Sell wrote an article about the 64 in one of the old Gun Digests from the classic John Amber era.

The bore is pristine. This should be a really fine shooter!

Dave B · Post by **Dave B** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:37 pm

Great find!!!

That rifle/caliber is next on my wish list.
Happy shooting.

Dave B

guido4198 · Post by **guido4198** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:49 pm

That's a dandy find..!!!!
I love the lines of the 64's. There was a very nice one on a table at the last Melbourne(FL) gunshow, but in 30/30...I just can't get excited. Now... a .32 is another story altogether...!!!

geobru · Post by **geobru** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 9:06 pm

BlaineG wrote:The old gal is beautiful, and will waltz you around the floor with great style, and aplomb.

Blaine, that captures the essence of the 64. "Style and aplomb"! I had never seen one until a few years ago, after I was corrupted by spending too much time on this web site!

I fell in love with the lines of the rifle.

guido4198 wrote:That's a dandy find..!!!!
I love the lines of the 64's. There was a very nice one on a table at the last Melbourne(FL) gunshow, but in 30/30...I just can't get excited. Now... a .32 is another story altogether...!!!

Guido, My initial reaction was that I would have preferred to find a 30-30, just so I wouldn't have to reload another caliber. After seeing some of the comments in this thread, it seems that I might have lucked out!

Hobie wrote:
earlmck wrote:
Hobie wrote:AND a .32!
+1 to that!
Congrats on the good score, George. Maybe you can talk Hobie out of the Redfield sight he just beat me to a few days ago. That would top it off perfect!
HA! I was hoping to find such a rifle that I could afford!

What kind of sight would go on this? Any descriptive numbers that I should watch out for?

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 9:46 pm

GeoBro,
Nice snag dude!

Those babies are getting harder and harder to find. The trajectory will be lots flatter than your 40-82 and you just might get tired of that old 86 and sell her to me.

Your 64 is factory d&t for a receiver sight. If you want to stay in the vintage years, mount a nice all steel Lyman 56 or even a 66. She will shoot, fer sure! As you may or may not know, the 32 Spl. makes for a fine cast bullet shooter.---------------Sixgun

1894c · Post by **1894c** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 10:26 pm

LUCKY... :)

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 10:55 pm

Congratulations on that 64. I have long admired them and have yet to snag one.

earlmck · Post by **earlmck** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:24 pm

geobru wrote:What kind of sight would go on this? Any descriptive numbers that I should watch out for?

Both Lyman and Williams are still making just what you need. You just need one for the old '94 style (side mount-- your baby is drilled/tapped for this, those 2 little screws close together on the left rear of the receiver) which is the most common one they sell. I was just thinking it would be kinda' nice to have one of the old steel sights so the blue would match better. The new sights are made of aluminum; they work just fine and will not look out of place -- maybe just not as perfectly "period correct".

Looking in my Midway catalog, the Williams 5D (your cheapest option) is part # 583-902. Their FP sight, which has the click adjustments is #198-988.

Hmmm... I don't see the Lyman listed. I wonder if they quit making them?

Anyway, the Williams will do you fine if you have to settle for "new"

geobru · Post by **geobru** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:51 pm

Sixgun wrote:GeoBro,
Nice snag dude! Those babies are getting harder and harder to find. The trajectory will be lots flatter than your 40-82 and you just might get tired of that old 86 and sell her to me.

Sixgun

You are right. When I was hunting with that heavy old 86 this year, I did get tired of carrying it around.......

So I leaned it up against a tree and admired the heck out of it!

I ran into a guy on the mountain this year that remembered me because he recognized the 86.

The 64 has a better trajectory and is a LOT lighter, but I don't think you should hold your breath, waiting for me to sell her to you!

geobru · Post by **geobru** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:56 pm

Sixgun wrote:
Your 64 is factory d&t for a receiver sight. If you want to stay in the vintage years, mount a nice all steel Lyman 56 or even a 66. She will shoot, fer sure! As you may or may not know, the 32 Spl. makes for a fine cast bullet shooter.---------------Sixgun

earlmck wrote: Both Lyman and Williams are still making just what you need. You just need one for the old '94 style (side mount-- your baby is drilled/tapped for this, those 2 little screws close together on the left rear of the receiver) which is the most common one they sell. I was just thinking it would be kinda' nice to have one of the old steel sights so the blue would match better. The new sights are made of aluminum; they work just fine and will not look out of place -- maybe just not as perfectly "period correct".

Looking in my Midway catalog, the Williams 5D (your cheapest option) is part # 583-902. Their FP sight, which has the click adjustments is #198-988.

Hmmm... I don't see the Lyman listed. I wonder if they quit making them?

