Interesting Winchester ratios, 1880

[Wild Billy Potts]

I am going to use 1880 as a base line here to contrast the ratios of Winchester owners. The recorded 1880 census population was 50,189,209. By the end of 1880 there had been 141,903 M1866, 63,537 M1873 and 14,700 M1876 serials issued according to the numbers I have available. Now let's break this down.

There was
1 M1866 per every 353 citizens
1 M1873  "      "    789     "       (Colt SAA production #s were very similar in this time frame)
1 M1876  "      "    3414   "

This is by no means indicative of what was seen in any given area, just overall ratios. Wish I could get some good numbers for imported and domestic shotguns of the era.

[Delmonico]

Interesting figures, but it is interesting also if you look at the Remington 870 shotgun, at over 10 million made and a little over 308 million in the US it would make them owned by about 1 in 31.   

[Wild Billy Potts]

Interesting figures, but it is interesting also if you look at the Remington 870 shotgun, at over 10 million made and a little over 308 million in the US it would make them owned by about 1 in 31.   

Sounds about right. The 870 is very commonly seen around here. Own 2 myself.

[Delmonico]

Sounds about right. The 870 is very commonly seen around here. Own 2 myself.

I have just one a 28 gauge Wingmaster made in the 1970's.  Considering the differences in the economy then and now that's still impressive for the Winchesters.  Few folks owned more than one or two guns back then.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

2 most commonly seen around here are the 870 and the Mossberg 500. Used to have a Mossberg myself........

[Fox Creek Kid]

So there we have it. From what I deduce from all this is that Mark Twain was correct when he stated that it was whisky that conquered the West!! 

[WaddWatsonEllis]

I thought that whiskey was God's way of keeping the Irish from taking over the world ....*S*

[Delmonico]

I thought that whiskey was God's way of keeping the Irish from taking over the world ....*S*

No it's what makes guys from Ioway think that when others are having fun that they have to have been drinking it.

[Christopher Carson]

Wonder what the 1866 and Henry numbers would be.  If those numbers are available, also might be interesting to see the aggregate (X number Winchesters per Y numbers of citizens).

-Chris

[Tascosa Joe]

The total production of the Henry was about 14800.  Except for finishing rifles from existing parts production stopped with the 66 started.

[Wild Billy Potts]

These are just numbers. They don't tell everything. We all know that not all Winchester rifles stayed in this country as other nations and foreign citizens placed some orders. There is also no way that we can tell how many rifles that were produced, were subquently destroyed thru usage. I guess the only really solid thing that we can get is the fact that by the end of 1880 the '66 would be the most common Winchester encountered. By the next decade this would not be the case as nearly a third of all '73s produced were made between the end of 1880 and late 1890.

I wouldn't feel too uncomfortable making a logical guestimation that the most commonly encountered firearms would have been some sort of shotgun, which probably were in most rural homes in the country.

[pony express]

It is just a wild guess on my part, but I would think that MOST of the population at that time would have been concentrated in the eastern states, but most of the various Winchester repeaters would probably have been sold in the frontier areas.

[Fox Creek Kid]

It is just a wild guess on my part, but I would think that MOST of the population at that time would have been concentrated in the eastern states, but most of the various Winchester repeaters would probably have been sold in the frontier areas.

We have a winner. 

[Wild Billy Potts]

It is just a wild guess on my part, but I would think that MOST of the population at that time would have been concentrated in the eastern states, but most of the various Winchester repeaters would probably have been sold in the frontier areas.

And that very well could be the case.

[pony express]

I have read that in some areas of the east(Appilatians for instance) muzzleloaders were still in pretty common use up into the 20th century, No real need for an expensive repeater to defend yourself against a charging squirrell or occasional whittail deer. I remember reading somewhere that a Kentucky type rifle was Alvin York's preffered rifle, before the army gave him an '03.

[Delmonico]

I have read that in some areas of the east(Appilatians for instance) muzzleloaders were still in pretty common use up into the 20th century, No real need for an expensive repeater to defend yourself against a charging squirrell or occasional whittail deer. I remember reading somewhere that a Kentucky type rifle was Alvin York's preffered rifle, before the army gave him an '03.

There were still makers of muzzle loaders down there when the repro ones started being made.  Guys like Hacker Martin to be truthful never really built repros, they were just continuing what had never stopped. 

Along the same lines, I can't remember where I read it, but a lot of 73 Winchesters went up into New England.  Might be a reflection on the economy in both areas, New England had folks with extra money and down in around Kentucky and such they were dirt poor.  And for deer, squirrels and black bear one will work pretty well as much as the other. 

Not much different today, poor rural folks tend to use 30-30's and wealthy folks buy Weatherby's or similar expensive rifles in some whiz bang new caliber, both to hunt the whitetail.

[Drayton Calhoun]

Del, I live in Alabama and one fellow near me ordered an 8 MM Magnum for whitetail!