Winchester Model 63

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 3:11 pm
The Winchester Model 63

http://www.shootingtimes.com/2010/09/23/longgun_reviews_st_winchester63_200810/

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Introduced in 1933, the Model 63 was the first semiauto rifle offered by Winchester chambered for the standard .22 Long Rifle cartridge. It had the square receiver that was a trademark of all early Winchester semiautomatic rifles.

In the military arena, the new bolt-action, repeating rifles firing the recently developed small-bore, smokeless-powder cartridges were all the rage. Even more radical was the number of designers working on semiautomatic and fully automatic firearms.

In 1891, Winchester began an R&D program to develop a semiautomatic sporting rifle. For more than a decade, company engineers William Mason and Thomas C. Johnson examined various operating systems.

Johnson developed an operating system in which a relatively light bolt was attached to a counterweight that balanced it during recoil. Later termed a “blowback” operating system, when a cartridge was fired, the rearward forces of the powder gas had to first overcome the inertia of the bolt, counterweight, and recoil spring, which kept the action closed until pressures had dropped to the point where it was safe to extract the spent cartridge case. It was simple in theory, but the tough part was calculating the amount of force needed to reliably cycle the action.

Johnson located the counterweight under the barrel where it reciprocated inside the hollow wooden forearm. As the bolt reached the limit of its rearward travel, it impacted against a spring-loaded buffer in the buttstock that prevented undue stress to the receiver and also provided forward impetus to the bolt, thereby ensuring proper functioning.

Winchester introduced Johnson’s design as the Model 1903 Self-Loading Rifle, and it was the first commercially manufactured semiauto- matic rifle. It was chambered for a then-new, proprietary, smokeless-powder, rimfire cartridge called the .22 Winchester Automatic. At that time, most companies were still loading the .22 Long Rifle cartridge with blackpowder and/or semismokeless powder, the residue of which made their use in semiautomatic firearms impractical. For this reason, Winchester designed the Model 1903 so that it could only be fired with the .22 Winchester Automatic cartridge.

The Model 1903 was an immediate success, so much so that it encouraged Winchester to introduce a centerfire version–the Model 1905 Self-Loading Rifle. By 1910, most American ammunition companies were offering the .22 LR loaded with smokeless propellant, and in addition to being significantly cheaper, that led to the cartridge being more widely distributed than the .22 Winchester Automatic.

In 1924, Remington executed a marketing coup with the introduction of the Browning-designed Model 24 semiauto rifle chambered for the .22 LR. The folks at Winchester realized that they needed to play catch up. Unfortunately, things did not work out very quickly in that effort, and it wasn’t until 1933 that the basic design was modified to handle the .22 LR cartridge and released on the market as the Model 63 Self-Loading Rifle.

The Model 63 featured an exposed, square receiver that was a common feature of the Winchester Model 1903, 1905, 1907, and 1910 semiauto rifles, and it came with an uncheckered, walnut forearm and pistol-grip buttstock. Early-production rifles had a 20-inch round barrel, but the following year, the option of a 23-inch barrel was introduced. The latter became so popular that the shorter tube was discontinued in 1936.

A 10-round, tubular magazine located in the buttstock was loaded by rotating the magazine end cap–located in a cutout in the buttplate–and withdrawing the inner magazine tube until it stopped. Rounds were then inserted nose-first into the magazine through a teardrop-shaped opening in the right side of the buttstock. Pushing the inner tube back into the buttstock compressed a spring-loaded follower, applied pressure to the cartridges, and fed them into the receiver where the bolt picked them up. Another feature common to the earlier Winchester semiauto rifles was that to chamber a round, one pressed on the knurled end of a rod–called the operating sleeve–that extended from the front of the forearm; this retracted the bolt to charge the rifle or extract an unfired cartridge. Pressing in the operating sleeve and rotating it 90 degrees locked the bolt in the open position.

Unscrewing a knurled bolt at the rear of the receiver allowed the butt/trigger unit assembly to be separated from the barrel/forearm assembly. This made it easier to clean and allowed the rifle to be taken down into a shorter package for ease of storage.

The Model 63 was an attractive rifle, and sales remained steady throughout the 1930s. Manufacture continued into the early 1940s when Winchester refocused its entire production capacity towards the war effort. The model was reintroduced in 1946 with the only notable change being that the receiver was grooved to accept claw-type scope mounts.

Unfortunately, in the postwar period, the production of traditional real-steel-and-walnut .22 firearms became increasingly expensive, so much so that most companies began replacing them with newer designs that increasingly utilized alloys, stamped steel, and plastic components. The Model 63 last saw the light of day in Winchester’s 1958 catalog, after which it was quietly discontinued. A total of 174,692 units had rolled off the assembly line in New Haven.

