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