In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Options
Winchester WP and P marked barrels
Rustyjack
Member Posts: 59 ✭✭
I know I've seen it discussed,but has there ever been a definitive answer or generally accepted opinion on why some Winchester barrels
are marked with both the superimposed WP and the oval P ?
[img][/img]
are marked with both the superimposed WP and the oval P ?
[img][/img]
Comments
http://forums.GunBroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=675122
search is you friend...
It has always been my understanding that it showed the barrel was a replacement installed by Winchester.. If a gun was sent to Winchester for a new barrel, one was pulled from their parts inventory- already stamped Oval P- then Oval WP stamped after installed,and tested..
Bob,
I disagree. I have seen way too many Winchesters that were returned to the factory for a new barrel (documented), and the only proof mark on them is the standard superposed "WP".
For a little history, the "P" proof mark was instituted on May 31, 1913 specifically for "mail order" parts use. When a gun was returned to Winchester, they did not pull a barrel out of the mail order department parts supply to rebarrel it. Instead, they pulled a brand new production barrel from the regular parts supply, fitted it to the gun, and then proofed it. An acquaintance of mine found written Winchester correspondence about this very topic in the archive at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, in the McCracken Research library vaults. I have an electronic copy of it.
At some point in time during the late 1930s or early 1940s, the mail order barrels were intentionally marked with both proof stamps. I believe that it had something to do with the "perceived" quality of Winchester parts. While there may have been a very small number of factory rebarrel jobs where Winchester installed a replacement barrel using a mail order part with both proof marks on it, it was not standard practice.
Prior to May of 1913, mail order barrels were marked "OF" on the underside of the barrel. I have seen at least a dozen or more of them on Model 1885 rifles in the past 35+ years.
The Paramount Movie Contract Model 92 SRC Octagon barreled carbines as researched by Leroy Mertz are a documented example of this double proofing on the barrel. I own one of these that was purchased in 1939 in NYC and in the family since then. Several others have been sold at auction. All have those same proofs. So it did happen for sure.
Any idea of how much a double stamped barrel, both P and WP, would effect the value compared to an original WP stamped barreled firearm?
Minimum of 50% reduction, and for many collectors, it is a deal killer.