Test-Firing The Model
Several weeks ago, while visiting with a gentleman who lives next door to my mother, I noticed he had an old rifle sitting there in a gun case. After asking permission to examine it, I found it to be a

Winchester Model 63 that his dad had bought back before World War II for squirrel hunting. It was in very good condition and sported a 1930s-vintage Weaver 2.5X scope. Naturally, I asked him if I could borrow the little gem to test-fire for this report. He readily acceded.

After disassembling it and removing several decades of dust and dried lubricant, I took the Model 63 out to my gun club to fire it. Considering its intended role, I thought it would be fitting if it was fired at what I considered normal squirrel-hunting distances. Accordingly, I paced off 40 yards and set up my targets. Loading the tubular magazine was fast and fumble-free, and I then hunkered down behind my MTM Predator rifle rest to see if the little Winchester could do what needed to be done.

While the rather ancient Weaver scope provided a crystal-clear sight picture, the extra-fine crosshairs required considerable concentration. However, thanks in large part to a very crisp trigger, I was able to fire a series of well-centered, five-shot groups that ranged from just smaller than 1 inch to sligh
tly larger than 2 inches in size. While functioning was excellent with the Federal, Remington, and CCI ammo, the rifle showed a distinct lack of familial loyalty with the Winchester ammo. I was unable to ascertain if the repeated failures to feed were because of the hollowpoint bullets or the lower velocities and consequent lower operating inertia.

With the accuracy work done, I spent an enjoyable hour or so shooting soft-drink cans at 25 and 50 yards until I ran out of ammo. And except for the functioning problem with the Winchester ammunition, I was very impressed with the Model 63. I have rarely found a .22 rifle that I didn’t enjoy shooting, and the Model 63 was no exception. After all, at least to my way of thinking, a .22 rifle equals fun!
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 3:16 pm
Winchester Model 63 Semi Automatic Rifle

http://www.nramuseum.org/the-museum/the-galleries/firearms-traditions-for-today/case-80-hunting-big-and-small-game/winchester-model-63-semi-automatic-rifle.aspx

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This model was introduced in 1933 to replace the similar Model 1903 which used the .22 Win. Auto cartridge. SN 101507A

The Model 1903 Winchester, introduced in 1903, was the first U.S. semi-auto rifle designed for .22 rimfire cartridges. The simple blowback action depends on uniform recoil from the cartridge for reliable operation. Since contemporary .22 rimfire ammunition was not made to consistent standards, Winchester chambered the rifle for the unique .22 Win. Auto cartridge. While the use of this cartridge ensured reliable operation, it also hurt sales.



In 1933, the Model 63, an essentially identical rifle but chambered for for .22 Long Rifle, was introduced to replace the Model 1903. Oliver Fisher Winchester was born on November 30, 1810 in Boston, Massachusetts. Although raised on a farm, Winchester eventually became a carpenter, and by 1830, he was a construction supervisor in Baltimore, Maryland. While in Baltimore, he entered the dry goods business, and after several years, Winchester became a manufacturer of men's shirts in New Haven, Connecticut. This venture proved to be sufficiently profitable that he began to extend his business interests.



In 1855, Winchester became a stockholder and director of the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company, a firearms manufacturing firm that brought together the talents of Winchester with those of Horace Smith, Daniel B. Wesson, and B. Tyler Henry. Volcanic produced lever-action repeating pistols and carbines based on the patents of Smith & Wesson. These two, who would later become famous for their revolvers, had followed up on the earlier repeating rifle designs of Walter Hunt and Lewis Jennings. Smith and Wesson sold their patents and other assets to the newly-organized Volcanic Company, and after a short time, both left Volcanic and began work on the first of many revolvers to bear their names. The Volcanic's operating mechanism was very similar to that still used today in lever-action repeaters, but the guns were plagued by problems with their self-contained cartridges. These consisted of a hollow-based, powder-filled conical bullet backed by a fulminate primer plate.



In addition to problems with velocity due to the limited amount of propellant available, these rounds also had the unfortunate tendency to go off prematurely, sometimes while still in the magazine. A further complication was the Volcanic's lack of an extractor or ejection system. These were not necessary when the ammunition functioned properly, but their lack created additional problems in case of misfires. Consequently, marketing and sales efforts were hampered.



