Project Description

This is a 1/2 scale Winchester Model 1890 .22 caliber pump or slide action rifle made by master miniature maker George Wenzek of Washington State made in 2000.  20 1/16″ long overall with a 12 1/16″ rifled octagon barrel of .130 caliber.  Blued machined steel metal parts with a two piece straight grained walnut forearm & straight grip buttstock.  The forearm with the typical “corn cob” configuration with 12 grooves and a in the white screw on each side.  Crescent buttplate.  Checkered magazine tube end & hammer spur, the hammer with both half & full cock.   Knurled take down screw.  The inner magazine tube finished in the white.  Windage adjustable dovetailed front sight, the rear sight held in place by a screw & elevation adjustable.  It is well known to me that Mr. Wenzek made 5 of these back in 2000.   Fully functional but non-firing.  There is a threaded hole in the upper tang that would be used to add a tang sight that would normally have a plug screw.  The rifle has been expertly scroll engraved & gold inlaid by an unknown by obviously master engraver.  I’ve looked it over for a signature, but so far no luck.  The receiver left side scroll engraved with gold wire borders and a gold inlaid cottontail rabbit in a blued pasture scene.  The right side similarly engraved with a gold squirrel on a tree branch blue panel scene.  There is additional scroll engraving on the barrel, triggerguard, upper & lower tangs & the top tang of the butttplate.  There are two inlaid gold bands at the barrel breech & one at the muzzle.  The left side of the barrel engraved “22 WRF”.  The serial # “2” stamped into the bottom front of the frame, the bottom of the barrel near the frame partially hidden by the action bar, the right side of the triggerguard hidden inside the frame, the bottom of the bolt, & the right side of the cartridge lifter.  Additionally the serial # “2” is engraved into the bottom tang.  Complete with the original Wenzek oak glass topped hinged case with key lock, no key included.  The glass top etched with the Winchester horse & rider logo with “18” in front & “90” behind, & “WINCHESTER” underneath.  The case interior English fit & lined in a burgundy velour.  Accessories include a steel cleaning rod & two empty 1/2 scale Western Super-X .22 WRF ammo boxes.  There should be a rectangular brass plaque screwed to the case interior that is engraved “HALF SCALE, BY, GEO. WENZEK, 2000” in four lines, but for some reason it has been removed but the screws are there, see bottom photo from another example.  A beautiful little rifle, the quality is just first class all the way!  Price $9,500.00.

 

This is the photo of the ID plate from serial # 4.