Winchester 190
I recently had one of these great guns in the shop for a maintenance/cleaning job. The gun was in pretty rough shape because it had been stored in a barn for many years, but with a little work it started look great again. The photo above is a representative picture I found. Before there was a Ruger 10/22, this was one of the slickest guns around.
One of the things that I noticed was like the Ruger 10/22 it is almost impossible to clean if you don’t take it down all the way. The 190 does not allow you to lock the bolt to the rear, so it is hard to really get a the fouling out of the action, and it would be hard to run your cleaning rod through. Another issue with these types of autoloaders is that they can only be cleaned from the muzzle. Generally this isn’t is a good idea. You always want to clean from the breach to the muzzle. If your gun is a good shooter, you might want to invest in a muzzle protector that can be purchased from Brownell’s. This will keep your muzzle crown from being damaged.
If you do take this gun apart for cleaning, be prepared to fight the recoil spring. I only shot it across the shop 4 or 5 times! I’ll admit it was exciting to look for it, but after a while it got annoying. Having taken this gun apart now I would rate it as a 5 out of 10 in difficulty. Nothing is that difficult, but you will need some patience, and a special wrench for barrel removal if you decide to go that far, which I don’t recommend.
If you have one of these guns, you might just want to do some routine maintenance until it gets gunky. Then I would advise that you bring it in to your local gunsmith. They are well designed, and should provide a lot of shooting enjoyment.
Mossy,
Good article. I a have a 190, that I clean as well as I can. I bought it in the late 80s never really shot it that much it was stored for a few years, recently I began shooting it again. I forgot how it was! (And cheap) I have several vintage Military rifles and I’m experienced in stripping and cleaning modern military weapons as well, but I was nervous when I disassembled my model 1894. How would you say they compare in difficulty? Patients come slowly for me at the moment. Right now it looks like I might send this one out, just to avoid the hassle.
What do ya think…?
Shoot’n the Sh(…)
The model 1894 is not terribly difficult, but it does require you to maintain a patience, and you will need to be able to remember how things go in very specific order. If you have never taken one down you will definitely want to buy detailed instructions. You will also need one or two special tools. If you aren’t looking for a challenge, you may want to send it out.
I have a Model 190 which I have just finished restoring. Regarding the recoil spring: The buttstock removes with a 1/2 inch socket and the recoil spring rests directly on the wood. I removed the stock and drilled a 3/64 hole in the receiver about 1/8 inch from the edge of the receiver through the recoil spring passage. With this done, it is quick and easy to drop in the bolt and operating handle, push the spring in from the rear and secure it with a straightened paperclip, then re-install the stock. ( use a padded vise to hold the receiver while drilling and don’t squeeze it too tight as it is made of aluminum alloy )
Robert offers a great idea. If not, you end up trying this with two screwdrivers and a lot of patience. Be aware that there is a piece that rides in the spring that will shoot across the room if you aren’t careful. The only reason not to follow Robert’s advice is if you have near perfect gun, and you think there is an outside chance it will go up in value. It could happen, but isn’t likely. Save yourself the misery and drill the hole.
I cannot get this recoil spring back in to save my life. I don’t really want to go drilling on this gun. Is there not a simple trick to getting the spring back in the hole?
Lots of fun isn’t it! Don’t drill any holes. Clamp the receiver very lightly in a padded vise. Take two flat tipped screwdrivers and begin working the spring back into the hole by placing the flat tip in between the coils and pushing back. You only have to go so far to get the guide in place in the receiver. Patience is a virtue on this one.
Nice rifle.
Not that a .22 needs it, but if you clean the bore frequently and want to do it from the breech end, try a Bore Snake. I just started using one on a couple of guns and it works quite well.
Use a cleaning rod from the muzzle end on those rare occasions when you really need to give it a good scrub. When it comes to .22s and cleaning, most of the time less is more…
“The 190 does not allow you to lock the bolt to the rear,”
I just found on my 190, the bolt DOES lock open, by pulling the bolt back almost all the way and then pushing in on the bolt knob. Its a little finicky to get it to lock, but it works. To release, pull back and slightly out.