Anyway, the Williams will do you fine if you have to settle for "new"

Thanks for the info on the sights guys!

OldWin · Post by **OldWin** » Sat Dec 01, 2012 1:14 am

Sixgun beat me to it! +1
I have a few and the one i hunt with is a 32 that wears a 56 Lyman. It's an incredible shooter. One of my most accurate Winchesters.
Great score by the way.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Sun Dec 02, 2012 10:34 am

Doggone it, I keep coming back to this thread and the drool pool just gets bigger ....

earlmck · Post by **earlmck** » Sun Dec 02, 2012 11:23 am

Bill in Oregon wrote:Doggone it, I keep coming back to this thread and the drool pool just gets bigger ....

I know what you mean, Bill -- that is my favorite configuration in a levergun, the 24" barrel and 3/4 magazine. In my case I scratched the itch with the Marlin equivalent -- the old 336A though I have yet to acquire one in 32.

Here's my main shooter (30/30) which is set up with a Lyman receiver sight (no, geobru, you can't have this one -- it's busy). This shows why many folks prefer the Win 64 -- I'll guessing the Marlin 336A weighs about a pound more than the Win 64. (And for you fellers that wonder why the picture is so small -- for us folks not using photobucket, you've got to do a mouse click on our pictures to get 'em up to full size. Do that and you'll be able to see this fellow fully loaded with sling is pushing awful close to 9#).

Marlin30loaded.jpg

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Sun Dec 02, 2012 1:11 pm

Earl, that right there is a classic lever workhorse, but you are right -- the Marlins are just not as trim as the Winchesters.

geobru · Post by **geobru** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 12:36 am

earlmck wrote:
Here's my main shooter (30/30) which is set up with a Lyman receiver sight (no, geobru, you can't have this one -- it's busy).

What do you mean busy?? Looks like its just sitting there to me!

Nice looking rifle Earl.

Mossyoak1957 · Post by **Mossyoak1957** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:27 am

Nice find! I found a 64 Deluxe in 32 spl. About 2 months ago and it came home with me

RustyJr · Post by **RustyJr** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:57 am

Imagine the stories that ole rifle could tell.

RustyJr

Henry McCann · Post by **Henry McCann** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:10 am

Of course I'm jealous...congrats!!!

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 10:32 am

Mossyaok, and the reason we have not yet seen photos of your 64 Deluxe would be ...

Mossyoak1957 · Post by **Mossyoak1957** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 5:41 pm

Bill in Oregon wrote:Mossyaok, and the reason we have not yet seen photos of your 64 Deluxe would be ...

Here ya go Bill:Made in 1952

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 5:58 pm

Mossyoak, thanks for sharing views of that gorgeous rifle! Does she shoot as good as she looks?

Mossyoak1957 · Post by **Mossyoak1957** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 8:13 pm

Bill in Oregon wrote:Mossyoak, thanks for sharing views of that gorgeous rifle! Does she shoot as good as she looks?

Bill,it shoots dead on at 50 yards,I took the peep sight off, couldn't hit the side of a barn from inside the barn,but with the ramp sight it's dead on.

geobru · Post by **geobru** » Sun Dec 09, 2012 1:57 am

That is one very nice rifle!

The first 64 that I saw was a deluxe rifle. It was all downhill after that!

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 7:08 pm

Geobru: Had to bump this thread to see if we can wheedle a range report out of you. I have my eye peeled for a 64 now, thanks to you!

geobru · Post by **geobru** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:40 pm

Bill in Oregon wrote:Geobru: Had to bump this thread to see if we can wheedle a range report out of you. I have my eye peeled for a 64 now, thanks to you!

Bill, I haven't had a chance to shoot mine yet due to the early sunsets at this time of year, and the weekends have been rainy or busy..

However........

I was so anxious to know how it shoots, that I took it over to a friends place and had him shoot a few through it.

He was surprised at the light trigger pull on this gun. I don't have a gauge, but it has a nice light trigger pull.

At 35 yards, it shot a tight cloverleaf, 5" high and an inch to the left. He lowered the elevator to the lowest setting and it was still 2" high. The screw on the sight was frozen after decades of sitting there unturned. I removed the sight and took it to another friend who had a screwdriver that fit the screw and he got it loose. I lowered the slide but haven't had a chance to sight it in. I'll take some pics and do a range report when I finally get to shoot it.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 9:59 am

Geobru: I'm sure you'll get your 64 dialed in. I hear you about short days and sloppy weather. We have snow here this morning, on top of the mud ...

geobru · Post by **geobru** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:51 am

Bill in Oregon wrote:Geobru: I'm sure you'll get your 64 dialed in. I hear you about short days and sloppy weather. We have snow here this morning, on top of the mud ...

Same here. Yuck!!