McKinney, sorry all I have done is muddy the waters on that point - I typed "model 70" out of habit - I too think it would probably be most likely a Winchester 54 - Bell was a progressive and it would be just like him to get a .220 Swift straight away once it came out.

I have no proof however either way that his Winchester was a 54 or a 70 at this stage, although he does refer once to the superiority of the 'speed lock' on the Winchester, (faster lock time) which I believe was a selling point of the Model 54 in early advertising.