I’m wondering if perhaps earlier versions of the 190 don’t have the lock.
Great. Thanks for the tip. That is a good insight to know.
I just purchased (today) a 190 from a pawn shop for $95.00 (plus tax). I’d say the condition is good to very good depending on one’s personal opinion. The stock has a few minor dings and scratches and the receiver also has a few scratches. The bluing on the barrel is about 95%. I wiped it down with WD-40 and looked in the barrel with a flashlight – looks fine. It dry fires and the bolt actuates perfectly. The locking feature is just as described by “Joe P.” Now all I have to do is shoot it. Why did I buy a .22? My HMR17 destroys a squirrel – OK – I aimed at “fur” instead of the head. That .17 is wicked! I use a bore snake on my .270 and 30-06. I’ll get one for this .22.
Great! I think you will really like it. I would remind all of us that WD-40 is never good for gun use. It will eventually cause you problems. Get a gun oil from Wal-mart. It makes a big difference.
Well, I’ve installed a 4×32 Winchester Airgun scope on my 190 and sighted in at 50 yards. The action cycles perfectly. Still need to get the bore snake, but I cleaned it from the muzzle end this one time and wiped it down with gun oil. Very happy with it!
Cool. Do you like the scope?
I just inherited my Dads old 190. It shoots fine but I would like to give it a good cleaning. I cannot figure out how to break it down.
Can you give me some help?
Just get me started!
Unless you are having trouble with it jamming, simply clean from the front of the barrel. You can get the barrel clean that way. If you need to clean the inside of the action, I suggest you buy the firearms disassembly books from Brownell’s.
At the range yesterday, the bolt handle came completely off my 190 and now it doesn’t want to stay on during firing. I’m talking about the entire handle, not just the plastic knob at the end. If I push it in too firmly, the “bolt lock” activates and the gun won’t cycle. Less firmly, and the handle falls off during firing. There are no threads on the stem of the handle. Anyone know if there is supposed to be something holding the handle to the bolt other than just a press fit? Thanks, Joe.
It is a press fit indeed. I’m not sure what the problem is that is keeping it from staying in.
I was curious about Joe P.’s question myself, having just completely disassebled my new 190 last night. I believe the bolt mechanism fitting tight against the reciever ceiling keeps the bolt in by the edge of the ejection port opening grabbing it. Otherwise, it seems to be completely free floating and free spinning. I could be wrong, I haven’t dealt with it too much. When I first pulled it apart, the bolt handle only came loose when the tension of the recoil spring was removed (of course this caused the bolt to drop from the reciever and consequently be loose fron the ceiling). I don’t understand exactly why a functioning rifle would have this problem if it is inherintly designed NOT to have this problem. Most likely there is a piece in the trigger mech. that holds the bolt upward and thus locked to the ceiling. I have noticed a piece like this on the mechanism, but I’m not gonna walk back out to see if I’m right. In my humble opinion, this is the second place to look, only after noting the distance from the bolt handle and the edge of the ejection port.
Luckily, my purpose for coming to the site was answered by my walking back out to the shop for the aforementioned reason. I had dropped the bolt and recoil spring into the vise when I pulled off the buttstock- only to find a small steel shim that I hadn’t seen before! I searched it for an hour last night and only just found the grease mark where it had originally been. I came for an exploded parts diagram to find this, but thank you anyway nonetheless. I wish I had someone in the know last night to help me pull it apart, as it differs completely from ANY of the military rifles I have stripped.
Sorry you couldn’t find us a little sooner. This thread has definitely taken on a life of its own because so many of you seem to have these great guns still in service. Hopefully people will keep posting and we will have more questions and answers as we go.
