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LOT 3045
Exceptional Antique Special Order Winchester Deluxe
Model 1886 Lever Action Rifle with Factory Letter -
Serial no. 47717, 40-82 WCF cal., 26 inch octagon bbl., blue/
casehardened finish, walnut stock. Manufactured in 1890, this
is a very fine example of a special ordered Winchester deluxe
Model 1886 rifle. The ‘86 was the first lever action designed by
the legendary American firearms designer John Moses Browning
and established a lineage of rugged and powerful Winchester
lever actions that helped keep them the leading name in
repeating long guns for over a century. The Model 1886 with
its vertical locking lug design was a significant, much stronger
improvement over the earlier toggle-link Winchester designs,
allowing it to be chambered in the most powerful cartridges
of the time. Due to this, as well as its rugged reliability, the
‘86 found immediate popularity among hunters, settlers, and
anyone else that felt the need to have a long gun capable of
stopping essentially any danger one could face in North America
and beyond. Even in special ordered, deluxe configurations like
this example, these guns were often viewed as utilitarian, with a
large number of them seeing hard use in the harsh environment
of the American West. Thus, it should be viewed as a rarity and
privilege to have an opportunity to view and potentially own an
example like this one that has been preserved for 135 years in
exceptionally high condition.
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