Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Winchester 69A

I stumbled into one of these at the big Gun Day gun show in Louisville KY this past weekend. Don't know anything about them but it caught my eye so, it followed me back to TN.
What can y'all tell me about them, good, bad, ugly, or otherwise. This is only my 2nd Winchester 22 I have ever owned, the 1st being a model 67 single shot.
Thanks

i have 3 all very accurate, and I would not sell any of them.

The 69A was my first rifle. I have a sentimental attachment to that model. Beyond that they are good rifles that are accurate and problem free. Enjoy the heck out of it. The only other .22's I've liked as well are my CZ 452's.

Where is the best place to try and find magazines for these? It does have a 5 round mag with it but I always like to have a couple of extra if possible.
Thanks for the info, if it will ever stop raining, I look forward to getting it out and shooting it.
OldRooster, I had a CZ452 as well once upon a time, is the accuracy in the same ballpark with the 69A?

Gunbroker or ebay will be your best bet for spare mags.

Congrats on finding a great rifle.

All the Win 52, 75, and 69A mags will fit in these. You can find the W marked mags for around $20-$25 on ebay quite often. They are the Wisner copies of the originals and they work just fine in all the Winchesters I've tried them in. Ebay is a good place to find them along with gun shows. Brownells' used to carry them, but they've been shown as out of stock for years now....

I have one and its a great shooter. If you cant find original mags the Wisner copies are really good.

Super accurate

When I was young, some of my greatest stunts were accomplished with one.

My CZ's are scoped and my 69A has target sights so it's not quite a fair comparison but I'd say the CZ's shoot a little better. But the 69A is not a dog.

My experience with 69A's mirrors most here. Pretty accurate for a light .22 rifle, nowhere near in the same league as the 52 and other purpose-built target rifles. But, that's an unfair comparison, the 69A was never intended to be a target rifle. The 69A (and others in its class) is just the ticket for a day of squirrel woods loafing. I wouldn't mind having another one, even though I need it like I need another hole in the head.

Pullit: I saw an "original" 10 (ten!) shot Winchester magazine for the Model 69's (75's etc) at a gunshow this past weekend - it was priced to sell at $100.00. I have several of these and I also have an original Winchester "single-shot" adapter magazine for the 69 and 75's as well.
Magazines of the original Winchester manufacture are pricey but the aftermarket magazines worked well for me in both the 69's and 75's.
The originals have markings on the bottom of "WINCHESTER" in fine distinctive imprint - the aftermarkets usually just have a large "W" on them and are priced much less.
I have owned MANY Model 69 Winchesters and shot most of them - they are capable of excellent accuracy with good hollow-point ammo (thats all I ever used in the 69's).
I only had one Model 69 with a decent scope mounted on it and I recall it gave excellent accuracy from the bench.
I did sell off most all of my Model 69's some time back and turned the monies I got for them into pre-64 Winchester Model 70's.
I have just one Model 69 left along with two Model 72's (the tubular fed model of the 69!) and two mint perfect Model 75 Targets (these are "model 69's with heavy long barrels and target stocks).
When I was a child our family had to settle for a Remington Model 514 (at $19.00!) over the more expensive but more desirable Winchester Model 69 (at $24.00) - times have changed!
The 69 is a desirable, reliable and handsome little Rifle that will hold its value rather well and are usually very accurate in my experience.
I would head on back to the next gunshow and personally inspect the additional Winchester magazines you might want to buy.
Enjoy.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

The 69A is my favorite squirrel rifle.
John

Exactly. I was trying to shoot against 52’s and 513T’s. And probably better marksmen as well. But it is a very good rifle.

I have 52s, 69As, and a couple 75s. Cannot think of another Winchester rifle in the safe right now. I do have a few shotguns though. But the 22s are my favorites of all makes and models.

I picked up a 69A with a Weaver B4 on it plus a second magazine and some vintage ammo a year ago for $100 CA. Adjusted the trigger down to 3#s...as low as it would go via adjustment, put an old Leupold 8X with parallax adjustment on it and shot it. Excellent shooter! Needs a bit of cold blue after I steel wool the barrel a bit...it has some rust on it. Anyway, neat old rifle that holds very well offhand due to the 25" barrel. It won't replace my Cooper 57M Classic or my CZ455, but it has found a home here too.