I hope Joe has figured out his problem in the last month, but I do feel (after more examination) that it is the proper fit between the bolt and the inside top of the reciever, which seems to be guided and pressed upward by a spring lever directly beneath-originating from the trigger housing.
I’ve just gotten mine from a neighbor and it was NOT in the best shape. the barrel had so much rust on its entirety that the word “Winchester” was barely visible. I put the barrel on my lathe and cleaned it up pretty good. Since the pitting is so bad (especially near the muzzle), I want to sandblast the barrel and tube magazine – then Parkerize them to preserve the metal. I think a grey-on-black scheme will be a very interesting departure from the black-on-blue finish. I’ve got the stock sanded down, but I haven’t decided on a color/finish for it. With the parkerization, I might spray the stocks with a dense translucent black varnish. It might look very modern (or it might look like crap). The best part of having a rifle to play with that has no apparent value… you can get creative!
I really don’t think there is any part of me that would look for a takedown guide BEFORE just going at it, so don’t apologize, I only came when I had a question, preferring to figure it out myself (and I did!).
Yes, I was able to fix the bolt handle issue. The “lip” of the bolt handle had slipped out from under the edge of the ejection port (which is what holds it in the gun). I’m betting this happened when I was using the bolt hold open feature. I probably pulled down and out instead of just out. Seems to be fine now. I’m going to avoid using the bolt hold open unless really necessary and then be really careful when I do. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
I have a 190 that belonged to my father. It was in the worst condition of any gun I had ever seen, even those that had been exposed to the most severe and prolonged adverse weather conditions while in the Army. I found detailed breakdown and reassembly instructions at [link deleted because it contained copyrighted pages from a book. you can contact cudzue directly if you are interested]and downloaded eleven pages of step-by-step instructions with photographs. I soaked the parts in Breakfree CLP overnight, then wiped, brushed blew out the residue and reassembled it. Two days later, I took it to a range and it frunctioned perfectly. The bolt handle will lock the bolt in an open position, and an earlier post here warned about repositioning the bolt spring. I will reinforce that problem with capital letters. Mine flew across the room at least a dozen times.
Cool update to this thread. I am glad that you were able to salvage the gun. They are great shooters that are a lot of fun.
i have one of these guns… my grandpa handed it down to me he bought his brand new in 1962 from a magazine for $45.. it has had over a million shells shot through it and he NEVER cleaned it…my dad uncle and aunt grew up shooting this gun and so did myself and my 12 cousins so it has had some use..but what is amazing is that for 20 years it was never cleaned and you just could not miss with it…i have it now and clean it on a regular basis…but to be honest when i clean it it dont shoot good and jams but the more i shoot it the better it shoots…..i have a ruger 10/22 and personally….i dont ever grab it i always grab my 190……great gun
Thanks for your thoughts on this Michael. It is special to have a firearm that has been passed down. When you are able to handle something that belonged to a loved one it often brings good memories and sense of closeness that is not normally available.
I have a Sears 3t – everything I’ve read says it’s a 190 that was built for Sears. It has all the functions that you guys are talkin’ about – it breaks down easy for cleaing and goes back together easily – the only thing I have noticed is it won’t dry fire. The safety will only slide when the bolt is pulled back. When it’s on safe, the trigger will jiggle, when the safety is off and the bolt forward – the trigger is locked up solid. I thought any weapon should dry-fire when cocked, no matter what the action.
Greg, thanks for your input. That is really interesting to know. Since the action is semi auto, that sounds correct. There are a few that will not dry fire without the magazine in place, but when you cycle the action you are able to pull the trigger right?
Just found this place.
I got my 190 in 1974 for my birthday, it was my first gun but not the last. It came in the box with a Weaver 4X scope. I thnk it was around $79.00. Tens of tens of thousands of rounds have ben put through it. The only jams or mis fires I can remember were because of cheap ammo.
As for cleaning, I put a cleaning rod down the barrel every thousand rounds or so and take a copper brush with bore solvent on it and swirl it around the action area to clean any build up. I have never tried to tear it down because I learned early on that is was a pain.
