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cartridges offered by Winchester included .50-90, 50-95, .50-100, .50-110, and .50-140. The .50-105 caliber is certainly one of the rarest of the express cartridges. Knowledgeable collectors assert that only 18 to 22 Model 1886s were originally manufactured in .50-105 by Winchester and examples such as no. 25278 are known to have been factory re-chambered to another type of 50 Express cartridge (see our December Premier Auction No. 66, lot 3029 that was originally in .50-105, which it was marked, and later factory re-chambered to .50-110).
LOT 3010
Documented Winchester Model 1886 Lever Action Rifle
in Rare .50 Express with Factory Letter - Serial no. 25252, 50 express cal., 26 inch octagon bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock. Released in 1893-1894, the .50 Express cartridge was one of the most powerful commercial cartridges available at the time, and it quickly proved popular with big and dangerous game hunters. Many Winchester rifles chambered for this powerful cartridge were shipped to England and then found their way to Africa and India where they were often employed against big cats. Demand for the cartridge in the United States was low however, and relatively few of these rifles were manufactured. The Model 1886 in .50 Express was only produced in limited numbers, especially when compared to the smaller calibers. Today Winchesters in .50 Express are a highly sought after collectible. Examples in any condition are proving difficult to find. The accompanying factory letter lists the rifle with an octagon barrel in .50-105 caliber and plain trigger. The factory letter also states the rifle was received in warehouse on October 23, 1888, “back in to warehouse on July 29, 1889” and shipped on September 20, 1889. The .50-105 caliber was one of a variety of cartridges Winchester offered in their express rifles. Other express