When it's all said and done, the designers/engineers/workmen at Winchester 85 years ago were not, repeat, not, a bunch of slouches. Were they?!

Why cant they do they do this now, Instead of most of the junk they put out. I love my winny 69, 75, and 52's. I have quite a collection of 52's nearing close to 200 of them all originals

Pullit, I have 69A that I bought many years ago that was practically new and read once that it is perhaps the perfect 22. Scoped, and you can reach out there with it. Have killed squirrels at 100 yds. Shot couple crows at 115 yds. few years back. With shorts around house, you can pick off critters at 50 yds with ease. That gun is just like the bunnie...it just keeps on giving. With the right ammo, will take down coyote, pigs, but the 22 Hornet is better for that. Enyoy it, you done good for sure.

I have a 72A which as someone noted above is the tubular fed version of the same rifle. Aside from the fact that my parents gave it to me for Christmas about 65years ago, I will never part with it. It is extremely accurate and handles well for plinking or serious squirrel hunting. Would give a lot to know how many rounds I’ve put through it.

Gemby58: Good for you on the impressive collection of Model 52's!
I have only owned three of them in my time - wish I had kept them!
I have shot Varmints in the past with an original (an mint condition!) Winchester Model 52 "Sporter"!
Probably should not have done that but my friend that owned it wanted to do something special so we took it on a Ground Squirrel Hunt and relished the experience.
How about the 52 "Sporters", own/shoot any of them?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Yes they get used time to time, heavy barrel 52's get used by the more experienced youth shooters in the club, they use the 52 I got from the DCM back in the 80's, got eight 52 and eight rem 513

My best friend is a residential real estate appraiser. A few decades ago before he started his own business a co-worker came to him and said “I found this old rifle in the attic rafters of a foreclosure today. $20 and it yours”. So he bought it and threw it in his closet. Fast forward 20 years and he mentions to me a year ago that he has some old .22 in the closet, would I want to mess with it. I only wish I had been smart enough to take some “before” photos of the gun. Somebody had “finished” it with varnish, literally painted the whole thing (metal and stock) with a brush. I didn’t even know what it was until I stripped it down and dissolved all the gunk off the metal. I sanded the stock back to bare wood (beautiful walnut stock, no cracks), stained, and approx. 20 coats of hand rubbed oil finish. Polished all the metal to bare and cold blued receiver/barrel. Bought a new brass bead front sight which I drifted on, and a new reproduction buttplate was installed, sanded to a perfect fit and polished to match the gloss stock.

I did have to purchase one of those W 5 round magazines, found one at a gun show. The rifle shoots wonderfully, quite the long barrel on these. Best I could tell from the features is it was made in the early 1960s before the requirement for serial numbers by the ATF. I finished the restoration just before Christmas and gave him his rifle back. He was amazed and very thankful of the effort. I looked at it a few months ago in his case, the metal bluing looks a little thin. It really needs a hot salt blueing and it would be absolutely gorgeous.

I have some photos laying around I will try to post.

Would love to see those pictures

I have owned two Win 69A rifles, and a Win m75 target (same action). All shot well (well under 1 inch at 50 yards, more like 5/8 -3/4" ) with standard velocity "nothing too fancy" ammo ( typically CCI std vel).

My second Win 69A, and my Win 75 had grooved receivers, making it simple to mount a scope. My first 69A did not have a grooved receiver. I drilled/tapped a Brownells scope base on it and it worked fine.

I sold the first 69A and 75 many years ago. I gave the grooved 69A to my niece.

Nice rifles. I like all those long-barreled , simple walnut-stocked 22LR bolt rifles from "the old days." ( ie Win 310/320, Rem 510, 511, 540/580 series and Marlins). A still have a CZ 452 American 22 LR, and a Rem 540xr. They all bring a smile to my face when I shoot them. Simple pleasures.

