Whilst the main reason for this rifle's presence on our site is due to the employment in British service of one of the last model types, it is still perhaps worth giving a brief run-down of the Winchester single-shot musket's history.

The Winchester single-shot musket was, in its time, produced in three main types, the first two of which were of High Wall and the latter of mainly Low Wall configuration.

The first, straight-stocked, model in the photograph is noted as "The original model of the Winchester single-shot musket brought out in 1905. Its characteristics are high-wall receiver with solid frame, straight forestock held by two bands, military rear sight, caliber .22 Long Rifle."

The next rifle is captioned "Second model has high-wall receiver with solid frame, improved forestock held by one band, and was available in .22 Long Rifle and .22 Short."

The third rifle down is entitled "This variation of the second model has a take-down barrel and a locking ring forward of the receiver."

The bottom rifle is described as the "Third and final model, discontinued in 1920. Low-wall receiver, Lyman receiver sight. Made principally in .22 Short, but available in .22 Long Rifle if required."

It will be seen that an earlier version of the first model, also produced in 1905, was fitted with a tangent-leaf rear-sight further forward on the barrel. The rifle in Serven's photograph is one of those on which the rear-sight was subsequently mounted right back against the receiver; a modification intended to improve sighting and accuracy, partly by the increase of the sight radius.

The serial number of the above featured rifle indicates that it was one of 4,699 manufactured during 1905 within the serial range 96001--100700.

Originally a Browning design, the action's patent and rights to manufacture were bought by Winchester in 1883. Browning's 1879 Patent for the falling-block action is shown below.

The rifle was so named after its development had been actively promoted by Col. C.B. Winder of Ohio, an officer who recommended the use of a near service-rifle "Winder" was never officially recognised by Winchester, but became a household name nonetheless. The term is only attributable to the .22RF calibre rifle, and specifically only those of military configuration.

The above example is in .22 Long calibre and is a "High-Wall" and "Thin Wall" version, as already mentioned, referring to the height of the side walls of the action receiver either side of the falling block and the hammer, and the reduction in width of the whole action from about a quarter-inch behind the front of the action. On the "Low-Wall" rifle, the action sides are

The advertisement below for the Winchester Musket, still with no official mention of "Winder", was published in the year that the U.S.A. entered the First World War in Europe - 1917. This was a critical period in the history of U.S./British relations, and "all hands to the pumps" was the call on both sides of the Atlantic, and on both sides of the U.S. Canadian border. Teaching recruits to shoot straight was an important part of the training mantra of the day, and the "Winder" musket played a not insignificant part in such work . Encouraging young men, both as cadets and civilians, was high on the list of the needs of all involved allied nations, and rifle clubs were also at the forefront of these efforts.

With the advent of the 21st. Century the "Winder" Musket has become a much sought-after collector's piece, and many of these 1880s designed rifles are still to be found in use on the ranges by enthusiasts shooting in historic competition, just for the sheer pleasure of it.

The most unusual aspect of the little 1903 Winchester semi-automatic in .22 rimfire calibre, as shown below, is not so much the rifle as where it has been, and the uses to which it has been put.

The rifle was Winchester's very first semi-automatic model, and the example shown next is from one of the two batches, each of three hundred, supplied by Winchester.

Whilst of .22 calibre, the rifle was chambered for the rimfire Winchester Auto cartridge rather than the .22 Long or Long Rifle cartridge more regularly seen in the U.K. at that time.

As mentioned, the 1903 was the first semi-automatic "miniature calibre" rifle manufactured by Winchester and, since the British .22 rimfire ammunition was still then loaded with fouling and corrosive black powder, the smokeless-powder loaded Winchester round was deemed more suitable for a semi-automatic.

The rifle in the above image, and that in the disassembly below are one and the same. It has "R.A.F" stamped on the left hand side of the receiver body, and the military acceptance mark at the top right rear corner.

The latter mark is shewn more clearly on another rifle held by the Imperial War Museum, and pictured next down this page. At some point post WW1 it has been re-sleeved by A.G. Parker with their Parkerifling system, and the muzzle crown is marked "PARKERIFLED AGP".

It has also been fitted with an early, possibly 1920s, model of a German Ajack 2.5 x 70 telescopic sight, with only the elevation wheel on top. Windage is acheived by lateral adjustment of the Parker-Hale ADM-4 mounts, the rear one of which has a windage dovetail slide with a screw threaded adjuster.