In 1857, financial problems forced Volcanic into insolvency. The company's assets were purchased by Oliver Winchester, who by this time had become Volcanic's president. Winchester reorganized the firm and resumed operations under the name of New Haven Arms Company. Unlike others in the field of firearms manufacture during this period, Winchester's talents lay not as an inventor but as a successful businessman. This success would continue with New Haven, and it extended beyond financial matters to the staffing of the new company. Among those hired by Oliver Winchester was B. Tyler Henry, who became plant manager. Henry had a great deal of experience with repeating firearms, having worked previously for various arms makers, including Smith & Wesson. One of his tasks was to develop a metallic cartridge to replace the inferior self-contained bullets chambered by the Volcanic.



Others, including Daniel Wesson, were also working on this problem, and Wesson's .22 rimfire cartridge may have influenced Henry's efforts. By 1860, Henry had developed a .44 rimfire, and he then turned his efforts to modifying the Volcanic to load, fire, and extract his new cartridge. His subsequent patent for these improvements was assigned to the New Haven Arms Co. The firm abandoned its pistol line and concentrated its efforts on the manufacture of lever-action rifles of Henry's design which also bore his name. The coming of the Civil War brought with it a great demand for firearms.



Although the Henry, with its sixteen-shot tubular magazine and impressive rate of fire was a truly revolutionary rifle, conservative elements within the U.S. Army favored the tried-and-true single-shot muzzle loading rifle-muskets as a standard infantry arm. The government did place orders for a total of over 1,700 Henry rifles, and many of these were issued to troopers of the 1st Maine and 1st District of Columbia Cavalry regiments. Many more found their way into the ranks through private purchase. These rifles provided Union troops with a formidable advantage over their enemies. At least one awed Confederate referred to the Henry as "that damned Yankee rifle that can be loaded on Sunday and fired all week!"



In 1867, the New Haven Arms Company was re-organized and became known as the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, with Oliver Winchester serving as president, treasurer, and board member. The new company also introduced a new firearm, the Winchester Model 1866. These .44 rimfire caliber brass-framed arms were available in musket, rifle, and carbine configurations. Winchester still hoped to crack the military market, but despite the Henry's success and its popularity during the Civil War, the Army remained wedded to the single-shot rifle. Nonetheless, Henry and Winchester Model 1866 "Yellow Boy" rifles found a ready market on the western frontier.



The Indians referred to these arms as "many shots," and "spirit gun," which showed a measure of awe and respect for the products of the New Haven-based company. Many warriors were able to obtain these arms for themselves, and more than twenty of them were used against George A. Custer's 7th Cavalry and their single-shot Springfield carbines at the Little Bighorn in June, 1876. Winchester repeaters also found favor with miners, homesteaders, ranchers, lawmen, and highwaymen. Winchester's success continued with the centerfire Model 1873 and 1876 lever-action repeaters, both of which were available in a range of calibers and optional features.



The Model 1886 was a milestone for the company in two respects: it marked the first association between Winchester and designer John Browning, and it was also the first lever-action rifle capable of chambering big-game calibers, including the .50-110 Express cartridge. Other Browning-designed Winchesters include the Model 1885 single-shot rifle, Model 1887 lever-action shotgun, Model 1890 slide-action rifle, Model 1893, Model 1894, and Model 1895 lever-action rifles. The Model 1894 alone accounted for over five million sales and is still in production.



Winchester was able to enter the military market in later years, with sales both to foreign governments and to the U.S. Army. During both World Wars, Winchester-manufactured rifles and shotguns served U.S. and Allied troops in various parts of the globe. In addition to contract production of the U.S. Model 1917 bolt-action and the famous M1 Garand semi-automatic rifles, Winchester also produced the Model 1897 and Model 12 slide-action shotguns, as well as the M1 Carbine.



In the civilian market, the bolt-action Model 70 rifle is still popular with big game hunters, and Winchester lever-action rifles continue to meet with sales success. Under his leadership Oliver Winchester saw his company rise from near-bankruptcy to become one of the most successful firearms manufacturing firms in the world. He was a gifted businessman who was able to foresee opportunities and to make the most of them, and a skilled judge of people and their abilities, as evidenced both by the success of his company and by his association with men such as Horace Smith, Daniel B. Wesson, B. Tyler Henry, and John Browning.



Declining health forced him to take a less active role in the affairs of his firm, but the company's continued success was all but assured by his vision and leadership. Oliver Winchester died in December, 1880 at the age of 70, but both his name and his company survive. The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was acquired by Olin Corporation, which created U.S. Repeating Arms as the manufacturer of Winchester rifles and shotguns. In addition, Winchester arms were produced by Miroku of Japan. In 1992, U.S. Repeating Arms was purchased by Giat of France.

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