Winchester Model 43
All original
Description:
Update: 1/18/22 (Funds Received) SOLD
If a person decides they want just the gun itself without the scope, rings, bases, etc.--bare on top--the price is $1399.00 plus shipping, materials, insurance.
I have made up the description for this gun with the Litschert scope. However, I also have a Unertl Hawk 4x scope (and Covers) listed on Guns International as well. For the same price (and provided the Hawk doesn't sell beforehand) I will sell the Model 43 with either one scope for the other. The price is $1699 plus shipping and insurance. Both scopes look great on this gun.
Your choice as to which scope you prefer.
For sale is a Winchester Model 43, # 58691A, produced in 1952, although it was probably sold a few years after that, in overall excellent condition. It is compeletely original with no extra holes. The olnly thing that was done to the gun was to remove the 4 screws (2 in the front bridge, 2 in the rear bridge) from the top of the receiver to mount the bases. Bolt number matches the serial number of the gun, # 58691A. The gun was factory drilled and tapped.
NOS Weaver bases were put on the gun, as well as a set of NOS Burris "Z" rings. Finally, to complete the package, a Weaver (Sears) 3x scope with a Litschert booster was installed.
Here is the story on how I "Completed the Package."
Often referred to as "The Poor Man's Model 70," I thought long and hard about what scope to put on the gun. In the 1950's, when a person bought this gun, they would be a common laborer, perhaps a low-white coller worker, a farmer, etc. I would seriously doubt that they would put a top of the line Unertl scope on the gun. After World War II, Bill Weaver introduced this line of "K" series scopes. Weaver, during the 50's, was the most popular selling scope in the world. Because of price and value, it would seem natural that a person might choose a Weaver scope for this gun.
Again, going back to this time era, the early 1950's, higher power scopes were not all that common yet, but there was a manufacturer, R. litschert, in Winchester, Indiana, who made "boosters" for scopes to increase their power. Again, this was more economically feasable for an individual to buy a booster and have it put on the scope than even buying a higher power scope itself. In that time period, you didn't waste anything, and if you already had a scope, why not just buy a booster for it and use it? That made perfectly good sense.
In the last few years I have become very enamored of the Litschert boosters on scopes; the "Varmint Master" and the "Spot Shot." When I purchased this rifle, I decided to look for such scope. The key to this whole project was to find the right scope that would make the condition of this gun (i.e, excellent).
What I found made perfect sense to me. Orignally a Sears 3X scope--and this could have been sold at any Montgomery Wards store in the 1950's--it was purchased and then someone decided to add the Litschert "Varmint Master" booster to it.
What impressed me about the scope was its relative condition. Not quite perfect, but overall excellent.
An important consideration in completing a vintage gun project on any level is to have all the components match "Condition Wise." Not only does this gun do that, but the "Mindset" of how the gun would have been put together in 1952 matches that criteria as well.
Note: I decided to use the Burris "Z" rings instead of the NOS Weaver Large Thmbscrew rings that I had because I liked the looks of those better with this particular scope.
It's a niftly little set-up if you like things from the 1952 era.
The pictures pretty much tell the story. I ran out of picture space, but this is a very slight impression on the bottom of the butt stock.
Also, I am not a Winchester expert, nor do I pretend to be. The cllip fits in the gun absolutely perfectly. It is not marked "22 Hornet." I have heard that Winchester marked some on the clips for the Model 43's, but not all of them. As to what years (and resulting serial numbers it involved) this occurred is completely out of my expertise.
Call or email if you have any questions.
Thank you.
SOLD
Curio/Relic: Yes
Rifle Caliber: .22 Hornet
Manufacturer:
Winchester
Model:
43
Serial Number:
58691A
Barrel Length:
24
Condition:
Excellent
Metal Condition:
Excellent
Wood Condition:
Excellent
Bore Condition:
Excellent