This rifle was introduced into British service in two small batches - each of 300 units - in 1916 and 1917 respectively - specifically for assistance in training Royal Flying Corps and, latterly, Royal Air Force aircrew in gunnery; (the Air Force Bill received Royal Assent in November 1917, the Air Ministry was formed on 2nd. January 1918, and the Royal Air Force officially came into being on 1st. of April of that year). It has, however, been reported elsewhere that only 500 of the 600 contract came to Europe as late as 1918.

Full-bore Winchester under-lever rifles were known to have been used by Royal Flying Corps pilots and observers during the early stages of the First World War (1914 -1918) in addition to their side-arms. The side-arms most commonly in use were .455 calibre revolvers and, later, when the British Government bought in small batches specifically for R.F.C. aircrew use, .455 calibre Colt 1911 Automatic pistols. Such small-arms were really more used in the air to dissuade enemy reconnaissance aircraft from loitering over one's own lines than with specific intent to shoot down enemy aircraft. The infliction of damage or wounding in this way was not completely unknown, but comparatively rare. Pistols were carried rather as personal protection in the event of a forced landing on the "wrong side of the lines" than as weapons of attack. Winchester records show that, early in the War, a batch of 120 Model 1907 rifles were supplied to the Royal Flying Corps, along with 78,000 rounds of their .351 calibre ammunition. Such a rifle is held in the National Firearms Collection at the Leeds Royal Armouries, and was passed there from the original Enfield Pattern Room.

The configuration of the two models is basically the same, the major difference being that the 1903 feeds from a tubular magazine within the butt, while the 1907 has a box magazine feeding into the base of the action. The relative sizes of the Winchester .22 rimfire round and the .351 centre-fire full-bore round obviously account for this.

The military acceptance marks are just about visible between the ejection port and the rear of the receiver body in the above image.

It was not long before a number of these rifles were modified at Woolwich to improve their suitability for aerial use. A larger button was fitted to the front of the cocking plunger rod in the fore-end, and the trigger was shortened, each to facilitate the use of the rifle with gloved hands.

Additionally, an extended 15-round magazine was made to reduce the necessity for magazine changes, and a threaded hole was made below the ejector port to allow fitment of a canvas pouch to collect the fired cartridges cases that might otherwise have found their way into the aircrafts controls mechanism.

As mentioned, the similarity in design of the 1907 and 1903 models is notable, and may well have had a bearing on the selection of the latter rifle for training purposes.

For many years, aircrew have been encouraged to shoot small-arms of all kinds to "sharpen" their reflexes and practice gunnery. Clay pigeon shooting with shotguns has been a particularly popular and useful 'training' discipline - of great assistance in teaching the "leading" of fast moving targets.

Indeed, at about the same time that these .22 rifles were brought to the U.K. by the British Government, a batch of 12 bore shotguns was also procured from Winchester via the U.S. Government.

In his fairly recently published book "British Secondary Small Arms 1914-1919 - Part II, R.F.C. and R.N.A.S." the late Tony ( A.O.) Edwards stated that over half-a-million rounds of .22 Winchester Auto rimfire ammunition were bought in with the first batch of 1903 rifles, with a further contract for 300,000 rounds per month. This would indicate that, by the time all 600 rifles were in service, each one was firing an average of 1000 rounds every month.

The illustrated example of this wartime purchase was, until recently, the only one then known to the Imperial War Museum, which left 599 to be accounted for! The screw-threaded muzzle on the IWM rifle, for the fitment of a sound moderator, would suggest that it moved into private hands as a sporting rifle after the Great War; this could very likely have been the fate of many of the worthy 600.

A reader has advised us of another rifle presently in South Africa, and we are grateful for the images shown here.

This example caries the same Broad Arrow and inspector's mark as those on the rifle in the I.W.M., but has, in addition, the initials "R.A.F." stamped into the left-hand-side of the receiver.

The barrel markings have the basic standard model number, manufacturer's details and U.S. trade mark reference, but further marks for calibre and proof have been added, with a zig-zag bordered "NOT ENGLISH MAKE" in addition.

That many of the rifles were not returned to the U.S., after the War, (those stamped 'US Property' would have been part of a wartime lend-lease arrangement), is evidenced by the fact that, in the early 1920s, A.G. Parker of Birmingham were advertising them for sale. They marketed them alongside their other imports, the Winchesters '90 and 1906, Savage Model 1914, and Remington No.12A U.M.C. pump/slide-action repeating rifles, as well as the ubiquitous Browning semi-automatic .22 rifle. The pump action repeaters sold, at that time, for between five and six pounds, whilst the Browning semi-auto was marketed at just under three pounds, putting the Winchester 1903 semi-autos at a significant premium.