Next to my 100 plus year old Winchester 1890, the 190 is my favorite shooter.
Jeff,
Glad you found our site. I hope that it will prove to be useful. We have a large community of 190 shooters. There is some good information posted in the comments.
i’m new to this great site
i bought a gun at a garage sale for $50. it was painted heavy with cheap green paint.cleaned it up and found a model 190 in the mess.now it looks and shoots like new. best garage sale item of the year. this will be a hand me down to my grand kids
Thanks for commenting Al. You really did find a great gun for the money, and one I am sure the grandkids will love.
just a note! I had the same problem with the bolt spring. found that if you get a plastic drinking straw big enough to slid the spring into and cut off a piece approx 3.5 inches long,then I used a hex wrench that fit as a plunger it made life a lot easier
Great idea. I actually have a 190 in right now that I will try this on. Thanks for the comments.
UNLESS U ARE REAL HANDY WITH TOOLS–AND HAVE SOME PURPOSE SPECIFIC GUN WORK TOOLS–DONT DISASSEMBLE A 190 OR 290 PAST PULLING THE TRIGGER GROUP AND FLUSHING IT WITH SOLVENT–GUN SCRUBBER AREOSOL WORKS GOOD ALSO ELECTRICAL CONTACT CLEANER INSTANTLY CLEANS ALL AREAS–YOU CAN FLUSH THE RECEIVER OUT WITH SOLVENT OR THE AREOSOLS MENTIONED ALSO–RETRACT AND LOCK BACK THE BOLT BY PULL BOLT HANDLE TO REAR–PUSH IN SLIGHTLY ON BOLT HANDLE AS IT GOES FORWARD IT WILL FALL INTO A RECESS WHICH HOLDS IT OPEN–REOIL YOUR TRIGGER GROUP AND BOLT TRAVEL PATHS WHICH WILL SHOW UP AS SHINY STREAKS IN THE ALUMINUM RECEIVER–STAY AWAY FROM GREASY RESIDUED AMMO LIKE FEDERAL AS THIS GUN DOESNT LIKE IT–YOULL BE CLEANING SOONER THAN YOU WANT–REMINGTON THUNDER BOLT AND WINCHESTER AMMO SHOOTS A WHOLE LOT CLEANER–THESE GUNS LIKE THE HEAVIER PROJECTILES–SCRUBB THE BORE ABOUT EVERY 200 SHOTS AND RUN PATCHES TILL BORE IS DRY–IF YOU CAN FIND AND OLD STYLE BOTH EYES OPEN RED OR GREEN DOT SIGHT MOUNT ER UP–SIGHT IN AND ENJOY–LIKE AND EARLIER POST STATED THIS WAS THE FAST HANDLING 22 BEFORE THE RUGER 10/22 CAME ALONG–THESE GUNS ARE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER BY PERSONS WHO USE ONE DAILY
I have a 190 I bought back in the 60’s or 70’s that hasn’t been shot in the last 20 or so years. My question is, is it safe to shoot like it is, or should I clean it before trying to shoot it?? It looks fairly clean, it looks to be in great shape and it has been well cared for. What do you think??
I would clean it well and if you have any questions seek the advice of a gunsmith in your area, but it sounds like it should be good to go.
Thank you all for your collective wisdom. I just bought a used 190 and this has been the most helpful site I have found with regards to function and upkeep of this gun.
My 190 needs the firing pin replaced. Iwas able to buy a new one from Numrich, but have been unable to remove the old one. I knocked out the roll pin that limits the rearward movement of the firing pin, but I still can’t remove it. Any hints?
found this thread that might help everyone with the 190 and 290.
http://www.swishercs.com/winchester/
Have a 190 anyone know where ican get a better charging bolt knob not plastic
I’m not familiar with one. Check with Numrich.
Boresnakes are a fine option. Just remember there is not bolt release on that gun. You will need to play with a little bit to make it work.