Mine has the scope groove on the receiver which is great, but a stiff, dull and numb trigger.

Any tips or tricks to know about these triggers?

Thanks

The 69A triggers are a breeze to adjust. Take the one receiver screw out, remove the stock, and the screw in the front of the trigger housing that points down adjusts. Be careful to not adjust too much or the little ball bearing will fall out and you'll be scrambling around to find it. I think mine are down to around 1 1/2-2 lbs now and pretty nice. Not like a 52C trigger, but very nice for a light rimfire....

They still kill just fine.

Thanks Sheister.

I've got so much going on that I haven't had a chance to play with the gun or even poke around on-line. You saved me a bunch of time!

" the little ball bearing will fall out "

Sheister, do you know the diameter of the ball bearing? I would assume it sits between the trigger spring and the trigger? Mine is missing in my 69A. I was only able to safely get the pull down to about 3#s on it as well. Thanks! Kurt

No, I don't know the diameter but I could drop one out tomorrow and measure it. Mine wants to fall out at about 1 1/2 lbs pull. Have you tried Numrich for the ball bearing?

It seems to me I saw a tutorial somewhere in the interweb that showed how to remove the screw and put it in the front of the trigger housing instead of the bottom with a lighter spring and you could get the trigger down to ounces. Might have been on snipershide but I haven't been able to find it and I'm pretty happy with mine as it is at the moment. My buddy and I both have a couple 75 Sporters and they are the same action/trigger... He brought his to shoot one day and wasn't happy with it at all. I showed him how to adjust the trigger and it made a huge difference in how he shot the rifle....

Shei, Thanks for comments. If you ever have a 69A apart a diameter of that bearing would be very useful. I was thinking of steel shot, or maybe a BB as a replacement? Shipping any gun parts to Canada is always an exercise in figuring out what is legal and what is restricted. Kurt

Well, I'm embarrassed to admit, no ball bearing in the 69A trigger. I adjusted at least 4 different triggers last time out at the range and I mistook the 69A with the 541S or 40X trigger IIRC that had the spring with the ball bearing in the trigger that I almost lost.... however, bright side is the 69A is simple to adjust with just the screw in the front of the trigger housing right behind the mag holder. Bad news is I could only get two of mine down to around 3 lbs without releasing unexpectedly , which is okay for rabbit/squirrel hunting, but not so much for target work... funny thing is, my 75 Sporter is adjusted to just under 2 lbs and feels nice and crisp...

The 541S however, was pretty easy to get down to around 1 1/2 lb and a very nice crisp release...

Bob

Bob, Thanks for the update. Yes, I've owned a 541S, two M52 Winchesters, and have a Cooper 57M, CZ 455 with a reworked trigger, a 10-22 Sporter with a Shilen barrel and Timney trigger as well as the old M69A in the safe. All except the 69A have great triggers that can be set very light if you want. The 69A trigger at 3#s is very crisp but a tad heavy.

I too had a 72A with the tubular feed on it and it was topped by a Weaver 4X scope. I spent my youth shooting this rifle and became so familiar with the ballistic curve on it that I was dangerous to 100-150 yards with it. We use to buy shells back then, by the box and I remember one day heading out to a local ranch that had alfalfa meadows bordered on three sides with sage brush with a creek on the remaining side. I had two boxes of LR ammo which I think cost about 55cents a box, we never bought 22 shells by the carton, only the box. With those two boxes of ammo on a summer afternoon I shot 43 jackrabbits and won the praise of the rancher. I don't think I have ever become as great a shot with any other 22 rifle as I was with that one.

I refinished the stock in a primitive fashion a couple of times as a teenager and remember that the trigger became smoother and lighter as the round count went up. The safety would fail to engage periodically and I would remove the action from the stock and push a pin back it. I have 10/22s that have a round count of over 25,000 rounds thanks to 4 sons but this 72A had around 5,000 rounds through it and was always more accurate.

One of the disappointments of my gun collecting career is that I don't remember what ever happened to it. Maybe I stupidly traded it in on something else.

Great memories were made with that 72A and if I ever come across another I'm a buyer.