Winchester Model 61

The Winchester Model 61 Magnum was manufactured between 1960 and 1963. This particular rifle is chambered in .22 Magnum Rim Fire. It is a Slide action hammerless design with a tubular magazine.

This particular rifle came to me because it would not fire. Operating the slide did not seem to have an effect on the condition of the hammer. Pulling the trigger on the assembled rifle indicated nothing.

During initial inspection of the rifle it was clear this rifle had been neglected. There was surface rust on several places. The inner magazine tube was covered in surface rust. The side plate of the scope mount was installed upside down and the screws were rusted.

When I disassembled the lower receiver I discovered the problem. Under the trigger inside the bottom of the receiver was a clump of oily carbon. This was stopping the trigger from being pulled completely.

While I had the gun disassembled, I cleaned everything, including the bolt, and polished the visible side. I took the inner magazine tube to the polishing wheel and cleaned off the rust.

I removed the scope mount, cleaned the rusty screws, inverted the side plate and reinstalled everything. Some careful work removing the surface rust from the rest of the gun, then reassembly, lubrication and testing.