Today, we have for you an original manual for the Winchester Light Rifle in .224 Winchester E2. This was a rifle in competition with the early AR-15 to replace the M-14 in US military service. The .224 E2 cartridge was similar to, but not interchangeable with the .222 Remington, eventually to become the 5.56×45 NATO round.
This manual covers operation, disassembly, and maintenance of the Winchester Light Rifle, as well as including dimensions drawings of the cartridge and chamber, and a comparison to the .222 Remington Special.You can download it from the link below, or find it along with our other manuals on the Original Manuals page in the Vault.
(1958) Winchester 224 E2 rifle manual (English)
You wouldn’t happen to have the other typewritten page of “History of Development the Cal. .22 Center Fire Military Cartridge”, would you? You can just make out portions of it through the page shown on Page 48 of the .pdf.
Certainly enough wood on that Winchester so Feinstein and her co-conspirators wouldn’t mistake it for an Assault Rifle!
Now, now — however, I do think your Marty Feldman avatar is a hoot!
On a more serious note, that Winchester Light Rifle and its history are quite fascinating, to say the least. If circumstances had allowed, it would have been really interesting to see where further development would have eventually led.
Very interesting. That rifle almost looks like the later Mini 14. I wonder if the light rifle inspired the Mini?
One correction on your part is in order, the .222 Remington was not eventually the 5.56×45. That was the .223 Remington. Of course the .222 Rem inspired both the .223 AND the 222 Rem Mag.
They do look similar, but the Mini-14 was inspired by the M-14 years later.
I have six magazines for this rifle that I purchased from USRAC.