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Collector Reference Tool · Winchester Model 42

Winchester Model 42 Serial Number Lookup

Enter a Model 42 serial number to estimate its year of manufacture, then compare the result with markings, configuration, and the full collector guide.

Note: Winchester Model 42 serial ranges are useful collector references, but factory records and letters remain the best source for documenting an individual gun.

After you date it

Three things that help once you have a year: the Winchester book, a humidity gauge for the safe, and synthetic gun oil. Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Gun Collectors Club earns from qualifying purchases.

  1. Blue Book Pocket Guide for Winchester Firearms & Values
  2. TempPro TP50 hygrometer Same unit as the ThermoPro TP50 on the humidity guide. Cheap, and it tells you if the safe is wet.
  3. Birchwood Casey Synthetic Gun Oil 10-Ounce Aerosol Long-Lasting Gun Lubricant The natural solvency of Synthetic Gun Oil cleans as it oils while its low evaporation rate assures protection against rust.

Amazon does not sell firearms. More titles: Gun Collectors storefront. Guides hub: serial number guides.

About the Winchester Model 42 Lookup

The Winchester Model 42 remains one of the most desirable American .410 pump shotguns ever produced. Introduced in 1933 as a scaled-down companion to the famous Model 12, it earned a reputation for smooth operation, fine machining, and excellent handling. Collectors still prize original examples because production stretched across several decades and included standard field guns, skeet guns, deluxe grades, and special-order variations.

This Winchester Model 42 serial number lookup tool is intended to help narrow a shotgun's likely year of manufacture by comparing the receiver serial number to published collector reference ranges. The result is a starting point, not a final authentication. Barrel markings, choke designation, finish, wood, rib configuration, condition, and originality all matter when identifying or evaluating a Model 42.

For a more complete review, continue to the Winchester Model 42 collector guide and photo gallery. Using the lookup result together with visible markings, configuration details, and documented provenance gives collectors a better way to describe, compare, and preserve these classic .410 Winchester pump shotguns.

Read the Model 42 Guide Shotgun Collector Guides