Since A.G. Parker & Co. were then still offering 'large quantities' of .22 Winchester Auto ammunition, evidently far from all of the contracted ammunition was consumed before before the end of the First World War.

In 1925, A.G.Parker advertised the previously mentioned take-down Model 1903, for which their catalogue entry is shown below.

Interestingly, by 1941, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company's own catalogue advertised a "Model 63".

This rifle appears to be outwardly almost identical to the 1903 model in most respects, other than the modification of the butt-stock to a pistol-grip design with reduced curvature of the butt-plate and a slightly higher comb, no doubt commensurate wih the fashion and thinking of the day. The rifle was available in the .22 calibre, but intended for the Long Rifle Super-Speed and Super-X cartridges by then in use in North America .

Other Winchester small-bore rifles were supplied to Britain in the Second World War under the American "Lend Lease" programme, in which arms and other military equipment were provided by the U.S.A. and Canada on what was effectively a 'Sale or Return' basis. Arms and matériel not retained post-war were to be returned, and those kept or lost were to be paid for over a period of time. It is understood that loan repayment, in whatever 'quid pro quo' form finally agreed, was completed at the end of 2006, more than sixty years after the arrangement was commenced.

Of particular note, amongst those .22 RF rifles imported, were Winchester Model 74 semi-automatics and Model 69 bolt action rifles. It has been suggested that, amongst a variety of other American manufactured telescopic sights as sold with these rifles by Parker-Hale pre-war, a number of these rifles were fitted with the No.42 Mk.1 straight-sighting telescope, which 'scope was more usually utilised for artillery work, and the rifles moderated with a silencer manufactured, provided and fitted, in a batch of 660, by Parker-Hale in March 1942 at a cost of nineteen shillings and sixpence each; (see "British Small Arms of WWII" - I.Skennerton - pgs 20 to 22). The same reference book indicates that sufficient rifles were possibly not available until acquired via Parker-Hale in mid August of that year, all previous Winchester imports being only in batches of a few tens of numbers. Thus, rifles so configured seem unlikely to have seen the light of day until later in 1942.

In fact, the No.42 Mk.1 telescope is reported to have been first introduced for use with the 75mm gun on the Mk.VII Churchill "Gun Tank".

If so, then the any rifles of this configuration were probably not in use until nearer the mid-war period.

Many of the American rifles that came at the time of the invasion threat were supplied with American telescopes.

This point is discussed shortly.

Between the beginning of April 1940 and the end of January 1943 the Government bought in a total in the region of 12,500 .22 rifles .

These were purchased in around eighty contracts for a multiplicity of rifle types. These contracts were awarded to many commercial British companies in addition to those for rifles bought-in directly from the U.S.A. and Canada. Many North American-made rifles were also procured from the pre-war stocks of British retailers, including Winchester models 62, 67, 68, 69, 72 & 75, Remington, Savage, Stevens Models 53, 56, and 66; and the numbers even included "Armory" models, Cooey and the less common Iver Johnson Model X..

Additionally, fifteen Martini rifles were supplied by Parker-Hale, but a significant 921 were purchased from W.W. Greener at £4 each.

Alex Martin supplied 251 unspecified Winchester rifles, as well as 50 Iver Johnson Model XX shotguns - of which 40 were also purchased from R.J. Adgey, the latter firm also providing over thirty various models of .22 Stevens rifles. 500 various Cooey rifles (models 39, 55 and 75) were bought-in from "La Personne", but these did not include the Cooey Model 42-B rifles that were purchased specifically under a Lend-Lease contract

The 660 rifles of unconfirmed, perhaps mixed, models were supposedly intended for use by specially trained Home Guard underground units, in the event of an invasion of the U.K. by the German forces; their work was expected to be akin to that undertaken by any disruptive guerrilla force, harrying the enemy and assassinating senior officers or important administrators should the opportunity arise. (see also the Lee-Enfield Rifle No.4T). Veterans of this secretive organisation confirm the use of these rifles in various configurations, and mention the the more likely anticipated usages to include the elimination of guard dogs and sentries, as well as the necessary and practical task of supplying fresh meat to members concealed in their secret "OB" hideouts (Operational Bases).

