Sears Model 53

Question
QUESTION: I bought a Sears Model 53 from a friend. I ran the serial number on the Winchester web sight and it came back as being made in 1950. Is that possible?

ANSWER: Sears had this serial numbered seperately.
There is no database for that.
Best you can date it is pre or post 1964 based on the bolt and extractor.
Any gun store should be able to quickly tell you which it is.
The 64 had an an extractor similure to a Mauser or Sprinngfield.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So the fact that the serial number for the rifle was in Winchester's data base for a model 70 was just by chance? The serial numer on the rifle had a U at the beginning. Winchester's data base asked to remove the U and enter just the number. That's when it came up with the 1950 date. I took it hunting and shot 2 deer with 2 shots. Was very impressed.

Answer
The u is part of the serial number.
Sears serial numbers are seperate and never made available by Sears.
You do NOT have a model 70.
You have a house branded gun Sears Model 53.
(I know its the same basic rifle)
Model 53 has cheaper wood and metal finish.
They are not exactly the same.
It sold for less money for a reason.

You likily got the 1950 date from
http://armscollectors.com/
Winchester itself doesn't have searchable database.
I do not believe the current Winchester have Olin era records.
The company changed hands twice since then.
FN owns it now.

Buffalo Bill Cody HS has Winchesters old records (pre1975).
MAYBE they can date it if they have model 70 documents.
http://www.bbhc.org/firearms/records.cfm

The blue book and the Madis reference on all model 70's says removing the U gives a plus or minus 3 to 4 year range on date of manufacture. 1946 to 1954, probably not 100% either sure on that either.
In general Sears ordered thousands of rifles at a time to be delivered over a period of time.
At the time the order was placed numbers were set aside in block with Sears serial number.
When those were built out only Sears records would show by delivery dates.
BATF has those records and they are not public.
Basically you have a guestimate of when the order was placed.
Not when the rifle was made.

Prior to gun control act 1968 little was required for serial numbers.
Many shotguns and rifles had no serial number at all.

If its a pre 64 rifle, its one the best rifles ever made.

25% of the Model 53s were pre 1964.