The official designation for such components of this force were the "Auxiliary Units" of the British Resistance Organisation. This Organisation was the brain-child of Brigadier Colin Gubbins M.C. (Maj. Gen. at close of hostilities) who was one of the formative number in the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in 1940, and later became its Executive Officer (CD).

A Junior Officer of the Dorsetshire Regiment latterly described the purpose of these Auxiliary Units as follows:

" The gist of it was that each county along the coast of the U.K. would have its private army of approximately 500 men who would live in underground hideouts , which would be stored with food, ammunition etc., - wait for the invasion to pass over them, then emerge from their Operational Bases causing havoc to the enemy's lines of communication". *

For some years we had thought ourselves fortunate to have been able to illustrate what we were led to believe was the appropriate page from a manual for the S.O.E. (Special Operations Executive) showing a modified Winchester 74 with covering notes; even copying the barely legible but interesting text alongside the image.

However, we have been advised that the page may have been taken from a book on special forces' weapons which replicated the original OSS/SOE manual, but that, for an inexplicable reason, this page may have been a fabricated look-alike addition. We await confirmation of the verity of the page. If mocked up, this was presumably to illustrate a rifle of the type used by the Auxiliary Units, which were supposedly mainly issued with the Model 69 Winchester rifle, box-magazine-fed, bolt-actioned, and also fitted with a telescopic sight and Parker-Hale moderator; but such configured rifles are today little in evidence.

We have presently left the page and text in place to accompany this explanation, particularly because the text is partly representative of the original.

The Model 74 rifles were certainly bought-in by the British Government, probably as training rifles, and some may well have found their way into the inventories of Auxiliary Units, but not, we understand, for specific issue as " Stay Behinders' " sniper rifles. We would be grateful to hear from any reader who may be able to relate more of their use.

Nonetheless, it would not be unreasonable to assume that, had the proposed German invasion taken place, weapons originally intended for target practice and the gathering of food for the 'stay-behinds' in occupied countryside might have been employed for other more aggresive purposes.

Although not directly associated with 1940 considerations of an invasion by the Germans, there was a .22RF carbine built by Geoffrey De Lisle, for the purpose of putting food on his wartime table, that subsequently led to the design and production of a larger calibre weapon specifically intended for the elimination of enemy sentries, their guard dogs, and perhaps even senior enemy officers or other strategically important persons; this was the De Lisle silenced Commando carbine.

Later in the War, once the threat of invasion had receded, many of those trained for the Auxiliary Units volunteered for transfer to the Special Air Service and Special Boat Service (SAS and SBS), subsequently rendering " Stirling" service to the Nation in not dissimilar clandestine duties to those for which they had originally prepared.

A more mundane wartime Winchester import was the Model 67, a single-shot bolt-action rifle intended for use as a training rifle.

We have such a rifle in our archive, of 1939 manufacture, fitted with a Winchester 'scope, and also carrying a Parker-Hale Model PH16 swing-out rear-sight and tunnel fore-sight. The butt-stock is stamped on the right-hand-side with a large broad arrow, and the barrel bears a small Enfield stamp on the left-hand-side of the barrel's breech section. However, the barrel has not been threaded for a moderator. We intend to add imagery of this rifle before long.

As already mentioned, should you know more of the service of any of these .22LR rifles with the British military or Home Guard during WWII, or even perhaps own an example, then we would be delighted to hear from you.

This Winchester single-shot, bolt-action Model 67 rifle was one of those purchased by the British Government early in WW2.

It bears the "Broad Arrow" on the right-hand-side of the butt-stock, and an Enfield inspection mark on the left side of the barrel ahead of the breech area. The rifle is fitted with a Winchester telescopic sight.

According to an article written by Vincent L. Rausch and published in the American Society of Arms Collectors Bulletin, only 769 factory scoped Model 69 rifles were manufactured. We hope to discover whether a number of these the rifles were some of those sent to Britain during the Second World War? Others were certainly fitted with telescopes after their arrival here, as well as the Parker-Hale fitment of moderators.

We can illustrate a rifle particularly representative of such weapons, fitted with a 5x magnification Winchester scope with their standard adjustable mounts, of which the rear is of the type spring-loaded against the adjustment screws. The scope has been mounted in the U.K. on Parker-Hale barrel blocks, and the barrel has a screw-cut muzzle for fitment of the early Parker-Hale Model MM1 moderator as used on the Home Guard Auxiliary rifles.

The bolt-action Model 69 is fed by a 5-round magazine.